General FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions)

 

Q - What is Call Shield?

A - Call Shield is a wonderful new technology to protect you and your privacy when conversing with strangers by phone, or if you’re talking to someone you know and need to make sure that conversation remains private and there are no public phone records to connect you. It offers people who need to maintain privacy, safety, and discretion, a confidential alternative to conventional phone calling by enabling you to talk on YOUR phone to make, or receive phone calls, without you or the other person knowing or revealing either of your real phone numbers at the time of the call or on each other’s phone records.

 

There are many situations for safety sake when you do not want people to have your real phone number, and yet you want or need to converse with them. Maybe you want to call someone without revealing your information when they don’t accept private calls or calls from blocked numbers. What if you are trying to advertise a product or service publicly (on line or through traditional advertising mediums) but you’d rather shield your number and identity from those who might try to do you harm?

 

 

Q - Why would I need Call Shield?

A - If you’re dating(online or off line)  and would like to talk to that special someone before giving them your real phone, or let’s say you’re selling a product on eBay or a car through Auto Trader, or maybe you’re advertising or promoting a personal or professional service that requires discretion and privacy. There are many reasons and situations for which Call Shield is the perfect security tool for men and women who are concerned about shielding their identity and maintaining their privacy!

 

 

Q - How does Call Shield work?

A - Call Shield uses an internal routing system. All participants (people placing calls and people wishing to receive calls) should first sign up and become a member so that Call Shield can assign you a special Call Shield number that is unique to you.

 

a.     If you are advertising your self, a product or service, use your new Call Shield number in all your advertising.  Call Shield then routes your incoming calls to your private number specified in your Account Settings.

b.    If you, the recipient, chooses not to answer a call from the Call Shield system, your callers will be given the option of sending you an SMS test message, so you can return their call back through the Call Shield system, all the while protecting you both and maintaining your privacy.

c.     If you, the recipient choose to answer the call, Call Shield will introduce itself and give you three options,1). to answer the call, 2). to request the caller leave their contact information, or 3). if you recognize the Call Shield account number and do not wish to speak to this person, you can block the call and add them to your personal black list. When you log into your account, you will see this blocked number in your account settings under your list of blocked numbers.

 

Q - What if I want to make a call using Call Shield but the person I want to call does not have a Call Shield advertiser number?

A - No problem. Call Shield has what we call a “Stand Alone” service, meaning that you can still enjoy the privacy and security for yourself while calling other people’s regular phone numbers. You just dial into the Call Shield system, enter the phone number of the person you wish to call, and Call Shield will then place the call for you. The receiving party will only see the Call Shield number in their caller ID, not your phone number.

 

 

 

Q – What other privacy advantages does Call shield offer me as a Caller or User?

A -  Your privacy and security extends long after your phone conversation has ended.  When your phone bill comes in at the end of the month, the Caller’s phone records will only show calls dialed into the Call Shield system, it will never reveal who they actually called. Receivers phone records will only show they received a call from the Call Shield system and not reveal who actually called them. This way, your personal business can’t be detected or uncovered by anyone scrutinizing your phone records.

 

Q – Just for clarification, what is a Call Shield User?
A - A Call Shield User is someone who primarily wants to use the system to receive calls. They may be publicly advertising a particular product or personal or discreet service and don’t want to use their real phone number in order to maintain their privacy and protect their identity.

 

Q - What is a Call Shield Caller?
A - A Call Shield Caller is someone who registers with Call Shield and uses the system primarily to make phone calls to protect their privacy and identity with non Call Shield users. Or it may be necessary for them to join so that they can contact people advertising products or services who require unblocked incoming calls, or who are already using a Call Shield number for their advertised product or service, and becoming a member of Call Shield is the only way to contact them.

 

Q - Is there a cost to use Call Shield?
A – Yes, at this time it is to the calling party only. Depending on the types of services you are using Call Shield for, rates may vary from .29 cents per minute to $1.29 per minute.

 

Q - Why would I, or anyone, want to pay extra money to call someone just to conceal my real number or keep the connecting information off my phone bill? Or why would the person I am calling want to keep my calls off their phone bill?
A – Only you two can answer that question. It depends on who you’re calling and the nature of the business you have with each other. If discretion, safety, and maintaining privacy is a big concern to either of you, or both of you, Call Shield protection is a must. While we do not condone illegal activities many men and women may be dating, have affairs, employ professional adult services like escorts or strippers, place sports betting calls, which all may not be illegal but questionable due to their commitments and or personal circumstances, and it would be bad for them if their partners or employers could examine their phone records and speculate on their private activities. Depending on how important it is for you to maintain your privacy, only you can determine if the privacy protection of Call Shield is worth the cost.

Another possibility is that the person you are trying to contact is using Call Shield, and through our system may be the only way you can contact them because it is a requirement of the way they chose to conduct their business so that they can insure that their privacy, identity, and safety, is protected.

 

Q - How do I use Call Shield to place calls to Call Shield Members?

A – Simply by dialing the Toll Free number on their advertisements, then once in the system you will be asked to authenticate your membership. Once the system recognizes you, you then enter that person’s extension or advertiser number, and Call Shield will connect you.

 

 

Q - How do I use Call Shield to place calls to “Non” Call Shield Members?

A –If you want to call a person who is not a Call Shield member and you would still like the privacy protection of using Call Shield, simply call in the special Call Shield number for the Stand Alone service, then enter the actual phone number of the person you wish to call, and Call Shield will then place that call for you, connecting you to that number, while concealing your real number.

 

 

Q – How would I use Call Shield to advertise a product or service and receive calls?

A - If you are advertising a product, or personal service which requires privacy and discreet calling, go ahead and apply for a Call Shield account. In your advertising you simply put the Call Shield 800 number followed by your 6 digit extension. Your customers will need to subscribe to Call Shield, and once they are a member, they call the Call Shield number on your ad, then enter your 6 digit account or extension, and Call Shield will connect them to any phone (home, cell, business, etc.) you have designated in your account settings.

 

 

Q – Why else would I use Call Shield to receive calls?

A – To ward off stalkers, harassers, prank callers, and phone pests. Some industries are just a magnet to attract wackos, and they all hide behind private or blocked numbers so you have no recourse to stop them or report them. Even if you don’t answer the phone you still have to deal with the threatening or annoying messages they constantly leave on your voice mail. Call Shield will stop this annoying activity dead in its tracks because, Call Shield doesn’t allow blocked callers into the system. Therefore, for fear of getting caught because we know their real information, these cowards will be forced to not bother you, because our records will expose them.

 

Also, Call Shield allows you to block some one easily and instantly. Let’s say you get a call and the conversation doesn’t go well. You make a note of the last four digits of that caller. A few minutes later, that number appears on your caller ID again. You just answer the call, press 3 on your touch tone key pad and instantly add that caller to your personal blocked list. You will not be bothered by that person again. Even if they try to call from another phone, it won’t matter, Call Shield blocks the account holder and any number that member calls in from.

 

 

Q – Great! How do I use Call Shield to receive calls?

A – Again, if you are advertising yourself, or a product or service which requires privacy and discreet calling, go ahead and apply for a Call Shield account, it’s FREE To Advertisers and Users.  In your advertising you put the Call Shield 800 number followed by your 6 digit extension. Your clients will need to subscribe to Call Shield to contact you, and once they are a member, they call and enter the Call Shield Toll Free number on your ad, then enter your 6 digit account or extension, and Call Shield will route their call and connect you to any phone (home, cell, etc.) you have designated in your account settings.

 

 

 

 

Q - Does Call Shield allow for voice mail messages to be left?

A - No. But we do use an SMS Text messaging service, so that if the receiver is not available to answer the call, the caller can elect to send a text message so that the receiver can then call back through the Call Shield system while maintaining both person’s privacy and anonymity. We control what information can be sent so you are not exposed to rude or offensive messages.

 

 

 

Q - What number will be displayed on my Caller ID when my phone rings?

A   - The phone number is divided into two parts. The first six digits, meaning the area code and the prefix will be from Call Shield, letting you know it’s a business call or it’s that very important personal call you’ve been waiting to hear from. The last four digits will be the last four digits of the caller’s Call Shield account number. We show you this so that you can make a note of the account number so that you can recognize and accept calls from this person, or possibly block calls from this person.

 

 

Q – You’re saying I can block certain callers from calling me?

A – Yes. In two ways. Once you have an account, you can manually enter phone numbers of people you don’t want to receive calls from. With Call Shield your phone won’t even ring. If someone calls through the system and then after the call you decide you don’t wish to hear from that person again, check the phone log in your cell phone and make a note of the last four digits, then go online and log into your Call Shield account. Check your Call Shield phone log, find the corresponding last four digits of the incoming caller you wish to blacklist, and then click to block that person and they will be instantly blocked from calling you. Remember, even if they try calling from a different phone, because when we block a person’s phone number, their account gets blocked, and then all  phones they may call from. Any number can be blocked or unblocked easily and instantly through your personal account settings.

 

 

Q - Can anyone call me at my Call Shield Advertiser Number?

A – Yes. You may be called anytime through your unique Call Shield number, but only from people who’ve signed up with Call Shield. But that’s your back up for protection. If a Call Shield caller ever stalks you, harasses you, etc. You can block them.

 

 

Q - Can I turn off Call Shield for any one person, but continue to be available for others?

A - Yes. Simply log into your account and find the button to Edit Black list. You can enter the real phone number of the person you wish to block from calling you, so that if they ever become a Call Shield subscriber, they won’t be able to call you through that number. They can still call other Call Shield members, but not you.

 

 

Q - Why is Call Shield important?

A - Call Shield provides the means to having a comfortable conversation, with no pressure and no worry with the risk associated with meeting strangers and worrying that they have your private information in case things don’t go well.

 

 

Q - Do I need to purchase special equipment or software?

A - No. Call Shield allows you to use your own phone, any phone, including cell phones, as long as outbound caller ID is not hidden. Though the caller’s private number will be concealed from the recipient, the outbound caller ID must be visible to us we can recognize our account members, authenticate them, and then connect that caller to their intended party with their unique account number showing in the receiver’s Caller ID display.

 

*Important Safety Information: People who stalk and harass others, or make prank callers arrogantly hide behind blocked numbers. That’s why Call Shield doesn’t accept blocked calls. It will discourage the bad people from bothering you because we will know who they are. Callers cannot access the Call Shield system if they block their caller ID. Call Shield must be able to recognize their private phone number and identify who is calling for everyone’s overall protection.

 

 

 

Q - How does Call Shield protect my privacy?

A - In the same way anonymous email or instant messaging allows you to communicate with out revealing your real name, phone number, or address. Call Shield hides your private phone number from the person you call, both while it's trying to connect you and when they return your call through the Call Shield system.  Our company policy is that Call Shield never shares private information at anytime with any member, business, marketing company, and or government agencies, unless they break the law by performing a criminal act while using our system.

 

 

Q - What if I lose my phone, change phone service, or need to change my private number?

A – Your incoming calls are routed to the private number specified in your Account Settings. You may update this number at any time, and you can change it as often as you like. Rerouting takes place instantly as soon you click Submit to update and save your account settings. Just log into your Call Shield account and update your new private phone number in the system any time you like. It’s as easy as that.

 

 

Q.- How far does Call Shield go to protect my privacy outside of the phone calls themselves?

A- Phone conversations like your relationships are private. The US Supreme court has established and reinforced that all citizens have some Expectations to Privacy and we take that very seriously. All of your personal information and communication through Call Shield is private, secure and anonymous. We will never share your phone number or any personal contact information with any other member, business, or voluntarily with official government agency, unless you committed some criminal act while using our system. We do not condone criminal activity and will not recognize your rights to privacy under such circumstances. Call Shield serves to protect people, but will not stand behind and protect your rights if you choose to use our system to abuse the rights of others.

 

 

Q – What if I meet someone, let’s say for dating purposes, and they appear to be nice at first, and then after meeting them in person something bad happens to me and I need to call the police but don’t know who to report because I still may not know who this person really is?

A – Great question! Call Shield does not support criminal activity, nor tolerate any of our members using our system to hide behind while they bring harm to, or attempt to abuse others. Their rights to privacy end when they chose to commit a criminal act against another person, or group or persons.

 

Note: Just because someone joins Call Shield it doesn’t automatically make them honest and trustworthy. While you can assume that because someone chooses to use our system knowing we have their information, that would initially make them appear to be more honest and forthcoming, but you still need to be safe and cautious at all times. Call Shield will not let any member abuse, stalk harass, or allow harm to go unpunished while using our system.  If you happen to meet someone in person and something really bad happens where you need to file a police report, but don’t know who to report, we won’t let that person hide behind their anonymity. This is the only time Call Shield may reveal information, but the information will not be released to you, only to the specific police department who will be handling and investigating your incident, and that is only if a police report was actually filed by you. You will need to contact us with the name of the police agency and the police incident report number. We will call the investigating agency, verify that a report has been made and then we will work with that agency in getting them the necessary identity information. This policy is designed to discourage manipulation or abuse by anyone who may attempt to say something happened when in fact it really didn’t. We figure if you take the steps to file a real report to the police, then our responsibility is to help the authorities determine the legitimacy of it by assisting with their investigation. If your claims are determined to be false, then those persons filing false claims will have to deal with the legal ramifications.

 

Remember: In all matters when meeting with strangers, especially in regards to dating, we recommend you use all the common sense dating safety precautions. Then if, something bad does happen between you, at least through our records, we can turn over that person’s information to the police so long as you stepped up and actually filed a police report.

 

 

Q - Where can I get support or provide feedback?

A - The Call Shield Support team can be contacted at our email on our contact page, or by calling our Toll Free # 866-522-7200. Right now we keep normal business hours Monday through Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm (Pacific Standard Time).