Blocking numbers and diversion to voicemail

[BM_Rob]

If I block a number on my Iphone it diverts to voicemail where the caller can continue to bother me by leaving a voicemail message

If my friend on O2 blocks a number on their Iphone - it is sent to voicemail but there is no notification and no message stored. Bliss! 

Why does EE divert block numbers to voicemail?

Thanks

[Leanne_T]

Hi @BM_Rob 

Thanks for coming back to the community. 

If you block certain numbers from being able to call or text you on the phone, when this is activated, callers will be diverted to your voicemail. 

If you are experiencing malicious calls and they are leaving voicemail messages, please report them to the police straight away. 

For more details, please see our Avoid unwanted texts or calls, Help page. 

Leanne.

[BM_Rob]

Hi @Leanne_T 

But why divert to voicemail? By diverting it isn't blocking, is it? 

Imagine the scenario where an elderly person is misdialling (by mistake, or because they cannot remember they called you 5 mins ago) your number. Should I report them? I'd say, no. It would be better to divert to a bucket or play a message - the callee is not accepting your call. 

Regards

Paul 

[Leanne_T]

I understand @BM_Rob 

Sorry this is not an option when blocking the numbers, this would divert to voicemail if you have this active. 

Leanne. 

[BM_Rob]

Hi @Leanne_T 

Can it be raised as an enhancement / feature request? 

O2 seem to have it sorted.

Regards

Paul

[Katie_B]

Hi @BM_Rob. 

We can absolutely send this as feedback to the relevant team. 

Katie

[bristolian]

Call blocking works the same way across all the UK networks, by acting as a CLI-dependent divert to voicemail.

I suspect your friend on O2 has their voicemail configured differently, to not allow message deposit in particular scenarios - EE do offer their own config, such as setting an "extended absence greeting" and preventing message deposit.

[BM_Rob · Accepted solution]

Hi @bristolian 

It does look like "block" doesn't do what it says on the tin on Iphones. It allows diversion to voicemail on Iphones.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201229

On Android, https://support.google.com/phoneapp/answer/6325463?hl=en-GB it looks like it declines - When the number tries to call you, your phone will decline the call automatically.

It then also mentions that if Visual Voicemail is on callers cannot leave voicemails. So, it says "decline" and then the visual voicemail sentence says "cannot leave voicemails". It isn't very clear. 

Testing on EE with an Iphone. Just blocking diverts the call to VM and I get notification. Turning on Visual VM, the call gets diverted to VM, no notification. Clicking VoiceMail in the Phone app shows "Blocked caller". I can then play or delete without listening to the message.

It looks like EE, O2 and VF support Visual Voicemail. Three has help pages but then says check SIM. 

It looks like there is a solution for Iphone. I cannot test Android.

[Andyc31]

This is not good. How can it go to voicemail? There are vulnerable people and some nasty people trying to scam them. Not acceptable.

[Christopher_G]

Hi @Andyc31

Which type of device are you using? There are options and steps we can go through, to stop people from being able to leave a voicemail, if needed.

Chris