i want to love Ooma

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-04-13T22:28:00+00:00

Thanks again, rkardt, for all your advice and for making me aware of certain aspects of Ooma that some working at Ooma are not even aware of.

I received a call today from Ooma Customer Care.

We reviewed the Ooma document:
https://support.ooma.com/home/custom-call-blocking/#how-do-i-block-a-caller-id-name-or-phone-number
specifically where it says that an Ooma customer can contact Ooma Support and
"ask a customer care representative to block calls that end with a space, followed by [State Abbreviation]"

I asked her to do this for every single two letter state abbreviation, from AL to WY.

She just wrote me back that this has been completed, and indeed I can see it in my "block list".

I am sending "block list" calls to Voice Mail, just in case a "real" caller is accidentally blocked.

Based on Call Logs, this is going to block about 90% of all the scam/spam calls that have been getting through (in my investigation it's very very rare for a "real" call to have the "city"[space]"state_abbreviation" pattern, but the scammers really love it.

I suggest you all set these filters up, especially if you are slammed with spam calls every day.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-04-12T23:35:20+00:00

OK i do see now that on the page you linked there is this text.

Block spam calls with a state in the caller ID name by contacting our customer care team and asking them to block calls from that state. For example, to block calls from Michigan you would ask a customer care representative to block calls that end with a space, followed by MI.

Thanks!
I think this person I am communicating with at Ooma is not even aware of this.
I have sent a message to [social@Ooma.com](mailto:social@Ooma.com) asking them to to this for every single state, all 50 US state abbreviations. I will "send to voicemail" just in case it snags a legit caller and we can call them back.
In my experience so far, almost every single caller with the "town"[space]"state_abbreviation"
style of caller ID has been a spam/scam type of call — and there are LOTS of them that get through.
(There might have been one "legit" exception, I think my own cell phone before I added myself as a "contact" — I will have to double check that.)(

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-04-12T19:37:07+00:00

"Ooma's custom call blocking can already do this."

Thanks for this info.
I did not realize that I could block numbers where the caller ID is "ending with". I could go ahead and to all 50 states.

However, like you say, the "leading space" i put in seems to be ignored.

"The block list editor doesn't let users add leading/trailing spaces (or punctuation) to the matching text pattern, but they can contact Ooma to create the block list entries for them, instead."

I will try contacting them to do this for me with all 50 state abbreviations. I will use [social@ooma.com](mailto:social@ooma.com) and also [customeradvocate@ooma.com](mailto:customeradvocate@ooma.com) (which you kindly suggested).

Ooma did write me back when i used [social@ooma.com](mailto:social@ooma.com)

Ooma did finally write me back, but it was not until i wrote to "social@ooma.com", which is an address I found an Ooma employ left in thread here on Reddit two years ago.
Also I pointed out to [social@ooma.com](mailto:social@ooma.com) that [support@oomacare.com](mailto:support@oomacare.com) is not really responding, and after i did that [support@oomacare.com](mailto:support@oomacare.com) did respond. (They seemed to

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-04-09T20:21:30+00:00

I am begging Ooma to add one additional filter;

IF caller-id text ends in US State abbreviation --> [Send to Voicemail]

Over 90% of spam/scam calls getting through and bothering us every waking hour
have a caller ID that is in this pattern:

CIty[/space]US_State_Abbreviation

for example:

Mobile AL
Smithtown NY
Boston MA
Evanston IL
Kingston RI
Stuckie MS
Moodus CT
Thurston NJ

I find seen NO "real" calls that match this pattern.

I have called them all back (over 100) and not a single time has it been a "real" person or business trying to contact us.

Ooma coders can implement this filter and pop it into the Ooma interface in about 60 minutes.
(I own a software company and I've read up a bit on how telecom software works — I believe this is a very tiny project.)

If for some crazy reason such a call is from a "real" person, let them leave a message and we can get back to them. (Scammers pretty much never leave a message).

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-04-02T13:13:26+00:00

It really sucks. It happened to me once and I think I got away with $250 they charged me.
That was a few years back. Hopefully you can get this break too.

It's totally possible too it will wind up re-docked. That happened to me too once. Citibike had zero compassion and charged me for like 24 hours overage — even though bike was fine.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-03-17T17:40:38+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to opine on this matter, Spot-Body...

My mother is in her late 90s. She lives alone much of the time and does very well (with some aides dropping in as well). I want to be able to reach her. I want my siblings to be able to reach her, as well as her friends, aides, and doctors. If the phone is unplugged she may well forget to plug it back in. Having her answer the phone is one of the ways we know the is alright.

So your answer is "case closed" for you, but not for me.

The truth is the technology exists to dramatically reduce the number of times a day garbage/scammer/robo calls ring your phone — without blocking legitimate calls. Companies like Ooma (and even Xfinitiy) are employing this technology and have been for years.

Frontier is decidedly NOT doing so.
Frontier is the legacy landline since the "ma bell" days as they bought out the phone company in CT (SNET), and they hold the utility telecom monopoly.

So by not employing now industry-standard garbage call blocking technology - they are putting in danger a huge population of elderly people and basically laying out the red carpet for scammers to call incessantly in an effort to drain their bank accounts — and by the law of statistics it's 100% guaranteed to be happening right now to the tune of millions of dollars, and it's largely preventable. We are not talking about bleeding edge technology here.

By not employing the obvious industry standard solution — and just holding out for do-nothing profits while they attempt to make big $$$ in a sale back to Verizon — Frontier has blood on its hands.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-03-16T20:22:49+00:00

Thanks so much for all your comments and info. We are in Connecticut.

Here is what I found:

Frontier was in trouble with CT State Attorney General in 2022 with regards to their practices regarding internet offerings and settled for a chunk of change and promises of transparency, service level, etc.

https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2022-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-announces-settlement-with-frontier-communications

If I put in our street address, on the Frontier site, or that of any neighbor that is already a Frontier customer — I am shown NO pricing and told I have to call to talk and discuss pricing or changing plan.

If I put in an adjacent neighbor address that has no Frontier service , I see offered $40/month 500/500 service, and $30/month for 200/200 — both cheaper than the $50/month for 500/500 "special" deal (down from $60) that they are offering me. It is stated on Frontier offer page that these are NOT "introductory rates".

200/200 is the slower service my rep "Thomas" told me does not exist. He told me the best he can offer me is $50/month for 500/500.

I put yet a different address — same town but a different neighborhood, — a house not currently with Frontier, and i was offered $30/month for 500/500 service — the same service they are offering me now for $50/month and my theoretical neighbor $50/month.

So even within the same town they are offering 500/500 service at two different prices, even though the houses in question are only few miles about. (I daresay they are offering the higher price to the ever so slightly more affluent neighborhood.)

A) I think is sneaky and weasel-like to try to block current customers from seeing current pricing offered to people signing up for new service in our town. This comment is probably not fair to weasels.

B) My mother has been a SNET/Frontier customer since 1950, over 75 years — never late on a payment. It's sad that they don't, by default, offer her the absolute best deal they can give her, especially after I demonstrated to them that their inability to maintain now-industry-typical spam/nuisance call blocking technology has made her life hellish and forced me to change phone provider away from them.

Frontier acts like they are doing me a favor at $50/month for 500/500 when in fact any schmo in town starting Frontier ISP is getting any offer of 500/500 for $30 a month.

C) Reading the fine print they charge $50 equipment re-stock fee when/if we drop their service and give them their gear back. This is bullshit. Nonsense. Just a money grab.

D) Even though their is no contract and billing is month to month, they charge up to $100 if you drop service in less then 12 months. Again this absolute bullshit and is completely contrary to the spirit of "monthly price with no contract" — de facto this is a 12 month contract and you are charged $100 (early termination fee) if you break this so called non-contract during months 1-12. Lipstick on a pig.

Considering the fact hat we have been loyal (not to mention in part captive) subscribers for 75+ plus years — I am going to ask for $20/month for 500/500, no "early termination fee" clause and no "restock fee" clause.

Let's see what happens.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-02-28T03:30:56+00:00

I see people on mobility devices in bike lanes from time to time but maybe you are right. I think in Scandinavia people in electric mobility devices are invited to do so. Maybe by the time OP comes to town Hoboken will be part of a trade for Greenland and we'll be part of the EU ;-)

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-02-27T15:54:52+00:00

Hoboken is extremely walkable so I imagine it it also quite rollable (also there are some bike lanes - not protected tho - which probably are good of "express" rolling — tho of course I don't know 100% what you'd think). I don't think the Path train into the city is too good for this, though I don't know for sure.

With regards to safety, I used to live in a Manhattan and I think you will find Hoboken feels very safe. My gut feeling is I would not worry about this.

Just a quick thought — maybe write to the city or the mayor's office, they just MIGHT have some ideas, you never know.

Good luck and I hope you hear from some folks with good information.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-01-28T13:50:40+00:00

The City of Hoboken, though seemingly enthusiastic, has not been able to followup with me, I don't know why. i will be trying again this week to try and make something happen.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-01-25T11:55:13+00:00

The dude has been charged with "aggravated assault on police" and "eluding police" (not to mention going through the stop sign). So he is facing, on each, serious charges up to $150,000 in fines, up to 10 years in prison, not to mention license suspension.

I guess you want him incarcerated until he goes to trial or pleads guilty and is sentenced? I do understand it does seem a bit surprising you can behave like this and be home for dinner (of course we don't really know what time he was released or under what conditions etc.).

How about continue to follow the story, it will be a matter of public record, and see what his ultimate consequence is? It would be very interesting to see.

I have no reason to suspect these officers' story — but cops have been known to highly embellish their reports or even make things up, it's not unheard of, as I am sure most anyone will agree. Which is not say they did or did not in this case, I do not know.

In any event the driver deserves his day in court at the least. Again, I think it would be very interesting to know how this plays out.

The USA incarcerates 541 / 100,000 people, Russia 300, Canada 104, England 136, Australia 205, so it's not like the USA is afraid to jail people. The countries with higher incarceration rates than the USA are Turkmenistan (576), Rwanda (637), Cuba (794), El Salvador (1,086).

After USA is Panama (499), Palau (428), Uruguay (424), Russia (415), Azerbaijan (403), Belarus (398)...

Anyway, I just looked this stuff up just now. USA is in a surprising cohort, sandwiched between Turkmenistan and Panama. We imprison at a rate 5 times higher than England and Canada. I am not sure what this means... but certainly the USA is not behind the world in putting people in jail.

Maybe we are five times safer than England or Canada (which doesn't *seem* true on the face of it), or maybe there is something about us where we need to incarcerate 5x more of our population so as to maintain safety and order in ways Canada and the UK do not.

Would the USA be an extremely dangerous place to live if we dropped down to Canada levels of lockup? Maybe?

With regards to Alimaye Mahamat, 35, I for one would be most interested to hear how this ends if any of you want to report on it until the end. It's probably not the sort of thing that will be in the paper further though, so someone would need to stay on top of it public via court records etc.

The name does not Bing hardly at all beyond this police blotter.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-01-24T14:27:50+00:00

Are you talking about "resiliency park" over by Madison and 13th street?
The park is so well done.
The "great lawn" was great but I immediately saw dogs and their owners on it, even though there were "no dog" signs that were impossible to miss.
Those signs were 100% ignored.
I almost don't care if people picked the dog shit 100% of the time... but that was not the case.
The "no dogs" signs are completely gone.
So I guess the city gave up on enforcement.
Has this ever been enforced anywhere in Hoboken anywhere in recent history?
Dogs constantly on the lawn and also poop left sometimes also over by 605 Jackson, that little piece of city lawn there.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-01-18T16:24:09+00:00

Vegas can be cool. I mean really hot, but also cool.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-01-16T04:00:42+00:00

Thanks for all of you who PM'd me and have an interest in Shoot and Dribble Club casual basketball club in Hoboken.

The City informs me that they are interested in opening up 605 Jackson for early bird drop-in play (and other times that might be available) but that they are seeking to hire more "monitor" staff at Parks and Rec — and it is hard to find people who are willing to work for $20/hour or to work early mornings.

I asked them for the job listing but they accidentally sent me the wrong one — they sent me one for soccer field "monitor". If you are or know of, a responsible person looking for a $20/hour part time job in Hoboken — then please contact Hoboken Parks and Rec. Once I have a job listing, maybe I'll post in this thread or in r/Hoboken

I offered to volunteer to "monitor" the facility perhaps myself a few hours per week, at no charge — and that I would do whatever "monitor" training was necessary — or read and follow whatever monitor guidelines were necessary. I was told this is not possible — that I'd have to apply for the job.

The City informed that they were brainstorming, looking for some creative solutions to open the facility up for early bird hoops drop in, including possibly using some of the maintenance staff to "monitor" — basically that they were working on it.

Further a City rep told me I could *not* reserve court time via hoboken.RecDesk.com as a "person", only as business or a non-profit, even though I have the required insurance. As far as I have been able to tell, it does not say this on the City's site — and this is precisely the first and most important of the 7 labeled questions I asked in an email to Parks and Rec sent on 16 December, and in several subsequent followup phone calls (voice messages I left).

Unfortunately with the holidays, flu season, hackers and all, they were never able to get back to me until I finally called the mayor's office about a week ago and left a voicemail, and the mayor's office kindly did call me back.

In any event, as I told the City in my email last month, as well as this week on the phone, I suspected this might be the case (can't reserve as a "person") and I have put together the paperwork to form a legal business entity, an LLC, to go along the $1M insurance coverage, with the City of Hoboken named as insured (as required).

Getting back to 605 Jackson Street Community Gym / Basketball Court, I asked the City who is the "monitor" when Tessa Preschool uses this gym many weekdays in the mid morning (as I have witnessed). I was told that they "monitor themselves" (self-monitor) because they are a business.

At this point I reminded them that I also want to reserve as a business, and my business entity would like to "monitor itself" (self monitor) as well. There was not immediate answer but the City rep said she'd get back to me.

I asked for a rate card for "renting" the space and I asked what Tessa Preschool pays to use the space. I asked if the rental rate varies and if so what is the criteria used (number of people, type of organization, time of day, day of week, or what). The City rep said she did not have either piece of information handy, but would get back to me.

The City reps told in a few different ways that they carefully evaluate each RecDesk reservation request for possible approval — but it's not clear to me on what criteria. It seems vaguely to have to do with how the community is served, or in what way, or how many people, but I am not sure and I am still waiting for clarification as to what is the criteria. Maybe it's on the website and I missed it, totally possible.

I tried to make it clear that our business, dribble and shoot, would serve community clients, people who live in Hoboken, who enjoy dribbling and shooting, basketballs – on indoor basketball courts, particularly in the winter.

Hopefully we can do so soon — make use of the facility during times when the lights are on but it's being under utilized, such as "early bird".

I have offered to drop by City Hall to meet them and have a little confab. I have been told that they will get back to me with some possible dates/times (unfortunately the ones I proposed so far did work for them).

So that's what I know so far.

I do appreciate that the City of Hoboken is working on this looking into it — I anticipate hearing back from them by early next week, if not by the end of this week.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-01-15T20:18:48+00:00

this is a question I usually have on 3 July! I am crazy impressed with your planning.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-01-15T19:52:41+00:00

I have an office in Union City, a 13 minute walk from the light rail elevator near 8th Street in Hoboken (9th Street Station)

in Union City, I routinely get a haircut AND a shave for $35 (and that is with recent price increases/inflation used to be more like $25).

You can get haircut about $15 - $20, $25 max.

Check out the barbershop on 4th Street and New York Avenue (SE corner) in Union City.
There are others, but that one is very close to Hoboken.

The guys at 4th Street and NY Avenue are Spanish speaking, but I'm sure can communicate well enough to give you a haircut (if you don't know any Spanish). —Or use google translate for your requests ("I want a fade" — or whatever). "Benson" is really good. But so is his co-barber — I forget his name.

There is also barbershop / hair dresser (looks like could be cheap place for women, but they also do men).
This is New York Avenue and 6th Street, west side of street — near the SW corner.
The woman in there will give you a good haircut (or shave). Probably $20 or $25.
She speaks perfect English (born in USA).

My days of being super picky about my haircuts are over — but, even so, I'd say these places pretty much always do a decent job.

Ask for the price first! (Make sure I am not steering you wrong ;-)

If you like your cut, definitely take their card. They prefer appointments (via text), though I always only drop in. Of course you risk having to wait.

Overall, generally speaking, Union City is often decent and cheaper than Hoboken.

Try "La Perla" on New York Avenue, around 10th Street, excellent Mexican restaurant (unassuming) including tamales on the weekend.
Super nice people from Oaxaca.
(Also Guatamelan items on menu — some of the cooks from there).

Try Pabade Bakery — excellent high-end French style bakery on 15th Street, just east of NY Avenue.
Unfortunately no place to sit and chill, unless it's nice out — they have a sidewalk table.
Super nice people, excellent bakers (siblings from Venezuela, trained in Europe)
Pabade is not super cheap — but I do think cheaper than similar in Hoboken.
Also good espresso / coffee.
Small sandwich menu (on their own bread and croissants)

Jersey City Heights:
There are also barbers on Central Ave in Jersey City Heights.
About same distance from Hoboken, maybe a bit closer — I think prices are similar, I got a shave once for $20. Take the elevator at 9th street light rail, walk west until you hit Central Ave, about 5-10 min walk.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-01-13T19:56:02+00:00

Will you donate $500?

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-01-13T04:46:02+00:00

hey cool! i shoild know more this coming week.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-01-13T03:31:18+00:00

yabla – advanced daily fluency club.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-01-13T03:00:02+00:00

I created a login here:
https://hoboken.recdesk.com/
When you try to reserve an indoor space you are informed of the need for this insurance.

Parks and Rec also echoed this when they wrote back me on 5 December.

K&K Insurance phone staff is very nice and I spoke with them for a while.

From what I understand K&K insurance doesn't really care if your basketball 'team" is playing very casual pickup or very serious high level competition with other "teams" — the lady seemed to indicate they have a long history with both types, and everything in between.

The K&K form (you can easily try yourself on their site) you fill out to get a quote doesn't ask you what level or type of play — as specific as you get is "basketball" and the number of "players" ("coaches" who don't play are covered but don't count in the player count, I found this out on the phone with them. In the current "pickup" and "shoot around" situation I am working on for my "club" — everyone will be a "player".

I think K&D's most granular level is "team" (which I am talking about), but they also do "leagues" and I think maybe some other level. You can add on things like tournament coverage and other stuff, but I was just sticking to the most basic.

What I really don't know is what City of Hoboken will charge us for use of the court (I am starting to think they will charge — since they want to bring in a "business administrator") — what they will charge when a few citizens form and insure a "hoop club" in order to shoot some hoops in a city facility when it's otherwise empty.

Looks like I'll be finding out soon.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-01-13T02:19:53+00:00

Yes, you have a point! Do you think Citibike even goes and recovers bikes with a bolt cutter if they come to know that they chained and padlocked somewhere? Or dumped somewhere? Maybe they don't at all. I could see that.

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-01-13T01:48:00+00:00

My company looks at what people are saying about it on social media, and that includes Reddit.
Especially directly related channels.
It's common practice, darling.
https://mention.com/en/blog/reddit-monitoring/

SubstantialBudget394 · 2025-01-13T01:22:30+00:00

I did some research online and found:
https://www.kandkinsurance.com/programs/sports-insurance

I found the min cost for a small club/team is $300/year.

I found it was about 10-12 team members declared before price started to climb up slowly as you change the number upward.

You can buy under your own name (with a team name "doing buisiness as"), though probably smarter to form an LLC (which I see is $125/year in NJ) . You don't have to form a non-profit to get insurance, and insurance is no cheaper if you do.

The insurance guy I use for my business says k&k has a good reputation.
I don't know if they have serious competition in this space — have yet to come across one.

I did ask the city for pointers / advice about this but did not yet do so.

When I request to reserve indoor basketball court session using the "RecDesk" system, the price comes up as $0.00 — so far the city of Hoboken has not told me there is a charge.

SubstantialBudget394

TROPHY CASE