Has anyone returned an SPV for replacement / repair???

[Guest Smiffy]

Basically, I cannot get the answer machine Icon to extinguish along with other problems such as the SPV not being able to reconnect to the network when the signal has dropped and the keypad lock is on (When going through a tunnell etc). This in effect means that the phone is "Off" untill I reboot or switch off and then on the radio.

Fed up, I called Orange for yet another attempt to repair or replace the SPV.

Their solution was to tell me to phone the SPV from my landline, leave a message and then delete it as many times as it takes to clear the icon.

I am not prepared to accept this extra cost and inconvienence just to be able to see if anyone has left a new message, to me the phone has a major fault and should be repaired or replaced under warranty or the Orange Care insurance with a product that is fit for purpose and works.

Orange stick to their guns and will do nothing so a claim is being filed in the County Court.

Has ANYONE had the same problem or similar?

Can anyone point me in the direction of links / newsgroups etc where this has been discussed?

Has anyone got the Microsoft Newsgroup (SPV) address as I have mislaid it! (Even forgot my password for this site - slapped wrists)

Can anyone point me in the direction of the excellent site that had a name similar to a channel four program? (Again, mislaid due to HDD failure).

Many thanks for all your help and advice.

[Guest spacemonkey]

I'm sorry, but Orange are right about the answerphone thing. It is nothing to do with your SPV. You will get this problem on any phone.

Basically the way the answerphone works is that when someone leaves an answerphone message Orange sends you an SMS message that tells the phone there is a voice mail. When you call voice mail and delete the message Orange sends another SMS message to your phone telling it to clear the icon. The problem is that sometimes these messages go astray (especially as my understanding is that these are lower priority than normal SMS messages).

So what's happened on your phone is that it received the message telling you there was voice mail, but when you cleared the voice mail it didn't receive the message telling the phone that it was clear. So the way to fix it is to ring yourself (you can call yourself from your mobile phone if you want) and leave a message. Wait a few seconds until your phone buzzes to tell you it's got a message, then call voice mail and delete the message. Hopefully on this new attempt it will get the second notification and you'll be happy.

To be honest, you can't get many voice mails if this has been an ongoing problem, if you had been getting and deleting voice mails regularly then it would have cleared itself by now.

[Guest Smiffy]

This has been an ongoing problem and I do get voice messages (I am popular, honest ;-))

The thing is usually I am get so many voice messages that I constantly connect to the answer phone service and there is indeed a new message. Over the summer the students who call me are away from university and therefore my message count drops dramatically, hence the problem is more noticeable.

As to the SMS not being received, this is a fault, no matter what "priority" the SMS is sent under. The result is that this costs the consumer (me) more money either in terms of wasted inclusive minutes which have been paid for to simply find that there are no new messages or worse, by having to call from a landline to clear the icon.

The fact that this has been recognised as a fault since Jan 03 is no excuse and the consumer should not have to put up with it. The sale of goods and consumer protection legislation will apply and basically I have brought (In December) a product that does not do what it is supposed to do, is advertised to do and should do. I have warranty and Orange Care and if Orange just stick their head in the sand I will raise it with the assistance of a County Court Judge - trust me, when I have the bit between my teeth I am nothing if not pedantic!!

As to "...if you had been getting and deleting voice mails regularly then it would have cleared itself by now" wrong, as each new message will often if not always leave the icon. Deleting succesfully is only effective until the next message!

[Guest mattat]

While what you say is true, it is a problem with the network and not with the specific phone. (I had the same problem a couple of times with my J70 and have had it about the same number of times with my SPV). Another way to clear the message is to call 156 and ask them to resend the clear answerphone message, and they should be able to reset it for you. I think that this is free (at least from a contract phone) - I stand to be corrected though.

[Guest Will]

if you ring up OCS, ask them to turn it on, then off. (saves about 5 mins of umms and errs if you get an inexperienced operator!)

Will

[Guest Gorskar]

Yea, happened to me last week. A quick call to Orance CS and it was sorted out. - No need to try leaving messages from landlines or anything.

[Guest Rossd]

I don't know who is right about the answerphone icon on permanently. I don't know if it is a problem with the phone or with Orange, however, I have had this problem and called orange who sorted it for me!

After being passed from pillar to post for about half a day, I finally spoke to someone who actually knew what an SPV was.

They sent a message to my phone and cleared the problem. I have no idea what they sent as my phone had all the latest ROM updates etc.

[Guest Smiffy]

The problem is that I have now phones Orange CS so many times to "Sort this out" that it is becomming a bit of a bore to say the least. If it were a one off call and some sort of Rom update was sent then fine, but I am having to call each and every time the Icon appears on the screen (Every time a message is left). Not good, and not a situation that I wish to continue. If anyone has a definitive answer as to how to sort the problem once and for all I would really appreciate hearing what it is.

[Guest crafty]

I used to have a problem with the message icon staying but read a solution somewhere on this site. While connected to your answerphone, delete the message [i.e. press 3] and then stay on the line another few seconds until the icon disappears and then hang up. Since doing this i haven't had any problems. Hope that this helps you! With regards to your previous question about the Chanel 4 website, you mean bornsloppy which has had a facelift and is now called www.coolsmartphone.com

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

Chanel 4 website, you mean bornsloppy which has had a facelift and is now called www.coolsmartphone.com

Err no it's not :) Gears used the name for his site, it has nothing to do with Channel 4.

[Guest Smiffy]

I knew that it was not associated with Channel Four, Just that the name was the same but I could not for the life of me remember it.

Anyone know the Microsoft Newsgroup address for the SPV?

[Guest Monolithix [MVP]]

microsoft.public.smartphone

It's sync'ed with this site further down the main index page :)

Just to point out again though, this is a network problem, not a handset issue.

[Guest Smiffy]

Hi MONOLITHIX,

Thanks for pointing that out.

When you say it is a Network issue and not a handset issue, then I still have a problem, dont I?

However, I dont accept that it is a Network problem and the resons for not doing so is that my better half uses Orange for her work phone. She often has to divert to answer machine when she meets with her tenants. Not once has she had this problem. She uses a Nokia 3330 on contract with Orange.

If it were a network problem then she would too experince the fact that the Icon does not delete. It works on the Nokia, it does not work on the SPV, hence it is a problem on the SPV surely?

If the Nokia is better able to receive the "Clear" Signal from the Orange Network and the SPV is not so able to recive this signal then that indicates a problem with the SPV?

Please, point me to anywhere where I can get a definitive answer for this, but my feelings at present are that the SPV is bug ridden as acknowledged by many from the start and that if Orange were to replace all the SPV's with this problem they would be in for a very heavy financial "Hit". Hence, blame it on the network and not the handset?

The bottom line is that ANY phone that requires you to pay more to clear a message Icon by dialling up from another phone is faulty. It is not doing what it should do. The network sends the clear signal and it is not received by the phone - fault with phone of any make or model.

If Orange were to say that they were not sending the clear message, or that the messages were set at a low frequency and not allways received then yes - Network problem and different sort of complaint. However, Orange say they are sending the signal, normally, and yet my phone will not clear therefore handset problem!

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

All I can say is believe what you will, and I hope you get your problem sorted out.

But I have has this problem way before the SPV came out (I've had it on two different Nokias)

and the biggest cause is not deleting the message and awaiting

acknowedgement. It's about time Orange sorted it out, they must have

an idea why it happens :? or do they?

[Guest Monolithix [MVP]]

Smiffy, i see your point. I was aiming more in the direction of the fact that a new handset will not solve this problem.

Personally i don't suffer from this problem too much, i get very few voice calls (even less on previous handsets, SMS is/was more convenient), and therefore can't really compare the SPV to past experience.

Either way, i hope it works out for you. Good luck :)

[Guest Smiffy]

Well, we at last seem to be getting somewhere. After continued threats of a County Court Action Orange have decided to "Escalate" the problem. They have even spoken to HTC about the fact that the handset, when the keypad is locked, will not reconnect automatically to the network when it has been out of coverage or in a tunnell for example. To reconnect you need to reboot the phone. HTC say this is a "Feature" and not a fault of the phone - yeah right!

Keep you all posted as I am expecting a final resolution today.

[Guest squall]

my phones been sent away for repair, its a nightmare. hayes sent me an estimate saying my phone was beond economical repair, and i would have to pay to have my *unfixed* phone returned. i reluctantly did, (£17.63) three days ago, still no sign of the phone, i phoned today and they seem to have lost my phone.

unfortunatly i had insurance, but not orange care, so i need the phone before i can get it replaced with a working one from O.

I explained all this to orange, and asked for a discount in upgrading, or to get out my contract and they just said 'no'!