Call Blocking
Overview
Thanks to customers such as Stefan L of Illinois, we've learned that, on occasion, a phone card may not work from one or
more particular phones. This is usually because the 800-number with which you
use the card, is blocked. The culprit
There are three parties that have the
ability to block phone numbers:
Why would they do it? Because one or more
of these parties makes money from long distance calls except when
customers use phone cards. Hence, these parties see it as being in their
interest to stop people from using phone cards, and the only way they can do it
is by blocking 800-numbers that people need to use phone cards.
It is illegal. Companies have the
right to charge you extra to make phone card calls, but they have no right to
block the numbers altogether.
What to do
There are two things you can do. One is
get around the block, and the other is to fight the block.
- Get around the problem. To get around the block, what you'll need
to do is either
- Use a different phone. If you normally use a pay phone, use your home
phone or a neighbor's. If you normally use your home phone, use a pay
phone or a neighbor's. Or,
- Have your local operator connect you.
- Fight the problem. This problem may go on indefinitely if nobody
does anything about it, which is often the case. But why give the culprit the
satisfaction of letting them get away with it? After you have determined who
the culprit is,
- Call the party who is responsible for the block and complain. Be
prepared though. Make sure your conclusion is logical so that you can
explain the problem and your conclusion clearly.
- If the problem doesn't get resolved after contacting the responsible
culprit, then you need to call your state's Attorney General. Again,
blocking 800 numbers is illegal, and the Attorney General is probably in
a better position to take legal action than you are.
We would also appreciate you sharing your experience with us so that we can
better educate and help our other customers.
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