Hi,
I have a new number and Ting service, and I started to get calls that are not from my friends. I don't answer so I have no idea who they are. I got a few today.
Probably I will get a new number from Google Voice, and swap it. It does not cost anything from TIng, right? I am aware of $3 charge from Google and it may take about a week, I read.
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Hi Hisato,
If you are getting spam calls on your new line there are a couple options to get around it. Google Voice is one of them and wouldn't cost you anything from our side but there are two others I might suggest first.
The first I would suggest is an app. If you have a smart phone there are apps that you can download a variety of different ones. The New York Times has a nice article that has some app suggestions plus some tips and tricks for avoiding spam or robocalls. You can take a look at it here and this would be the first thing I would try.
The next option if the apps and tips didn't work would be to give our customer support a call. If there are a lot of the calls still coming through we can put in a request for a phone number change for you. I would suggest doing this first before switching over to Google voice because the number change would not cost you anything.
I hope that helps as I know spam calling can be really annoying. Let us know if you have any other questions!
I doubt if getting a new number would solve your problem.
I have "Do not Disturb" turned on and only answer the phone when someone in my contacts calls me.
Spam and robot callers do not ring, but it annoys me that I'm still charged 1 or 2 minutes for calls that I don't answer.
During the month they can add up to 30 minutes or more.
I shouldn't be charged for a call I don't answer and when the caller has not left a voice mail.
Hey Wayne,
You're not charged for calls that you don't pick up. Per our Calling Rates page:
Calls begin when the call is answered. Calls that you don't answer, including ones that go to voicemail, are not considered billable airtime.
If you believe you're being charged for calls that you don't answer, I urge you to open a support ticket by sending an email to help@ting.com.
Hi Mitch,
The problem may be call forwarding to a Google Voice number.
I like this setup because I will receive notifications and emails when a call is received, but unanswered. Any important calls will leave voicemails and will be dictated and an email sent. I don't have to call my voicemail and punch a bunch of numbers to delete or listen to whoever called me.
"Do not Disturb" is set up on my phone and only Contacts are allowed priority to ring through.
Even though the spam and robot calls go unanswered and no voicemail is left, I still get charged for the forwarded calls.
As I stated, so far this only amounts to 30 minutes or so per month. Sometimes I'll get a call from the same number, three times in a day. Then a couple of days will pass without any spam/robot calls.
Anything more and I will probably look for another solution.
Wayne
Ah, that makes more sense. Those calls are technically picked up and forwarded to you, rather than connecting directly.
If you're keen on using Google Voice, you might sincerely benefit from this recent blog post. This is how I have my Ting account set up, and incoming calls ring through Hangouts, rather than over the cell network. Everything is still routed through Google Voice, but I don't pay for calls or texts to or from that number.
Provided Google still supports Hangouts, or merges it into something better, this solution is workable for me, as I spend a lot of time on WiFi. I still route the calls through Hangouts when I'm on mobile data, but the cost is still crazy low. Some estimates are 1 megabyte per minute for a Hangout call.
Hi Mitch,
I also have Hangouts set up for certain callers. You know those people who like to talk and talk and talk. :-)
Since I also get spam/robot calls from spoofed numbers pretending to be from the same area code as my Google Voice, Hangouts will occasionally ring for those.
No simple way to allow only people in your contacts to ring through. (?)
Wayne
NPA-NXX spoofing calls are nasty. Several blocking apps do help to prevent these kinds of calls. I use NoMoRobo. The premium version is $2/month with a free trial, and it's by far the most-peaceful $2 I spend every month.
Spoofing spam callers are next to impossible to block. The cell providers need to get involved and find a way to block them.
So far my go to has been to turn on the "Do Not Disturb" feature on the phone, only allowing my Contacts to ring and use "Call Control-Call Blocking App.
These two have made my phone the quietest and important, legitimate calls can leave voicemails.
I should probably take your lead, but I'm concerned about missing legit local calls, like doctor's offices or a call from a teacher.
I've never had a problem with legitimate callers. They always leave a voicemail and the notification of the missed call is immediate, right after the call. So I can call them within seconds. Sometimes they're still on the line leaving a voicemail.
You can also allow a call through if the caller calls again within 15 minutes. Most spam/robot calls won't do an immediate callback.
I hope they don't change that.
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