France Telecom answerphone

[Kitty]

Help!  When I bought my house and acquired a FT line, an automatic answerphone was on the line.  Eventually, I had it removed because I couldn't transpose the French telephone numbers quick enough.  I had it removed by going to a FT shop and then on the next bill, they charged me 8 mins of their time.  A bit of a cheek but I didn't complain about it.

Hey presto, a couple of years later, an automatic answerphone has appeared on the line.  I dial 3013 but can't get the messages because I do not have a security code.

1. How do I get my code without going to the FT shop and getting charged?

2. Once I have taken off my messages, I want the answerpheon removed - can I get it done without going to the shop?

3. What is the English speaking telephone number for FT?  I did have it but threw it away because no one ever answered it.  I'm wondering if the service will have improved?

 

[Clair]

[quote user="Cathy"]

Help!  When I bought my house and acquired a FT line, an automatic answerphone was on the line.  Eventually, I had it removed because I couldn't transpose the French telephone numbers quick enough.  I had it removed by going to a FT shop and then on the next bill, they charged me 8 mins of their time.  A bit of a cheek but I didn't complain about it.

Hey presto, a couple of years later, an automatic answerphone has appeared on the line.  I dial 3013 but can't get the messages because I do not have a security code.

1. How do I get my code without going to the FT shop and getting charged?

2. Once I have taken off my messages, I want the answerpheon removed - can I get it done without going to the shop?

3. What is the English speaking telephone number for FT?  I did have it but threw it away because no one ever answered it.  I'm wondering if the service will have improved?

[/quote]

According to FT, you have to request the answerphone service by subscribing. See here.

To call the English FT number from France: 0800 364 775 or from outside France: +33 1 55 78 60 56

[Kitty]

Wow Clair.  That was quick!  The 'souscrire' doesn't let you 'un-souscrire' so I'm going to have a go at telephoning the English speaking line.  I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[Kitty]

Ahhh.  I dialled and an automatic voice (with a poor accent) said thank you for calling, all our lines are busy, please call back.  I'll try tomorrow....

 

[Gyn_Paul]

Somewhere on the FT website there is (or used to be) a link to the messagerie vocale instruction book which you can download as a PDF. I've long since 'filed' mine, but I have an idea that it is possible to switch it off. Since you're not being charged for it anyway, might that not be an alternative?

I don't quite see what you have against the service; we couldn't live without ours. I agree with you that people (esp. French) speak too quickly, but it's less of a problem now that our outgoing message asks them to speak  s-l-o-w-l-y !

p

(why don't I ever see the typos until I've posted?)

[Punch]

You can activate /deactivate the messagerie quite simply and also change lots of other settings by the menu system. To deactivate you dial 3103 then menu items 2 - 4 - 2.

 If you want to get rid of it completely then you have to ring 1014 and speak to an operator but this should not be necsassry (if you read below).

Si vous souhaitez supprimer définitivement la Messagerie Vocale de votre ligne téléphonique, nous vous invitons à contacter le 1014 (1).

Attention : la désactivation n'est possible que pour la Messagerie Vocale 3103, elle n'est pas disponible avec la Messagerie Vocale Enrichie. Vous pouvez vérifier sur votre facture le type de messagerie à laquelle vous avez souscrit dans la rubrique Abonnements, forfaits et options puis vos options téléphoniques du....

(1) : appel gratuit depuis une ligne fixe France Télécom. Si l'appel est passé depuis une ligne d'un autre opérateur, consultez ses tarifs.

• Désactiver La Messagerie Vocale

• Réactiver La Messagerie Vocale

Désactiver La Messagerie Vocale

Depuis votre ligne fixe, procédez de la manière suivante :

• Composez le

• Puis composez le pour Personnaliser votre messagerie

• Puis composez le pour la Gestion de la messagerie

• Puis composez le pour Arrêter la messagerie

Vous entendez Désormais la messagerie ne prendra plus vos appels.

• Raccrochez votre combiné.

La désactivation de votre messagerie prend quelques minutes.

Réactiver La Messagerie Vocale

Depuis votre ligne fixe, procédez de la manière suivante :

• Composez le

Vous entendez Actuellement la messagerie ne prend plus les appels de vos correspondants.

• Appuyez sur la touche pour que votre messagerie prenne à nouveau vos appels.

Vous entendrez Votre messagerie sera réactivée dans quelques instants.

• Raccrochez votre combiné.

La réactivation de votre messagerie prend quelques minutes.

 

Hope this helps!

 

[Kitty]

Thanks for all the help.  You have gone to a lot of trouble and I'm very grateful.

My problem is that when I dial 3103, it asks me for a security code and I don't know it (I didn't ask for the service in the first place).  I did try 0000 but that didn't work.  I shall try dialling 1014 to ask what to do.

In the meantime, the reason that I can't have an answerphone is for the same reason that I posted the thread below.  My French is above average but I just can't write down the crazy numbering system quick enough.

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1163029/ShowPost.aspx

 

[Punch]

sorry double posted - mods please remove

[Punch]

Cathy, the security code is normally only required when you access the messagerie from a distance - ie; an external phone. Are your trying to access your phone in France from the Uk, for instance?

Otherwise you can normally have direct access from the phone that the answerphone is installed on without a security code.

What I can't understand is that someone must have set a code up for you because when you subscribe to the service the code is not activated. It is only via the menu system that you have the option to install a code for remote access.

[Kitty]

I have rung 1014 and eventually someone came on the line but only when I gave the menu number for needing sales!  Why is it that they answer sales calls? [Www] I asked why was there a security code on my line and she said that there wasn't one and she couldn't help me.  So I rang off and tried 3103 again.  And, like magic, no code was needed any longer.  Mmmm....  A mystery.

At least I could try to get the 22 messages that were on the line, which is some progress.

I have since tried to deactivate the answerphone by 3103 - 2 - 4 - 2.  But the principal message at the beginning does not allow me to do this.  Aaaggghhh......  By trying various combinations, I have discovered that you can have a 'code secret' on the line, which is what someone must have placed on there.  Bizarre.  I shall keep trying to deactivate it.

Oh the joys of living in France....

[Punch]

OK I had a similar problem.

Is your phone service via your livebox ? If so it sometimes gives the impression that you have the mesaggerie service when you haven't and also the welcome tune is different .

Try going on line and actually activating the messagerie using the link that Claire gave. This worked for me. I actually had to activate it two times before I actually got mine to work properly!

 

[Kitty]

Punch.  I can't thank you enough for helping me.  I live in France and was trying to access the un-requested messagerie from my French telephone line.  I do have a Teleconnect modem on a telephone extension socket, which does not have the messagerie.  It is the incoming socket that had the messagerie (with code) camped on it.  Now with no code at least I can try to decipher the numbers.  It's the English ones that are so difficult as they group them into couplets e.g. Bristol (0117 900 0000) comes as onze - soixante dix-neuf etc.

I'll try Clair's internet connection.

[Punch]

You're welcome Cathy. I hope you get it sorted as I know how frustrating it can be [:D]