So you want a new wireless home phone.
I was in this position a few weeks ago. I needed a phone that was:
- Well regarded in comparative reviews
- Allowed a long number of rings before switching to answerphone
- Had good documentation
The UK Consumer Association recommended the BT Equinox 1350 as one of their “Best Buys”. So I needed to find a supplier.
BT sell a pair of phones (base station + extra phone) for £150.
However, I found it was up for sale on eBay UK for sale by tscentre. I made an offer of £40 which was accepted – quite a bargain.
The product was delivered promptly by tscentre and can only praise their service. It seemed to me that the only ways the product differed from the BT product, were
- It was not in a smart box – just plain white
- The documentation was a photocopy
The phone itself is a delight to use –
- Light
- Easily programmable via menu system
- Good documentation (downloaded)
However, we need three phones in all and this is where things start to go pear shaped. The system supports a total of five phones so there is no technical obstacle. However tscentre do not sell a single handset, nor do BT.
I eventually found a supplier homephonesonline. They claimed to supply a single phone in “refurbished” condition. Well the whole sales transaction has been a disaster and I will never use them again.
- The clips on the battery cover of the supplied phone were broken – this means it cannot hold the batteries in place.
- The phone is completely dead (the charging light does not show)
- The small BT emblem on the reverse is missing (cosmetic only)
- The stand is labelled BT Equinox 1000 – not Equinox 1350 (cosmetic only)
- There was a delay of a week or so in sending the phone
- I sent an email asking for a refund – no reply at all
- The address on the downloaded Returns form is wrong – I might easily have used this address. It was only by chance that the correct address was supplied when I called them.
- There seems to be no co-ordination between the Returns team and any emails I send to Customer Service. Don’t they have a customer database?
I returned the unit on August 14th and received a full refund some five weeks later on Sept 18th
