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I have an iPhone 7. When I bock an unknown number it directly goes to a dummy voice mail the next time they call. Great! The problem I am having is when it turns out the number that I blocked turns out to be an extension number of a company I do have in my contact list.
Specific example - I have the primary number for my doctors office. I get a call from the office on a different phone in the office (each extension in the office has its own unique telephone number). I block that unknown number. Now all calls including the main number in my contact list goes directly to the dummy voice mail and I don't get a voice mail.
Have no idea which call I blocked was the number from the doctor's office and ended up having to delete all the blocked calls to insure the doctor's office can reach me.
The problem seems to be getting worse now that many employees are working from home. I did not realize that blocking one unknown number would automatically block all numbers from that business and messages would end up going to a dummy voice mail - even if they call from the primary number in my contact list.
I have shown up for appointments that have been cancelled because of this as well as not getting voice mails left for me about new appointments being scheduled. They think I am getting the voice mails and I have no idea a voice mail has been left.
It may also explain why I will find a missed call on my phone even though the phone did not ring and no voice mail was left. Normally a call from a new number will ring directly into my hearing aids. I suspect now it is a call from another extension in my doctor's office and their message went to a dummy voice mail.
I had no idea one unknown blocked number could block all voice mails from all the numbers in my doctors office - even numbers in my contact list.
This is a common problem. Caller ID systems (all of them, as far as I know), can't distinguish between the primary number and any secondary numbers within a call-switching system. Like an office that has a "switchboard", any out going calls all appear to be from that one ID number.
For Android phones, it's even a bit worse. When I create additional contacts with the same default number, the phone then ID's them sorted by when the contact was created, NOT by alphabetic.
I've found the best way to handle that, with my Android Samsung Galaxy A50, is:
1) Make a contact for the company, with it's Work# (and address, website, hours, etc), and
2a) For each person within that firm, I make a different contact entry, using the main number, and then adding pause characters and their extension. This only works if incoming calls can append their extension after the switching system picks up. Of course, if they have a direct number, then that's their primary number listing for when I dial them. But if they call me, the Caller ID will still show ONLY the firm name, since the number detected is the firm's primary work number.
2b) If the main number gets a receptionist, (meaning I can't program a pause and then their extension number), I only dial the main work number, and put x123 as their middle name, or nick name or such, so that when their contact info is displayed as I'm calling them, I can see their extension # to tell to the human who picked up.
I have an iPhone 7. When I bock an unknown number it directly goes to a dummy voice mail the next time they call. Great! The problem I am having is when it turns out the number that I blocked turns out to be an extension number of a company I do have in my contact list.
Specific example - I have the primary number for my doctors office. I get a call from the office on a different phone in the office (each extension in the office has its own unique telephone number). I block that unknown number. Now all calls including the main number in my contact list goes directly to the dummy voice mail and I don't get a voice mail.
Have no idea which call I blocked was the number from the doctor's office and ended up having to delete all the blocked calls to insure the doctor's office can reach me.
The problem seems to be getting worse now that many employees are working from home. I did not realize that blocking one unknown number would automatically block all numbers from that business and messages would end up going to a dummy voice mail - even if they call from the primary number in my contact list.
I have shown up for appointments that have been cancelled because of this as well as not getting voice mails left for me about new appointments being scheduled. They think I am getting the voice mails and I have no idea a voice mail has been left.
It may also explain why I will find a missed call on my phone even though the phone did not ring and no voice mail was left. Normally a call from a new number will ring directly into my hearing aids. I suspect now it is a call from another extension in my doctor's office and their message went to a dummy voice mail.
I had no idea one unknown blocked number could block all voice mails from all the numbers in my doctors office - even numbers in my contact list.
This is why I never block a number unless there's voice mail that indicates it's an undesirable type call... IF the number does not leave a proper type message ( i.e. Doctor's office) and calls continue.. then block it. So for myself.. I have not inadvertently blocked an important caller.
Lesson learned OP.. allow some time for proof of validity.. as invalid type preying calls become very apparent. Good luck!!
If a blocked number calls my number it will automatically go to a voice mail, but, it is not my voice mail. So, the caller thinks they are leaving a message on my phone, but, in reality they are not. Think of it as junk mail that gets thrown away without being delivered.
I too have an iPhone 7 and don’t have your issue, Maybe because I don’t use the dummy voice mail thing. If I block a junk number it is blocked. Period. You may want to unblock your. useful numbers. I didn’t set up any automatic blocking, because many unknown numbers are actually important.
Useful unknown callers will normally leave a voice mail and I’ll call them back and not automatically block them.
Thought; lyndarn is right. Secondary office numbers are related to the primary. Block a secondary, you block the whole facility
Thought; lyndarn is right. Secondary office numbers are related to the primary. Block a secondary, you block the whole facility
Yes, that is the problem. I do have the primary number in my contact list, but, if I block a secondary number any other attempts to reach me on any other secondary line are blocked. The person calling me gets a voice mail box and thinks they are leaving a message for me, but, it is not going to my voice mail.
Once a call is blocked any secondary line trying to reach me does not show up on my phone as a missed recent call or voice mail.
I discovered the other day that if the doctor calls back using the primary line (in my contact list) it shows up as a missed call, but, the message they leave does not show up in my voice mail. So, I assumed that no message was left. It was only when the doctor contacted me by email and told me she had left several voice mail messages about having rescheduled my appointment and that I had not shown up nor had called and cancelled the appointment that I realized the extent of the problem.
I had assumed that if I had the contact number in my contact list and that number was used to call me and they left a voice mail that I would get the voice mail message. That is not the case. If any secondary number is blocked all voice mail messages even from the primary number never show up in my voice mail. The caller thinks they have left a voice mail, but, I have no indication of any voice mails on my phone.
Yes, that is the problem. I do have the primary number in my contact list, but, if I block a secondary number any other attempts to reach me on any other secondary line are blocked. The person calling me gets a voice mail box and thinks they are leaving a message for me, but, it is not going to my voice mail.
Once a call is blocked any secondary line trying to reach me does not show up on my phone as a missed recent call or voice mail.
I discovered the other day that if the doctor calls back using the primary line (in my contact list) it shows up as a missed call, but, the message they leave does not show up in my voice mail. So, I assumed that no message was left. It was only when the doctor contacted me by email and told me she had left several voice mail messages about having rescheduled my appointment and that I had not shown up nor had called and cancelled the appointment that I realized the extent of the problem.
I had assumed that if I had the contact number in my contact list and that number was used to call me and they left a voice mail that I would get the voice mail message. That is not the case. If any secondary number is blocked all voice mail messages even from the primary number never show up in my voice mail. The caller thinks they have left a voice mail, but, I have no indication of any voice mails on my phone.
IMO, this is more the problem than your phone. I recognize that doctors may have to reschedule appointments for various reasons, but some offices are much more prone to do this than others, to the point of abuse. If your appointment is the last one before a long weekend, that "we need to change your appointment" call is almost a certainty with some. BTDT
The receptionists at these offices seem to have forgotten that appointment times are a NEGOTIATION between doctor and patient. Such offices become a PITA when an individual has multiple appointments with different doctors, and one starts to play the change appointment game, screwing up other appointments and test result timing.
I would suggest a frank talk with your doctor - not the receptionist - about appointment changes and what to expect. In my case, my phone is on silent and NEVER answered live. Every day or two I check for messages. I had too many years of being on-call 24/7/365 and refuse to play that instant access game anymore. If there is a change in my appointment time it must be handled through the doc's web portal. A message there notifies me and usually reaches me within a few hours - and - leaves a record of the action.
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