What is callGUARD? 

It is a service that intercepts calls to the customer's telephone line. The service plays an announcement stating that the called party does not accept calls from telemarketers, and the party wishes for their name to be added to the telemarketer's "Do Not Call list." Callers who are not telemarketers, but whose call number information is not provided to Mid-Rivers' telephone switching equipment, are asked to "Dial 1 or Stay on the Line" to complete the call.

What does it cost?

$1.00 a month.

Is there an installation fee?

Installation fees are being waived for callGUARD.

Can callGUARD stop all telemarketing calls?

callGUARD stops a high percentage of calls, but isn't 100 percent effective. Realistically, a telemarketer could dial a 1 and get through.

Calls that WILL get the callGUARD recording are from callers, including telemarketers, who have chosen a long distance carrier who does not provide any Caller ID information. This usually includes a large majority of telemarketing companies. There are a few long distance companies that still provide Caller ID information. If a telemarketing company has chosen one of these long distance carriers, their calls would NOT receive the callGUARD recording.

Some telemarketers use computer generated dialers. If the computer dials your number and stays on the line through the message and the 15-second lapse time, the call will be placed. This is very unlikely in a telemarketing situation.

Isn't it illegal for a telemarketer to dial 1 after hearing the callGUARD message?

It is not illegal in Montana to do this, however in many states it is illegal.

Is it faster for the person calling someone with callGUARD to dial 1 or just stay on the line?

The call should go right through if the calling party dials "1." If the calling party just stays on the line, they will have to wait about 15 seconds before the call goes through.

If I have callGUARD, will I know if someone is trying to call me?

No. The message takes place before the phone ever rings at your house. If you get a call, it's because someone dialed 1 or because their number was not blocked and the call came straight through.

Will I get any computer-generated telemarketing calls with callGUARD?

It depends on what kind of set-up the telemarketer has. If a live person is overseeing the computer-generated calls and they get the message, that person could dial the 1 and reach you. If the call is generated from a computer without someone monitoring it, then of course, they wouldn't be able to dial the 1, but if they were camped on the line, it could go over the 15 seconds and the call could go through.

Will I miss calls with callGUARD?

No. You won't miss calls unless the caller decides not to push 1 and hangs up.

I don't have Caller ID. Will callGUARD work?

Yes. It will work with or without Caller ID service.

Are there any time limits with callGUARD?

No. Once callGUARD is on your line, it is there to stay 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.

Can I subscribe to callGUARD if I take my local telephone service from a company other than Mid-Rivers?

No. You must have Mid-Rivers' local telephone service in order to subscribe to callGUARD.

Still have questions? E-mail customer service at: customerservices@midrivers.coop

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