Sales Calls and My Elderly Mother In Law

cashbag

OK so MIL cannot handle the technology. However if you can initially input all the callers numbers she would want to speak to (friends, family, doctor, plumber, etc) you can then as said above check the unconnected calling list & make them permanently blocked.

When Mum gets nuisance calls of course it does not stop them calling again but it makes them frustrated at her lack of interaction & they end the call. I suspect as she lives alone in an isolated spot she actually enjoys the human contact! I did get her a couple of handsets so she can keep one by her chair & one by the bed. Anyone who has never dealt with an elderly persons total lack of ability to deal with even simple (to us) technology (like how to pause the TV) has no idea what it can be like. I spent 20 minutes on the phone to Mum last week explaining which stamp to stick on an envelope!

For BT call blocker to work you must have a caller display phone. The system is free (ie is included) with my BT package for 12 months & thereafter if I agree to further deals.

Hedgehog99

I have caller display from my provider, then I use my phone itself (cordless Panasonic) to block the unwanted numbers. It takes time at first, to check through the missed calls and google the numbers to see if they are telepests, but I have now dramatically reduced the number of calls and the phone simply does not ring when the blocked numbers call, so no-one is disturbed at all. Numbers I do want to receive calls from are saved & their name is displayed before I answer.

I'm with TPS too, but it's not 100% effective alone.

st999

The system is free (ie is included) with my BT package

But not with Virgin:(

charlieheard

We've had a BT8500 set for a couple of months now, and it really does screen out cold callers. Had to add the regular numbers to its phone book, but then it just works. We've twice needed to add numbers when they go through the screen, but it's as simple as pressing '1' or '2'. The phones blocked 21 calls last week!

Only downside is that you can't have a corded phone plugged in to another socket, as it might mess with the system's call handling...