[MBW]

We reviewed their product in June.

Special Report Bonus Review 4: Privus Caller ID

This is as much a warning as a review. Privus Mobile’s aggressively priced $83.40/year Caller ID software & service for BlackBerry is a terrible solution in many ways. First, its name is misleading; you expect a Caller ID product to help you decide whether or not to answer a call; BlackBerry handsets already display whatever Caller ID info the carrier is sending; beyond that, if it’s a number on the BlackBerry contacts list, it’s able to display a name, the type of number (like work or home or mobile), a picture of the caller & play any specified custom ring tone. The Privus product doesn’t do any of that. Its action begins after the call ends when it sends the info you’ve already seen to a remote server that does a reverse lookup (we all know how iffy a proposition that can be) & eventually displays what it found on the handset, where it’s big claim to usefulness apparently centers on making it a smidge easier to enter that info into your contacts list. Between its cut & paste & free applications that can do reverse lookups, we’re not in love with the idea of cluttering a BlackBerry with what we believe to be a slow, clumsy & overpriced application. Did we mention that registering involves agreeing to abandon some personal privacy rights? Bottom line: in our opinion, Privus Mobile Caller ID for BlackBerry is not all that useful, at least somewhat misleading, not appropriately priced, not a good value & probably not that good an idea to begin with.

[fonejunkie]

Originally Posted by MBW

We reviewed their product in June.

Special Report Bonus Review 4: Privus Caller ID

This is as much a warning as a review. Privus Mobilexxx8217;s aggressively priced $83.40/year Caller ID software & service for BlackBerry is a terrible solution in many ways. First, its name is misleading; you expect a Caller ID product to help you decide whether or not to answer a call; BlackBerry handsets already display whatever Caller ID info the carrier is sending; beyond that, if itxxx8217;s a number on the BlackBerry contacts list, itxxx8217;s able to display a name, the type of number (like work or home or mobile), a picture of the caller & play any specified custom ring tone. The Privus product doesnxxx8217;t do any of that. Its action begins after the call ends when it sends the info youxxx8217;ve already seen to a remote server that does a reverse lookup (we all know how iffy a proposition that can be) & eventually displays what it found on the handset, where itxxx8217;s big claim to usefulness apparently centers on making it a smidge easier to enter that info into your contacts list. Between its cut & paste & free applications that can do reverse lookups, wexxx8217;re not in love with the idea of cluttering a BlackBerry with what we believe to be a slow, clumsy & overpriced application. Did we mention that registering involves agreeing to abandon some personal privacy rights? Bottom line: in our opinion, Privus Mobile Caller ID for BlackBerry is not all that useful, at least somewhat misleading, not appropriately priced, not a good value & probably not that good an idea to begin with.

Yeah, I was a bit skeptical to begin with (especially with the good cop/bad cop routine by the guy who 'found' the software while working for the company that developed it) ... and that was before I saw the price. OUCH!

[lamonicaj]

Originally Posted by MBW

We reviewed their product in June.

Special Report Bonus Review 4: Privus Caller ID

This is as much a warning as a review. Privus Mobile’s aggressively priced $83.40/year Caller ID software & service for BlackBerry is a terrible solution in many ways. First, its name is misleading; you expect a Caller ID product to help you decide whether or not to answer a call; BlackBerry handsets already display whatever Caller ID info the carrier is sending; beyond that, if it’s a number on the BlackBerry contacts list, it’s able to display a name, the type of number (like work or home or mobile), a picture of the caller & play any specified custom ring tone. The Privus product doesn’t do any of that. Its action begins after the call ends when it sends the info you’ve already seen to a remote server that does a reverse lookup (we all know how iffy a proposition that can be) & eventually displays what it found on the handset, where it’s big claim to usefulness apparently centers on making it a smidge easier to enter that info into your contacts list. Between its cut & paste & free applications that can do reverse lookups, we’re not in love with the idea of cluttering a BlackBerry with what we believe to be a slow, clumsy & overpriced application. Did we mention that registering involves agreeing to abandon some personal privacy rights? Bottom line: in our opinion, Privus Mobile Caller ID for BlackBerry is not all that useful, at least somewhat misleading, not appropriately priced, not a good value & probably not that good an idea to begin with.

The way the article reads is exactly how it worked on my phone....it wasn't until the call ended that the 'caller id' came through...luckily they offer a trial, so no money lost.