Any Rumors Yet on Call Blocking Feature?

Posts: 432

I know this is a tired subject, but it can't hurt to bump the topic and ask again.

I know we have anonymous call blocking now, but are there any rumors-- or are any Vonage techs lurking who know the answer-- on when we might get (specific-number) call blocking?

I could really use this feature right now, and there are several other VoIP providers who already offer it. Considering all the features Vonage already has, surely this cannot be a difficult feature to add. (can it?)

Posts: 67 · Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 7:50 pm Post subject:

I was really excited about getting the anonymous call blocking until it started blocking my family members who were calling from behind various PBX systems that block caller id.

The feature I would like to see added to this is the ability to input your number manually if Vonage detects it's blocked so that the call can still go through.

Posts: 432 · Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:43 pm Post subject:

strongj wrote:

The feature I would like to see added to this is the ability to input your number manually if Vonage detects it's blocked so that the call can still go through.

Hmmm.... that's an interesting idea. I can see potential for abuse, though. For example, a telemarketer could key in a random number to impersonate. There would have to be some verification mechanism, to be sure the number they key in is actually their real number, and even that could be tricky, if the caller is behind (for example...) a PBX where they wouldn't necessarily know the actual outbound line being used to originate the call.

Everyone has their own feature priorities. My favorites (which already exist) are CallerID, Call Waiting, and SimulRing. At the very top of my "wish Vonage would FINALLY offer it, for crying out loud" is selective call blocking.

Vonage has been promising great new features "coming soon" for the past 3+ years I've been a customer, but in reality there have been very few new features added in that time which the majority of people will ever use. (Most features, such as "Vonage Me", will likely be used by a very small percentage of the total customer base.)

Posts: 227 · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 1:48 am Post subject:

You may have luck with tech support blocking these numbers on a case-by-case basis.

Two weeks ago I had a fax machine that started calling my line during the day. I work late nights and I'm asleep during the day, this was cutting into my sleep! I called customer service, they read through their scripts on how to set up anonymous call rejection, I had to cut them off three times and tell them that I already had ACR set up, this number was not anonymous, but it had to be blocked. They passed me on to tech support, who told me they would take care of it, and call me back in 30 minutes to see if the problem was resolved.

Well, they never called me back at all, but the calls did stop. So I don't know if they blocked the number or if the owner of the fax machine realized he was sending his faxes to the wrong number, but who knows.

Posts: 432 · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 8:30 am Post subject:

kamnet wrote:

So I don't know if they blocked the number or if the owner of the fax machine realized he was sending his faxes to the wrong number, but who knows.

Funny..... we've had this same number for nearly 20 years and yet on rare occasions someone will try to fax it. I have a fax modem on my PC (for the occasional need to send outbound), so when a fax machine calls, I'll hang up 2 times to give the sender a clue they are trying to send to the wrong number. After that, I let my PC answer and accept the fax. The sender thinks it went through and does not retry again, so problem solved.

Posts: 227 · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:56 am Post subject:

Well this is the first time I've ever had anybody dial me up using a fax, it's just very annoying that they do it when I'm trying to sleeep!

Posts: 432 · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 1:20 pm Post subject:

kamnet wrote:

it's just very annoying that they do it when I'm trying to sleeep!

Amen to that. Somewhere around 2 years ago, some jackass regularly called us in the middle of the night, usually 1-2 a.m., then would hang up without so much as a "sorry, wrong number". It was a cell phone in an exchange about 50 miles away, so I'm sure it was a wrong number and not harassment (since I don't know anybody anywhere near there). I demanded several times that he not to call back, but he ignored it, probably too stupid to realize what he was doing. So one morning after I got up, I called his number (thank God for caller ID) and woke the guy up-- apparently he's a night owl-- gave him a very disturbing scenario and told him I'd carry it out if he ever called here again. That's the last we ever heard from him.

I would have willingly paid extra for Call Block back then. Years later, still no Call Block from Vonage...... but hey, they've added this useless little Vonage Me feature that hardly anybody uses. Whoop de doo.

Posts: 533 · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 1:55 pm Post subject:

If you're getting annoying calls in the middle of the night, you could use DND (do not disturb). It's *78 to enable DND and *79 to disable it. Calls will go directly to VM, if you have VM enabled. Otherwise the caller gets a message that you're not taking calls at this time.

I don't care for Vonage's implementation of DND, but it's better than nothing. They need to add whitelists and scheduled enable and disable.

Posts: 1320 · Vonage Forum **MVM** Joined: Nov 08, 2006 Posts: 1320

I have people that call me using the Vonage Me since there is no local v-access number (too bad the 800 v-access number can't be used anymore)

I use my computer to handle most of my calls. I was using Vonage Talk, but if I left the house without turning it off my calls weren't going to voice mail. I now SimulRing my free Grand Central number and that is linked to a free program called GizmoProject. Now I can screen all my calls and block the ones I don't want to receive forever! Both my vonage line rings and the GizmoProject application, I decided which one to answer.

I have imported all my contacts from Outlook into grand central, and when my Gizmo rings it tells me who is calling. If they are not in my contact list they have to say their name.

This is what Vonage has to do for us, easy to import contacts and there you can decide how the call is handled. if you get a number you don't want calling, click it as spam, your phone will never ring again from that number.

Grand Central is still in Beta and you need an invitation to join (I am all out).

I know not many people want to use the computer to answer the phone with, but a great way to screen the calls.

Posts: 432 · Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 2:15 pm Post subject:

EzCo wrote:

If you're getting annoying calls in the middle of the night, you could use DND (do not disturb).

Except that we need to be reachable in case of emergencies.... one of the hazards of having aging parents/grandparents, some of whom are in very poor health.

Selective Call Block would be extremely useful in so many ways.