Caller ID blocking - yes or no?

[el forastero]

I have now been here for 3+ weeks, and picked up a cheap cellphone for my time here. One thing that has frustrated me is seeing the message "Restricted No.". This means that the person calling me has blocked the caller ID , right? Or does it signify an incoming international call, or both?

If I am sitting in traffic, I can't pick up. I cannot pull off a few minutes later and dial them back, because it is blocked. I am not going to buy a bluetooth device, because the only time I use a cellphone is when I come here - I don't have a cellphone anywhere else, but life here is impossible to survive without a cellphone due to the amount of time wasted sitting in traffic in Sto Dgo, or with road problems outside of the city.

My middle class dominican friends say that blocking Caller ID is rude. I understand people in NA using it there, because of the incessant telemarketing calls. I understand blocking one's home telephone number here in the DR for personal security, but not their cellphones.

What do you do - do you use caller ID blocking, or not?

[Expat-in-Cabarete]

I agree with your friend. It's rude. The caller doesn't want me to know his phone number when he knows and dialed mine? I just refuse to answer blocked calls.

With calls from abroad, I just get a message reading Call1, does not say Restricted (this is with Orange).

[Acira]

I never answer a call with a user ID blocked, simple as that, very rude imo.

[Anastacio]

I'm with Orrange and when it is an International call it tells me 'International call', so if it is withheld number it is either someone calling using something like a magic jack which is almost certainly selling sh1t or are working from somewhere. I have never considered blocking my number from anothers phone, that would mean I thought they might not want to speak to me, and if that is the case I would not be calling them.
I'm slightly confused by the question.
Unless someone has beef with you and wants to tell you nasty things over the phone then it is someone selling something or someone calling from work. I'd like to think it is someone calling from work.

[DMV123]

Blocking your number is considered rude here. But some people do it.

On my phone long distance comes thru a number of different ways - restricted, unknown caller, with a very strange number (routed thru a calling card) etc.

I never answer a blocked call.

[SantiagoDR]

I think numbers may also come through as blocked from some calling centers and/or when the calling person is using a calling card.

My sister-in-law used to use a calling card to call us and at that time it came through as blocked.

On Codetel/Claro dialing *67 before the number will block the caller-ID.

Some tigres use this when calling a chica who has a boyfriend and/or husband in case the boyfriend or husband answers the phone......


SantiagoDR

[dv8]

dominicans have this thing about telephones, you know. it has to be new, pretty and flashy even thou many will have no idea how to use 99% of the phone funcions...
even a cashier from our supermarket has a darn watapitaberry and i am sure it costs more than her monthy wages. apparently they borrow money to buy fancy phones.
this cell-craze extends to the manner of handling the calls. no one ever introduces themselves and to make things worse many folks block their number altogether. i don't know, maybe they think they are jaimito bond or something.
i am not much of a phone person myslef. normally i do not pick up calls unless it is miesposo, someone who's call i am expecting or generally someone who's number i remember. since my motorola broke last year i never bothered to enter any numbers into my phone and i only remember miesposo's number so i almost never answer calls anyways.
but i could possibly be tempted to pick up a call from unknown number thinking it may be my family calling from poland. althought i believe their number actually does show up

[SKY]

The best one is when a Dominicana calls you and hangs up so you will call her back because she never has minutes on her phone. But she blocks the caller ID and expects you to call her.

[Acira]

Like I said, blocked calls, I never pick up.
Most of the people I know are in my phone but for some reason my phone just rings two times sometimes (really shows how much I know or care about cellphones ) and thats it and I am not that fast to respond, often don't know where I put it

If its a number I don't know and Belgiank is arround, he answers it because my Spanish is really not that good as his.

The rare occasions I do respond to an unknown number, I too had to adapt to the fact that a Dominican sometimes do not presents himself to the phone and starts talking immediately. I let him/here do the talking and when it stops, I ask for their name and it stay's somewhat silent at the other end. Could be I missed the name in the beginning though but usualy when someone introduces himself its followed by How are you? and I don't think I could miss that.

Or I get a text message, call me because my credit is finished...I have no problem with that since it can happen to me also

What really bothers me sometimes is that people change cell phone numbers frequently here and sometimes those are numbers very important to us, good business contacts and then you have to start looking for that person all over again. Don't really understand that from some business man or woman that they do that? How can you run an efficient business if you change phone numbers that much.

[drloca]

I have a long-distance plan on my cell phone so when I make LD calls, I dont dial directly but rather through an access company. The people whom I am calling have mentioned now for last couple of years that sometimes it comes up with my name and other times as "restricted".....in this case, it is beyond my control as it goes through anohter provider, I am not changing any settings on my phone.