just got a call from "social security"...

[Jeff N.]

Originally Posted by metalheart

I mostly hang up on the scam callers, but every so often I will put on my best Forest Gump imitation and play along just because. I did this a few weeks ago when a caller was trying to sell from funeral costs program and the conversation went something like this:

Caller: Hello Sir, I want to inform you about an important program that will save you money on your end of life costs.

Me: But I am still alive.

Caller: We all need to think about what to do after we are gone and our program will save your family money.

Me: I don’t have any family and I am still alive, so I don’t need your program.

Caller: But sir, if you buy this program before you pass-on, you will save money.

Me: How can I save money when I have passed on, please call me back when I have died.

He hung up.

Hahaha! Hilarious.

[chrismoustache]

I sort of can't believe folks still have landlines.

Every once in a while I'll visit someone who still has a landline. Every time the phone actually rings I nearly have a heart attack! The sounds is just so intrusive and unusual to me at this point.

[Jeff N.]

Originally Posted by chrismoustache

I sort of can't believe folks still have landlines.

Every once in a while I'll visit someone who still has a landline. Every time the phone actually rings I nearly have a heart attack! The sounds is just so intrusive and unusual to me at this point.

My wife's home business requires and land line, otherwise I'dve removed it years ago.

[Dekonick]

Originally Posted by chrismoustache

I sort of can't believe folks still have landlines.

Every once in a while I'll visit someone who still has a landline. Every time the phone actually rings I nearly have a heart attack! The sounds is just so intrusive and unusual to me at this point.

We still have a landline - It is tied to our alarm system (and the alarm system has cellular back-up). The landline is cheap - and we keep a wall mounted phone in a closet on each floor (ringer off). The landline is also tied into Alexa. It sounds crazy, but our kids know they can call us from the landline. No charge to worry about. They can also call us using Alexa - over the landline. The alarm system is mostly for fire, but it monitors water leaks, CO, natural gas leaks. In case you didn't know, cell service is not always up - I don't mind having a redundant back-up. Thought I would give one reason landlines aren't obsolete... yet. Oh, and we also have an all in one that uses the same landline... for faxes... Yes, as archaic as faxing is, some places still want a fax. Crazy.

[HenryA]

The phone companies can’t beleive that people still have landlines and don’t want them to. The costs of maintaining the legacy equipment must be staggering and the profit small. I think that is part of why nothing is happening with eliminating spam calls. There is financial incentive for the companies to do nothing until the old equipment finally fades from use.

Readers of a certain age will remember when the U. S. Phone system was the envy of the world and as reliable as gravity. It was wonderful, but you could not carry it in your pocket.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by HenryA

The phone companies can’t beleive that people still have landlines and don’t want them to. The costs of maintaining the legacy equipment must be staggering and the profit small. I think that is part of why nothing is happening with eliminating spam calls. There is financial incentive for the companies to do nothing until the old equipment finally fades from use.

The cost of maintaining existing equipment is less than the cost of installing new equipment. Verizon wanted to roll out their FIOS optical system (which can carry telephone, television and internet) to my town. The town said, "Yeah, that would be great. As long as run enough lines so that the entire town has access - just like your existing land lines." Verizon didn't want to invest that kind of money, so they never install FIOS in my town.

Also keep in mind that large parts of the country do not have access to high-speed internet. Copper wire land lines are still the only access to the internet for large parts of the US.

[Keith A]

Originally Posted by chrismoustache

I sort of can't believe folks still have landlines.

Every once in a while I'll visit someone who still has a landline. Every time the phone actually rings I nearly have a heart attack! The sounds is just so intrusive and unusual to me at this point.

I love having a landline still. That way I have a real number to give out when someone needs it, and we never give out our cell phone numbers. However, I still get an occasional Robocall on my cell number, but this doesn't happen very often and I never answer any number on my cell that isn't in my contact list. If it's real, then they can leave a message.

[Red Tornado]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

I don't answer any phone number that my phone doesn't recognize..then wait for voicemail..if none, then I block the number..

The 'phone companies' don't hand out phone numbers..these companies have random phone number generators..that are just called..to see if one is attached to a phone. There really isn't any 'phone companies' anymore, really..

https://www.searchnewworld.com/searc...&subid=446null

Same here. I have only blocked one number so far. I tell my family to do the same. If you don't know the number and it's legit they will leave a message.

Another thing is the bogus e-mails. Received a handful over the years about issues with my credit card. I simply call the credit card company (using the number on the back of my card) tell them about the e-mail and they can tell me if they sent it or not.

A lot of people don't understand or know that the IRS, SS, etc. typically won't call you to discuss sensitive info. That kind of thing is still in writing IME or will pop up on your account when you log into their website.

[William]

We had a landline the whole time we lived in RI, mainly because we lived in a cellular blackhole and wanted to be sure we had a reliable way of contacting emergency services if they were ever needed. Glad we had it during many a Nor'Easter and other power outages. If you don't have power and that battery runs down you are SOL unless you have a tank or solar charger.









W.

[wc1934]

FBI just indicted 80 individuals, mostly in the L.A area - charged with conspiracy to commit mail and bank fraud, as well as aggravated identity theft and money laundering.

[HenryA]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

The cost of maintaining existing equipment is less than the cost of installing new equipment. Verizon wanted to roll out their FIOS optical system (which can carry telephone, television and internet) to my town. The town said, "Yeah, that would be great. As long as run enough lines so that the entire town has access - just like your existing land lines." Verizon didn't want to invest that kind of money, so they never install FIOS in my town.

Also keep in mind that large parts of the country do not have access to high-speed internet. Copper wire land lines are still the only access to the internet for large parts of the US.

Yeah but....
There’s no money in POTS compared to big fast internet. And I’m in that part of the world with copper internet. Its sometimes pretty sucky. A few miles away and its actual high speed connections. While not a fan of gubmint regulation, I think connectivity might benefit from regulation as a utility. Like phones were back in the day.

[Louis]

Don't tell the IRS where I live because they're after me.

How do I know this? Because a message left on my answering machine (I don't bother to answer even if I'm home) said so. You'd think that they would have tracked me down by now, but so far so good.

[HenryA]

I made it to 9:51 on a microsoft support scammer the other day. Got to talk to her supervisor. He only lasted a short while before he gave up. My hearing was very bad that day.

[Peter P.]

Originally Posted by chrismoustache

I sort of can't believe folks still have landlines.

Every once in a while I'll visit someone who still has a landline. Every time the phone actually rings I nearly have a heart attack! The sounds is just so intrusive and unusual to me at this point.

What's REALLY intrusive is when someone's cellphone rings when they're with you. Apparently you're not as important as that inconsequential phone call, text, etc.

All I have is a landline. The need to be constantly available is way overblown and takes away from focusing on what I'm doing and who I'm with at any given time.

I also have DSL for internet, so I'm driving the phone company nuts as a luddite, I guess.

[chrismoustache]

Lots of good points FOR landlines!

After hearing a co-workers cell phone ringtone recently, I realized that maybe it's not the phone configuration but the tone that gets me. I'd be content if every time a phone rang it just played the girl from ipanema or something similarly inviting.