Problems with call guardian on BT8500

[MartinC007]

Ahh I must confess that it is the newer BT8600 model that I have. I have just spent time with BT support and they have talked me through what would appear to be undocumented Call Guardian settings that may help fine tune the blocking.

I obviously don't know if what they have suggested has done the trick and to tell the truth if it does work I think I will be surprised - the settings they advised using were:

Menu

Call Control

Enter PIN

BT Call Guardian

Guardian Settings

On

Guardian Mode - Custom

Save

Blocked numbers - Block

Allowed numbers - Allow

International - Announce

Withheld - Announce

Payphones - Announce

Mobile numbers - Allow

Unavailable - Announce

All other numbers - Allow

Save

Allowing "Mobile numbers" and "All other numbers" suggests to me that any spam calls from mobiles will now get through until I specifically block them. But lets run with it for now.

When they asked I did say that it was both landline and mobile numbers I was having trouble with but I think BT support just wanted me to tell them that it was only mobile numbers. I'm not entirely convinced that the above setting actually fixes anything, instead it would appear to be just a workaround by simply allowing all mobile numbers through. 

I did ask them about the problem where the Directory Home numbers when dialled displays Ringing Mobile, and vice versa; it seems that that is a know problem but they were adament was just because the numbers should be listed under different entries. I don't accept that for one moment - I think it is a fault - but as it is really just annoying more than a major problem, I only know that it is wrong because I know which number I dialled so I can just ignore the display. 

[8_00_USER]

If your callers have withheld their number, then Call Guardian cannot compare it with your saved numbers.

It then, correctly, treats them as unknown numbers.

This would appear random to you.

Its a great system that really works. Well worth getting it working to your satisfaction.

[8_00_USER]

Re-"ringing mobile" message when calling "home" number on 8600.
This happens to me too.
Must be a phone problem.

[deggsy89]

I have just put all of the the area codes into my address book and gone through the entire list one by one pressing star after each name and then scrolling to the next name pressing star until i had been through the entire entries. this definately worked, I dont think that I needed to put in the local area codes but I had already done that after watching a video on the true call website that mentioned starred numbers. I have also customised my guardian by following one of the threads on here that BT told them to do the following:

Menu

Call Control

Enter PIN

BT Call Guardian

Guardian Settings

On

Guardian Mode - Custom

Save

Blocked numbers - Block

Allowed numbers - Allow

International - Announce

Withheld - Announce (I chose allow here because I have friends that have witheld numbers)

Payphones - Announce

Mobile numbers - Allow

Unavailable - Announce

All other numbers - Allow

Save

Seems to be working fine now.

[GillyFB]

I have this phone and it has blocked these nuisance calls.  My husband's family and are now suggesting we throw it!  I have their international numbers i.e.Canada entred correctly.  Months ago we had a problem where one came through and another had to announce themselves.  I phoned BT and they said they would do a reset or something.

Well this afternoon his brother had to announce who he was and he said their two sisters have been unble to get through! 

Any thoughts would be apprecaited. 

[Dadsphone]

I bought the BT8500 for my father about 5 months ago. We set it up and it seemed to work fine.

Suddenly 2 weeks ago it began asking my sister ( not local) and my aunt (local) to announce when they call.

They're on his contact list and phone every week, until now with no problem.

They haven't moved house or changed number.

None of the suggested explanations or fixes explain the random nature of this problem.

[Andym2009]

Our phones worked without any problem for some months, but they have now started to cause trouble.

The call guardian part works great, but now - it seems that after the guardian has successfully stopped a call getting through the line is not being dropped, and it is then engaged. Not every call does this, but a good many do.

A.

[TrickyRicky]

Was it only these two numbers that had to announce themselves? Did the phone display their names, or just their numbers. If it was numbers, rather than names displayed, it could have been a temporary fault/glitch with caller ID not working properly? Just a thought.

[Dadsphone]

Thanks.  Will check this next time they phone. Further problem is that when they do announce, the only option offered is press 1 to accept, so we don't have option 2, to always accept. Have checked both names and numbers and they're on allowed and VIP lists.

[Franules]

I wish I had read this forum before buying this piece of useless S**t.  I have gone around in circles for help.  The BT8500 started off ok when I first had it, but now it doesn't even display the caller id, whether they're in m phone book or not.  Have checked with BT and they confirm it is on.  I have tried all the resets and switchoffs, I'm just about to hurl it at the wall.  I have even tried turning off guardian altogether, but still no caler id.