This topic

Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

Wiggers — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 08:45:38 GMT

A neighbour has landline only and receives paper bills in the post. No mobile either. Everything seems to be via BT's website, how is she supposed to manage her account?

She has recently had voicemail enabled by BT unrequested, they just did it one day. I tested this for her at the time but for the past week no one else has been able to leave a message.

How is she supposed to manage her account and voicemail with no internet access?

Re: Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

iniltous — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:55:42 GMT

How did she manage her account previously ?
Voicemail being added is probably because she has been moved to a pre digital phone line (and almost certainly has had posted notifications etc about that ) , if the answer service isn’t wanted call BT to turn it off , the rest of the account management presumably was always done by calling BT if no one line access has ever been used, in that respect nothing has changed , she still needs to call as she has presumably always done .

Re: Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

Wiggers — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:03:01 GMT

She receives a bill in the post and then pays it at the Post Office. Yes, she had a letter talking about an "upgrade" that would provider her with Voicemail. But that seems to have stopped working after my initial test.

My point is, even to adjust the number of rings before answering you have to go online to the MyBT website. How is she supposed to do that?

Re: Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

iniltous — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:18:29 GMT

FWIW , apparently PDPL doesn’t have the same functionality as proper digital voice and the online management of PDPL isn’t comparable to DV , so as already stated , call and request it to be turned off .

Re: Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

Wiggers — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:21:31 GMT

She does want the answering service!

Re: Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

imjolly — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:36:43 GMT

then as @iniltous posted she needs to contact CS 03301234150

Re: Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

chrisjp — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:55:34 GMT

"My point is, even to adjust the number of rings before answering you have to go online to the MyBT website. How is she supposed to do that?"

Once on digital voice she can do it by keying in 1571 and accessing Voicemail settings in the menu that is read out. No need to go online to do this.
The options are Short, Medium and Long, with Long equating to 10 rings before Voicemail answers, if I remember correctly

Re: Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

Wiggers — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:08:58 GMT

I have just been round to see the neighbour to sort this out. The booklet she was given has nothing about settings that I could see. She is nearly 80 and finds telephone menus trying to contact CS very intimidating, and the wretched muzac drives her to distraction.

Eventually we got through to a human who told her that, having enabled Voicemail, they then turned it off again! You can't make this stuff up. He told her that the default is 7 rings whereas the other documentation says 8.

BT appear to have very little in place to help people who struggle with technology, seem to assume everyone is under 30 with a mobile phone and tech savvy.

Re: Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

chrisjp — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:42:59 GMT

I'm in my late 70s but did not find changing the number of rings before DV voicemail kicks in difficult at all.
As I said just pick up the phone, key in 1571 and follow the menu that is read out to you.
This has nothing to do with contacting customer services or in any way connected with mobile phones - the DV settings are an automated system - you are not actually talking to anyone.

Re: Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

Wiggers — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:57:32 GMT

You don't know my neighbour. She's never had any contact with computers of any description, her late husband did everything. In any case, you can't enable the service by dialling 1571.

Re: Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

iniltous — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:25:01 GMT

A recent post detailed that PDPL and DV are not the same , the functionality of DV voicemail, using on line menus or directly from the phone keypad to alter settings isn’t available on the PDPL version of voicemail, it’s a basic ‘cut down’ telephone service never designed to be a forever service , only available to existing phone only customers and a short term solution to these customers removal from PSTN but not practical to provide DV as they don’t have broadband , apparently you need to call to change settings or turn it off completely.

In this case the OP neighbour never had voicemail, so turning it off completely puts them back to the position they were in previously when on PSTN , and seems the most appropriate action to take, especially if they way PDPL voicemail needs to be managed ( via calls to customer service ) is ‘unacceptable’ to the user .

TBH , if something is offered for free but isn’t to the users liking, but the option remove it is available, it’s difficult to see the case for complaining about it , use it as it is , or turn it off seems a reasonable choice .

Re: Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

Wiggers — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:20:11 GMT

The letter they were sent made it appear that they would have Voicemail after the "upgrade". This was tested and found to be working. There was no indication that any further action would be required to keep it working. Turning it off having enabled it sounds entirely unreasonable.

Re: Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

iniltous — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:34:11 GMT

Why is turning it off in these circumstances entirely unreasonable ? , if they way this free service needs to be managed is unacceptable to the user , then frankly you either use it as it is , accepting its ( from your point of view) limitations or turn it off …expecting anything else smacks of entitlement.

This comment ‘There was no indication that any further action would be required to keep it working’ makes no sense , no action is needed to keep it working , I dare say the reason why it was not taking new messages , if that was the problem, was because the existing messages had never been listened too and saved or deleted .

Re: Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

Wiggers — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:31:14 GMT

Your reply does not make sense. The service was offered, was working, then turned off without warning.

Re: Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

iniltous — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:34:51 GMT

I dare say It was turned off because you called and complained about it.

Re: Helping neighbour with no internet - landline only

chrisjp — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 21:01:05 GMT

"In any case, you can't enable the service by dialling 1571."

I didn't say you could enable DV or its voicemail service using 1571. Of course you can't.

But once DV has been enabled you can change its settings (including no. of rings to voicemail) by keying in 1571 and then following the menus that are read out. Nothing to do with computers either.