Why is BT Digital Voice so bad? - now on my 3rd replacement handset

[maxiheed]

Now on my 3rd digital handset - the last handset was not charging the batteries. Each time and frequently hit problems on the 2nd handset ,  was so unusable/unreliable  that I took an old siemens DECT phone from the loft store ,, registered and works fine with no problems - but with only one Siemens phone, we had to run upstairs to answer it when the BT DV wasn't working. So hoping this latest 3rd swap out phone will work consistently. Unfortunately, due to the unreliability of BT DV , most of our friends and contacts call us on our mobile phones. Final angst  is that there are senior folks in the village who do not  have mobile phones but have been forced over to BT DV - If they have an emergency and need to dial 999 from the home phone like they used to, they can't. BT should find an answer to this given they took away the ability

[imjolly · Accepted solution]

@maxiheed

from other posts on the forum the problem appears to be poor rechargeable batteries not holding their charge and not problems with the DV handsets not charging.  the problem being solved by purchasing new rechargeable batteries

[maxiheed]

Thanks - makes sense.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@maxiheed 

Its a common issue with this phone, they are sending out phones with faulty batteries, or ones that have been left to discharge too low, while the phone was in the warehouse.

You can prove this by temporarily swapping the batteries to ordinary alkaline ones, but do not put it on the charger base.

If the phone works with alkaline batteries, then it proves the rechargeable ones are no good, and need replacing.

[iniltous]

Isn’t the title of the post is wrong then ? , presumably it should be ‘ Why are the  ‘free’ Digital Voice handsets supplied to use with DV  so bad ?’ as the complaints aired have nothing to do with DV as a system, but the equipment connected to it , it’s pretty simple really , just use the telephone instrument ( or instruments ) you had before migrating to DV , 
If the free kit isn’t much use , don’t use it , if someone happens to be one of the very few that actually used their own money to but a DV handset, return it for a refund if it’s not performing correctly.

[Anonymous]

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@iniltouswrote:

Isn’t the title of the post is wrong then ?

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In @maxiheed's defence, the post was hived off from another thread they posted in. So the thread title isn't theirs. It's a common issue with the practice where you end up with thread content that bears little relation to the copied thread title.

[Jane2018]

I am not on DV yet but have just corded phones so am hoping I avoid these problems with phones with batteries in as my phones have no batteries in at all - nicely old school.

[Tim123]

@maxiheed- Try plugging a corded phone into the phone socket on the back of the router (there is still one on the market, the cheap BT Duet 210, that requires neither batteries nor mains power to work) and see if that helps.

[dvisuseless]

When I see posts such as this I am totally lost. I am not tech savvy. All I know is that my BT digital voice doesn't work. The only thing I have managed is to plug a 30 year old handset into my BT hub. I cannot use my  DV digital handset. I have lost my ability to see incoming numbers, to have an answerphone, to block numbers, in fact to do anything but pick up the receiver with dread. Shame on BT for making people like me feel so much more vulnerable in our own homes.

[RIC9380]

Just to advise of my experience of BT Digital Voice which I have had without any problems since 2018. 

Numbers and names come up on every incoming call and potential nuisance calls are identified as such.  The service comes with free Voicemail, forwarding to my mobile phone and call blocking with1572 Call Protect. 

I've found the BT Advanced Digital Handsets to be excellent with brilliant sound quality and straightforward and intuitive menus.  There's no way I would go back to a 30 year old analogue phone.

RIC9380