Blocking Annoying Cell Phone Callers?

RobertB-DC asks: "Twice a week, for the past several months, I receive a call on my cell phone, from a 'Restricted' number. It's always the same: 'Please hold for an important non solicitation message.' It then tells me to call 1-800-842-0640 for further instructions. When I call (from a CID-blocked work phone), all I can get from them is the company name: NCO. They won't tell me more about their company unless I tell who I am. Verizon says they can't block the caller. Short of exposing my own identity to someone I don't know, how can I get rid of these annoying calls?" Are there cell phone carriers who are progressive enough to offer call blocking services of some kind?

Comments

Aren't cell phones protected.

[Deanasc]

I don't have a link but I thought cold calls to cell phones were against the law.

Re:Maybe you need to pay something?

[Anonymous Coward]

I had a credit card company leave a message on my (unlisted) home phone saying "We don't understand why you don't pay us the $19,000 you owe us!"

If you live in the US and that happened, you would have had a massive lawsuit on your hands. Otherwise, you're likely lying (as were all the people that said *I* did that to them, when i worked for a collection dept at a credit card company).

It is a violation of the Fair Debt and Credit Practices Act (FDCPA) for a company to leave any information whatsoever, other than their name and phone number, with anyone other than the verified party or their spouse (depending on the state). No nature of a debt or anything like that my be disclosed to a 3rd party.

An answering machine is consdered 3rd party since anyone could listen to that message, and thus privacy is given away.

I'm not saying it coudln't have happen, just that it is far from likely because no debt collection company would risk getting their ass sued off; especially when an answering machine took the message, as that is proof of their law violation that could be used in court.