Phone number quality issues

It's unlikely that you'll find a quality problem with Chalkboard. But if you do find your number is receiving unwanted/unexpected calls or messages, it may be that the number does have a 'quality issue'.

We'll explain why this occasionally happens and how we can fix the problem for you.

Chalkboard relies on third-party carriers (telephone networks) to provide your Chalkboard phone number. Those numbers are from major providers such as Three and T-Mobile.

Because the range of phone numbers is finite, and due to the growing demand for phone numbers, most networks 'recycle' phone numbers.

This means that after one subscriber stops using a number, the carrier will retire the number for a period of time, and then release the number for reuse later on. Usually after a period of 3-12 months.

Whilst those numbers do then go through a quality checking process to make sure they're clean and dormant, sometimes problems can still occur.

The phone numbers offered by Chalkboard must pass a selection of "cleanliness criteria" before they're made available to customers.

This testing analyses any SMS messages and voice calls to the number, and ensures that there is limited activity for the number over a period of time.

Once this quality-check process determines that the number is ready to be reused, the number becomes available to Chalkboard customers.

It's important to note that this quality-check can't be 100% certain that there won't be messages/calls made to the number after it goes into use.

Also note that even new numbers do receive unwanted calls and messages, as some organisations guess numbers before making calls (they dial random numbers using an automatic dialler).

But there should be few (if any) unwanted calls and messages to a new Chalkboard number.

You can block numbers in Chalkboard. This will stop any further messages and calls from the number. This is sometimes a good way to deal with occasional unwanted contact.

For privacy reasons, WhatsApp and other similar services won't let us check whether a number is already registered with them.

Therefore, as the quality-check process cannot factor in WhatsApp and other similar services, there could be cases where a number is "clean" from a message and voice perspective, but not from WhatsApp.

This means that occasionally, you can find that a Chalkboard number is already registered on WhatsApp.

If you notice any of these issues with your new Chalkboard number, its quick and easy to replace a number with a 'quality issue' by:

• Tapping Settings
• Select Manage workspace
• Tap Phone numbers and select your number
  
• Hit Delete number (you'll need to confirm the deletion)
• Once deleted, select Add a new number

If you have any problems when replacing a number, please contact us so we help.