DECT phone keys are dead

[JoeJoe]

I have had one of the more expensive Philips DECT phones (Onis VOX 300) for the last couple of years now, and of the 4 handsets 3 are pretty much useless now as you quite literally have to stand on the buttons to make them work. The 4th unit one is only marginally better... To make a key work requires 2-3 attempts of pressing it from different angles, and involves considerable force.

Any idea what is going on here? Can I do something to fix it, or is this simply the life expectancy of these phones? Is it worth speaking to the manufacturer about it (out of warranty by now)?

I also seem to recall that the previous phone we had, a top of the range Panasonic (DECT as well) developed a similar problem within 2-3 years which resulted in buying the Philips.

BTW, we are pretty light users and the house is kept pretty warm (young kids) - could that provide a clue?

[Hellraiser]

Dismantle phone - remove keypad, these usually have conductive rubbery like contacts on the back which bridge the relevant connections on the circuit board when a key is pressed. Blow out all of the dust, fingernails, bits of hair, etc that have accumulated and give the circuit board contacts a wipe over with isopropyl alcohol. DON'T use this on the rubber pad itself, just wipe that off with a damp cloth and allow to dry. Reassemble and be happy :)

Hellraiser..............>

[The3rd Earl Of Derby]

Allmost all phones nowadays use a thin foil type membrane and render the phone useless when the membrane pads start to wear out or stick. Plead with phillips thatyou paid oodles of pounds for the DECT phones and the guarentee has just run out and you would thought the phones would at least lived out longer than 12 months? they'll probably send you another set :-) mention can new membranes be had for them as phillips do a spares department or at least they used to?

[Nigel Molesworth]

... then dry out all the condensation that is causing the problem.

[.]

are the bateries removable ? are they dead ? FWIW we've had 2 philips kala DECT phones since they came out (6+ years c£90 ea) and both of them have been in veritable building sites for most of that time ergo, loads of dust and dirty hands. I've never dismantled them to clean them and they both work fine. I have had to change the 2 AA nicads which were supplied with the phones for nihm AA's about 2 years ago but apart from that they work flawlesssly.

[Franko]

We had exactly the same problem with two of ours, took them apart, did all the cleaning process and reassembled carefully - didn't make the slightest difference and put it down to bad design. My wife had a brilliant idea and purchased another set of Philips ones to replace them !!! - lasted about16 months until they too had exactly the same problem and were swiftly binned. Next up were a set of Panasonics, the buttons are fine after just over a year but the internal speaker on both units failed within 2 weeks of each other - one is being fixed under guarantee but the other was 1 week over a year old, Argos wouldn't honour it but Panasonic relented - due back soon but not holding my breath. Back to the 2 cans and string I think. Franko.

[Hellraiser]

LOL, I'll stick with my cheapo Binatone DECT phone thanks - 3 years old, been dropped, thrown at the wall, left in a hot steam-filled kitchen, and still works perfectly. The only thing I've changed is the NiCd batteries, everything else is as good as new :)

Hellraiser............>

[John Cartmell]

Interesting how Argos aren't willing to accept the law of the land ...

NB The guarantee period (from the manufacturer) has no relevance to the requirement for the retailer to repair & replace 'as reasonable' up to 6 years from purchase. If you paid for a product that should last three years plus then that's what you should expect.

[Hellraiser]

They're usually good - I took some hair straighteners back for the Mrs, they were 3 months out of warranty but they not only swapped them for an equivalent set, but that set was on special so I got a £20 voucher as well :)

Hellraiser.............>

[Nigel Molesworth]

The trick with Argos is to buy a new one, and take the old one back.

[John Cartmell]

There is no need for a trick. Argos (and other retailers) should accept their legal requirements.

[Nigel Molesworth]

Yes, but when you know you are in the right, it's just easier.

[.]

argos stores don't understand that. argos customer service HQ do.

I got a replacement for £100's worth of panasonic boogie box at month

13 after the cassette deck failed. I called argos store and they told me no deal, 12 months, blah blah blah, even though I told them about the 6 year rule. no deal. so I called CS HQ and after a 1 minute opening gambit which covered the law you detailed the CSR simply said yes, that's fine, I'll call your local store to arrange replacement.

I was dumbfounded but pleased. even better when the manageress who'd told me no dice was the one who handed me the replacement :-)

[Nigel Molesworth]

Have you got an official source for this? It would be handy to bookmark.

[JoeJoe]

Thanks for all the good advice.

The batteries are removable, but the case is held by two screws (I think) with some funny holes on the top that don't look like any screws that I have ever seen before, so I don't think I will be able to open and clean inside.

I did however speak to Philips CS earlier today (09... number 15p/min - bastards!) who accepted that this was not on with an 18 month phone, and made noises that sounded to me like a replacement would be sent to me once I produce the original receipt. Unfortunately we spent an hour last night trying to find it (recent house move, etc) and it does not look like we would be able to find it.

Where do I stand without the receipt (and out of the warranty period)? The phone was bought from Costco if that makes any difference.

TIA.

[John Cartmell]

[John Cartmell]

[Sale of Goods Act]

If goods do not conform to contract at the time of sale, purchasers can request their money back "within a reasonable time". (This is not defined and will depend on circumstances)

For up to six years after purchase (five years from discovery in Scotland) purchasers can demand damages (which a court would equate to the cost of a repair or replacement)

A purchaser who is a consumer, i.e. is not buying in the course of a business, can alternatively request a repair or replacement.

[Dave]

And try using a pencil eraser on the board. It gets rid of anything the the IPA can't.

I have used washing up liquid (diluted as normal) in the past.

Dave

[John Cartmell]

Forgot to add this bit:

Q7. Do I have to produce a receipt to claim my rights?

No. In fact the trader doesn't have to give you a receipt in the first place so it would be unfair to say that you had to produce one. However, it might not be unreasonable for the shop to want some proof of purchase, so look to see if you have a cheque stub, bank statement, credit card slip etc., and this should be sufficient.

[manatbandq]

Out of warranty is no problem as others have pointed out.

Philips can hardly argue that they made the product, unless they're trying to say they might be fakes. Did you fill in any manufacturer's warranty registration card when they were new? They are not, however, responsible, the retailer is.

Talk to costco. A credit card statement showing the transaction may help. If they say no, talk to the manager and threaten him with the sale of goods act. If that doesn't work, put it in writing, copying area and head office management and threaten small claims court proceedings.

See

to claim online

MBQ