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BT Premium Phone - Answer Phone Problem (doesn't disconnect)

JohnBobin — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 15:35:14 GMT

I have an annoying problem with my answer phone. (I have the BT Premium Triple Handset Pack.) When a person leaves a message the answer phone doesn't disconnect. This means that only one person can ever leave a message. The only way to clear the line is to switch the power to the base unit off. It then re-synchronises with the handsets. (Once the power comes back on the time and date are wrong, but after a few minutes it then displays the correct time again.) The call blocking works really well but this issue is a pain. I've seen elsewhere that it may be that the caller's supplier hasn't sent the signal to disconnect when they hand up. Surely there must be a way round this? An answer phone that doesn't work is very inconvenient. Thanks in advance for any advice.

John

Re: BT Premium Phone - Answer Phone Problem (doesn't disconnect)

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 15:41:55 GMT

@JohnBobin

Who provides your phone service?

Re: BT Premium Phone - Answer Phone Problem (doesn't disconnect)

JohnBobin — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 15:44:37 GMT

BT. (They also supply my Broadband.)

Re: BT Premium Phone - Answer Phone Problem (doesn't disconnect)

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 15:47:50 GMT

@JohnBobin wrote:

BT. (They also supply my Broadband.)

That would seem to indicate an issue with the exchange equipment.

Does NU (number unobtainable) tone appear when the caller clears down?

Does it happen on every person that leaves a message?

Re: BT Premium Phone - Answer Phone Problem (doesn't disconnect)

JohnBobin — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 16:22:45 GMT

When this happens, there is no NU tone. The handset says "Fred Bloggs leaving msge" and a circular icon (with an R in the middle) goes round and round until you pull the plug on the base unit. It won't clear down any other way. However, I just phoned my landline number from my Vodafone mobile, left a message and it disconnected perfectly. Somebody else tested it with a Tesco mobile and that worked too.

Re: BT Premium Phone - Answer Phone Problem (doesn't disconnect)

Keith_Beddoe — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 16:40:48 GMT

@JohnBobin wrote:

When this happens, there is no NU tone. The handset says "Fred Bloggs leaving msge" and a circular icon (with an R in the middle) goes round and round until you pull the plug on the base unit. It won't clear down any other way. However, I just phoned my landline number from my Vodafone mobile, left a message and it disconnected perfectly. Somebody else tested it with a Tesco mobile and that worked too.

Then the problem is with the calling party exchange equipment not sending a "clear" condition.

Do you know who is the provider of the person who`s incoming calls never clear?

There was a very similar post on this thread, but in this case the customer was on a different provider.

https://community.bt.com/t5/Landline/Problem-with-answer-phone-on-BT-Premium-Phone/m-p/2128915#M75073

If it was doing it every time, then I would suggest a fault on the line card in the BT Exchange, assuming you are on a normal copper phone line connection.

Re: BT Premium Phone - Answer Phone Problem (doesn't disconnect)

JohnBobin — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 16:46:59 GMT

Thanks Keith

I will keep a log of which callers cause this problem and ask them who they use for phone services.

Re: BT Premium Phone - Answer Phone Problem (doesn't disconnect)

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 09:24:54 GMT

@JohnBobin

Have you identified the issue yet?

Re: BT Premium Phone - Answer Phone Problem (doesn't disconnect)

JohnBobin — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 12:50:18 GMT

Hi Keith
The problem doesn't seem to happen so often now. However, I think your comments above hit the nail on the head.
Thanks
John

Re: BT Premium Phone - Answer Phone Problem (doesn't disconnect)

Keith_Beddoe — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 12:51:20 GMT

@JohnBobin wrote:
Hi Keith
The problem doesn't seem to happen so often now. However, I think your comments above hit the nail on the head.
Thanks
John

Thanks for the update 😀

Re: BT Premium Phone - Answer Phone Problem (doesn't disconnect)

LPStanny — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 19:03:23 GMT

Our does this too, BT FTTP, BT phone, BT answer machine. Always seems to be cold scam type callers where this happens. The worry is this completely blocks my phone line for in and out calls until I power down the answer machine. I cannot find a solution other than to stop using the answer machine. Did anybody find a solution? Thank you.

Re: BT Premium Phone - Answer Phone Problem (doesn't disconnect)

Ron240 — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 10:23:32 GMT

I bought my Premium Phone 3 handset in May 2021 and have intermittently been having the exact same issue with the answering machine. I reckon it has happened around 5 times in total and every time it leaves my phone unable to receive incoming calls, although the caller will hear a normal ringing tone while my phone does not ring. Another consequence of this happening when I am out of the house is that all 3 of my handsets batteries go completely flat.

To get my phones working again the answering machine needs to be cleared, but this is not initially easy because the machine will not alow me access to the answering machine to clear it. I have used a variety of methods including disconnecting the power, restoring to factory settings, and simply fiddling about with it until it gives me acces to the answering machine to enable me to clear it.

It has been suggested that the problem lies with the calling parties service provider...now this may or may not be true, but the real issue is my phones ability to deal with this, which it clearly is not. I have been using various BT multi handset with answering machines for many years and this Premium Phone is the first one to have this issue. The most recent time this problem happeend was 3 days ago when my friend called me and tried to leave a message. I make and receive calls from his number almost daily and he has left messages in the past without a problem.

The problem absolutely lies with this phone and I have no confidence in it anymore.

Re: BT Premium Phone - Answer Phone Problem (doesn't disconnect)

wub868 — Sat, 21 Jan 2023 12:23:05 GMT

I have just bought a BT Premium 3 handset package and having the exact same problem. Like the above message, i have been using the same provider of phone line / internet, who is in fact BT, for years with various other walk about handsets and answering machine and never had this problem before. It does this when rang from mobiles or other landlines. it does not hang up after the call has ended and then blocks the line. Only way to clear it is to unplug the power to the answering machine. But of course, you don't know that the line is unobtainable, by another caller, unless someone tells you or you try to dial out.

I dont believe this is anything but the phone that has the problem. Does anybody have a definitive answer? Very disappointed by this system.