On a side note to start, I've been getting those daily annoying "car warranty is expiring" calls on my cell phone lately (anyone else?). Now when I go overseas, receiving those calls will cost. Is there a way of completely rejecting a call, not sending it to voice mail, but just dumping it completely? I can't find anything in the iPhone manual. There's got to be way, right?

You can't, unless you disable voicemail and hit end.

A better idea? Register your cell # on the do not call listing.

If they are always callng from the same number you can download firewall software such as MCleaner and add the number to the "blacklist"

I am registered, but this particular scam uses multiple numbers that all come back as disconnected or not in service. It is a real problem that apparently a lot of organizations are looking into. I just thought if I got a call from an unknown area code I can just disconnect somehow.

i got a call from them as well. i don't know how they got my number--Saturn is giving me the runaround, and i'm on the DNC list too

According to snopes.com, not such a great idea.

Huh? The page seems to imply that there isn't a great advantage to doing it, but I don't see where it says that it has any disadvantages.

Answer the phone when you get the annoying calls - firmly tell them that they have called you before and you have asked them to take you off their calling list and that this is now harassment and you will file a formal complaint if it happens again. Usually, they quickly get the hint and hang up.

Unfortunately, not this particular group. It is an automated machine, and says press 1 for an agent, 2 to be removed from the list. Press 2 and it immediately disconnects and the calls continue to come. Press 1, finally get a person, and the second you even hint you are not going to immediately give them your credit card and other information they say "hold please" and disconnect. The fact that the numbers listed on the caller ID always come back as numbers not in service should tell you something.

I was just hoping there was a way to not answer a call at all, whether picking up or voice mail. It seems that if your phone rings while overseas, you're screwed.

Answering them will cost if you are roaming, but allowing them to go to voicemail will not cost - the call is treated as a US call since it is answered by the system, not by the phone.

Some phones and service providers enable number blocking including all unknown number blocking (for example, Samsungs on T-Mobile). Blocking all unknown numbers while roaming abroad is one way to avoid excessive roaming charges, if the phone supports this.

Dont you just press the red button to reject a call?? x

Watch out! Allowing the call to roll to VM will cost you if you are a tmobile or AT&T customer. Not only will you be charged for the system forwarding the call to the foreign destination, you will also be charged for sending it back to your VM in the US . There are way too many horror stories about folks that didi nto answer their phone and let it roll to VM while roaming, and each of those calls are being charged for 2 mins of roaming.

Incorrect. You will be charged for a minimum of two minutes even if you don't answer the call: one minute for your provider to forward the call to your phone overseas, and another for you to forward the call back to the voicemail system in the US. This is standard billing procedure pretty much everywhere.

There are two ways not to be charged. First is to turn off your phone before you leave the US, and not turn it on again until you're back. Once your phone registers on the foreign switch, your home carrier will forward the calls there until it registers on either a different foreign carrier, or comes back to your home system.

The second way is to set your phone to forward all calls (aka unconditional call forwarding) to a US number before you leave.

There is also a 3rd way:

• Cancel all call/voicemail forwarding (using the call forwarding menu or dialling ##002#)

You will then have a choice of either rejecting the call (by pressing the END/NO button), or letting it ring until the caller hangs up. There will be no charge to either yourself or the caller for either option.

Hmm, I'm not sure I agree with you there - the GSM carriers charge to ring you in another country, because the foreign country operator charges your home carrier for the privilege of using their network to find you.

Also, when I've used that Cancel All Forwarding code, it resets itself after a day or so.