Getting around ACR?

Russ · 29-08-2003, 17:58

Does anyone know if it's possible to be able to around ACR? My housemate picked up my phone earlier to be greeted by a recorded message saying something along the lines of "You have been specially chosen from thousands of people to take part in our new special offer blah blah blah oh how you must be jumping up and down with bladder-exploding excitement etc etc" or some such rubbish, and she hung up.

When I got home I dialed 1471 it told me that "we were unable to obtain the caller's number", but I've got ACR and if I without my mobile number and ring home I get the message "This person does not accept annonymous calls".

So how did they get around it?

29-08-2003, 18:14

I cant offer any suggestions but it may have been illegally.

29-08-2003, 21:22

We've been using ACR for some time now. I can only recall once a few months ago, some call centre being able to get through, so what I did was turn it off and set it up again and so far ok.

Other suggested method keep a good whistle near by, and blow as loud as possible once you get them interested, or just play some boring or noisy music.

Pritch · 30-08-2003, 08:57

What you've got there is not a deliberately withheld number. If you get "The caller withheld their number" then the far-end switch has actually forwarded the details to your local ntl switch with a flag saying "Do not give Russ this information". These are blocked by ACRJ.

The call you had there would have had no C7 signalling attached, and therefore the NTL switch would have no idea what was going on. Common reasons for this are a call going through a large PBX or some 3rd-party call routing services also have a tendency to drop the signalling en-route. Sometimes it's due to a genuine fault or misconfiguration along the route somewhere.

ACRJ gives these calls the benefit of the doubt, mainly to avoid the problems inherent with your Aunty Mildred calling you and getting the "Go away, we don't want your type of people calling anonymously" message, despite the fact that she knows full well her number isn't withheld if, for instance, congestion issues force the call onto a route that can't handle C7.

Russ · 30-08-2003, 09:13

So ACR isn't as watertight as I imagined.....not NTL's fault of course but I wish I'd known

The Diplomat · 30-08-2003, 11:17

Isn't it also possible that the call came from overseas.

I have received calls from abroad and that is the message I get when doing 1471.

ntluser · 04-09-2003, 13:37

Quote:

Originally posted by Russ D
Does anyone know if it's possible to be able to around ACR? My housemate picked up my phone earlier to be greeted by a recorded message saying something along the lines of "You have been specially chosen from thousands of people to take part in our new special offer blah blah blah oh how you must be jumping up and down with bladder-exploding excitement etc etc" or some such rubbish, and she hung up.

When I got home I dialed 1471 it told me that "we were unable to obtain the caller's number", but I've got ACR and if I without my mobile number and ring home I get the message "This person does not accept annonymous calls".

So how did they get around it?

For the acrostically challenged like me, what is ACR please and what does it do or is supposed to do?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Russ · 04-09-2003, 13:39

Annonymous Caller Rejection, it stops people (or more annoyingly, companies) from calling you who withold their number.

orangebird · 04-09-2003, 13:53

Quote:

Originally posted by Andre
Anonymous Call Rejection.

It (in theory) will not allow someone who with-holds their number to get through to you on the phone.

That's the thing with ACR - It only rejects calls where numbers have been witheld, as oppsosed to not being available ie - I have ACR and someone rings me, dialling 141 to withold their number - they won't be able to reach me. But, if my friend in america calls me, they will get through. If I 1471, I won't be able to get their number, but only because international numbers can't be recalled (and therefore are not available) as opposed to being withheld. Did that make any sense at all?

ntluser · 04-09-2003, 13:58

Thanks guys.

Is this a facility that exists as part of the NTL telephony system or is it something you have to order?

I must admit I've had calls from companies and they normally don't give out their number as calls normally come from an extension phone and go through a switchboard.

I find it annoying when the phone rings but for one reason or another you miss the call, dial 1471 and then get the usual "number withheld" message.

Graham F · 04-09-2003, 14:23

You need to ring up to have it added and at the moment it is free of charge.

ntluser · 04-09-2003, 14:43

Quote:

Originally posted by Scooby
You need to ring up to have it added and at the moment it is free of charge.

Thanks, Scooby!! That's useful to know!!

Chrysalis · 04-09-2003, 14:48

useful but can be risky because what happens if expecting a call from a acompany, a lot of companies that don't even do sales will withheld there number anyway.