SAAFE forum

General Category => Questions and Answers => Topic started by: SnakeLady on 09 November 2009, 01:18:45 am

Title: Mobile phones which block calls from withheld numbers.
Post by: SnakeLady on 09 November 2009, 01:18:45 am
A few months ago a parlour receptionist told me she used to answer calls at a different working flat, but the mobiles she was answering there didn't allow any calls from withheld numbers through. So basically, she never even received calls from withheld numbers since those were blocked by the network (I presume) and didn't even reach her phone.

Anyone else heard of this? She couldn't remember which network has been used (Orange maybe?).
Sounds ideal to me.

 :) SnakeLady
Title: Re: Mobile phones which block calls from withheld numbers.
Post by: EmilyJones on 09 November 2009, 01:32:18 pm
My iPhone is due to arrive this week (;D) so I had a nose around the internetz for related app info... But the only thing (http://www.iblacklist.com.br/iblacklist/index.php) mentioned requires jailbreaking and all that sort of nonsense. Also, some withheld number calls apparently might just be coming from business numbers?

I might just record a sound file of a polite "Please call back non-withheld thankyouverymuch" message and hold the mouth end of my phone to my speaker when ID-less calls come through. Ugh. Complicated.
Title: Re: Mobile phones which block calls from withheld numbers.
Post by: BurlesqueHoney on 09 November 2009, 01:43:52 pm
Did not Melody post something about blocking numbers with some phones.  Was great advice so maybe you could check out that thread.  Am a bit in a rush to dig it out but it was quite recent.   
Title: Re: Mobile phones which block calls from withheld numbers.
Post by: blossomvanessa on 09 November 2009, 02:15:47 pm
 Hi

try to contact a customer service of your network operator and ask them-its what I always do .

Also I like to ask u ,u mention u know a receptionist of parlour, can u recommend  me?Im looking any to work from. Thanks .Vanessa X
Title: Re: Mobile phones which block calls from withheld numbers.
Post by: cassie on 09 November 2009, 02:53:07 pm
Samsung phones allow you to put numbers on a blocked list, these numbers show as missed calls, but your phone won't ring.

I have spoken to Orange, Vodafone and 3 in the past and all of them have said they don't have a service which blocks numbers, though i haven't asked in the last few months so that could have changed.
Title: Re: Mobile phones which block calls from withheld numbers.
Post by: melody on 09 November 2009, 03:11:09 pm
Hiya,

I posted about phones which I've used and had experience with here - http://www.saafe.info/main/index.php?topic=1704.0

Basically, service provoiders don't block private numbers, you need a phone with Symbian software - so either a blackberry or Nokia E or N series. Personally, I don't know any others, but thats because I just use Nokias for work phones and I haven't seen anyone else post about any others.

You can get a couple of types of blacklist software, but the best one is Advanced Call Manager which - if you set it up right (instructions are in the post) will block nuisance numbers, and let you record a message, which only the p private numbers will hear, asking them to call you back on a non-withheld number (as a few guys dont realise their number is withheld, so it's handy to let them know rather than just block them)

A friend of mine has a nokia E71 for sale (probably around ?175..it's ?270 in the shops I think...I'll really have to check) but that has Advanced Call Manager built in. Or you can download ACM onto a Nokia or Blackberry with symbian OS software (for around $25), which might be a bit cheaper if you can find one on Ebay.

iphones are great as well, as long as you get Cydia so you can get iblacklist. Plus it means a buddy can follow you (or at least your phone) on googlemaps. But I haven't tried it yet as I use my iphone for personal use so don't need blacklist, but do use the googlemaps thing on outcalls.
Title: Re: Mobile phones which block calls from withheld numbers.
Post by: Amanda on 09 November 2009, 11:39:09 pm
Ok, bear with me... this may get messy ;)

Any phone which runs the Symbian operating system i.e. Nokia smartphones (E71, N95 etc) can run  all sorts of applications, including programs which can blacklist or whitelist numbers.

There are also a lot of apps available for Blackberry phones. I haven't looked for this type of software for BB yet, but I'm sure it's out there.

Samsung phones can block numbers, but unfortunately you can't block withhelds, it has to be an actual number.
Title: Re: Mobile phones which block calls from withheld numbers.
Post by: EmilyJones on 10 November 2009, 06:49:19 am
Thanks, Melody and Amanda! That's really useful info and I always need phone stuff explained simply. I have some kind of mental block when it comes to understanding the damn things. :P
Title: Re: Mobile phones which block calls from withheld numbers.
Post by: airporthoneys on 11 November 2009, 02:13:53 pm
One thing to bear in mind is that sometimes private numbers come from hotel rooms.

We answer private numbers but do not take bookings on them and ask them to call back with a number showing.  If its a hotel we can do the normal room check etc...

We actually have a  regular client who call from overseas to prebook and his no comes up as private and is completly genuine.
Title: Re: Mobile phones which block calls from withheld numbers.
Post by: anonymoussw on 11 November 2009, 02:18:15 pm
My iPhone is due to arrive this week

Come on in, welcome to the fold...
Title: Re: Mobile phones which block calls from withheld numbers.
Post by: melody on 11 November 2009, 10:50:40 pm
One thing to bear in mind is that sometimes private numbers come from hotel rooms.

We answer private numbers but do not take bookings on them and ask them to call back with a number showing.  If its a hotel we can do the normal room check etc...

We actually have a  regular client who call from overseas to prebook and his no comes up as private and is completly genuine.

Absolutely...and a lot of people have their landline blocked permanently and just dont realise. Thats why the advanced call manager is good for indies, cos you can leave a message only the private numbers can hear telling them they're not getting through cos they're on a private number, and lets them leave a message with their number, or at least get the hint to call back on their number!

Its just that for every one call I got from a private number, I got 20 nuisance callers, so it's saved me loads of bother.
Title: Re: Mobile phones which block calls from withheld numbers.
Post by: brandy@saafe on 12 November 2009, 07:57:04 am
One thing to bear in mind is that sometimes private numbers come from hotel rooms.

We answer private numbers but do not take bookings on them and ask them to call back with a number showing.  If its a hotel we can do the normal room check etc...

We actually have a  regular client who call from overseas to prebook and his no comes up as private and is completly genuine.

There's nothing to stop people calling from withheld numbers leaving a message on your voicemail. I've had a few instances where a client has called from a hotel and it was withheld. He's then left a voicemail stating which hotel he's staying at, his room number etc., and in these cases I don't mind getting back to them.

You're an agency, so in the name of security it's something you can provide to working girls. As independents we don't have that luxury, we have to provide our own.  I'm sorry, after eight years you still won't get me answering withheld numbers. I don't trust anybody that does. Just for the sake of timewasters and the lack of security that comes from them.
No number, no nookie.
Title: Re: Mobile phones which block calls from withheld numbers.
Post by: cassie on 12 November 2009, 03:13:01 pm

There's nothing to stop people calling from withheld numbers leaving a message on your voicemail. I've had a few instances where a client has called from a hotel and it was withheld. He's then left a voicemail stating which hotel he's staying at, his room number etc., and in these cases I don't mind getting back to them.

You're an agency, so in the name of security it's something you can provide to working girls. As independents we don't have that luxury, we have to provide our own.  I'm sorry, after eight years you still won't get me answering withheld numbers. I don't trust anybody that does. Just for the sake of timewasters and the lack of security that comes from them.
No number, no nookie.

Couldn't agree more!
Title: Re: Mobile phones which block calls from withheld numbers.
Post by: amy on 12 November 2009, 04:16:45 pm
Couldn't agree more!

Me too - it's far from unknown for people to call from local hotels here and they always seem to come up as withheld. I've also encountered guys who didn't realise their (usually work) mobile number was withholding itself - I still don't know much about this, and I've never had a mobile that did it.

I do answer the withheld ones during office hours, but only for long enough to tell the caller that if they want to discuss anything with me they need to ring back with some visible contact details. The vast majority are never heard of again, but there is the odd one who is genuine. Not enough to make a huge difference if I didn't, though.
Title: Re: Mobile phones which block calls from withheld numbers.
Post by: SnakeLady on 15 November 2009, 07:30:48 pm
Just wanted to say thanks to Melody and all the others for your kind replies.  :-* I will definitely save this info in case I get pestered a lot by phone. In past I did try to block some nuisance callers with Vodafone, but they were of no help whatsoever, so it's good to know there are other options.

Quote
A friend of mine has a nokia E71 for sale (probably around ?175..it's ?270 in the shops I think...I'll really have to check)

God I'm really tempted, but as I'm not yet up and running as independent, I nowadays have to be a bit careful with my spendings. Maybe later if she hasn't sold it already. Also, once I have more time I will need to do some research on SAR levels. I've had troubles before with phones hurting my ears when SAR levels were too high.

  :) SnakeLady