Probably an auto dialer. After you pick up, it marks your phone as being good - expect a call from a human being next.

Here's how some auto-dialers work...

Joe is a telemarketer.  The machine calls a hundred or so people for him all the same time.  The first person to answer gets to talk to Joe.  If anyone answers after Joe already has a customer, they get hung up on and put back into the call cycle.  This is also why sometimes the phone might ring once or twice, then stop (even if you don't answer).

You weren't the first person to answer their mass call, Will! 

Another one of the reasons I no longer have a home phone!

Auto dailers and robo calls. I love it when you're actually in the middle of something or away from the phone and hustle to get to the phone on time......just to get hung up on.

Call them back and ask them.

Why? Oh Why?  

They are confirming your number so they can sell it to others as a confirmed working number Will Hamm 

Spammers/autodialers.

others have noted the highly likely cause as a robo dialer, and the other option is a human sick of robo-dialers doesn't recognize the number, picks up the phone and immediately hangs up as they are sick of robo-dialers.

I haven't had a home phone for year, but I suspect it's an autodialer...just like I get on my iPhone

I wish we knew.

LMAO - a perfectly clear Q and no one can understand it.

HAHAHAH! Robocaller - you verified your number as working by picking up. When that happens, block the number and kill the snake!

Will,

I don't understand your question.  

What Dario said!

 Dario Ferreira and Karen Climer both gave you your answer.

Will, hope you got your answer from Dario, Karen, Dan, Ryan, others

Robo calls..... I have a land line because it's part of the cable package.... I disconnected my phones from it.... all calls are on iphone....and many robo-calls disconnect before I answer....

Because there's a robocaller that calls a dozen #'s & whichever one picks up 1st get's connected to the pitch person. The #'s that answer get recirculated for a call later but get hung up on because someone answered before you. 

Welcome to the machine Will!

Will usually that is the spammers checking if you have a real phone they can harass... other than that there is a school of thought that a hangup will peak your curiosity and call back.... no I do not answer either one, Endre

No home phone? Get plenty of these calls on my cell. They hang up when I answer. Return the call and I get hung up on. Spammers all the way.

In between those robo callers, real buyers and sellers do get through. So I will continue to answer. And just say NEXT!  It's just part of the business.

Karen Climer has your answer.

You have received a good answer.

I don't know (might just be one of the great mysteries of the universe)... then again, I haven't had a home phone in donkey's years... but they do the same on my cell... probably an auto-dialer.

Is your refrigerator running ?

What's a "home" phone?

haha

Same reason they call my cell phone and hang up. It is always fun to call them back

The caller was prepared to leave a message which is how 90% of all telecom works. But, the unexpected answer sent them run'n for the hills.

So, the question must be asked, 'Why, oh why, do you answer your phone?"

Maybe us 'old schoolers' are the ones out of touch. I too answer the phone.

NOTE to Real Estate Agent: if you are using a robo-call system, do you know how many people you may be hanging up on?

Same as what Dario said.

I swear, I'm voting for whoever has a workable plan to stop robo callers.

Robo dialers

Robo calls, I cut the cord on the land line about 8 years ago. My kids would not even get up to answer the home phone!

Lots of possible reasons, non of which are for YOUR benefit.

99% spammers

?

They are spam callers and by answering you are verifying to them that they have reached a valid phone number. They can then sell that number to more spammers. At least that is my theory.

Sounds like Spammers to me. They do it to my cell phone, as well!

I don't have home phone 

:)

Was not me.

Checking to see if you a valid phone # Will...