Posted on 05/28/2004 8:25:58 AM PDT by ladyjane
At 8:15 this morning the phone started ringing. A fax machine is now dialing my number every 2 minutes. I tried returning the call but it's always busy. I have called the operator who said their company will try (3 times) to send a fax. I can't take the phone off the hook because I'm waiting for a delivery. A long weekend is ahead.
Freepers always have the best ideas. Help!
Pick up the phone and make fax noises and try to communicate with it :)
If your in Texas try calling the PUC.
But that'll make it stop calling.
I believe it's a crime to send an unsolicited fax. I would set my computer up to receive the faxes. When I found out who is doing it, I would have some fun.
When this happens to me, I either hook up a fax machine to the line, or call-forward the number to a line with a fax machine. After the fax is received, the problem is over. If I can get the sender's return fax number from the fax sheet, I fax them a letter reaming them a new one.
I get stuff like this at work. If the number faxing you is visible, fax them a note saying the are dialing incorrectly and have received a private number. Please check your number and dial again. Hope that works.
If it's a local number you can usually call your phone company and have the number blocked.
If you have a FAX let it pick it up (your computer should have a fax program already - plug your telephone line into the phone modem and set up the fax program)
Reason: at the bottom (or top) of every junk fax/fax cover-sheet there will be a number to call to stop the junk faxes - if it is someone's auto-fax, you can hope that somewhere they will have their voice number on it.
Whichever, you will need to see what the fax is. Other than that, use caller ID and look it up on google (50-50 chance that will tell you who it is) xxx-xxx-xxxx format
That's the best ticket. Get a fax machine or set up your PC to accept the fax. Then once you know the number, you can fax back. You can even set up your PC to send a photo of John Kerry over and over and over... then take a long weekend away.
This happened to me at a most unfortunate time. My Dad was dying in the ICU, and that night the phone kept ringing and ringing, always with a fax tone. Because we were "on call" in case the hospital might call, we couldn't take the phone off the hook. I called the operator and she told me, the next time it called, pick it up, make it disconnect and then to dial 1 through 9 and hang up, or some such thing. What ever it was, it worked. And this was the night before an election day. Whoever had set up that fax had obviously left and gone home. It was horrible.
When I had that happen almost always stop by letting it ring at least three sepertate times without answering.
My advice to you is to start drinking heavily.
Has anyone told you to hook up a fax machine yet? :-)
I am guilty of doing this to others. I send out a mass fax (about 900) to all the members of TRIB (I sell used truck tyres or "casings" to retreaders) once per week.
Well, these 900 people actually like getting my weekly pricing (keeps them abreast to the market). But with all the area code changes, etc. sometimes my fax numbers turn into personal home numbers. Trust me, I do not like it when this happens (especially at 3am).
Anyways, if I were you I would hook up a fax machine to your line and accept the fax. Often they will have their company info on it. Call them and tell them what is going on. I am sure they will immediately remove your number. Trust me, the last thing they want to do is waste their faxes time (and money) calling you. Furthermore, the last thing I want to do is tick off some home owner.
Been There. Had a Fax call me evy 2 hours for weeks. Couldn't figure out who it was, phone company no help.
The advice you have received to receive the fax is the best. In my case the offender was accidentally polling my number looking for input from a branch office or something. I set my fax machine to answer auto polling and put in a message asking them to stop. They did the next time it dialed my and my machine answered and sent the request.
1. Go to the store.....like kinko's or Staples where they sell office supplies and rent faxes for like 25 cents a fax.
2. Purchase one sheet of black construction paper.
3. Take the fax number down and fax the black piece of construction paper to the offending fax machine.
Repeat step three 5 times.
I'll bet that within about 15 minutes, your problem will be solved.
This same thing happened to me with the fax on auto dial...every ten minutes or so for days. If you don't have access to a fax machine yourself (I didn't), try calling the telephone company. In my case, the local company temporarily diverted my number to their fax machine and got the information for me... turned out to be a fax for an expensive department store (maybe info re. their fall line?). Anyway, it was inconvenient in the sense that my phone was temporarily unavailable, but due to the regular calls, I knew that the fax would come through quickly and put an end to this. I did call management at the department store and asked them to be more careful giving out their fax number (one digit away from my phone number) in the future. I hope you get this solved quickly... it is terribly annoying!
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