Phone Silence...

I know that I can't be the only one that gets phone solicitation and when I answer the phone, nobody will talk, they won't say a thing.
Let me make it perfectly clear that I hardly every answer a (known) phone solicitation, but sometimes they will call a million times so I try to nip it in the bud, so to speak so they'll stop pestering me.

It's not just one solicitor, it's quite a few, offhand I can't think of one but they all appear to at least look like they are a business. This is something that is going on in the address I have lived in for a little bit under 2 years, it doesn't make sense. My last address in a completely different town I never in 40 years there had that happen.

Why on Earth would a company call me and not say a thing when I answer saying, "Hello?"?
What would they have to gain?
It's not someone messing with me, I know that, I can't prove it, but I have zero enemies and I don't push people's buttons online or in person. =)
It can even be a call that has a prerecorded message and when I pick up nobody says a thing. A few times I could hear 'others' in the background, like any phone solicitor's office has.

Can anyone here think of a GOOD reason that I would get these types of calls, is it common, is it a thing?
Does anyone here have the same thing going on?

It's not a big deal but it is fairly strange, I mean, it may be something as simple as my phone service is acting up, something along those lines. I get my phone service through my (crappy) internet ISP, so...

Thanks, I am just wondering... =)

a reply to: recrisp


Maybe to see if it's a live number so they can sell it to actual phone solicitation companies.

a reply to: recrisp


Probably because a computer dialed your number and the person sitting there waiting to talk to you is to busy playing sweat shop grab ass with other employees and not paying attention???


If I answer my phone with "Hello?" they have 2 seconds to speak or I am hanging up! I also go and block that number from calling me again!

Or you can have fun with em!

I think it’s a connection thing. If you stay on the line long enough someone will end up on the other end.

What’s creepy are the ones that use your own number as caller ID.

Ok... I take that back... they are all creepy!

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus
That sure might be it.
It's just weird that it started happening when I moved to this place.

Thanks!

a reply to: seeker1963

Yeah, that might be also.
I have heard a million times where the caller on the is talking with other people, I don't say anything at all and just 'listen', it's not a lot of fun, but it is satisfying when I hear them, say, "Hello?... Hello?" heheh

Thanks!

a reply to: Sheye

Oh yeah, I forgot about the ones that use my number, now THAT is weird! Creepy weird too!

Thanks, I hope that someone has an answer for that one too, I'd love to hear that.

originally posted by: recrisp
That sure might be it.
It's just weird that it started happening when I moved to this place.

Thanks!

I get 2-3 a day but my number is published on my company's website so it's out there for everyone to find. I just send all unrecognized numbers to VM and then add them to the blocked file I have.

My wife gets upset at me when I answer the phone like a total dick when the telemarketers call.
She says they are just doing their jobs, I say I don't care.
More times than not, I have them stuttering on the other end when they call.
It's fun.

a reply to: RazorV66


I do that occasionally too. They try to sell me boner medicine and I tell them I don't need it because I have a naked picture of their mother.

a reply to: recrisp

Anything you mutter can be used against you.

The silence on the other end of the phone is actually a computer gathering information about you — yes, just from your answering “Hello.” A mere cough will signal to the computer that the 10 digits it just dialed is an active line, answered by humans.

Huff

originally posted by: recrisp

Why on Earth would a company call me and not say a thing when I answer saying, "Hello?"?
What would they have to gain?

There are 3 reasons this happens.

1) someone is confirming it's a valid phone number, either for some marketing "list", or you just made a credit card purchase and they are doing due diligence and checking that the phone number is valid. Or, you're importing some product and the customs official at the border dials the phone number on the package to check it's a valid number. They don't need to talk to you, just to confirm its an active number, it rings, and someone answers.

2) someone has been "paid" to dial a bunch of numbers to do a survey or market some product, so they dial your number which is on their list. But, they are lazy, and don't want the trouble of actually talking to the consumers at the other end of the phone. So, they just hang up. Their boss only sees the number of phone calls they make, and they get paid a certain amount for each call, whether or not the person at the other end is willing to answer the survey or buy the product. So, they really don't care to talk to you, just to make up numbers of calls on their work list, so they get paid for them.

3) someone dials the wrong number, and when you say "Hello" they recognize immediately you aren't the person they intended to call, and just hang up.

I've found all these three reasons explain these mysterious calls in my own phone, by carefully monitoring the calls, noting the call time, and what activity I'd been involved in recently. For example, every-time I import something, and track that import, when it hits the border, I get a mysterious call with silence on the other end, so I know it's related to that import.

Same with credit card purchases, but only when the card is used outside the country. When it's a local credit card purchase, there's no mysterious call.

That's how I've tracked my own mystery callers.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: recrisp

Anything you mutter can be used against you.

The silence on the other end of the phone is actually a computer gathering information about you — yes, just from your answering “Hello.” A mere cough will signal to the computer that the 10 digits it just dialed is an active line, answered by humans.

Huff

Ummmm, the fact the phone rang proves it's a live line?????

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: recrisp

Anything you mutter can be used against you.

The silence on the other end of the phone is actually a computer gathering information about you — yes, just from your answering “Hello.” A mere cough will signal to the computer that the 10 digits it just dialed is an active line, answered by humans.

Huff

Thank you!
I bet that is it.
I actually wondered about if it were a scam, but I couldn't figure it out.
The thing is, the people that 'used to have' my number skipped town and left a lot of debts behind, at least from what I gathered after talking to a bunch of messages left on my phone. So to keep from getting those I started answering the calls and explaining that it wasn't me that they wanted, etc.
So with that thought in my head I answered with a, "Hello?", kind of knowing that it might not be smart, because I have heard of a scam at one time that could somehow charge your phone account just by answering.

Anyway, no more, I'll not be doing that, thanks for that, even if it isn't it's a smart thing to not say anything to anyone on the other end until they 'at least' say something, if one feels it's wise to do that.

Thanks!

a reply to: AMPTAH
Number (1), (2), and (3) sound like good reasons to me.

Thanks for that!

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus
I can see how that would be fun! heh

I'm retired and have no friends so I guess that means I need to stop leaving my number written on bathroom walls, I guess.

a reply to: recrisp


There is a new phone scam where people are called, their voices recorded; usually a couple of people in the home; then they get a call with the other relatives recorded voice and told they are being held hostage, and given an amount to Western Union money to save said loved one.

There is an 800 # you can call to be put on the do not call list, just look it up online. It can take a few months to update, but should cut down on the unsolicited calls.

If you have voicemail, it is always best to let unrecognized calls go to voicemail.

If you should ever get anything threatening you should immediately after the call, dial *57 to trace the call, you will need 3 for them to be prosecutable.

Has your phone # changed since you moved, because if you get that many, your phone co may offer to change the # for you at no costs. Sometimes people get bad recycled #’s.

My brother told me never to speak because it's part of a scam. If they record your voice, then you've authorized something. Be especially careful about saying your name correctly or the word "yes". Also" I agree ".

originally posted by: KTemplar
a reply to: recrisp


There is a new phone scam where people are called, their voices recorded; usually a couple of people in the home; then they get a call with the other relatives recorded voice and told they are being held hostage, and given an amount to Western Union money to save said loved one.

There is an 800 # you can call to be put on the do not call list, just look it up online. It can take a few months to update, but should cut down on the unsolicited calls.

If you have voicemail, it is always best to let unrecognized calls go to voicemail.

If you should ever get anything threatening you should immediately after the call, dial *57 to trace the call, you will need 3 for them to be prosecutable.

Has your phone # changed since you moved, because if you get that many, your phone co may offer to change the # for you at no costs. Sometimes people get bad recycled #’s.

I don't have family so they can't get me there on the hostage thing. =)
That's a good one though.

I have been on the Do Not Call list since its inception, and did it again after i got this number, it works some, but not perfect.

I usually screen ALL of my calls, and I do let them go to voicemail, but it's these certain ones that have bugged me and I answered only to try and stop them, but now I know I shouldn't answer at all.

I'll definitely do that on the threatening calls, not that I would get them, but you never know. =)

My number did change when I moved but so far it's not enough for me to try and change it, I like the 'easy to remember' number. =)

Thanks for your helpful suggestions!

originally posted by: Iamthatbish
My brother told me never to speak because it's part of a scam. If they record your voice, then you've authorized something. Be especially careful about saying your name correctly or the word "yes". Also" I agree ".

Yeah, I have heard that too, I am careful to not say that stuff, matter of fact, I think I learned that one here. =)
It just is too bad that things have come down to all of this just to live your life with having to deal with crap all day long. Everybody's out to get you, not just here in the U.S. where I live, but they call from all over the world now too.

Oh well...

Thanks for that!