Rating: Summary: great system - previous reviews inaccurate Review: DISCLAIMER: I am not linked in any way to Siemens or any other phone manufacturer!Before buying the system, I read all reviews posted here, and was quite reluctant to purchase it. Since I liked the concept so much I decided to give it a try. I do not regret a single penny spent on this phone. Inaccuracies in some of the reviews posted here: 1. Sound quality: it is excellent, same or better than on any other cordless phone i tried. 2. Range: also, not worse than any other top system. 2.4GHz does not have to do anything with the range, but quality and privacy. As I stated earlier, this system is great. It is technologically more advanced than anything on the market I found so far. It is a true phone for the 21st century. The remote unit is well designed, resembles a remote control or a slightly larger cell phone. Display is clear and menus intuitive and easy to use. It has a very nice set of options to customize sounds and other features. The sound is perfect. The base is slightly larger than an average phone, but with all the features built in it is more than adequate(digital true duplex speakerphone, digital answering system with 5 outgoing messages and 26 minutes of record time, conversation recording option etc). The option to add more units is amazing, very few manufacturer offer that. I already plan to buy another cordless unit, possibly two. You can name this units and never mix them up. The diplay clearly says which unit you are holding. Expanding the system this way appears to be less expensive than buying several separate cordless phones for your home or office. not to mention that if you buy, let say, two or three Panasonic phones, you can not interconnect them this way. With this Siemens system, you are getting a true network of phones, almost like linking computers. Although the systems appears to be intended for home office or other business, I have none of that and use it as my regular home system. With kids and others in the house, two lines are always needed, and this is the way to go! In brief: this unit is many classes above anything you can find elsewhere for this price (Sony, which I had in the past is good, but technologically they are several years behind this type of a phone. I wish they come up with something similar, because I like Sony phones, quality, design, but this Siemens is a technological wonder - it is like comparing a TV with a room antenna to a digital cable system or satellite). The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is the complexity of use of ALL the features it offers. In other words, you'll need to spend some time studying the manual (very well designed) to understand what the system offers and how to use all the features it has.
Rating: Summary: Great, when it works Review: This is a great phone system. 2 lines, up to 8 handsets, voice mail, intercom, conference calls, etc, etc. So why 1 star? When it breaks, you're SOL. I've had my system for 4 years. Had a few minor problems, Siemens tech support helped, replacing a defective handset in the first few months. I was happy. All of a sudden, 3 months ago, all the handsets started having intermittent problems where the sound was garbled, in a digital sort of way (no static, just parts of conversation coming in and out a few times per second). I contacted Siemens, and their response was "mechanical problem with handsets, we won't fix it, buy new ones". Huh? Mechanical problems, like you get when you drop a handset? But this problem started on all handsets, at once, and is intermittent. Doesn't sound like a mechanical problem, in the handsets or the base. More likely it is a problem with the firmware in the base unit. Talking a bit more to Siemens, I find that I can't just buy a new (8825) base unit, because the handsets I have aren't compatible. Great - so I have two choices: 1. Buy a refurbished base ($130), and perhaps get the same problem 6 months from now, 'cause the firmware is likely the same, and Siemens will continue to insist the problem is a mechanical problem in the handsets. In 6 months, tech support for 2420 will probably be worse than it is now, and if refurbed units aren't available, I'm SOL. 2. Buy a new base and handsets ($500). Since Siemens hasn't even admitted a fault with their 2420, how can I have confidence that they fixed the problems with the 8825? And if there is a problem, I'll get the same lousy support and incompatibility once the 16300 (successor to 8825 - just guessing on the number) comes out. I picked door #3. Goodbye.
Rating: Summary: Siemens 2420 expandable set Review: Not a good product. Two of 6 telephones have expired and reception on others is spotty. Dificult to navigate system. Would not recommend product
Rating: Summary: Users rate this product as excellent or junk - why? Review: After reading all the reviews and having my own experiences, I've concluded two main factors affect these reviews: 1. Functions - Siemens has produced two different versions. Newer versions have some important features missing in original version. They are a)ability to transfer directories and b)ability to turn private mode off (allows user to join call without having to have call transferred to them) 2. Reliability - Siemens has had ongoing quality problems. This explains why some users rave about the phone and others complain severely. Both groups of users are reporting their experiences accurately. I've experienced both excellent performance and lousy performance with my phones. the base unit was replaced once. I have replaced two handsets. I just ordered third handset replacement (LCD failed after a week). Siemens warrantly replacement is straightforward, fast, and cost free (they pay shipping). They don't even ask for proof of purchase. But I strongly suspect they have had so many quality problems, that they gave up trying to ask for proof of purchase. There's a never ending supply of refurbished Siemens phones for sale. It seems they've had long run of quality problems, only to exascerbate them by recycling the phones through the refurb program. They need to destroy these phones, rather than refurb and recycle them. A refurb is what you get as a warranty replacement. I fully expect to be replacing these phones every 1-2 months until my patience runs out. Unfortunately, no other vendor makes a comparable 2-line phone. Yes, I tried the Panasonic and found its functionality was sorely missing in critical areas for me.
Rating: Summary: Initially great-currently disappointing Review: As others have stated, out of the box this phone system was great. I experienced superior sound quality and acceptable range (no problems inside or outside 4 bedroom colonial on .75 acres). After 2 years of use most of the handsets have developed an annoying garbled interference that begins shortly after using the phone. This makes it impossible to talk and leaves you scrambling for another phone. Siemens support has been disappointing. I have 4 handsets and only one works correctly. Despite my initial enthusiasm with the system-I will not buy another Siemens product.
Rating: Summary: All LCDs will fail eventually Review: For the price and reliability the Gigaset 2420 phone is a rip off. I purchased one new at considerable expense a few years ago. The LCD screen failed during the warranty period. The LCD on the replacement phone failed. I purchased several of these units used. Every LCD has eventually failed. The portable handsets still work, but are useless without the base. I invested a fair amount of money into handsets, and they are now worthless. Totally unreliable base unit. Don't buy Siemens, as you can't get parts from them and they do not support the phone.
Rating: Summary: Desk Station hangs up on callers.... fixed (sort of) Review: Good phone for the features... but with some quirks. I've owned one for several years and can't find anything better that has the features I want. 1) The desk station would shut down on the second ring of an incoming call. All the buttons would light up red and the LCD display would be all blocked out on the second ring. It would then reset itself and repeat the process on the next incoming call. Workaround: Clear the caller id log. Why this works? I don't know... but I stumbled on it by reading the various online reviews and trying things out. Must be a firmware bug. 2) Microwave ovens, amoung other things, cause interference with the cordless handsets. Some cordless handsets are better than others. Possibly quality control issues. Workaround: Pickup a second cordless phone and then hang up the one you were talking on. When a second cordless handset is in use at the same time, it must use a different part of the 2.4 GHz bandwidth. Siemens tech support was no help. If you are looking for good tech support then don't buy this product. Is tech support for all Siemens products like this? Don't know.
Rating: Summary: Desk Station hangs up on callers..... Review: I bought a Siemens 2420 desk station and 2 handsets. Everything worked great in the beginning. Within a year the desk station stopped working altogether. I took it back to Office Depot where I purchased it because I had purchased a warranty. They replaced it. Soon afterwards the cordless units would not hold a charge, nor did they hold a charge after I purchased the exact duplicate batteries. Then the desk station would shut down on the second ring of an incoming call. All the buttons would light up red and the LCD display would be all blocked out on the second ring. It would then reset itself and repeat the process on the next incoming call. Siemens technical support HAS NO authorized or unauthorized service/repair centers. They suggested I take the phone to my local electronics repair shop.......or buy a new one. Yeah right. I would definetely NOT purchase another Siemens product.
Rating: Summary: Defective LCDs Review: I originally purchased a 2415 a few years ago, but for some reason it was not compatible with Verizon Caller ID. Siemens thought they were doing me a favor by upgrading me to the 2420. They weren't. I didn't need the 2 line feature, but I did like thephone and the other features. It would be a good system, but for one major problem. The LCDs on these phones are prone to failure. Without a readable LCD, you cannot use many of the phone's features. I replaced the original phone after about 2 years with a refurbished model I bought off eBay, because the LCD on the first phone became totally unreadable. Now after about 2 more years the replacement phone's LCD is failing.
Rating: Summary: DO NOT BUY THESE PHONES! Review: We bought this system about 3 years ago for our home office. Like the other reviewers we liked them at first. After a couple of months the handsets didn't hold a charge and even after replacing the rechargable batteries it still didn't hold the charge long. For some reason, only one of the handsets works well the other one gets garbaly after talking for a few seconds, even if we stand right next to the base station! It's extremely annoying like when you get a helicopter effect on a cell phone. We have to scatter around to another phone so the other person could hear us so it's a waste to have this line! Also, the digital display on our base station started fading away so it is no longer legible, so having the caller ID on that has been a waste. When these problems first started Siemens sent us all new replacement phones. Less than a year later we had the same problems again! This time Siemens wasn't so nice. They informed us that they updated the phones and are no longer replacing the old phones. They didn't even offer us a deal like, "Send us the old phones and we will give you a discount on new ones." NOTHING! $$$$ worth of phones and they are all GARBAGE now!! We will NEVER buy another Siemens product again and suggest no one else does!
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