Use Comcast’s phone service? If so, you can block incoming calls by their caller ID number so that telemarketers, charities, and even bill collectors who use one of the loopholes to get around the Do Not Call list stop bothering you.
While the feature isn’t heavily advertised, my understanding is that it is available for all Comcast cable telephone customers. Blocking phone numbers is still necessary thanks to all the creeps using loopholes in the Do Not Call laws to keep calling you, and this great time saving strategy is free and easy on several phone company’s service. If your phone company doesn’t offer it, consider switching to their more user friendly competitors.
I was thrilled to find this service after Google bought up Grand Central and then just let it rot on the back burner. I used to use GrandCentral to create phone numbers to give to organizations and then you can customize your incoming calls to go straight to voicemail or get blocked, or whatever. But, since Google just bought the service to keep it from growing instead of because it wanted to do anything with it, it hasn’t allowed new accounts in quite some time. The Comcast blocking isn’t quite as good as GrandCentral’s is and it isn’t online, but it works and I can once again make sure computerized robots and people doing a “survey” stop bothering me once and for all.
Comcast’s Block Incoming Calls From a Specific Number Feature
To use this awesome feature, pick up your phone and dial *60. You’ll get a computerized menu that starts with Option 1 which is to turn the service on (and then off should you choose). Once you have turned it on, listen to the prompts until you get “Add number to your block list.”
Now, just dial in that annoying fundraiser that keeps calling, or the charity that calls you every two weeks to “update” you and then asks for more money just because you donated to them once. Even better, dial in the number of that stupid automated phone call for a bill collector that is for someone that doesn’t even live at your house!
To really make this effective, combine it with the Call Screening feature to block all anonymous incoming calls. That way, you will always see the number you need to block in your caller ID.
Oh, and here is a quick tip, go ahead and add 000-000-0000 as your first number. Some shifty or downright fraudulent marketers and other dirt bag callers will set there end to report all zeros as their caller ID number to get around you knowing who is calling. Oops, too bad guys, you lose, that is already blocked.
I add every number that calls and hangs up without leaving a message. I don’t know what they want, but if they can’t even give me the courtesy to leave a message, I probably don’t want to hear it.
Comcast needs to let people block any call they want. Limit if 25 is silly with all the 800 numbers
How do you block anonymous incoming calls?
is this feature free of charge if i have the triple play package
I really think Comcast needs to advertise this feature more. I think it is a life saver. Thank you Comcast! I also loved the suggestion from the poster who forwards the calls to the White House. Genius!
CenturyLink makes Comcast complaints look silly – simple requests to assist in transitioning/forwarding 2 business numbers to another CenturyLink served business resulted in: total service disconnect 4 hours later (the changeover was to be about a month later!); two days to regain spotty, intermittent service; re-loss of one, then the other line, repeated, over the next week; eventual return to service, until the new business lines began disconnecting; final transition took one – two weeks, with recurrent interruptions and loss of internet (vital for this business); final insult, both old and new businesses were repeatedly billed, double-billed, then even quadruple-billed for redundant accounts for the same lines. A Nightmare.
Our VoIP home is all Xfinity Comcast cable for TV, internet, phone – not perfect, but the internet via wireless at the far end of the house from the cablebox is 130 Mbs, laptop is faster if nearer the hub, and a direct Cat6 line is supposed to be full 1Gb (to one other hub connect) versus the old business hub that was Centurylink, and only 100Mbs.
Two years before the business changes, we thought we’d negotiated with CentLink to gain hi-speed cable access to our building -zero, nada, then a year later, a new gang of sales monkeys came around, wanting to sign us up for the VERY SAME THING; we said uh, dudes, you did zero last year, they PROMISED to get moving. Up until we moved, they never did anything, at all.
Instead of using *60 to manage my blocked numbers, is there a way to do the same on the web. e.g. a site where I could type my phone number and see all the blocked numbers?
Not sure. I’ve bailed on my landline altogether, so I can’t check anymore.
As far as the Comcast call forwarding—I forward to an existing number. ‘Course the receiving party may not like it–nor will the caller—202-456-1414. (F.Y.I., It is the White House switchboard).
This is a great article. I had a telemarketer that would not stop calling. They would call during dinner, late at night, while I was at work. It was ruining my life. I found this site: http://www.numberinvestigator.com and decided to look up their info. After that, I threatened to report them and they stopped instantly. Telemarketers can really take their toll on you if you let them!
I keep getting a call that only says ‘incoming call’… then hang up, no message.
It won’t list who it is or where it’s from. Aggravating. Is this a telemarketer?
Can they conceal the number calling from?
Any idea how to forward ALL incoming calls directly to voicemail with comcast? I’d love it if I could figure out a do-not-disturb feature, instead of running around the house shutting off all the ringers. Thanks!
Just found out comcast won’t let these types of numbers be blocked…only legitimate ones. I have received nearly 20 calls today alone from 000000000000000. Comcast will not let me block this number.
Comcast must be on their side now, you can no longer block 000-000-0000 and 999-999-9999. This is why Nigerians shouldnt be allowed to breathe.
This doesn’t work for 000000000000000 which I keep getting phone calls from every 15 minutes. Comcast will only let me put in 10 numbers. The people calling are getting around this by adding 5 more digits I guess.
Use *63 (selective forwarding) for 12 more phone numbers. Just forward them to a disconnected number. There is a program that works with a modem called Phone Tray, which will answer the phone with a disconnect message and hang up on them.
Nice tip! 12 more blocked numbers by forwarding them elsewhere. I’d forward them to another one of the blocked numbers that keeps calling 🙂
I happened to stumble on this site, while adding my phone # to the “do not disturb” registry for the 2nd time in as many weeks. Since intrusting this site my “unsolicited” calls have doubled. I have never had any trouble with Comcast and have been extremely happy with thier service so I was overjoyed to find out they offer this service. I plan on utilzing Comcast,and agree with the following statement “I will add every number that calls and hangs up without leaving a message. I don’t know what they want, but if they can’t even give me the courtesy to leave a message, I probably don’t want to hear it.” My only question to anyone out there is…is there a cap on the number of phone numbers added??
FYI for all out there, not only are they getting thru with the 000-000-0000, they are using 999-999-9999.
Unfortunately, there is a limit. However, keep adding numbers and when you hit the limit a) call and complain that you can’t add more numbers and b) delete one of your oldest numbers. Chances are that they have given up by now.
Your other option is to try using Google Voice and set it to ban those callers in the same way.
The caller ID keeps putting the word unknown and the caller ID shows 0
Since Comcast wants a six diget number, how do I rid myself about this unknown caller
with the number 0.
The setting to block unknown is different and may be one of the other options. You can try to listen to the menu at the beginning and see if there is a “block unknown”. As for the 0. I ended up blocking 000-000-0000 myself because a lot of telemarketers seem to like that trick. It doesn’t show up as “unknown” but it obviously is not legit.
You can also try checking the Comcast.net website and see if you can block callers without caller ID there. I think it was one of the “extra” services that you could choose from.
Sorry I can’t be more helpful, but I recently canceled my land line and went with just my cellphone, so I can’t go into the system and try it out myself.
I want to give you a big thank you for posting this info, Ever since I was issued my phone number I have been plagued with someone else’s bill collectors calling all hours of the day. Thanks to you I have blocked them THANK YOU!!
As usual, Comcast is clueless about customer needs…. They seem to want to hide this terrific feature. I have Comcast, as I need high speed Internet and they are the only option here, (They suck so bad I really think about going back to ancient dial-up technology.)
I finally Googled it to fine this webpage – THANKS for that!.
I happened onto this web site in desperation to stop unwanted phone calls. I just want to say thank you for the information. It has made life a lot nicer
Glad to help.
It seems like every phone service should have the ability to block whatever number you want based on caller ID. I guess that would hurt their business of selling phone lists to telemarketers too much.