I know I'm right @sues1958 and of course many people only read the manual in full after encountering a problem. Theres only so much stuff that can be on page one of the manual but fortunately for cases where the batteries have been damaged due to overcharging, replacement rechargeable batteries are cheap and easy to replace (the manual covers this as well). Hopefully word will get around and more people will actually read right through the manual when they first get these handsets.
Of course we’ve all done all of that but to no avail. It’s obvious to me that these handsets are not fit for put and that BT needs to find ones that actually work reliably and replace them for everybody. We too have our old phones plugged into the router but they don’t always work. Luckily we have mobiles. I too have spent hours talking to ‘support’ in Glasgow. Very helpful lady but ultimately useless.
Our BT full fibre broadband is great - why can’t they sort out the land line?
As well as good battery management (ie following page 4 of the handset user guide) - which should ensure the batteries last a long time without failing as described earlier in this thread, periodic rebooting of the hub (with 2 mins powered down) every fortnight and even less frequent rebooting of the handsets will also help. I dont have my Alexa or Essential BT handsets any more but I don't think its too much to reboot the hub and handsets periodically to stave off any potential problems. The hub and handsets are complex bits of tech and just as its recommended to reboot smart phones and computers periodically, the same applies for these. Too often people only do reboots of equipment when there are problems and by then its too late. Hope that helps for anyone wanting to take on board tips to help avoid such problems entirely.