I just switched from Telus in Canada to Vonage, and was very dismayed that ACR was/is not included in the list of features. THIS was the one feature that I was happy to pay Telus for!!!
In the meantime, I just answer the phone, especially if I know it is a telemarketer, and become the most abusive and offensive person on the planet! If there is a racial slur, sexual slur, or any of the most offensive things I can think of, I say them! Hopefully, it pulls me off the list!
I was just told by an advanced tech support gentleman that they have this ACR service available, but it has not "officially" launched yet.
It works a bit differently with Vonage, for I'm trying it out as I type. It doesn't completely "block," per se, all unidentified calls; rather, it automatically and instantly sends all such calls to your voice mail, without your phone ever ringing.
On SBC, they called this "Privacy Manager," and it blocked any and all incoming calls that did not have Caller ID information ("out of area" or "private" were blocked). The nicest part about Privacy Manager, in addition to being free, is that my phone never rang. An unidentified caller got this message: "The number you have reached has privacy manager, a caller ID service, and does not accept calls from unidentified callers. At the tone, please record your name, and your call will be connected."
Then MY phone rang and I hear this message: "Privacy Manager--to continue press 1." When I press 1, the caller's recorded name is played. Then the following: "To accept the call and be immediately connected, press1. To decline the call without giving the caller a reason, press 2. To play the sales call refusal greeting, press 3."
It works a bit differently with Vonage, for I'm trying it out as I type. It doesn't completely "block," per se, all unidentified calls; rather, it automatically and instantly sends all such calls to your voice mail, without your phone ever ringing.
Well, first of all, I don't think it works on a permanent basis. The tech guy last night told me press #95 from my Vonage phone, and if I got the recall dial tone, then ACR would be activated, which is what happened (#96 deactivates it, BTW).
I had my brother, a Vonage customer, dial *67 then my number, and he immediately got my voice mail. My phone didn't even ring. Now, I don't think this service is quite perfected, to say the least. First of all, if a nonVonage or outside individual calls and has their info blocked (via *67 or other method), their call isn't blocked. It just shows up as "out of area" on my Caller ID.
Also, I seem to have to re-enter #95 every once in a while, as it doesn't seem to "stick," so to speak.
Well, first of all, I don't think it works on a permanent basis. The tech guy last night told me press #95 from my Vonage phone, and if I got the recall dial tone, then ACR would be activated, which is what happened (#96 deactivates it, BTW).
If it's any consolation, Vonage's "Privacy Manager" is really useless. It blocks only truly privatized calls. It does nothing to block "unknown" or "out of area" calls. SBC's Privacy Manager, which was free, blocked all of these. (They were my previous telco.)
I am averaging, and I kid you not, no fewer than 20 "out of area" or "unknown" calls per day, and it's really pissing me off! I'd go so far as saying that 75% of my phone's time is spent with "out of area" or "unknown" calls.
I don't know if anyone from Vonage monitors this thread, but if they do, I'd even pay extra for this feature!
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