# Unrecognized number on your caller ID. Call it back? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 8, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471 "2010-12-08T22:05:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/21 "2010-12-09T01:55:39Z")
People calling me back when I don’t leave a message kind of bug me - I will leave a message if there is a reason for you to call me back. Sometimes I’m just calling to see if you left already, in the hopes of getting you to pick something up on the way - since you’ve left already, it’s moot - don’t call me back. I don’t want to have to leave lame messages like that. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/22 "2010-12-09T07:38:25Z")
When I get an unrecognized number on my phone, if they don’t leave a message I head off to Google to see what others have reported about that number. ---
**Author:** ![Blisters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Blisters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blisters)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/23 "2010-12-09T07:52:57Z")
ug, I hate this. I worked as a receptionist for a small company and would at least once a day get a call like this. Me: “hello, ABC Company” Them: “yes, someone called me from this number” I’d usually ask what company they were calling from (if it is a client, I can _maybe_ figure out who might have called) but for whatever reason the caller wants to keep that top secret. Other than that, what am I supposed to do, run up and down the halls asking who might have called “Ben” /frustrating! (also: those of you that are saying you google the number…does this yield any information of interest? I always figure most of the time it is a wrong number or something unrelated to me…though I will admit a passing curiosity…) ---
**Author:** ![manx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@manx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manx)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/24 "2010-12-09T13:39:26Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > I google the phone number and see who it is. I don’t call back or pick it up. This is what I do as well. > [@](#): > > (also: those of you that are saying you google the number…does this yield any information of interest? I always figure most of the time it is a wrong number or something unrelated to me…though I will admit a passing curiosity…) A couple of times it’s been really helpful, when the calls have come from recruitment companies or lettings agents. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/25 "2010-12-09T14:21:07Z")
The only time I’ll call it back is if I’m waiting on a phone call from someone I don’t know, usually a service person of some sort, who may be calling on a personal phone or an un-IDed number. For instance, I called a large plumbing outfit to come give me a quote on some work in the house, they said they could have someone out after such and such time, and that the person would give me a call when he was on his way. I did miss his call, saw an unknown # on the phone, and called it back just in case it was the plumber. And it was. I HATE when I mis-dial something and I get a “Hey you called me? Who’s this?” call back! ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/26 "2010-12-09T14:31:19Z")
Depends - if I’m expecting calls I might (I help out with Cub Scouts so if we’re due to go outside when the weather’s bad I often get calls from parents wondering if we’re going ahead). If it’s a local number I’ll usually call back. But generally if they haven’t left a voicemail I figure they’ll either call back or email, or it’s not important. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/27 "2010-12-09T14:52:14Z")
I don’t even call back numbers I recognize. If they want me to call back, they’ll leave a message. ---
**Author:** ![Finally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/67e7ee/32.png) [@Finally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finally)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/28 "2010-12-09T14:55:03Z")
I had to post. This is at the very top of my pet peeve list. Dear Og no, no, no. And I, too, hate the, “you called this number” call. If I didn’t leave a message please assume I misdialed. ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/29 "2010-12-09T14:58:59Z")
It depends. If I get several such calls from the same number, I’ll eventually get annoyed enough to call and see what it is they want, usually after trying a reverse lookup and a google. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/30 "2010-12-09T15:04:23Z")
Not only do I not return calls to a number that I don’t recognize and that doesn’t leave a voicemail, if I get the same number repeatedly I block it (I have Call Screen, which lets me block up to 12 numbers so my phone won’t even ring or take voicemail when they call). Every so often when I have the maximum of 12 numbers blocked I clear the blocked number list and start over. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/31 "2010-12-09T15:36:38Z")
I had expected ‘never’ to lead, but not by quite so solid a margin. I’ll call back if I’m expecting calls from people I don’t know. Sometimes I’ll Google a number if I’m by the computer when I discover I’ve missed the call. re: You called this number. I once misdialed and then hung up when I got the leave a message recording and realized it was the wrong person. The recording was female and I was calling a guy. The next day I got a callback from the number. It was some pissed off sounding guy demanding to know who I was and why I was calling his girl. I politely explained that I didn’t know his girl and that I had called the wrong number. Not good enough. What’s my name and where am I. It doesn’t matter who I am, it was a wrong number. The conversation rapidly devolved to threats of getting my ass kicked and I hung up. Callback. Ignored. Callback. Ignored. More callbacks at random times over the next couple of weeks, all ignored. First time I ever had a male stalker. I felt sorry for the girl. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/32 "2010-12-09T15:57:17Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > The next day I got a callback from the number. It was some pissed off sounding guy demanding to know who I was and why I was calling his girl. I politely explained that I didn’t know his girl and that I had called the wrong number. Not good enough. What’s my name and where am I. It doesn’t matter who I am, it was a wrong number. The conversation rapidly devolved to threats of getting my ass kicked and I hung up. Callback. Ignored. Callback. Ignored. More callbacks at random times over the next couple of weeks, all ignored. > > First time I ever had a male stalker. I felt sorry for the girl. Problem nowadays is that it’s fairly easy to find someone based on their phone number. Cell phones, not so much, but if you called that guy from a land line, and he decides to google your phone #, he’ll probably have your name and address in fairly short order. ---
**Author:** ![wipetheclock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b19c9b/32.png) [@wipetheclock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wipetheclock)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/33 "2010-12-09T16:10:20Z")
I’ll only call back if the specific, unknown number shown up on my caller id regularly for a while. Even then, I tend to google it first. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/34 "2010-12-09T16:21:13Z")
I don’t call them back. On my land line I have an answering machine so there’s little question about which numbers to call back there. Occasionally there will be a message which is a wrong number from a business person and in that case I call them to let them know they placed their business call to a wrong number. Oddly enough it’s sometimes from the legal system so it seems important that they get their message to the correct person. Recently my cellular phone server updated it’s system. I missed their call, didn’t respond back to it and later learned it was them asking me to register a password. Apparently I’ve missed my window of opportunity and now I can’t get into my voicemail box and am going to have to seek out a real live human being to help me. So in this instance I lost out by not calling the unrecognized number. You can’t win. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/35 "2010-12-09T17:18:11Z")
> [@sevenwood](#): > > If they don’t leave a voicemail I assume that it was either a telemarketer or a wrong number. - 1. I’m amazed at how many people here are saying they run off to Google the number, in case it’s someone they know who needs help. Good grief, dude, you need help, leave me a message saying so. I’m not researching every stranger who butt-dials me or thinks I’m the pizza place three digits off. (Then again, sometimes you get people like my father-in-law, who has exactly one voice message script: “Hey. It’s me. Call me back.” 😃 Hey, at least he leave a message!) ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/36 "2010-12-09T17:21:18Z")
I never ever answer a number or name that I don’t know, much less call them back. NEVER! Saves a ton of telemarketing calls, and so forth. And as 95% of the calls that come in on my landline are not answered, I am now engaged in trying to convince wifey that we get rid of it, and go solely to cell phones. Having trouble here - my wife is probably the worlds greatest Luddite. An interesting item - I have never had any of my friends mention that they couldn’t get me on the phone. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/37 "2010-12-09T17:25:02Z")
Doesn’t happen very often. My cell number is from a different city than I currently live in; calls from that area code are invariably wrong numbers, so I wouldn’t bother calling them back. Other numbers (particularly if they were local to my current city), I probably would. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/38 "2010-12-09T17:47:04Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > Never. If it’s important, they’ll leave a message. > > Every now and then I will look the number up. Not very often though. I answered it depends on for this very reason. If they don’t leave a message, I never call back. The number is probably phony anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/39 "2010-12-09T19:46:33Z")
I had a number keep calling my cell every few days without leaving voice mail. Finally I answered it and it was a charity fundraiser of some sort. I told the lady she was calling a cell phone, and she said she knew that. I told her to put my name on the do not call list. I thought it was illegal to do telemarketing to cell phones? ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471/40 "2010-12-10T03:33:43Z")
I’d probably ignore it unless it was from an area code the same as an out of state relative. 800 numbers–never. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unrecognized-number-on-your-caller-id-call-it-back/563471.md?page=3)