topic Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone in Community Chat

I Confess...I keep a landline phone

Desert Lily — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 04:38:35 GMT

I've had this Panasonic landline phone for several years now. When the batteries died on the 2 extensions, I threw the extensions out. But, I kept the main phone and base that has voicemail. Those batteries have been slowly dying for over a year. I finally went to Target to buy batteries 2 weeks ago. The clerk said they didn't carry them any more and that it would be cheaper to buy a new phone. I said I'd buy a new phone if it had the same type of batteries as my current old phone. It didn't. I told her I didn't care how much the batteries cost, I'd go online to see if I could find them. She said, "You don't want a new phone?" I answered no and left. I rarely turn that phone on, and I never have the voicemail on. I've always deleted unimportat messages so I had space to keep other messages. My mother's voice is on that phone's voicemail saying, "I just called to hear your voice, honey." She passed away last summerr. My SO's voice is on it saying, "It's cold here.[He still lived back East.] Maybe it's because you're not here." He died suddenly of a stroke on Thanksgiving. I even kept a message about 5 years old when my child was a senior in high school saying, "Mom, you can pick me up now. I'll be in front of the building." My brother is on there singing a silly version of Happy Birthday to me. Well, I went home and found the batteries online at WalMart. I confess that I bought 6 sets.

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

sunshine 919 — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 04:30:47 GMT

@Desert Lily wrote:
I've had this Panasonic landline phone for several years now. When the batteries died on the 2 extensions, I threw the extensions out. But, I kept the main phone and base that has voicemail. Those batteries have been slowly dying for over a year. I finally went to Target to buy batteries 2 weeks ago. The clerk said they didn't carry them any more and that it would be cheaper to buy a new phone. I said I'd buy a new phone if it had the same type of batteries as my current old phone. It didn't. I told her I didn't care how much the batteries cost, I'd go online to see if I could find them. She said, "You don't want a new phone?" I answered no and left. I rarely turn that phone on, and I never have the voicemail on. I've always deleted unimportat messages so I had space to keep other messages. My mother's voice is on that phone's voicemail saying, "I just called to hear your voice, honey." She passed away last summerr. My SO's voice is on it saying, "It's cold here.[He still lived back East.] Maybe it's because you're not here." He died suddenly of a stroke on Thanksgiving. I even kept a message about 3 years old when my child was a senior in high school saying, "Mom, you can pick me up now. I'll be in front of the building." My brother is on there singing a silly version of Happy Birthday to me. Well, I went home and found the batteries online at WalMart. I confess that I bought 6 sets.

I have a land line, can't seem to give it up. I prefer talking on that instead of a cell phone at home.

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

noodleann — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 04:36:31 GMT

What a sweet story, @Desert Lily. I can see why you want to preseve that phone. Wonderful that you got replacement batteries.

I call my phone a landline, but it's really voice over internet via my cable company. The price for the package with phone and basic internet, no TV, will rise to over $100 next month, which is nuts. I'm buying an Ooma and will have recouped the cost, even with the monthly fees they now charge, in under six months. It comes with voicemail and other services.

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

chrystaltree — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 04:40:13 GMT

You don't need an excuse to keep a landline, you don't need an excuse to keep anything that you want to keep. A lot of people still have landlines. I have one but to be honest, I only have it for my printer/fax machine.

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

ECBG — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 04:43:08 GMT

I have a land line. I don't want to carry a phone around with me everywhere.

I'm also concerned about being able to have the additional phone in an emergency. DH became a heart patient at 34 years old on Christmas Eve day. He was this town's first angioplasty.

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

Lilpuddin — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 04:44:23 GMT

That's such a sweet story! I have a saved voicemail from my little brother, who passed away 3 years ago. You can actually log on to your landline service provider's website and access your voicemails there too. I was able to save my brother's voicemail message as an MP3 file when I moved out of state and had to get new phone service.

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

skuggles — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 04:44:59 GMT

I have a panasonic landline too, and it also contains some special messages from years ago. too personal to discuss here. But my batteries started dying last year. I purchased some panasonic replacements from amazon and they are now failing after one year, which leads me to believe I received "retreads". I just ordered new panasonic original package Eneloop AAA. I'm hoping to get a similar life out of them, that I got out of the original batteries that came with the new product.

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

Kachina624 — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 04:49:41 GMT

I found batteries for my extensions at Amazon also. I have my son's voice on an old cell phone. I suppose I'll eventually lose it. He died in 2006.

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

hennypenny — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 05:04:45 GMT

I am not technical savvy at all, but there must be a way to transfer the voices on the phone to another device for safe keeping.

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

skuggles — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 05:06:02 GMT

@hennypenny wrote:
I am not technical savvy at all, but there must be a way to transfer the voices on the phone to another device for safe keeping.

My daughter tells me just to rerecord on my cell phone.

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

fourpaws56 — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 06:16:40 GMT

i have a landline...cell service is sketchy where i live

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

qvcaddition — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 06:31:44 GMT

I also have the Panasonic from HAN. I almost never use a cell phone, just for long distance calls.

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

deedledeedeedle — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 06:33:09 GMT

@Desert Lily:

I totally understand because I've done the exact same thing.

Hearing deceased loved ones' messages is priceless, indeed.

dee

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

deedledeedeedle — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 06:50:29 GMT

@Lilpuddin,

Do you mind my asking how you were able to get an MP3 version of your answering machine message? I don't have voicemail services on my landline contract through AT & T, just the standard phone line connected to a digital Panasonic system. I would love to make sure that I've kept an indestructible version of 3 messages, instead of keeping them on 3 different tethered machines plugged into the receptacle in the basement

dee

(most definitely not a techie, folks )

ETA: Heck, while we are at it, can someone tell me how or if I can download a picture of my late beloved that is on a very, very old Dell PC? This Dell has a floppy disc (no CD-ROM), so I've kept the PC & monitor in my office closet to "visit" him once in a while

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

Lindsays Grandma — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 06:46:17 GMT

I have had my Uniden Land Line phone for fifteen years and won't get rid of it. It has a Do Not Disturb function that I love for when I take a nap, voice mail will pick up the messages. Watching family members running around yelling "where is my cell phone" like lunatics only makes me more confirmed to keep the land line. I sure do not want to carry a cell phone on a chain around my neck. I use mine in the car for emergency purposes only.

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

Kachina624 — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 07:03:56 GMT

@deedledeedeedle People have asked similar questions before and I always wonder if you could join one of the free photo storage services like photobucket or Picasa, then upload your photo to that, then download to whatever device you want it on. I'm not tech savvy enough to know if this will work but I don't see why not.

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

deedledeedeedle — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 07:12:27 GMT

I keep my land line because in August of 2003 my area in the midwest went off the grid (huge brownout- not so sure it wasn't a terrorist attack) and the only outside communication available, including 911 services, for a number of hours was a hardwired land line. Cell phones were back online after about 8 hours. The blackout itself lasted 4 days for me, but some states were down 7- 10 days. It took me 4 hours to get to my sister's home from work that is 13 miles away.

Because of the sweltering heat we slept in her basement, dogs included. They weren't too happy getting downstairs using the wooden steps (slippery for the divas ), but they were stuck to us like glue and too heavy to pick up. Funny thing is I don't remember what we ate or even drank, just that we were safe and together, "4 bugs in a rug." They are all gone now

dee

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

Tribesters — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 10:17:07 GMT

Where I live you're almost forced to keep your landline if you want Verizon DSL internet. I tried to switch to other providers but most don't offer home internet in my area. I would switch to cable but just signed a 2 year agreement with Dish network so I'm stuck for 2 years. Of course the Dish guy promised to lower my existing Verizon bill by $30 per month with "promotional pricing." He actually signed us up for something that RAISED my Verizon bill by $100 per month. The Verizon rep verified the $171 per month pricing seemed high since we don't even have Fios available. He got it down to $120, which was still almost $$40-$50 more than I was paying. Luckily I verified the price with Verizon myself & cancelled the "promotional pricing."

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

gidgetgh — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 10:43:09 GMT

We have a landline phone, through AT&T and have no intention of giving it up. We've had it forever.

I love my iphone, but for talking, I prefer the landline.

Radio Shack should carry good replacement batteries for you. In Atlanta we also have a store called Batteries Plus. They'd have a good replacement battery for you.

Re: I Confess...I keep a landline phone

Vivian — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 10:54:21 GMT

I live on a heavily wooded hill. As another poster wrote, cell phone service here is sketchy. It is often impossible to hold a conversation. I've tried different carriers but the reception doesn't change. Therefore, I'm hanging onto my land line.