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I press *60, then 2, then enter a valid 10 digit number and am told it is an invalid number. But if it was the last number that called and I press # it is successfully blocked but when it is read back to me it puts the number one in front of it, eg, 222-222-2222 is read back as 1-222-222-2222. This started yesterday. At about the same time this problem started Cox began putting quotation marks around the caller's name in the call history which I now have to remove if I want to sort the spreadsheet by name. I'm not a novice in this area, I've been doing this on Cox every day for over 3 years without problems..
Hasn't Cox always inserted the Name Field of their Caller ID within single quotes? For example...and this number is well documented as a nuisance number...from my Cox Call History log: '800 Service' (888) 269-3447. Or is what you're saying is Cox is now using double quotes?
You can't block an invalid number but an invalid can call you: priceless! What do YOU mean by valid...the number contains 10 digits or you looked it up in an assignment database? Probably a dumb question, but is the telephone number in question preceded with the Country Code "1" in your Cox Call History?
I think when Cox identifies a number as invalid, it probably means the number is not an NANP-assignable number. In other words, you can't *60 a fake number. Moreover, if you pound-sign the last call, Cox still identifies it as not NANP-assignable and assumes an out-of-area call within North America.
You're to block the number anyways...so what's its first 6 digits?
I remember...probably last year...the FCC was pressuring providers to create a caller-authentication process to combat robocalls. I think the FCC code named either this push or a specific process as SHAKEN NOT STIRRED...or something thereof. If it is a valid number, perhaps the North American Country Code of "1" marks it authenticated for future calls.
This may be either a recent change or glitch. I'd assume glitch. That's why I hate relying on someone to block my calls.
I did a search for the number I wanted to block and it showed up on 800Notes.com and other sites with many reader comments over several years and it is a valid number. Cox did accept it using the # method to block the last call. Cox also wouldn’t let me manually unblock a number. I had to have Cox read each number on my blocked list and then press 7 after the number I wanted to unblock was read. The double quotes appear on the screen when the caller is not in my address book. When the call history is downloaded in a .csv file, the name and phone number appear together in a column and the names have had single quotes around them. The single quotes never appeared on the screen. Now the double quotes appear in the .csv file unless I delete them on the screen, then the .csv file will still have single quotes. I immediately add new callers to my address book and will just delete the double quotes. It’s very annoying to have to deal with this. It wasted 3 hours I had planned on using to catch up on my emails.
The Call History screen and the Add-A- Caller screen.
Okay.
Was yesterday a glitch and Is anything broken right now?
Still broken. I just unblocked a number so I could add a new number. On the phone on *60 I had to press 6 to have my list of 25 blocked calls read to me,. pressing 7 after the number I wanted to unblock was read to unblock it. Then I had to press 2, then # to block the last number that had called, I could not manually enter it (tried 3 times). If I want to block a number that called before the last number I am prevented from doing that. BTW, when a number is blocked and is then read back to me, the number 1 is put in front of the number, eg, 1-333-333-3333, but this doesn't happen when an unblocked number is read back or when the entire list of blocked numbers is read. My guess is that the evil 1 is the cause of the problems.
Your process is a mess and I wish you'd use the software I recommended. Don't cost nuthin'. You only need an old computer equipped with a dial-up modem or a new computer with a USB modem. I went with the Hiro H50113 for my tablet but I didn't pay $150 as is now quoted on Amazon.
Let me know, Freak Show.
Your recommendation is the best I've seen and I have the hardware but not the time right now. I've been trying to find the time to upgrade from Lotus 2.2 to Excel but something more urgent always gets in the way.