I bought the CPR V5000 primarily to block International and Unavailable calls - but it let most of them through. On the positive side, it blocked an individual number ie my mobile, fine when I tested it. Am sure the red button works fine too. Unfortunately as scammers don't tend to use the same number each time - especially if you've blocked it, I needed the ability to block categories of calls which this in theory offers.
I followed the instructions and entered each code to block:
International/Out of Area
Unavailable
International with 00 prefix
VOIP/IP Rogue Diallers
For each code entered I heard a beep after the **7# and another after entering the remainder of the code eg *# I also received a "Successful" message on the CPR display.
Here's the latest calls I received and whether they were blocked or not:
Beginning of tel no and call category
from my Dect phone's display:
001 374 835 xxxx xxxx/Unavailable Failed
This should have been blocked as I had blocked International calls with 00 prefix and also Unavailable - so one or the other should have worked?
Entered #2 from 2nd phone during the call to block manually. Interestingly in both CPR's Call and Block lists the number missed off the 001 and showed only as 374 835 etc
01250 xxxxxxx/Unavailable Failed to block
001 238 xxx xxx/Unavailable Blocked
078xx xxxxxx Blocked
00353 8004 961 081/Unavailable Failed
This last one is amazon's call back tel no.
I also tried blocking
003 didn't work but it's not an area code
(was testing above in case could block 001 prefixed tel numbers)
00353 didn't register successfully
353 registered successfully but didn't block the Amazon number
In fairness to CPR all the telephone numbers that failed to be blocked (which were all I had last Friday to this Thursday)
may have been masked ie the real number and category of call deliberately hidden - apparently it's often done to give the impression that a call is from a local number or from the country you live in.
Sadly they are the main scam calls I get.
I wondered if the V5000 was actually blocking lots more calls but I didn't realise. BECAUSE THE V5000 DOESN'T DISPLAY WHAT CALLS IT'S ACTIVELY BLOCKING. It shows you a blocked call list but this is merely a list of all the categories of calls and individual numbers you've programmed in the codes for or pressed the red button for eg if you've blocked International calls with a 00 prefix, you'll see 00 as an entry on the blocked tel nos, what you won't see is that it blocked say 001 374 835 xxx xxx or when.
So I set up a test to see if it's quietly blocking calls in the background.
I blocked my own mobile number then rang my home phone using my mobile.
On the mobile I heard 1.5 rings and then the line was dropped - great.
On the CPR main screen nothing showed but if I went into CPR'S call list, my mobile number was there as the latest call.
On my Dect phone: it didn't ring (great) but bleeped and started flashing a red light to show I'd missed a call.
So the only way to detect if the V5000 is blocking calls silently in the background is either by regularly checking the call list and seeing if it has any new numbers despite the phone not ringing.
Or if your phone has the ability to highlight missed calls, preferably showing when and how many calls were made using that number, then you can determine if the kit has been silently protecting you - otherwise you have no idea. (Unless you had lots of calls before and the volume of calls drop significantly since installing the CPR).
I rang CPR customer services yesterday to see if could resolve problem of the unblocked calls and if there was a clever way to show which calls (and preferably when/how many) calls were being blocked.
I was first given a new code to try ie
**7#(beep) 009# (beep beep)
I heard the beeps as shown above.
Normally only hear one beep after **7# and one other beep after eg 009# not two.
Also the "Successfull" message didn't appear on the CPR screen.
So I phoned back.
This time I was given
**7# *# - this was the International code I'd already entered last Friday but I did it again
**7# 91# this blocks India (no offence to India but that's apparently where many of the calls come from)
The CPR representative did in fairness point out that the first code should encompass all international calls but add the 91 just in case. (I guess there must be different types as the booklet gives 2 different codes for international - one of which has the 00 prefix)
I entered the 2 codes the CPR person gave me and then tested using the Amazon call back number again.
In fairness to CPR if Amazon is masking their number or innocently using what looks like a southern Irish number despite the staff not sounding remotely Irish), this wouldn't have fully tested the block codes. It should test international or unavailable but may depend on how CPR reads and responds to masked numbers.
So I asked the CPR lady and she advised that it blocks based on what the Caller ID appears as - as that's what am seeing on my Dect phone I thought it should have blocked on basis of one of those two categories (international or unavailable). Suspect masking has complexities I'm unaware of.
So in summary, the V5000 is not blocking all the "alleged" international or unavailable calls I'm receiving - in fact it's blocking so few it's not worth keeping.
If however you have specific numbers or area codes you want to block, that aren't being masked then it's great.
But if like me, the scammers keep using different numbers or area codes so you need to block whole categories of numbers eg international or unavailable, then the blocking ability of the CPR kit is seriously undermined by scammers using masked calls (often appearing as the very calls you're trying to block, ie international or unavailable).
Also the CPR lady said she would feedback my comments re the inability to readily see if it's actually blocking anything. That was on the first call after I'd been spoken to as if I didn't understand what the blocked list contained.... on the second call she cut me off - so CPR customer services can live block a call! 😊
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Populäraste recensionerna från andra länder
Commentator
Doesn't seem to block unavailable or international (but they maybe masked calls)
Recenserad i Storbritannien den 31 januari 2020Peter R Cox
Perfect & permanent relief from harassment
Recenserad i Storbritannien den 12 februari 2020Patrick Crowley
Proved its worth the very first night of use
Recenserad i Storbritannien den 6 december 2020