Customer Reviews

Fanstel Large Display Caller ID

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This external caller ID augments my relatively inexpensive GE corded phone. The GE phone has caller ID itself, but does not light up and cannot be read from across the room. Enter Fanstel G99M. This unit has a very large and a very easily read digital display (however see minor criticism below). The size of the display and the lighting are more than adequate for the "across the room" viewing I described. Especially nice is that no buttons need to be pushed to view the incoming call. The display lights itself automatically. At night, with all the lights out, the display is downright superb! Upon review of your incoming call, the unit prompts you to dial and politely tells you to lift up the phone. Very user friendly! Includes AC power adapter and provision for battery backup with 3 AA's.

A previous reviewer mentioned problems with the contrast and readability. I agree with the reviewer only to the extent that I had to adjust the contrast level to the maximum setting to get it to be "readable". I have adjusted my rating from 5 down to 4 stars, under the belief that the contrast should not have to be adjusted to this extreme. Overall, a very well-designed unit.

I wasn't sure I would like this Caller ID Box after reading some reviews, but I have been pleasantly surprised. I am happy that it doesn't require batteries (although you can use them if you want, in case the power goes out), and the screen is large, with large letters and numbers easily readable from a distance. The screen has a back lite that stays lighted for a few seconds when you press any button then goes out. There is a red flashing light to indicate new calls. All in all, this is a great product for the price. I'm very happy with it.

****Upon owning this unit for a year now, I would have to change my 5 star rating to probably a 1 or 2. While it works well and is easy to read, it has malfunctioned and cannot be corrected. While on a call, it now automatically switches me over to a new call WITHOUT warning. No beeping, no nothing, just all of a sudden I am talking to a different person, plus it disconnects the first caller. I have poured over the manual and made all adjustments I can, but it continues to do this very annoying thing. I have also found that sometimes the display gets "stuck" and won't respond to pressing of any buttons. Too bad, as I love the design and ease of viewabililty of this unit.

***March, 2009

The display is so dim and has such a narrow viewing angle that it cannot be hung on a wall and is very hard to read setting on the counter. I was VERY disappointed in the readability of the unit. I suggest that you look elsewhere for a large display unit. The unit also does NOT capture or display call waiting information as advertisesd.

This product is worthless. It stopped working within a week of purchase. The screen was unreadable when it did work.

For those of you who are interested in this Fanstel model, just be aware that paying a high price for an item does not guarantee it to be of the best quality. This unit I bought has a clock diplay together with the day etc. This clock gains 24 minutes every 24 hours, providing an incoming call does not recalibrate it when a call comes through from the central office. Hense, this Fanstel does not get my recommendation

I wasn't thrilled by this unit from the first, but accepted it.
Then the display got screwed up and would only display the number, not the name.
Now the display isn't working at all.