Know Your Rights
Join Our Fight

Interested in possibly joining
a class action suit?

Click here to subscribe.
Latest News and Blogs
AT&T Blocks Numbers
Location: BlogsBlog.FreeConferenceCall.com    
Posted by: Web Master 3/20/2007 2:56 PM

Last week, some of our Cingular and Sprint customers began calling into customer service with issues surrounding their connections to our service.  After speaking with Cingular’s customer service group, our customers were given numerous, and unfounded, reasons for the call blockage.  Reasons cited included fraud, international forwarding, fee disputes and, to our astonishment, that we were blocking our own FreeConferenceCall numbers.  We cannot corroborate or justify any of these reasons.  FreeConferenceCall would never knowingly impede our customers from using our services.  For now, we can tell you that a Cingular spokesperson has gone on record and stated that their terms of service gives them the right to block any number they wish and also said that AT&T’s wireless service is "between one person and another person, not between one person and many."  Cingular and Sprint have chosen to block service to our shared customers regardless of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules and regulations.  Neither carrier has ever directly complained, filed suit or even contacted FreeConferenceCall.  The upshot is that carriers are basically telling you that a cell phone is not intended for use on conference calls of any type.

 

As a total commitment to our customers, we have quickly ramped up to help them deal with this issue.  If you are experiencing connectivity problems, please call us directly at 877-482-5838. We promise to give you unparalleled technical support and will treat every customer with immediate, personalized attention.
Permalink |  Trackback
Comments (37)   Add Comment
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers    By Stacy Johnson on 3/22/2007 5:38 PM
I haven't had problems with this in the past, but did just recently on 3/20/07. My team, spread across states, was really looking forward to this call and were well prepared for discussion. However, to our astonishment, we were not able to utilize it.

I feel I should be able to use my cell phone and call any number I choose to and at any time I choose too. If this is not the case, then it should be documented in my mobile service contract so that I am aware pripr to signing my contract. If this continues to be a problem with Cingular/AT&T, then this will force me to look into other mobile providers that WILL allow me to use freeconferencecall to help run my business successfully.
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers    By Erin on 3/26/2007 2:41 PM
Could it be because this is a far cheaper option than three-way calling, especially after 9pm or on weekends when folks have free long-distance cell phone minutes?

If so, that's pretty crappy.
Re: Sprint Blocks Numbers    By Steve Roy on 3/26/2007 7:22 PM
My trouble started on 3/18/2007, at 10:56:42 AM Eastern Daylight Time (7:56 Az) I got right through and at 11:00:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time I lost my connection and have not been able to access our conference call bridge since that time. I called Sprint repair and spent 3+hrs talking with CSR's but got nowhere. The CSR's don't know that their own companies are causing the connection problem. I asked a very concerned and helpful CSR directly if Sprint was blocking the calls and she said "O no, Sprint would never do that." The courts just told Vonage that they can't connect their customers to land lines, so this is probably just another battleline drawn by Big Telecom.
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers    By Traveller1861 on 3/27/2007 11:11 AM
I have been released from my contract with Cingular Wireless.

Email stan.sigman@cingular.com

You will get a couple of calls from several minions, just stick to your guns.
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers    By bvj on 3/28/2007 9:09 AM
This problem is not limited to just AT&T/Sprint cell phones.

Sprint/Embarq land lines in central Florida and Comcast VoIP are also not able to connect to the teleconference numbers.
Re: Wireless Companies Blocking Conference Call Numbers    By Lonnie Howard on 3/28/2007 9:14 AM
I personally have not had any problems, but it seems this is an escalating and expanding problem. Wireless companies should understand that we are NOT using our wireless phones on conference call lines to avoid using 3-way calling and extra minutes. If they continue doing this or try to make inconvenient restrictions, then we should be able to immediately cancel our contracts without penalty. Afterward, we should file a class action suit against them, then they'll stop this madness!
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers    By Ben Rolfe on 3/28/2007 10:05 AM
Sounds like a huge business oportunity for Verizon!
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers    By Ange on 3/28/2007 10:15 AM
I had this same problem a few weeks ago--after calling Cingular they had me "register" my phone which then cancelled my sim card!! Thanks alot! So I had to go to a local store the next morning to get another one--what an inconvenience.

I was then told by an informed CSR that all conference calls were being blocked by some new federal law. hmmm, hadn't heard about it before then.

However, had another conference call last night and thought I'd give my cell a try and this time it let me through with no problems??????? Weird
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers    By Bill Bro on 3/28/2007 10:40 AM
If you are affiliated with a health-related business or cause, use the FCC's online complaint system to send a letter similar to that which follows. Send a copy to your state regulators and your local newspaper, using this free service: http://www.akca.us. Enter your Zip Code and find the contact info for your local media.

This carrier is apparently blocking calls to FreeConferenceCall.com telephone numbers. Our charity uses this free service to reach physicians and desperately ill people who are fighting cancer. The hardship caused by this willful obstruction by AT&T/Cingular is an urgent medical issue that should be promptly addressed by the Commission, as it affects public access to medical information.

William P. Bro
CEO
Kidney Cancer Association
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers    By Steve on 3/28/2007 1:27 PM
I use Cingular/AT&T and I still get through to the conf call number just fine. No blocking at least not yet.
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers    By Joe on 3/28/2007 1:44 PM
I just got off the phone with sprint representative kgavi009, she told me that sprint does not block numbers. I asked her about the number 6419858000 specifically and she denied that sprint blocks numbers at all. I asked to speak to her supervisor and she told me that without my PCS number I could not speak to her supervisor. I would not give my number for fear of reprisal.
Why is Sprint lying?    By Joe (again) on 3/28/2007 2:35 PM
Ok, so embarq is also in on this, on their land and cell lines.

What I would like to know is: why is sprint lying about this? If they think it's legal/ethical, why lye. Why not just tell me that they are blocking my phone from calling this number?
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers    By Old Phone Guy on 3/28/2007 5:38 PM
Neither Cingular, Embarq or Sprint PCS or ComCast (using Sprint CLEC) have direct connections to the the conference bridge locations, they all must use an IXC (Long Distance Company) such as ATT, Sprint LD, MCI (Verizon LD), Global Crossing etc. I suspect that the IXC's are doing the true blocking.

Of course now that Kevin Martin (FCC Chairman) is Ed Whitacre's (ATT CEO) buddy, they have all gotten together and have accurately discussed and initiated the demise of the free conference services.

Such actions are status-quo for ATT and Whitacre whom factually and historically has demonstrated that throwing a a bullying team of lawyers in an unlawful manner at any entity he dislikes is a prudent business practice.
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers    By Redeux on 3/28/2007 3:16 PM
Our business runs on cell phones we have no wired lines. This action suggests that the wireless industry does not want the revenue from the LD minutes our many employees accrue on an annualized basis or they are attempting to force wired service upon us that is likely more lucrative to them.
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers    By Jason on 3/28/2007 3:56 PM
From the customer's standpoint, I understand your pain, you want to use a service. But this service is really a scam. Cingular is getting charged massive amounts for your call, and this is not incidental, this is the intent of the service. You are essentialy calling a 1-900 number, and sending the bill to Cingular.

Cingular's statement saying you cant call conf numbers is of course totally BS, and their TOS does not state anything of that sort, but shutting off a scam (from their perspective) is entirely fair.

Think about a different industry with a similar problem : email. All major ISPs block spam, because it hurts their bottom line, even though they say they are not censoring your account. Does the spam filter hurt the bottom line of the spammer? Of course. Is that ok? Yep.

You can't build a buisness model out of screwing a 3rd party and expect the checks to flow in forever.

This post will of course be deleted but hope you can read it for a few min!
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers    By Emily on 3/28/2007 4:17 PM
I hosted a call on Monday evening and we had a bunch of people get dumped off the call (don't know who's end this was on.

I tried calling in from a vonage line and a cingular cell phone and had trouble with both.

Finally I got through on my vonage line.

My business partner is having trouble with his Sprint phone on some of the bridge lines from Free Conf Call, but not all of them...

Emily
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers    By David Erickson on 3/28/2007 5:34 PM
Jason you need to check the facts and do the math.

1. Check the rates the rural phone companies charge 2 to 5 (massive?)
2. See the rates Cingular charges on their site 10 cents per minute (2 x massive?).

That means that Cingular is not losing a massive amount they are making a massive amount.

Cowboy justice is not a good thing Jason - read the FCC Access Charge Reform posted in the left-hand corner of this blog - the FCC is very clear that carriers like Cingular are not to block calls as a barganing tool to lower rates.

"Additionally, IXCs have threatened to stop delivering traffic to, or accepting it
from, certain CLECs that they view as over-priced. Thus, AT&T has notified a number of
CLECs that it refused to exchange originating or terminating traffic. In some instances, AT&T has terminated its relationship with CLECs and is blocking traffic, thus raising various consumer and service quality issues. These practices threaten to compromise the ubiquity and seamlessness of the nation’s telecommunications network and could result in consumer confusion. Once one or more IXCs refuse to do business with a CLEC, it will become impossible for that CLEC’s end users to reach, or receive calls from, some parties outside of the local calling area. If such refusals to exchange traffic were to become a routine bargaining tool, callers might never be assured that their calls would go through. We are particularly concerned with preventing such a degradation of the country’s telecommunications network. It is not difficult to foresee instances in which the failure of a call to go through would represent a serious problem, and, in certain circumstances, it could be life-threatening. Accordingly, the public interest demands a resolution to this set of problems."


Ask yourself this Jason - if they are making massive amounts money why are they blocking the calls, then ask yourself who is next to get blocked.

Simply saying that Cingular pays a massive amount and not take into account what they get paid is wrong Jason. Research Jason
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers    By Bill on 3/28/2007 5:28 PM
Funny isn't it. MCI and Sprint wanted a free market in telecom and won the case against AT&T breaking up the monopoly in 1984. And now we see the effects of a free market environment where anything goes until laws prevent it. We are bound to see lots more innovation disquised as ways to fleece CLECs, LECs and IXCs before we are through.
Re: AT&T Blocks Numbers