, just send you a private mail as well. Didn't find anyt...

[g-idk]

@whomever , just send you a private mail as well.  Didn't find anything embarrassing, I'm not a professional, just a regular joe.  

[mdk]

@whomever -- for those 4 V.M. messages, what were the date/time details that were announced at the start of each message? The same day, but multiple attempts to connect with you on that day?

> My phone number is registered with the Canada Do Not Call (CDNC) list so: (a) If the toll number is on their list, I get one ring, and caller is blocked. 

I have a very-different impression of how that list works, namely that one registers a telephone-number, and any telemarketer is required to download the full list of registered numbers, and then *NOT* call any of those numbers. It is an "honour" system -- honourable telemarketers should avoid calling your number.

It is not a "block-list" of telephone-numbers that can be queried. Instead, it is a list of people who do not wish to be called.

I know one LOL (Little Old Lady) who has difficulty replacing her telephone FULLY into its cradle. She is subscribed to Shaw V.M. and "call-waiting".  When I try to call her,  she does not hear the "call-waiting" noise, and my call soon goes to her V.M.

In your case, I presume that you have the Shaw Phone adapter connected to your telephone. Is it a possibility that the adapter was not functioning correctly, such that the incoming calls did not get "through" the adapter to you "ring" your handset? In that case, the incoming call would be routed to V.M.  Did you have a power-outage that caused the adapter to shut down, or a "power-bump" that "froze" the adapter?

> "TSR" (whatever that is)

Either a "Terminate and Stay Resident" computer program that stays in the computer's RAM, or it may be a "Technical Support Representative".  Maybe, Shaw uses "TSR" as a job-description title for their "second-level" employees ???

[whomever]

---

@mdk wrote:

@whomever -- for those 4 V.M. messages, what were the date/time details that were announced at the start of each message? The same day, but multiple attempts to connect with you on that day?

Dates and time:

• 2021-03-14_10-32_from_8884722222.mp3
• 2021-03-14_10-33_from_8884722222.mp3
• 2021-03-14_12-50_from_8884722222.mp3
• 2021-03-14_12-51_from_8884722222.mp3

All are the same message. None have date/time details announced at the start of each message. 

The March 14 message @ 10:33 AM starts with:

1. "that person to the telephone.
2. Press 3 to cancel this callback.
3. 6 second pause then
4. "Hello, this is a callback for (customer name played back) Press 1 if you're ready to speak to an associate. Press 2 if you need time to bring that person to the telephone. Press 3 to cancel this callback."
5. 6 second pause then
6. repeats step 4
7. 6 second pause and ends.

I just replayed them, and they all start and end the same way - no dates/times at start, middle or end.

@mdk wrote: I have a very-different impression of how that list works, namely that one registers a telephone-number...

It's been about 5 years sine I did this, but I remember people could go to the CDNC and open a report and add numbers, including brief why the number is being reported. Preferably, number, date, time, company calling, and what it was about.  Regardless, I managed to work with a customer service person who was able to do some research and found I was not alone. 

@mdk wrote:  ...you have the Shaw Phone adapter connected to your telephone.  

The only thing the phones' RJ45 plugs into is labeled "Arris". About the size of a Hitron modem. 
It's been insinuated that because one person was able to (yesterday - not March 14) run a test and did get a callback that I must be wrong. I tried to do the same but response today was great and that pickup was on the 4th ring, transferred to a "TSR" and that only took about 4 minutes - no callbacks offered. No need.  I called again later, and after the ads and stuff, pickup was within 4 minutes of my calling, again, no callback offered - no need.

I still do not know though if Shaw callbacks have been fixed. I was told it was and the agent working with me called me from the 888 number; phone rang, I saw the number and agent was there. But that is a human using that number. Callbacks are made by a bot that makes the suggestions as recorded in the disabled VM. As I understand it, the robots algorithm (a relatively new one) was having hiccups.  Lucky me.

I enjoy writing these a lot less than you do having to read them. And I see no way they are going to help the cause now because a Shaw care tech reached out to his connections and found the cause, and solution. But I relayed this info you requested because it's here for anyone else having similar problems. Maybe not the same issue exactly, but some of the things both you @mdk and @g-idk suggested would help them. 

~w~

[mdk]

@whomever --- None have date/time details announced at the start of each message

If I use <star><nine><eight> to retrieve my V.M., it does announce the date/time. Presumably, you were using the My Shaw Portal to access your V.M.

> 2021-03-14_10-32_from_8884722222.mp3

> 2021-03-14_10-33_from_8884722222.mp3

> 2021-03-14_12-50_from_8884722222.mp3

> 2021-03-14_12-51_from_8884722222.mp3

It is odd that you have two sets of "back-to-back" calls, but there might be an explanation:

• call #1 rings once, and makes your telephone-line "busy",
• call #2, immediately after, finds that your line is still "busy", and so it is routed to your V.M.

Note that a "modern" telephone unit, not an "old-style" telephone with a rotary dial, usually mutes the first "ring", because the Caller-ID information is sent between the first and second rings. So, your modern telephone actually sounds its ringer on the second ring, and shows the Caller-ID information. So, you may not have heard any ring.

I have seen this happen with a "spammer" calling my cell-phone. I see a "1 call missed", and its ringer sounds just once.

[whomever]

Thanks for your help @mdk. As it turns out, it was Shaws newest algorithm for the Bot that caused it to see itself as a bad number. So sayeth the mighty Shaw warriors at headquarters. Also mentioned, is that the disabled VM wasn't disabled. It showed up as disabled on Shaw>MyAccount but a gal I spoke to said it was showing On at her end. She re-disabled for me then my chat with a Shaw oracle (not sure of the position) suggested that there is a setting (which I don't see) that let's those who do see it, use "Spam caller blocker", and that was also on. That extra feature has been turn off as well. Now the Bot should call me, not VM

It has all been washed, rinsed, and dried and the Kahunas said it was settings + new algorithm + bad 888 (at times). My phone is a modern desk phone. 

The issue is here for others now who may be searching due to same or similar issues. Your help will most likely help others with similar issues, or at least, use it i a process of elimination.

Thanks again,

~W~

[wynford]

Those are the types of spam i'm getting and also always different... got about 20 in the past few days... adding a filter is useless because the address is always different.... i haven't had spam for a long long time until the past few days

[wynford]

my reply didn't include the original and can't find an edit option‎

2021-02-20 11:17 AM

The email address domain in the spam mail I am getting is always different and gibberish, lfC8yI@vzvzbsz.tqscad.com is the latest one, and I won’t waste time adding a filter.

[wynford]

The email address domain in the spam mail I am getting is always different and gibberish, lfC8yI@vzvzbsz.tqscad.com is the latest one, and I won’t waste time adding a filter.

[mdk]

@wynford -- adding a filter is useless

I added a filter: when the SUBJECT line CONTAINS the character (an apostrophe) MOVE the message to my JUNK folder.

That filter has helped, sometimes.

[whomever]

After such a long time (24 years for me) without any spam, none, in all 10 email accounts with Shaw, to suddenly be inundated with what is clearly spam, constantly repeating the same every day,  then have Shaw tell us we have to start doing their job for them, is ludicrous. 

Having monitored the new way Shaw has customers handling the spam for Shaw, it appears evident that reporting the spam only sends the spam trough to  a poorly constructed algorithm that uses content, rather than use RBLs  which professional ISPs use to deter spam. RBLs are "Realtime Block Lists" that are updated by millions of of other professional ISPs. The RBLs block the IP that is sending them. Not by building 1996 kiddie-kewl keyword filters. 

RBLs are updated live. Aside from Shaws sloppy system, I use my own mail sever for privacy reasons (read Shaw's Privacy and Terms policy on email).
I also use RBLs. When I view the IPs that are blocked, and I view the associated content, I see garbage that Shaw lets through - daily, hourly, consistently, with the same spam, same IPs that are on RBLs. Clearly, Shaw has dropped using RBLs and use Shaw customers to do the dirty work for Shaw. Something they forgot to deduct from our bills.

There are other ways to get around being a volunteer for Shaw webmail. But you'd need a little Linux, a Raspberry Pi, and dedicated dual-boot or single computer or, buy into a email server you can control. Else, thanks being a volunteer.

I intend to test something else out and that is to redirect (not 'Forward) all my Shaw  incoming mail a catch-all account on my mail server, run them through the RBL and redirect them to my Inbox on my computer, not Shaw's. 

If that works, it will be something some have said won't work, but it won't be the first time the new brood of techies have been wrong. 🙂

Thanks for being a volunteer. 

~w~  

p.s. If Rogers does buy Shaw, hopefully their new broom will sweep the dust out and let the pro's in.

[mdk]

@whomever -- I also use RBLs

So does Shaw, as evidenced in another thread in this discussion forum.