My phone is ringing, but there is no one on the line when I answer?
Problem: You have answered a ringing phone, but there is no one on the line. Check for the following:
- Is your customer activated call forwarding service on? If you subscribe to Call Forwarding and have it turned on, your calls may simply be bypassing your phone at home and going directly to your forwarding number or to Voice Mail.
- Unplug all of the telephones, answering machines or fax machines, caller ID units, and computers from the wall or baseboard jacks inside your home. (If any of the above equipment is powered by an AC adapter, unplug it from the AC outlet also). Next, try plugging a corded telephone into one of the jacks. Ask someone to call you. If that doesn't work, try a different telephone and jack.
- This may possibly be a misdirected call. A computer or fax machine could be programmed incorrectly to dial your telephone number. You could answer a ringing phone and get no one on the line, a fax tone, or a computer tone.
- If you discontinue one phone call by depressing your switch hook and then hang up the phone, the central office may ring you back. The central office may see that switch hook flash as a request to make a 3-way conference call and therefore ring your phone.
- Telemarketers may use a calling-out system (auto-dialer) that causes a delay in the representative greeting you as you answer your phone.