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# Phones and Phone Companies

This section is part of [something like a blog](../). To contact me or comment
on this, [see my email page](/email.html).

![photo](/mjr2002.jpg)

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## Answering Services

Many business find that [answering services](http://www.answerconnect.com/)
are worth their time; even many universities use or have their own [answering
services](http://www.yale.edu/its/telecom/answering.html) for their telephone
needs. You can review various [answering
services](http://www.answerconnect.com/answering-service/) online before you
choose one for your business. [+](../2007/advertising "Advertising conditions"
)

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## Phone Usability

Adam Rosi-Kessel mentioned [mobile phone design principles](http://adam.rosi-
kessel.org/weblog/technology/cell_phone_design_principles.html). The Motorola
in the comments sounds a bit like the ancient L7089 I use, apart from the
volume buttons don't beep when sound is off. I wish I could hack the firmware
on it to fix a few of the more annoying bugs, like the 'make a noise to be
quiet' stuff. On the plus side, it can map voice tags to menu options and the
phone book, it switches off silently, it has decent-size keys and display
text.

I hate Nokias. Every model I've ever seen or used has keypads which are far
too small and flat to ever be usable.

Is there good design and easy hacking out there in mobile phones?

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## Phone Companies and bad selling

Martyn is having trouble with [ Orange and their
minions](http://www.drake.org.uk/2006/01/orange_and_thei.html) over his mobile
phone. I've had trouble with [ British
Telecom](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2005-1.html#btads) [ (and
again)](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2005-2.html#nmal0829) following leaving
them in 2004.

I'm not writing more about it yet, because it's still ongoing, but I'm also
having trouble with the company I moved to after BT, who used a similar sharp
contract renewal practice to the one troubling Martyn, as far as I can tell. I
do have a good solution for fixed lines and I'll write more here once it's
ready.

My advice to anyone who finds themselves on the receiving end of these bad
contract attempts: Get leaflet OFT 143 on Unfair Contract Terms from [ the
Office of Fair Trading web site.](http://www.oft.gov.uk/) If you've never had
details of the minimum term of the contact, it's probably void.

Finally, if you want a better mobile phone deal, try [ the Consumer
Association's _Switch with Which_
site.](http://www.switchwithwhich.co.uk/mobiles.html)

[Martyn succeeded](http://www.drake.org.uk/2006/01/orangemb_intern.html) in
getting away from Orange...

### BT's bad marketing, 2006 edition

You may remember that I've had trouble with [ BT's junk
mail](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2005-1.html#btads)
([twice](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2005-2.html#nmal0829)) following
leaving them in 2004. As mentioned in ["A note on phone numbers and
forms"](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2006/wsm#phonenumbers) recently, BT
seems to have delayed my line from [the Phone Coop](http://www.thephone.coop)
to the new house (waiting for BT engineers to fix some problem at the
exchange).

Today I got a postcard saying "There's never been a better time to make
savings with BT. [...] Come on, come back to BT's best ever offer and start
saving." Where did they get my details from? I suspect it's the engineering
request from the Phone Coop.

I think I'll try to do some damage to BT now and make this bad practice more
expensive for them. I can't believe this isn't abuse of a dominant market
position. BT owns the only telephone network here and is the largest retail
telco, despite having IMO the worst service.

  * Start of "bad selling" section
  * Start of "Phones" section
  * [Latest blog posts](../all)

[Comment form for non-frame browsers](../../comp/respond.pl).

Comments are moderated (damn spammers) but almost anything sensible gets
approved (albeit eventually). If you give a web address, I'll link it. I won't
publish your email address unless you ask me to, but I'll email you a link
when the comment is posted, or the reason why it's not posted.

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This is copyright 2006 MJ Ray. See fuller notice on [front page](/).