Huge Increase in Telemarketers AFTER switching to Ooma

[Iraisok]

I am going through the Ooma trial period. The ONLY two reasons I am trying to DUMP AT&T (and my Long Distance company) is AT&T only provides for 10 Black List entries. I am less concerned about the total $45 per month than I am about wanting to minimize unsolicited calls.

I was disheartened reading prior posts in this thread hearing that even when using Nomorobo with Ooma Community and Personal Blacklists a) when the number is ported things were no better than prior with Ooma and WORSE.

THIS MAY BE A DEAL BREAKER. Please, I need to hear others comment on this. I realize most people who post are those with issues, valid ones yes. Anyone see a MAJOR reduction in unsolicited calls AFTER their long time home number was ported using Ooma????

[TheOldGrouch]

I still want to know exactly what's taking so long to get NoMoRobo up and working on Ooma. I contacted NoMoRobo myself many months ago and at that time they said they were working with Oomato get it implemented, but nothing has happened since then. How about it, Tom B, what's the holdup?

[sabretooth02]

I am going through the Ooma trial period. The ONLY two reasons I am trying to DUMP AT&T (and my Long Distance company) is AT&T only provides for 10 Black List entries. I am less concerned about the total $45 per month than I am about wanting to minimize unsolicited calls.

I was disheartened reading prior posts in this thread hearing that even when using Nomorobo with Ooma Community and Personal Blacklists a) when the number is ported things were no better than prior with Ooma and WORSE.

THIS MAY BE A DEAL BREAKER. Please, I need to hear others comment on this. I realize most people who post are those with issues, valid ones yes. Anyone see a MAJOR reduction in unsolicited calls AFTER their long time home number was ported using Ooma????

Like I said before, and it all depends on your phone number and where you live, I got a few more for only about 3 weeks and inputted the numbers into my personal blacklist. Now... no more calls. Silence is golden. Only a few here have seen an increase. I don't use Nomorobo because I don't even want that single ring to come through.

[TheOldGrouch]

But with NoMoRobo there would be unlimited numbers blocked as opposed to the only 250 or so available to block on Ooma.

[sabretooth02]

But with NoMoRobo there would be unlimited numbers blocked as opposed to the only 250 or so available to block on Ooma.

But I only have about 30 blocked now and with the community blacklist... no more calls.

[oomamaniacal]

I am going through the Ooma trial period. The ONLY two reasons I am trying to DUMP AT&T (and my Long Distance company) is AT&T only provides for 10 Black List entries. I am less concerned about the total $45 per month than I am about wanting to minimize unsolicited calls.

I was disheartened reading prior posts in this thread hearing that even when using Nomorobo with Ooma Community and Personal Blacklists a) when the number is ported things were no better than prior with Ooma and WORSE.

THIS MAY BE A DEAL BREAKER. Please, I need to hear others comment on this. I realize most people who post are those with issues, valid ones yes. Anyone see a MAJOR reduction in unsolicited calls AFTER their long time home number was ported using Ooma????

I had two robocalls from the RNC go directly to voice mail on Thursday. Neither number was on my blacklist, so the community blacklist does help. However, I still get political calls from temporary call centers using cell phones. I also get calls from "Microsoft techs" who use a different (invalid) caller ID number each time, as well as vacation scammers. During the political season especially, a white list option would work better for me. However, using the personal and community blacklists has resulted in a very significant reduction in junk calls since porting my long time number away from AT&T.

Now that My Ooma is being remodeled, It might also be a good time to rename the blacklist to something more politically correct. How about, the "Differently-Prioritized List ?" Is that a good hyphenation?

[Iraisok]

Thanks to all who provided a positive response regarding effectiveness of black lists. Is anyone believing that your exposure to telemarketers is increased simply by having the same number you have (and know all the crap calls you are getting) is ported? In other words, does porting typically expose your number to more undesirables? In my case, I've dealt with them like a science or shall I say like going fishing. Although I have been limited to 10 blacklist numbers on AT&T. That is the very reason I'd switch to Ooma and pray I don't experience much that others have stated at the forum.

Ira

[murphy]

A long time ago I switched from a Verizon landline to Vonage. A couple of years later I installed an alarm system and got a new Verizon landline with a new number specifically for the alarm system. I got all kinds of solicitations from local businesses welcoming me to the neighborhood. Things like free newspaper delivery and discounts at local department stores. But I had been living at that address for 25 years. How did all of those businesses know that I had a new phone line? This was before the physical white page phone books went away and the white pages went online. The only conclusion I can reach is that Verizon told them.

A couple of years after that I switched my Vonage number to Ooma. I don't recall any increase in telemarketing calls at that time. However Ooma is different than Verizon. All phone calls that are not between Ooma customers have to be routed through a standard landline phone company. It is my suspicion that those partner landline phone companies are doing the same thing that Verizon did when I got my new line. It's a way to make money by selling the fact that a new number route is in place. I doubt that there is anything that Ooma can do about it, if that is what is happening, because without the partners Ooma customers would only be able to call other Ooma customers.

My Ooma phone number, which was originally issued by Bell Telephone who became Verizon, is still in the Verizon online white pages. It stayed there when the number went to Vonage and then to Ooma. If I was to stop using that number it would go back to Verizon for them to reissue. They originally issued the number from their assigned number block and it belongs to them as long as then own the number block.

[LyndaK]

When you port your phone number(s), re-enter the number(s) into the national Do Not Call List, and into the state DNCL (if your state has one). There are certain organizations that are exempt from the list...political canvassers are one such organization.

[phoenixtommy]

For those considering on switching to Ooma, please be aware that you may get an increase in Telemarketers calls when you switch to Ooma.

It happen to me and it's getting out of control. I am paying extra for the Premier service, have Privacy set to HIGH and I still get bombarded daily with Telemarketers.

Also, Ooma will NOT, repeat, Ooma IS NOT WILLING to implement wild card name or phone blocking.

So if a Telemarketer calls you from a 500 different lines, the only way to block them will be for you to insert all those numbers which is not realistic.

Please also be aware that you may also experience a huge increase in telemarketers if you leave everything the same, too.

I noticed no difference whatsoever.Maybe you answered the wrong call or filled in your phone number accidently on a site that sold it to someone else. It happens. If Ooma was doing this, the would be out of business in no time and there would be exposees and warnings everywhere.

It's called a coincidence.