How can I stop a fax machine from ringing my landline every 4 minutes?!

[Danny Tanner]

Ok, for the last 3 days our phone has been ringing off the hook with the caller id reading:

Credit Services
Unknown Number

The first day, it was about once an hour.
Yesterday it was about every 15-30 minutes, sometimes back to back.
Today, though, it's literally every 4-6 minutes.

We've picked up a few times and each time it's a fax machine modem tone.

I called Cox and they said to wait until after they call and dial *77, which technically should block the last call received, but as soon as I hung up from *77'ing, Credit Services was back on the ball ringing up the Tan Clan. The guy from Cox said he has no way of seeing the number in their system to block it from their level. He tried to sell me on Selective Call Blocking, but even then he said you have to know the number.

I've Googled "Credit Services" but it's such a generic term I'd spend all day going through automated phone systems calling everyone to see if it's them only to be given the run around, I'm sure. We're also not behind on any bills, we have no past-due accounts in collections, verified by our own paperwork and current credit reports. I know there are do-not-fax lists similar to do-not-call lists, but without knowing the number, I'm SOL.

So, any other ideas on how to block these incoming faxes? It's taken me a few minutes to type this post out, distracted by my wife's constant yacking, but the phone has rang 6 times.

Right now the only options we have are canceling landline and paying the alarm company more to use our cell phones or changing our number and having to update that info with everyone that has it. So any other ideas are welcome.

 

[steelhorse]

Have you tried the "do not call list"?

www.donotcall.gov

 

[Danny Tanner]

Have you tried the "do not call list"?

www.donotcall.gov

Yes, which we signed up yesterday but it isn't instant and until it takes hold, we're stuck listening to the phone ring every few minutes. Turning the ringer off isn't an option considering the main purpose for this line is our alarm monitoring, but we might have to do that while our number refreshes throughout the list.

 

[okiemaggie]

Can you borrow a fax machine for a day and put it on your line? If you receive some of the faxes, it should have all the contact info on it to call them or at least get them blocked.

Seems someone gave a "phony" number to them that ended up being you.

 

[mhphoto]

If you find the number and can get ahold of your own fax machine…

clicky clicky clicky

 

[XD-9Guy]

Can you borrow a fax machine for a day and put it on your line? If you receive some of the faxes, it should have all the contact info on it to call them or at least get them blocked.

This is what I'd reccomend, recieve some of the faxes so you can identify the sender.

 

[jrusling]

I had that problem one friday night. I did turn on a fax machine and got the name and phone numbers for the business, but it did not do any good until the following morning. I ended up leaving the phone off the hook the next time they called and left it off the hook until they hung up. After doing this for a while their fax machine finally quit retrying.

I doubt if this would work for a "Credit Services" since any decently programed fax would have given up by now. You might see if one of your friends has a fax that you could borrow for an hour or two and receive the fax and see what it says.

 

[steelhorse]

Could someone have used you as a reference on a loan? If they can't get ahold of the person that defaulted on the loan, they will bug the people that were listed as a reference like there is no tomorrow.

 

[WTJ]

Unplug?

 

[druryj]

Change your number?