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Vtech I5871 - Expandable System w/ digital Answering Device, Color Handset Display & Dual Caller ID | List Price: $179.95
Discount Price: Too low to display
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Brand: VTech
Binding: Electronics
Release Date: 2006-01-01
Warranty: 1
Features: - Expandalbe up to eight handsets using only one phone jack
- dual Caller ID / Call waiting with animated picture caller ID in the Handset
- High Resolution 65K Color Display
- Downloadable Images
- Recordable Ringer allows you to record directly from you PC or stereo equipment
Caller ID problems [Posted on 2008-04-12]
I have actually had two of these phones. The first one I returned because the caller ID seemed to only display the caller about 60% of the time. After about a year I decided to try it again - mostly because I loved the looks of this phone. I have been using it now for nearly a year, and although the features are really cool, the caller ID problem is a HUGE problem for me. I am the biggest call screener ever, so I rely on caller ID and call waiting caller ID both to screen calls but also to return calls at a later time. I would still say it only works about 60% of the time. The only slight correlation I have made is to cell calls. Some cell calls come through fine, but others don't register at all - but of course not one particular cell number all the time... For the price of this phone, I expected the basic phone functions to work 100% of the time with the addition of some fun features. Unfortunately, what I got (both times) was a fun feature loaded phone with poor functionality. I am now looking at another panasonic (which I have had excellent experience with in the past).
If the stars could go into the negatives, this would be a -5 stars. [Posted on 2008-04-19]
This phone sucks, plain and simple. I bought this phone in July 2006, it is now April 2008 and my phones are rendered useless. They always display that "Searching for Base" message and I'm constantly getting dropped calls. When I'm actually successful at carrying on a phone conversation the person on the other line EVERY time says something like, "Uh, your phone is making some strange noises and I can't hear you."
This piece of garbage is not worth the price.
It was cute for about 18 months then it started to DIE.
Vtech webite is not helpful at all. I don't even want to waste money on new batteries!
"searching for base" nightmare [Posted on 2008-05-19]
I loved it when I saw it, but after a while I realized the poor quality of this phone. It happened to me several times... I'm on the phone and all of the sudden I get disconnected, because the handset is searching for the base. Very frustrating! It's beautiful, but useless. Spend your money in something else.
Stylish Phone that barely works [Posted on 2008-06-25]
This phone looks great. It worked for about 6 months then started dropping calls, the phone would say "searching for base." If I put the phone in the cradle for about 10 minutes it would work again sometimes for a day or two sometimes for a phone call or two -- it was never predictable. This problem increased over time then it started "searching for base" every time I picked the phone up off the cradle.
I tried replacing the batteries, the troubleshooting section of the manual, the Vtech website nothing about fixing this problem. This was just a poor performing phone. A friend who works at an electronic store told me a lot of customers who return this phone complain about dropped calls and the same "searching for base" problem.
Avoid this phone unless you enjoy frustration.
most complaints here relate to a failing battery! [Posted on 2008-07-05]
Many (most!) of the complaints in these reviews are about "Base Not Found" cycling forever and "sudden static/call-drop". Turns out this boils down to dying batteries. Replace the battery, charge overnight, and these problems vanish!
I don't know whether they were actually crummy batteries, or if there's a bad charging circuit design, or they simply don't show as discharged in the on-screen indicator. Whatever, I decided not to buy the VTech replacements (perennially "unavailable" from their website, wonder why...) and chose an equivalent, Energizer ER-P507. (They're both 3.6V, 800mAh, NiMH. As of this writing, Energizer happens to be 20% more expensive.) They worked fine in the 2 of my 5 phones that started to flake out as described in these reviews. I have no opinion as to whether they last longer or whether they die more gracefully, but I doubt it. Heck, they're probably all made in the same factory...
Here's a test that you can do, if you bought a second handset (or more) per base and one is "dying": swap batteries. Voila, the "good" phone will suddenly exhibit symptoms after a few uses, and the "bad" phone will work properly. (Betcha I know which handset you use more often...) Agreed, the phone display really ought to show you % of "new" charge, and an almost-dead battery should never be shown at 100%. The people who wrote 1-star reviews and had almost-new phones should get free replacements. But the person who said (s)he used the phone for 18 months, and then it exhibited this bizarre behavior -- but s(he) didn't want to buy new batteries for fear it would be wasted -- just shot themself in the foot. After a year or two, it's reasonable to expect to buy a new battery. Too bad the symptoms of low voltage mimic those of transmission interference, and shame that VTech didn't build in a better battery diagnostic. (Worse, shame on them for having no decent tech support people.) But these phones are sleek enough that it's worth the occasional hassle and running down this set of red herrings -- if not for the VTech 5808/5871, I would have to spend $1200 on a Bang & Olufsen Beocom 2!
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