Fix for Verizon Spam Blocking Service Earmarking Monitoring Number as Spam and Blocking It

@papaed, great post and you would hope, key word there, that COPS and Simplisafe were not only aware of this but are working to resolve it as we speak....... okay, at least SS will know about it when they read it on Monday or Tuesday.

Verizon's attempt is pathetic.  One can only get useful features of spam blocking and filtering by paying yet another fee for the 'full-featured app', while google and who else continue to steal your data.  The phone carriers are the only ones who can stop spam/robo calls, and they are doing nothing more than passing on costs to consumers with little add-on value. (verizon sends robocalls calls to your voicemail, so yeah, you get to spend even more time deleting voice mails, smart move, verizon!)

@papaed

We have definitely already heard about this and we're investigating. Thanks very much for reporting!

Johnny M.
SimpliSafe Home Security

That new COPS number seems to be notorious.  My carrier, OOMA, apparently also had it blocked because I never got a call yesterday after triggering the alarm accidentally (resulting in my daughter calling in panic, and the police showing up), and they didn't call today when I put the system in TEST MODE three (3) different times.   All together, that would be my definition of TOTAL MONITORING FAILURE.

According to the COPS rep yesterday, they called my number twice but got the message that it was disconnected.  That's when I found out about the changed number they're using and it's potential for being on one of OOMA's block lists, so I entered it into my OOMA Contact List.  That should have been the end of it.  But, just to be sure, I decided to test the system this morning and . . .

After 3 failed (no call) test attempts, I called SS support who put me in touch with COPS.  The girl I spoke with this time said they received my three (3) test signals but couldn't call me because, she said, my number "was in the wrong place"?!   WRONG PLACE?  What does that even mean, and how could that be?  I haven't made any changes to my system nor my information since completing the install early last year.

So, that's two totally different excuses offered up by COPS for four (4) failures in a row.  I don't know what to believe.  All I know for sure is the monitoring was reliable last year when I tested it, and when I set it off by mistake.  But that was with the old number!
In light of recent failures I'll offer this advice - reliability isn't assured, so test your system OFTEN!

As for COPS, someone with more authority than me should advise them to find out who owned the (new) phone number BEFORE adopting it.  It would probably also be adviseable for them to contact NOMOROBO to see if it's on their black list.

This problem is definitely not fixed as of November 19, 2019.  Due to low batteries in a keypad the alarm in my home system activated.  Apparently COPS telephone number is on NOMOROBO's black list, because the call from COPS went to OOMA's voicemail.

I don't think the alarm is supposed to trigger due to low batteries. I have two systems and have had low battery warnings on both. Never an alarm triggered for that reason.