AT&T 1817 Phone with Tapeless Digital Answering System

by AT&T

Product Details

Product Manual [338kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 7.2 x 3.8 inches ; 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000JB7U
• Item model number: 1817
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Why clutter your desk with a telephone and an answering system when you can have both in one package? The AT&T 1817 provides an all-digital answering system with time/day stamp and remote control features to make checking your messages easy whether you're at home or on the road.

You control the 1817 with its 13 front-mounted buttons and three switches. There is also a single-character LED display and one LED status indicator. The slim handset is comfortable and easy to hold; the buttons are well positioned and accessible, and the feature set is ideally suited for remote operation of the answering system.

We had to consult the instructions to set the clock, the number of rings, the remote access code, and the outgoing message (which was cumbersome even with the instructions). Note that the instructions don't explain how to reset the machine to its original preprogrammed outgoing message, but we found it after lengthy trial and error. We were able to program the memory dialing intuitively.

Pros

• Stylish
• Friendly, professional automated voice prompts
• Records up to 59 messages

Cons

• Four-minute recording limit per message
• No mute button

Product Description

AT&T ITAD, TIme/Day stamp

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Digital Answering Machine, June 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: AT&T 1817 Phone with Tapeless Digital Answering System (Office Product)

This answering machine answered my calls effortlessly. I have encountered no problems with the machine. I only wish it had come with caller ID on it as well.

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reconnect with life, freedom, and fun , April 28, 2001

By 

Victoria Tarrani "writer, editor, artist, des... (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: AT&T 1817 Phone with Tapeless Digital Answering System (Office Product)

Every so often, I would actually remember to return a call, ask a question, or just say "Hi, I'm thinking about you" to my stepdaughter Gina. Distance does not really make the heart grow fonder sometimes it simply distances us from our loved ones. One day, after trying to reach her on ten different occasions I had this answering machine shipped to her as a gift.

This changed her thoughts from "You never return my calls" to "Hi. You called!"

The device is simple, easy to install, and does not require the plethora of tapes that older systems did. You do have to record your own greeting unless you mind the digital mechanical voice. It is not a bad voice, particularly if you like the futuristic machines R2D2 and C3PO (Star Wars androids).

I have noticed that some of the reviewers for this particular machine did not have quite the success that I have had. Unfortunately in manufacturing there are times when a lemon squeezes through quality control, but they can be returned. However, Gina received her gift at the end of February, and loves it. She has never had a problem. She knows the day and time a call came through, has programmed the nine number memory module for speed dial, and, since we live in the land of rolling blackouts -- California, has used the Message Guard feature.

This answering machine can also be used to avoid unwanted calls, because you hear what the caller is saying. Personally, I hate to pick up the phone and have a digital direct marketing service determined to sell me some product that I absolutely have to have even though I did not know about it before they called. These are the calls that are happily limited to no more than four-minutes, along with all others. I have discovered that 240 seconds is enough for any friend to leave their name, number, and a brief message. This also means that if I by some horrible quirk of fate I get 59 messages, I can just pull the plug and delete the entire data base . . . then "embarrassingly" state that my answering machine lost calls. Who has not wanted to do that?

You can feel as if your are riding Pegasus through the sky, and when you return to earth you can decide which calls you want to return.

This answering machine is five stars for:

* convenience

* ease of installation

* streamlined digital answering machine and telephone

* call monitoring ability

* excellent price

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Useless, April 4, 2002

By 

Jeffrey Harris "Jeff Harris" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: AT&T 1817 Phone with Tapeless Digital Answering System (Office Product)

My less than a year old AT&T 1817 has earned my complete mistrust. Some important messages became mysteriously inaccessible on it while I was making arrangements to have some major surgery. More have disappeared since.

I will replace this ...as soon as I can find a reliable answering machine.

Save your money for an appliance that will do the job.