On one of the calls that plays a recording asking me to press '1' to
talk to an operator to cancel some non-existent purchase, it didn't
disconnect when the answering machine kicked in, unlike what usually
happens. This is on a common Samsung DECT XT- system. Since the
recording kept on going, I tried to break the connection by pressing
the red disconnect button, but it didn't work. This is surely wrong? If
I want to break a connection, even/especially if it is on an incoming
call, should I not be able to do that? Do other DECT sets do this as
well? I had to wait until the recording finally gave up waiting for a
response from me.

--
Davey.

On Tue 28/11/2023 17:35, Davey wrote:
> On one of the calls that plays a recording asking me to press '1' to
> talk to an operator to cancel some non-existent purchase, it didn't
> disconnect when the answering machine kicked in, unlike what usually
> happens. This is on a common Samsung DECT XT- system. Since the
> recording kept on going, I tried to break the connection by pressing
> the red disconnect button, but it didn't work. This is surely wrong? If
> I want to break a connection, even/especially if it is on an incoming
> call, should I not be able to do that? Do other DECT sets do this as
> well? I had to wait until the recording finally gave up waiting for a
> response from me.
>

The incoming call controls the call, so pressing the disconnect button
will not instantly terminate the call. It used to be that you had to
wait for one call period (3 mins?) before the call would be dropped but
some years ago, because of false 'banking' calls BT changed the system
to force a termination after a much shorter time - IMSMC 3 seconds.

This assumes of course you are talking about a BT line - it may not be
so with other providers.

Davey wrote:

> I want to break a connection, even/especially if it is on an incoming
> call, should I not be able to do that?

I thought BT had implemented called-party cleardown several years ago?

Have you got a non-DECT phone? If so make a call to yourself
(presumably from mobile) answer it on non-DECT phone, then do a
hook-flash (or TBR if you have a recall button) you should get
dial-tone, hang-up, you should get ringback for the call still in
progress, don't lift receiver, eventually the ringback will stop and
that should clear the line.

Probably no so easy with only DECT handsets, my gigaset has an 'R' on
the zero key, I think it can act as a recall button by pressing it for 5
seconds, not tried it though ...

On Tue, 28 Nov 2023 20:14:30 +0000
Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> wrote:

> On Tue 28/11/2023 17:35, Davey wrote:
> > On one of the calls that plays a recording asking me to press '1' to
> > talk to an operator to cancel some non-existent purchase, it didn't
> > disconnect when the answering machine kicked in, unlike what usually
> > happens. This is on a common Samsung DECT XT- system. Since the
> > recording kept on going, I tried to break the connection by pressing
> > the red disconnect button, but it didn't work. This is surely
> > wrong? If I want to break a connection, even/especially if it is on
> > an incoming call, should I not be able to do that? Do other DECT
> > sets do this as well? I had to wait until the recording finally
> > gave up waiting for a response from me.
> >
>
> The incoming call controls the call, so pressing the disconnect
> button will not instantly terminate the call. It used to be that you
> had to wait for one call period (3 mins?) before the call would be
> dropped but some years ago, because of false 'banking' calls BT
> changed the system to force a termination after a much shorter time -
> IMSMC 3 seconds.
>
> This assumes of course you are talking about a BT line - it may not
> be so with other providers.

My provider is Zen. I might ask them, they are usually very helpful.
Thanks for the idea.

--
Davey.

On 28/11/2023 21:07, Andy Burns wrote:
> Davey wrote:
>
>> I want to break a connection, even/especially if it is on an incoming
>> call, should I not be able to do that?
>
> I thought BT had implemented called-party cleardown several years ago?

They did (and that will include Zen lines I would have thought)

In my experience called party cleardown kills the connection after about
3 seconds.

On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:05:47 +0000
Mark Carver <mark@invalid.com> wrote:

> On 28/11/2023 21:07, Andy Burns wrote:
> > Davey wrote:
> >
> >> I want to break a connection, even/especially if it is on an
> >> incoming call, should I not be able to do that?
> >
> > I thought BT had implemented called-party cleardown several years
> > ago?
>
> They did (and that will include Zen lines I would have thought)
>
> In my experience called party cleardown kills the connection after
> about 3 seconds.
>

Maybe I didn't wait long enough, I was expecting a direct response to
the button being pressed.

Next time (assuming there is a next time, thankfully it's rare) that the
call is not automatically terminated, I'll try a longer wait after
trying to disconnect. Thanks.

--
Davey.

On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:05:47 +0000
Mark Carver <mark@invalid.com> wrote:

> On 28/11/2023 21:07, Andy Burns wrote:
> > Davey wrote:
> >
> >> I want to break a connection, even/especially if it is on an
> >> incoming call, should I not be able to do that?
> >
> > I thought BT had implemented called-party cleardown several years
> > ago?
>
> They did (and that will include Zen lines I would have thought)
>
> In my experience called party cleardown kills the connection after
> about 3 seconds.
>

Maybe I didn't wait long enough, I was expecting a direct response to
the button being pressed.

Next time (assuming there is a next time, thankfully it's rare) that the
call is not automatically terminated, I'll try a longer wait after
trying to disconnect. Thanks.

--
Davey.

On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:05:47 +0000
Mark Carver <mark@invalid.com> wrote:

> On 28/11/2023 21:07, Andy Burns wrote:
> > Davey wrote:
> >
> >> I want to break a connection, even/especially if it is on an
> >> incoming call, should I not be able to do that?
> >
> > I thought BT had implemented called-party cleardown several years
> > ago?
>
> They did (and that will include Zen lines I would have thought)
>
> In my experience called party cleardown kills the connection after
> about 3 seconds.
>

I just tried that on a call that insisted on playing the whole
recording about unexpected charges, but it would not terminate the call
until it had finished. That was both holding the button down, and also
waiting. It was a long recording.

--
Davey.

On Thu 30/11/2023 11:00, Davey wrote:
> On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:05:47 +0000
> Mark Carver <mark@invalid.com> wrote:
>
>> On 28/11/2023 21:07, Andy Burns wrote:
>>> Davey wrote:
>>>
>>>> I want to break a connection, even/especially if it is on an
>>>> incoming call, should I not be able to do that?
>>>
>>> I thought BT had implemented called-party cleardown several years
>>> ago?
>>
>> They did (and that will include Zen lines I would have thought)
>>
>> In my experience called party cleardown kills the connection after
>> about 3 seconds.
>>
>
> I just tried that on a call that insisted on playing the whole
> recording about unexpected charges, but it would not terminate the call
> until it had finished. That was both holding the button down, and also
> waiting. It was a long recording.
>

If you know who the caller was you can report it to OfCom who should
sanction them.

On Thu, 30 Nov 2023 16:24:02 +0000
Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> wrote:

> On Thu 30/11/2023 11:00, Davey wrote:
> > On Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:05:47 +0000
> > Mark Carver <mark@invalid.com> wrote:
> >
> >> On 28/11/2023 21:07, Andy Burns wrote:
> >>> Davey wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> I want to break a connection, even/especially if it is on an
> >>>> incoming call, should I not be able to do that?
> >>>
> >>> I thought BT had implemented called-party cleardown several years
> >>> ago?
> >>
> >> They did (and that will include Zen lines I would have thought)
> >>
> >> In my experience called party cleardown kills the connection after
> >> about 3 seconds.
> >>
> >
> > I just tried that on a call that insisted on playing the whole
> > recording about unexpected charges, but it would not terminate the
> > call until it had finished. That was both holding the button down,
> > and also waiting. It was a long recording.
> >
>
> If you know who the caller was you can report it to OfCom who should
> sanction them.
>

But I don't know. It's always a different number displayed, even if the
message is the same as the previous umpteen times, and the relevant body
described is vague, such as 'your charge account' or some such. None of
the claimed charges have ever appeared on any of my accounts anywhere.

--
Davey.