Google Voice + Qwest Security Screen = Oops, $$$

Steps to reproduce the problem:

1. Have a Qwest landline;
2. Have the Anonymous Call Rejection and Security Screen on;
3. Initiate a Google Voice long distance call from your computer;
4. Wait in disbelief while nothing is happening;
5. Knowing that GV is flaky sometimes, repeat the attempt a few times;
6. Give up and use a different way to make a call;
7. Only to realize later that you've been billed for all attempts to make a call, with no calls being actually made, as far as you are concerned.

Investigation showed that starting a couple of months ago numbers used by Google Voice started being recognized as "Out of area" by Qwest. At this point it seems that Qwests' Security Screen kicked in a voice playback to the caller prompting them to enter their number, and Google's calling service wasn't expecting that, and still continued the call establishment on the target side, thinking that the calling party has picked up the phone.

Likewise, for some callers (not all), your line with Security Screen on it doesn't ring.

It is interesting to note that disabling the Anonymous Call Rejection (*87) doesn't actually do anything - the call still doesn't go through, and you still get billed for the attempt.

However, removing Security Screen from your account helps. It was a useless service anyway - whereas intended to give your possible legitimate callers a way to complete the call, it, in fact, gives illegitimate callers a way to spoof the Caller ID - the number they enter may be anything, and not too many people even remember the meaning of a double ring nowadays.

Why the hell does one keep the landline anyway?

Google Voice: Speech To Text

This is the text people read:

Ash from Alaska's volcanos is like a rock fragment with jagged edges and has been used as an industrial abrasive. It can injure skin, eyes and breathing passages. The young, the elderly and people with respiratory problems are especially susceptible to ash-related health problems. Ash can also cause damage engines in planes, cars and other vehicles.

This is what comes out:

Person 1

hi from alaska's okay and i was like a rock right what do i get in his name is daniel this is mister briefings if you can just gave guys inbreeding past yeah how doing if you wish for tori problems are especially susceptible to actually and have a call i should also call us damage engine plane is part of the vehicles

Person 2

ask from the left because what can i was just like it looks like meant with jagged edges instead you since and so would please if you can't even just giving i've been passages the young and the elderly in people with respiratory problems are especially susceptible to actually good health problems ask can also call damage engine's complaints cost on the vehicle

Person 3

astra last call because he's like a role that fragments with jack at just and i have the new US and and also i believe it was you can injures scheme i live in within prances be on the elderly people et cetera problems that especially susceptible thatched related health problems ask and also called them with and in in planes cards and on vehicles

Person 4

hi asher moscow booking of the like a rock fragments jagged edges and has been used as and just real abrasive hey can interest in i've been reading process the young and i will be million people with respiratory problems are especially susceptible to actually to health problems has can also cause damage engine plane cars another vehicle

Two people out of four speak American English without accent, two others with noticeable, but different accents. Good luck figuring out which is which, though.

Verdict: Not quite usable yet, but let's see how soon they can get it straight.

UPDATE: Person 5:

Ash from Alaska. Look at those you'd like. It looks like Ben, there's a decade edges and and being used them and to that. Broza it can in your interest keen eyes and bracing I said the young. The else we can build interest for three problems are, especially suspect little to fashion related to sales trouble ask camp else okay. Those Savage, angin. In Plain cars and that we go.