Unable to select any options when I've finished listening to a voicemail

[Retired_CPA]

When I am finished listening to a voicemail, I am given the usual options to save, delete or replay the message. However, no matter which of these options I choose, the action I choose is not acted upon. All that happens is that I hear a message asking, "hello, are you still there" (repeatedly) and eventually the statement "goodbye" and the system hangs up.

I've tried to deal with Bell support on this (unsuccessfully rather obviously). Bell support said they would have to pass the problem to technical support but I never heard back from technical support or anyone else.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[BellNick]

Hi there @Retired_CPA,

Welcome to the Community and thank you for your post.

How is it you are trying to access your voicemail when doing this (on the go or directly from the home phone)?

What is the command code (* code) you are using to access your voicemails?

Looking forward to hearing back. 

[Retired_CPA · Accepted solution]

I was able to resolve the problem this morning and it looks like the problem might have had more to do with my home phone itself rather than Bell.

At all times that I encountered the problem I was calling in directly from my home phone using *98. Once again, the problem was that after I had listened to the first message I was unable to delete, save or listen to that message again and was unable to listen to any subsequent messages. This morning I called in using my cell phone and was able to delete, save, listen again and listen to all subsequently recorded messages so things certainly appear to be working using that approach.

If I have to access my voicemails using my cellphone rather than my home phone, that's fine with me, that's a restriction that I can certainly live with.

[BellNick]

We're glad to hear you found a work around @Retired_CPA.

At this time our best recommendation would be to test an alternate home phone set to see if you experience the same problem. If so we would need to take a closer look into your phone line.

Please keep us posted should you try this.

[Frustrated4]

I periodically received voice mail messages consisting of nothing but beeps. When I try to delete them, or do anything else with them, the input from my dial pad is not received. I just keep getting the message "are you still there". Accessing this type of message appears to disable the dial pad. Once I have these in the mailbox, I can't get by them to other messages. How do I get rid of them? The support people in the call centre don't appear to know.

[Frustrated4]

I have discovered an apparent solution to this issue. If one accesses the mailbox from a different phone line (e.g. cell phone) via the toll number (1-877-235-5777), one can effectively delete the offending messages. However, it is important that the mailbox is accessed from a different phone line/number, not the one to which the voice mail is associated. I was advised to try to access the mailbox via the toll number, but wasn't advised it had to be from a different line. It didn't work that way but did when I accessed it from a separate line. Hope this helps. By the way, I haven't had any follow-up from Bell Support on this either, although was advised that they were actively working on it when I called yesterday. 

[RufusT]

I'm unable to erase messages accidentally faxed to my landline voicemail. I pressing 7 to erase not working.

[BellPatricia]

Hi @RufusT,

Welcome to the Bell Community, and thank you for reaching out to us.

The Community just needs a bit more information in order to help.

Can you clarify if you are using a third party answering machine or the Call Answer home phone feature?

Do you hear anything when you press 7 to erase your messages?

Are you accessing your voicemail from your home phone, or from a different phone?

We look forward to your reply,

- Patricia

[Wocky123]

I am experiencing the same issue after a mandatory conversion from a copper wire phone connection to a fibre connection through a Giga Hub 4000. The copper wires apparently are being decommissioned in my area so I had no choice.

It seems that the call answer does not recognize the tones as it did before. e.g. when you press 7 to erase message it goes to "are you still there" message not having recognized the 7 button being pressed. Tried with 2 different phones and does not work. Silly to think the workaround is to call from a different phone number to erase old messages. Never happened with the copper wires connection.

Thanks in advance for any help on this.

[BellPatricia]

Hey @Wocky123,

Thanks for reaching out to the Bell Community.

We would like an opportunity to dig into this a bit more so we have sent you a private message. Please check your Messages within your profile avatar in the top right corner.

Unsure how to check or send a private message? See How to send a private message

- Patricia 

[Charlee]

How do I delete faxes from my voicemail? Pushing 7 does nothing on faxes.

[WelshTerrier]

Good Day & Welcome to the Bell Community Forum

You will have to access to your voicemail in order to delete new voicemails. You do not have to listen to them fully if you don't want to. You can press 7 at the start of the recording and it should delete the voicemail within the following second.

If you subscribe to Call Answer Message Manager, you may have activated the auto-play option which automatically saves your messages. To deactivate the auto-play option:

1. Dial *98.
2. Respond to the voice prompts by pressing 4, 2, 6, 2.
3. To reactivate auto-play, press 4, 2, 6, 1.

How to use Call Answer on my Bell Home phone : What is Call Answer?

If you are still encountering issues in deleting new Voicemails, please contact Bell Home phone tech support for further assistance.

Let the Community know if you have more questions.

Take care.

[Wocky123]

Respectfully again, if I have to call from my cell phone to get my voicemail, then what is the use of having the fibe phone service? Because of this I am seriously thinking of cancelling the fibe phone line all together and save myself $80 a month.

Sorry for ranting, but not sorry.

[RGH]

I periodically received voicemail messages consisting of nothing but beeps. Pushing 7 to delete them, doesn't work as it generally does for voice messages.  It doesn't seem to accept anything other than 0 and then says the message will be saved for 28 days. Then I just just keep getting the message "are you still there".    Accessing this type of message appears to disable the dial pad. It isn't my phone, because I bought a new one thinking it was my phone ... it's still happening.  This is very frustrating because I can't access real voicemail messages from my family (98-year-old mother) and friends. 

[WelshTerrier]

Good Day.

Based on the information you have provided, I believe some of the messages you are receiving may be caller caused hangups or incomplete. When you are retrieving your messages from  the system it appears to be not recognizing some of your phone dialling numeric inputs.

Were you experiencing these issues before you changed your phone? Has this been an ongoing problem or something that began recently?

This can be a hardware or software issue. Have you tried retrieving your messages by using another phone? This will confirm whether it is a hardware problem or not.

If it is not a telephone issue, it can be caller specific or software related at Bell.

Please call Bell Home phone & ask the technician to reset your Call Answer voicemail mailbox. By doing so, you will loose any messages that may be stored in your mailbox. This process will remove all other messages that you are experiencing retrieval problems with. Please call: 1 866 310-BELL (2355) or dial #611 from any Bell mobile device.

Take care.