Dan has a new wrinkle.....we've had an answering machine for many years, but he seems to have forgotten that we do. Every time the phone rings, he could wake from a dead sleep to answer. Well, I fixed it so that we don't hear the ringer, but the messages still come through. Now, if he hears a message, he picks up the receiver (actually, yesterday a relative called, never got to leave a message because he picked up the receiver even though he never heard it ring! That kind of blew me away.) I've heard him to talking to who knows who.......afraid of what info he might be giving. Now what do I do?
You should be able to either silence the answering machine or replace it with one that won't ring. I've done away with answering machines and my phone line includes voice mail. So if the ringer is off on the phone I won't know if someone called unless I get an e-mail with their message on it.
If possible i would get voice mail. As Paul said, even if the phone is being used or off the hook, they can leave a message. Many of the landline voice mail will let you know you have messages by having a busy type sound when you pick it up.
I just turned off the ringer on the landline and use my cellphone as the primary phone. It has a voicemail on it, and DH couldn't hear the cell phone ring. I was very afraid that he would hear the landline phone ringing, and fall trying to get to it.
You can also buy a phone that shows you if you have voicemail. That is what I have, it was very hard finding a phone that didn't include its own answering machine. If you need a recommendation let me know.
My husband had a lot of issues with phones too. It was necessary in our house that the phone did not ring, either through handsets or through the base unit. I found that a lot of adjustments were through any handset; they were three digit codes that could be accessed by pushing "menu" then "#" then the digits of the code number.
Do you want to adjust your phone so the base unit will not play messages left until you access them through the base unit or a handset? On the base unit there should be a down single arrow (I don't have that symbol on my keyboard) that you can press so that the message will not be heard until you select it.
Mim, my husband also cannot let a phone ring without answering it. When I was working I know he answered every marketing call and I have no idea what info he gave out but I do know he bought some unneeded stuff...a real estate kit on how to get rich selling homes - must have cost $300+, so please be careful. He ruined our credit by charging things on the card and not paying the bills.
As others have said, most telephone companies offer voicemail service on your land line with no answering machine required.