How can a toll-free number fail on landlines & VOIP but not oncellphones?

[Eddie Powalski]

Telephonically, can anyone explain what is going on?

I'm trying to call ZTE Customer Support USA, during normal
business hours, which has only one toll-free telephone number,
which is listed at http://www.zteusa.com/contact-us/ as:
1-877-817-1759

Inexplicably, every time I call that toll-free number from a
California landline, or from VOIP, the calling sequence always
ends up in undecipherable Chinese (see video above for proof).

However, if I call from a cellphone, the exact same
calling sequence always ends up in English, as expected.

Q: Telephonically, how can this possibly be happening to me?

PS: Any ideas Jeff Liebermann?

 

[Robert Macy]

Telephonically, can anyone explain what is going on?
 

I'm trying to call ZTE Customer Support USA, during normal
business hours, which has only one toll-free telephone number,
which is listed athttp://www.zteusa.com/contact-us/as:
 1-877-817-1759

Inexplicably, every time I call that toll-free number from a
California landline, or from VOIP, the calling sequence always
ends up in undecipherable Chinese (see video above for proof).

However, if I call from a cellphone, the exact same
calling sequence always ends up in English, as expected.

Q: Telephonically, how can this possibly be happening to me?

PS: Any ideas Jeff Liebermann?

called from Arizona landline and got a menu that asked me to press "1"
for English.

Somehow bypassing that menu?

 

[[email protected]]

called from Arizona landline and got a menu that asked me to press "1"
for English.

Somehow bypassing that menu?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I tried from my U S Cellular cellphone and had exact same experience
as Mr. Macy.

 

[Eddie Powalski]

called from Arizona landline and got a menu that asked me to press "1"
for English.

Somehow bypassing that menu?

I'm a bit confused but I appreciate your test from Arizona.
In all three cases, I get the "Press 1 for English"; but only with the
cell phone does that actually get to another prompt.

In the case of the landline and VOIP phone, after the "Press 1 for
English", it goes to an error message in British English and then
in a foreign language (i.e., it never gets to a human).

In the case of the cell phone, after the "Press 1 for English",
there are a bunch of other prompts, and eventually, a human answers
in English.

Given that all three repeatedly called the same number (1-877-817-1759),
how can it possibly be that the landline & VOIP got a wholly different
response than did the cellphone?

 

[Eddie Powalski]

I tried from my U S Cellular cellphone and had exact same experience
as Mr. Macy.

Again, I'm sorry but I'm confused.

In all three cases, the prompt asked to "Press 1 for English".
a. Landline
b. VOIP
c. Cellphone

Yet, *after* pressing "1", only the cellphone went on to further prompts.
The landline & VOIP switched over to a British error message, and then to
a foreign language error message.

Is that what you experienced *after* pressing the "1" for English?

 

[Eddie Powalski]

Yes. When you call an 800 or 877 number, the originating number is
logged on the destination CID device whether you have CID blocked or
not.

Hi Jeff,
Thanks for responding. You mention call blocking. I had *not* even thought
of that! My landline is blocked. I'm not sure about my VOIP (probably not).
My cellphone isn't blocked.

As you noted, none of those are blocked when you call a toll-free number
(which is why you don't want to rat on the mafia on an 800 number!).

That would explain why the initial connection answered with the prompt
to press 1 for English.

It's common practice for distributed support pools to redirect
calls by originating country or originating type of call.

Ah, it may make sense now that the *redirect* either couldn't get my
number (because it was blocked?) or that they figured out that it came
from a landline or VOIP phone rather than a cellphone.

But, why would the one USA phone number for ZTE Customer Support care
whether I called them from a landline or voip or cellphone?

the ZTE call director can recognize the difference between a call
from a mobile telephone and one from a land line.

OK. I don't disagree that they can recognize my landline call versus
my VOIP call versus my cellphone call.

Calls from land lines are assumed to be coming from China and are
going to the local Chinese call center. Someone probably goofed with
the programming.

If this is the case, then it's mighty weird. Nobody has confirmed yet
whether they can or can not get past the "Press 1 for English" from
a landline though.

Can someone call, from a landline (let us know if your number is blocked):
1-877-817-1759 (then press 1 for English when it asks you to).
Can you let us know if you get to the *next* prompt or not?

 

[Eddie Powalski]

Send them email pointing to your YouTube video:
<http://www.zteusa.com/support_page/>

I went to http://www.zteusa.com/phones/t-mobile-concord.html?support=1
But based on the fact ZTE support hung up on me three times
when I asked a simple question about replacing the cracked
screen on a ZTE Concord, I doubt they're gonna care.

I just didn't understand *how* it could be that a landline (blocked)
and a VOIP (probably not blocked) wouldn't get past the initial prompt,
while a cell phone got past the initial and all the next prompts.

Isn't California now part of China?

Just everything south of Summit Road!

Why me and what does this have to do with repair?

Well, the recently cracked ZTE Concord *does* have to do with repair:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/13119302/img/13119302.jpg
Which was *why* I was calling ZTE in the first place - but really,
I just knew you'd have an answer where nobody else would so it was
a bold faced (lame) way to get the help I needed for the answer.

I do know that you used to frequent alt.internet.wireless so that's
why I put that there, but I realize now you're mostly on sci.electronics.repair
.... and I am on a wireless VOIP WISP ... so that's another (lame) connection.
But really ... the reason I specifically asked for you is that you always
seem to have the answer when nobody else does! (I don't know how you do it.)

I wish you'd go to our inventor's group on Wednesdays in Palo Alto,
but that's another story that I don't want to say more online as I strive
for privacy (while you don't try to hide who you are).

 

[Leif Neland]

Eddie Powalski forklarede den 23-05-2013:

If this is the case, then it's mighty weird. Nobody has confirmed yet
whether they can or can not get past the "Press 1 for English" from a
landline though.

Can someone call, from a landline (let us know if your number is blocked):
1-877-817-1759 (then press 1 for English when it asks you to).
Can you let us know if you get to the *next* prompt or not?

I called from a danish ip-line.

I managed to get through 3-4 levels before I hung up.

But first I got the message from my local telephone company in
danglish: "You have dialed an international free-call number. Your call
will be charged at the regular rates" (or something to that effect)

Leif

(Just posted in sci.electronics.repair; one of the other two groups are
not on my newsserver)

 

[Robert Macy]

Hi Jeff,
Thanks for responding. You mention call blocking. I had *not* even thought
of that! My landline is blocked. I'm not sure about my VOIP (probably not).
My cellphone isn't blocked.

As you noted, none of those are blocked when you call a toll-free number
(which is why you don't want to rat on the mafia on an 800 number!).

That would explain why the initial connection answered with the prompt
to press 1 for English.


Ah, it may make sense now that the *redirect* either couldn't get my
number (because it was blocked?) or that they figured out that it came
from a landline or VOIP phone rather than a cellphone.

But, why would the one USA phone number for ZTE Customer Support care
whether I called them from a landline or voip or cellphone?


OK. I don't disagree that they can recognize my landline call versus
my VOIP call versus my cellphone call.


If this is the case, then it's mighty weird. Nobody has confirmed yet
whether they can or can not get past the "Press 1 for English" from
a landline though.

Can someone call, from a landline (let us know if your number is blocked):
 1-877-817-1759 (then press 1 for English when it asks you to).
Can you let us know if you get to the *next* prompt or not?

my landline is blocked

 

[chuck]

I went to http://www.zteusa.com/phones/t-mobile-concord.html?support=1
But based on the fact ZTE support hung up on me three times
when I asked a simple question about replacing the cracked
screen on a ZTE Concord, I doubt they're gonna care.

I just didn't understand *how* it could be that a landline (blocked)
and a VOIP (probably not blocked) wouldn't get past the initial prompt,
while a cell phone got past the initial and all the next prompts.

Just everything south of Summit Road!


Well, the recently cracked ZTE Concord *does* have to do with repair:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/13119302/img/13119302.jpg
Which was *why* I was calling ZTE in the first place - but really,
I just knew you'd have an answer where nobody else would so it was
a bold faced (lame) way to get the help I needed for the answer.

I do know that you used to frequent alt.internet.wireless so that's
why I put that there, but I realize now you're mostly on sci.electronics.repair
... and I am on a wireless VOIP WISP ... so that's another (lame) connection.
But really ... the reason I specifically asked for you is that you always
seem to have the answer when nobody else does! (I don't know how you do it.)

I wish you'd go to our inventor's group on Wednesdays in Palo Alto,
but that's another story that I don't want to say more online as I strive
for privacy (while you don't try to hide who you are).

I just got through to the next prompt on a voip line. Chuck

 

[Eddie Powalski]

my landline is blocked

Hi Robert,

I'm confused though.
Your landline is blocked, as is mine.

Yet, when we call 1-877-817-1759, we both get the initial prompt:
"Press 1 for English"

After that, I'm confused what happened for you.

If my landline is blocked, the *next* prompt is (heavy British accent):
The number you have dialed cannot be found; please check the number
or call Airtel for assistance.

However, if I dialed *82 prior to dialing 1-877-817-1759, I get:
Please select the product type; for inquiries on basic phones, please
press 1, for inquiries on smart phones, please press 2, etc.

Which of those two options did you get from your blocked landline
for the *second* prompt?

 

[Robert Macy]

Hi Robert,

I'm confused though.
Your landline is blocked, as is mine.

Yet, when we call 1-877-817-1759, we both get the initial prompt:
 "Press 1 for English"

After that, I'm confused what happened for you.

If my landline is blocked, the *next* prompt is (heavy British accent):
 The number you have dialed cannot be found; please check the number
 or call Airtel for assistance.

However, if I dialed *82 prior to dialing 1-877-817-1759, I get:
 Please select the product type; for inquiries on basic phones, please
 press 1, for inquiries on smart phones, please press 2, etc.

Which of those two options did you get from your blocked landline
for the *second* prompt?

with blocked landline, asked me to select "1" for english, then
transferred me to a message telling me the number was 'unavailable' or
was it the wrong number, or something and suggested I call something
else.

 

[ps56k]

Can someone call, from a landline (let us know if your number is blocked):
1-877-817-1759 (then press 1 for English when it asks you to).
Can you let us know if you get to the *next* prompt or not?

BTW - where is your VOIP hosted ?
and what shows on your own callphone when you call from your landline and
your VOIP ?

Maybe your landline/voip keypress is not sending long enough or not getting
detected by the auto-attend ?

SO - just called from Chicago landline - a real one - without any blocking -
got the Prompt - Pressed 1 - then prompts for product type

I hate when our friends call from Calif - as ALL calls are default blocked
on CLID -

 

[NotMe]

I live in California. My AT&T POTS line and PagePlus cell phone
"line" should both show my name and CID. It worked about 2 years ago
when I last tested it. Did something change?

Both ATT and Pageplus show the phone number but not the name this in Dallas
and via verizon fios phones. Likewise neigher show up on pageplus cell
phones.