1571 button flashing on phone but we don't have voicemail!!

[tonthetiler]

The situation is: we have a BT Decor 1300 caller display phone which happens to have a button labelled 1571; the idea being that when you have messages left the button flashes to let you know.

The problem is: we are connected to a VM line but don't have any kind of voicemail connected (free or otherwise) but the button flashes after every incoming call for what seems like hours, and it's driving the missus mad, and she in turn is giving me grief because she thinks that having worked for BT for 25 years I'm some kind of expert on phones :)

And the soloution is: please feel free to let me know so that both our sanities can be preserved!!

[Graham M]

I'd take it as an excuse to buy a new phone ;)

[tonthetiler]

I'd take it as an excuse to buy a new phone ;)

It is a new phone :shocked:

[multiskilled]

Have you dialled 1571 to see if there are any messages? It may have been set up without your knowledge.
Also have a listen to the dial tone,is it continuous or intermittent, If the latter this may be why the phone thinks you have messages.

[tonthetiler]

Have you dialled 1571 to see if there are any messages? It may have been set up without your knowledge.
Also have a listen to the dial tone,is it continuous or intermittent, If the latter this may be why the phone thinks you have messages.

Tried that: DT is continuous and when I diall 1571 the message tells me how to get voicemail. :)

[Graham M]

It is a new phone :shocked:

Eeep. ummm... maybe a BT phone was the wrong phone to go for with a Virgin Media line

[tonthetiler]

Eeep. ummm... maybe a BT phone was the wrong phone to go for with a Virgin Media line

Think you're right!! :(

I'm thinking that it's somehow linked with the red light that flashes to indicate a new call. The 1571 light does stop flashing after a few hours but my good lady would like it not to flash at all!! :confused:

[Graham M]

Obsessive? :)

[tonthetiler]

Obsessive? :)

You might think that but I couldn't possibly comment !!:erm:

[Quam256]

Got the same phone ,keep thinking I have messages ........Its like having the batphone at night.

[Ernie_C]

Could it not be a faulty phone?

How does the phone know that there is a message waiting? Is it sent some signal that it interprets or does it detect the interrupted dialtone which you say you don't have?

PS Just found the answer to this question on page 28 of the user guide:

http://www.shop.bt.com/content/uni2/documentation/4cym/024864.pdf

It IS the intermittent dial tone that the phone is supposed to detect to put the Message Waiting light on.

Does this mean that either the phone is faulty (detecting the interrupted dialtone when it's not actually there) or does it mean that you have a bad line which 'seems like an interrupted dialtone' at times?

Worth doing a line check or getting a replacement phone?

[Kymmy]

You could always open the phone up and cut the track which goes to the 1571 button LED...that'll cure it....permanently ;)

Kymmy

[SilverLady]

We have the same BT decor 1571 phone and it used to flash away quite happily to show BT messages, but it hasn't lit up again since we've been on Virgin. We are ex Telewest and I'm sure I remember my son's NTL voicemail working in a slightly different way, so maybe that's the reason some phones are flashing and mine is not. (Incidentally phone is a few years old now).