bt call minder..is there an alternative ?

Jon_S_4

Ive switched my phone calls to just talk and use and orchid dialler to reroute all calls to the cheapest provider,

my line rental is the cheapest bt do (option1) but i also have call minder that costs £7.15 a quarter.

Is there a cheaper option to get an answerphone without having to buy a seperate unit as i already have the orchid dialler plugged into the adsl filter and then plugged into the wall socket.

thanks

utilitybroker

Do you need enhanced call minder which BT charge for.Is the free service not suitable for you.

Their is nothing else available other then a answerphone that will meet your needs.The Orchid Dialler normally has another input socket to plug in answerphone.Or you could get answeringmachine/phone combined.

Heinz

utilitybroker wrote:

Or you could get answeringmachine/phone combined.

I've just ceased 1571 in favour of an answering machine so that callers only have to pay if I'm out (1571 takes calls - and the caller therefore has to pay for a successful call - if you're using the line). The family know that I leave the machine set to 9 rings at all times - so they hang up after 7 or 8 unless they want to leave a message.

I'd recommend the combined option - mine came from ebay and I'm very satisfied with it. It's a BT Decor 500 - you should be able to get one (delivered) for £10 or so if you bid sensibly.

Jon_S_4

Thanks for the replys, i wasnt aware that the answerphone was available free, i cancelled it last month as i was being charged £7.15 for the service. Then i realised it was a good service to take calls if im on the phone or out, so i re instated the service yesterday. Will phone them tomorrow and ask about the free option.

thanks

millie

I cancelled my 1571 a couple of years ago, when our phone was engaged the caller got charged the connection fee because the call iwas answered, we were in Spain and on dial up internet at the time, every time I called home to check on the teenagers I was being charges .99p the minimum call charge at the time on o2. They would some times be online for hours so I would be charged every time I called back home if they were still online so I cancelled it and got an answer machine as you can choose to let that ring for as many times as you set it for, as pointed out in a previous post

thefirs

In the bad old days of dialup, a colleague used to try calling her sister and got the engaged tone for hours at a time. She advised that the most practical way of making contact was to send an email saying "GET OFF THE INTERNET I'M TRYING TO CALL!"

BexTech

I'm another one who hates these 1571 and voicemail services, it just a way for the phone companies to make more money. Why should someone be forced to pay for a call (to be diverted to voicemail/1571) when a busy tone at no charge would do fine, also many people just aren't quite quick enough to get to the phone before the nasty voicemail/1571 kicks in, so bang here goes you minimum charge, these charges soon mount up.

This is why I don't have voicemail/1571 on any of my phones, but do have a dedicated voicemail number if someone is sure they want to leave a message, and can't contact me any other way.