The ease of connectivity that comes with the ability to pick up a phone and call whomever you want is incredible. However… that gift feels more like a curse than a blessing when it comes to getting too many telemarketing calls!

If you’re eager to stop spam phone calls or join a Do Not Call list for your cell phone or landline, you’ve come to the right place. Many people struggle with this issue, and thankfully the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) offers several services to help you stop spam calls from disturbing you.

Without further ado, let’s declutter your phone calls!

How to stop unwanted or spam phone calls on your cell phone and landline

1. Register with the FTC’s Do Not Call Registry

Make sure that all of your numbers (cell phones and landline) are registered with the Do Not Call Registry, a service provided by the FTC. Make sure that you register each of your phone numbers separately. 

If you believe you have already done so, you can verify your registration using the Verify Your Registration option. This is a relatively new feature and I love it! Turns out that I registered mine in 2004.

This can reduce the amount of unwanted telemarketing calls by up to 80 percent! Note that debt collectors may also continue to call even if you are registered with the Do Not Call list, but you can still file a complaint.

2. Report unwanted calls to the FTC

If you have already registered your phone numbers and are still getting unwanted calls, you can report unwanted calls. You must have been on the Do Not Call list for 31 days before you can report unwanted calls from a live person.

But if you want to file a complaint to block robocalls, you can do so WITHOUT REGISTERING. A robocall is a call that uses a recorded message instead of a live person. If you want to see an excellent (though a tad scary) graphic representation of how robocalls work, read this!

If you choose to file a complaint, have this information handy:

  1. the phone number,
  2. the exact time of the call, and
  3. anything that you know about who called or why they called.

The FTC site explains that if you do not answer the phone, whomever (or whatever!) is trying to reach you will most likely keep calling. The FTC offers guidance on how to waste a telemarketers time if you want to use your precious time to do some spam phone calls revenge. 😉 They even offer a list of ten questions to ask a telemarketer to make them think that you are going to sue them. You can check those out HERE.

Be particularly wary of calls promising to lower your credit card bills or offer you a low rate. According to the Federal Trade Commission “the companies behind these robocalls can’t do anything for you that you can’t do for yourself — for free.” So don’t fall for these kinds of offers!

3. Use call blocking

Your mobile phone likely has a built-in call-blocking function, or you can install an app to automatically block unwanted calls on your cell phone, even from hidden numbers. WikiHow recommends Blacklist or Call Control for Androids and Call Bliss for iPhones.

Most landline telephone service providers offer call blocking features, though sometimes they are at an additional cost. My Vonage VIOP service provides call blocking but only for a maximum of 50 phone numbers.

For more resources on how to block spam calls on your cell phone:

4. Change your cell phone settings

Androids and iPhones both have settings that allow you to only get calls from the people you want. For the Android use privacy mode and for the iPhone chose Do Not Disturb.

The drawback here is that you may end up missing calls from people you actually want to hear from but who are calling from a number that is unknown to you. So exercise caution.

5. Turn off your phone or turn down the ringer

I often do this when I wish to focus on an important task. Life will go on and the people you care about will leave a message. For more on the idea of silencing your devices for short periods of time, see our post on A radical way to structure your week!

Extra tip: Be a good relative! Something that I love to do is is to turn my mom, my aunts or any non-techie people in my life on to these service to stop unwanted calls from reaching their cell and landline phones. They will think you are a magician and it’s a gift that keeps on giving!

Do you get annoyed by unwanted phone calls or are you able to rise above it? Let us know in the comment section below.

Discover more ways to mindfully declutter your home or office here! >>

 

 

Are you enraged by the spam phone calls you get to your cell phone or landline? You do NOT have to live with that kind of clutter! Learn how to block unwanted phone calls and robocalls in a few short steps.