I banish thee, blocked calls!

I remember the pre-caller ID days. The phone rang, someone answered, if the call was not for them, a yell would go through the house for that person to answer and away you go.  You had no idea who was calling or who it was for because this was also before the days of everyone having their own phone. Crazy, exciting, pre-historic times indeed.

Flash forward to today, we each have and hold our own phones and calls (when actual phone calls are received or made on these mini computers) have the power of caller ID.

We now live in a world of caller ID so why do I receive so many “unknown” or “private” calls? Why would someone block their phone number from showing up on my end? I mean the person calling knows he/she is calling ME and that they are interrupting my incredibly busy Rockband playing time so why do some folks not want me to have the benefit of knowing their phone number and who they are? I am guessing because they know I would not willfully answer their call if I knew who it was them calling.

So who are these ninja callers?

Over the past 10 days I decided to track and answer every blocked call and see if my above theory is correct or if perhaps I am missing out on unknown riches due to my fear of the blocked call.

During this time I received 27 “unknown” or “private” calls on my two phone lines broken down like this:

15 telemarketers. Yes 15. They are not supposed to block their call, but if they do I cannot report them to that joke of a “National Do Not Call List”. Credit cards, phone services, vacation packages, etc. Just glorious interruptions to my Rockband filled days. For full disclosure, a few of these telemarketers had me agree to their offers, have me leave to get my Visa and then have me place the phone next to the speakers on my computer, turn on some punk music or a soundtrack from an adult movie (you know, like Saving Private Ryan…what were you thinking?) and then I would leave for the gym. They have paid somewhat for their sins.

3 reporters. All friendly to me but they indicated they get no reply from some folks if their name appears on caller ID. I asked them if they have a higher pick up rate with or without caller ID and they ALL said it is about the same. If so, then what’s the point of blocking the call? They again ALL said sometimes someone does answer. That makes sense.

3 from people I know in Provincial Government. They too block calls in the event folks do not wish to speak with them. When I explained I would be happy to answer if I saw their number as I know them, they said I was in the minority. One person actually told me incoming blocked calls to their department automatically go to either voicemail or a human screener! Holy hypocrisy Batman!

2 surveys. Neither were from what I would consider legit polling companies and I am guessing were fronts for telemarketers. Bailed on these calls early into the process after insisting to the live person I was a 90 year old woman with 14 kids.

2 bill collectors. Oh yes, bill collectors. Now, were they actually looking for me as opposed to someone who used to live with me, then I can solve this one easily.  Even passing over the current info of the person they are looking for is not helpful…I have tried this a number of times over the last couple of years.

2 from a person I know. She blocks her number due to a bad experience with an ex. This often leads to her calling me, I ignore, she leaves message, I pick up later, call her, she misses call and then repeat. This is an awesome non-phone relationship and she gets frustrated that I do not answer her blocked calls. So I asked her how she handles blocked calls and she says she does not answer. I waited to see if the irony washed over her. It did and she told me – and I’m paraphrasing here – to “shut the duck up”.

To review – 70% of blocked calls I receive are of zero value to me.  Other than my female friend who believes I have some sort of mallard whisperer powers, I would not be upset about missing those remaining 30% either. Like an STD, I do not wish to catch those unknown calls, they are irritating and interfere with my sleeping.

I am now banishing blocked calls using Rogers *77 “anonymous caller rejection” feature.  My version of the penicillin shot for my phone.