View Full Version : All I want is a phone that works!!!! Dagnabbit!!!
Got my first apartment in 1975, got a phone [edited to change from "bought a phone" because, as bae pointed out, in those days you didn't buy the phone; it belonged to the phone company]. Standard desk phone that attached to a link in the wall. Many apartments, many years, same phone, no worries, always worked.
It bit the dust 5 years ago. Since then I've gone through 5 or 6 cheap plastic phones that work for a while, then develop problems, get replaced, repeat process. >:( 2 weeks ago, phone began giving my callers a dead line while I could still hear them fine. Replaced that one, spent 60 bucks on supposedly better model with caller id, lots of gimmicks I don't want, and larger easier-to-push buttons. Worked for about a week. Now, someone calls, it doesn't ring but goes directly to voicemail. Doesn't let me access voicemail or make outgoing calls; the only result is a busy signal. >:(To retrieve my voicemail, I have to call the home number from a cell phone and enter code numbers.
I'm acutely nostalgic for an era when the phone wasn't something you worried about. It always worked, could be taken for granted. I want one of those phones again!
:help:I want an AT&T desk model, circa late 1960's through late 1970's, that works. Color doesn't matter although black or beige would be preferred.
Does anyone out there still have one packed away somewhere, that still works, that you would be willing to ship to me? I'll pay whatever you think is reasonable, plus shipping. I would be forever grateful!
You could email me off-list at gogreen7@yahoo.com.
Many thanks in advance! :D
Ebay usually has a bunch.
Thank you, bae! :cool:I've never ventured onto Ebay, having hoarding tendencies and fearing to thus open Pandora's box. However, a dear friend who has no such impulse control issues uses it frequently and would be more than happy to search for me. I'll ask her forthwith. You have made me a much happier person! :)
Why can't anyone seem to make something as simple as a landline phone that works anymore?!!
Remember, those AT&T phones were designed and built back when AT&T owned the phones, not the user, and the phones were meant to last forever, not be replaced every year.
Exactly! They were built to last forever and darn near did. Would have gotten mine repaired if I could have located anyone who knew how to do it.
I took the plunge, went onto Ebay, found exactly what I was looking for, opened a Paypal account, and ordered the phone! It doesn't give a year of origin, but was made by AT&T, is described as "older phone, heavy" and reported to be in excellent working order. It looks like one of the earlier model push button phones like my dear departed one. It's beige and will fit perfectly in my tiny 1954 ranch house with the little telephone nook in the (beige) hallway.
I feel much better now. One unnecessary pain-in-the-patoot eliminated. Thank you, bae!:thankyou:
We have one of those phones. Our house was built in 1953; we moved here 4 years ago and the phone was hooked up in the basement family room. It still works geeat!
Martha,
We have a landline wall phone in our kitchen, but it is an $11 cheapie from Best Buy that we bought several years ago. I have found that the spiral cord needs to be replaced periodically, although the phone itself has never malfunctioned. This was true for our old rotary dial as well (which we only retired about 10 years ago). If you have phone problems in the future, I suggest trying a replacement cord first (the cord that attaches the handset to the phone). Those cords do get pulled and tugged and twisted, so it seems logical to me that they don't last indefinitely.
Just as a side I remember reading an article last year maybe about a 'little old lady who had been paying rent to AT&T on her phone since the day it was installed' and how expensive that phone was over all that time - like in the thousands.
My parents still have one of those old phones - even after my dad pulled the cord out of the wall a few times because I went over my allotted time talking to various boyfriends.
Also, often when 'junking' I see old phones for sale pretty cheap. Even really old black rotary dial that stand kind of tall, if you know what I mean. You even see big wall phones, some rotary dial, some with a simple crank.
Just as a side I remember reading an article last year maybe about a 'little old lady who had been paying rent to AT&T on her phone since the day it was installed' and how expensive that phone was over all that time - like in the thousands.
Had forgotten about that - I too paid that rent bill for years and years not realizing that's what it was - I thought it was for long-distance service (where's that dope-slap icon?!). Sometime maybe in the '90's I switched to Working Assets for long-distance and told AT&T to stop sending the bills. When I found out it was rent on the phone, it was a huge shock. I refused to pay it any longer and AT&T told me I would have to ship the phone back to them. I didn't and never heard any more about it. There was a class action lawsuit against AT&T over the issue not too long after that, and AT&T lost. Don't remember for sure, but it seems as if people who had been paying rent all those years got a very small check back. I know that AT&T insisted that the fee covered service in case anything ever went wrong with the phone, but after 20 or 30 years, it probably did add up to several thousand dollars per phone. Now it almost seems as if it would be worth a small rental fee for a phone that always works . . .
My parents still have one of those old phones - even after my dad pulled the cord out of the wall a few times because I went over my allotted time talking to various boyfriends.
That's a funny story, Float On! Those phones really were built to take it!
Martha,
I suggest trying a replacement cord first (the cord that attaches the handset to the phone). Those cords do get pulled and tugged and twisted, so it seems logical to me that they don't last indefinitely.
That's a good idea; thanks! When the 30-year-old AT&T phone went bad, I did replace both the handset cord and the cord that went from the phone to the wall; neither helped. Same with the very first cheapie replacement phone. After that, I just assumed the phones were bad and didn't try switching cords.
We have one of those phones. Our house was built in 1953; we moved here 4 years ago and the phone was hooked up in the basement family room. It still works geeat!
I love them because you can actually HEAR the other person, and they're comfortable against your ear for long conversations. The ones now that are just a flat surface are harder to hear and talk on, and are awkward for anything but short conversations. I use a cell phone for emergencies and quick messages when away from home, but for actually having a good long talk with someone, I want a real phone!
Mighty Frugal
5-8-12, 12:54pm
My parents still have their rotary dial black heavy duty phone. It now lives in their stone bread room-a small shack at the back of their property with a stone oven to bake bread. It boils in the summer and freezes in the winter and is still ticking away. I love those phones. I too cannot find a good quality phone. They all crackle or buzz-I think I may just follow martha and get an old one on ebay or craigslist....I'd steal my parents but it's a rotary
I have a 1930's rotary phone that would kill a burglar if he got hit with it. Rings so loud I jump out of bed. Always works. Woe is me when rotary dialing is not longer doable.
I hate the newfangled stuff that has way more options than I ever want or need.
I have a 1930's rotary phone that would kill a burglar if he got hit with it. Rings so loud I jump out of bed. Always works. Woe is me when rotary dialing is not longer doable.
I hate the newfangled stuff that has way more options than I ever want or need.
LOL! You're right - those phones are solid and heavy enough to make fine weapons! And I'm with you; I don't want to take photos with my phone, or surf the net or play games on it. I just want to make and receive calls, and I want it to WORK. Period.
The phone that I bought on Ebay (a "buy it now" item rather than an auction) has arrived and is working perfectly. Thank you, bae, for suggesting I go there to look for one! It looks just like the one I got in the mid-70's, and is in surprisingly good condition. It looks all new and shiny! Best of all, it works, and is likely to continue to work for a very long time.
A confession: When I first hooked it up, it had the same problems that the previous one had, which belatedly clued me in that the problem was with the cable service, not the phone. Duh!:doh: I called the cable company from work, the tech said that he "reset the modem", and when I got home, the phone worked! I had no idea that the modem had anything to do with anything other than the computer/internet connection, but hey - it was a quick fix. And now I have a real phone again! Never mind that there was nothing wrong with the other one after all. :|(
It's worth it to me, regardless. The receiver fits my hand and is comfortable to the ear for long conversations, I can hear the other person, don't have to walk around the house trying to find a spot where the reception is good like with the cell phone, and in all likelihood, no matter what breaks or needs replacing around here, it won't be the phone. (And in case of burglar, I'm all set!);)
iris lily
5-17-12, 12:27am
I recently got a Tracphone. It ran out of minutes. I had to go through rigamarole to get more minutes put on, they need my "sim card" numbers" whatever the hell that is. Really annoying, I can't find the up arrow on my phone that was supposed to lead me to the Sim card number, so phone Helpdesk insisted that I take out the battery and then take out the "sim" card. I didn't know how to do that, had to figure that out and call back.
It's all too much trouble.
I recently got a Tracphone. It ran out of minutes. I had to go through rigamarole to get more minutes put on, they need my "sim card" numbers" whatever the hell that is. Really annoying, I can't find the up arrow on my phone that was supposed to lead me to the Sim card number, so phone Helpdesk insisted that I take out the battery and then take out the "sim" card. I didn't know how to do that, had to figure that out and call back.
It's all too much trouble.
Hi, Iris Lily,
I've been using the same Tracfone for 7 years now, and that happened to me the first year. I honestly don't remember now how to do it, but I do remember that it involved a lot of cussing.
Since then, I've kept an eye on the minutes and service remaining, and buy more before they run out. Once a year, I buy a $99 card with one year of service and 400 minutes (500? don't remember for sure, but it usually lasts me all year, and if not, just buy a card with more minutes). That's it; no contract, no fees, total cost about $8 a month).
The phone is always turned off, but in my bag in case I need to call to say I'm stuck in traffic or otherwise running late, to call roadside assistance, or to call so the pizza's ready when I get there to pick it up. No one has the number; it's for my convenience, not so people can reach me no matter where I am. If I'm gonna be on call, dammit, someone's gonna be paying me!
Once you get more minutes on yours, and buy more minutes and service before they run out, you might find that this phone works well for you, too. It's the simplest and cheapest way to have a cell phone that I know.
...
I've been using the same Tracfone for 7 years now, and that happened to me the first year. I honestly don't remember now how to do it, but I do remember that it involved a lot of cussing.
Since then, I've kept an eye on the minutes and service remaining, and buy more before they run out...
Thanks for that! The phone Helpdesk people told me that they'd need the sim card number again, so I wrote it down for the future. But I like wha tyou said, I need that sim card numbe ronly if the phone has already run out of minutes.
I will look for a year's worth of air time and minutes and load it up that way. Thanks for your help!
I will look for a year's worth of air time and minutes and load it up that way. Thanks for your help!
You're very welcome! Yes, that's the trick - loading new service or minutes is easy as long as it hasn't run out of either.
(Caveat - One reason this phone works so well for me is that I don't use it for conversations, only for brief messages. For long conversations or just chatting, I use a "real" phone. Don't know how cost-efficient it would be if it were used a lot.)
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