****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Check this model for how it is turned on and off before you buy. My earlier model required the user to hold down the "End" button to turn the phone on and/or off (presumably to conserve battery power). Result: two useless handsets when the contacts beneath said buttons soon wore out. It was cheaper to buy a rebuilt handset than to have the single critical button serviced (which means it wasn't "cheap" at all). A simple on-off switch on the front or side of the phone would alleviate the problem. As it stands, the expensive handsets are now utterly useless because they can no longer be turned on.The batteries (for my model, anyway) are proprietary and expensive. That means you can't go into a Wal-Mart or Radio Shack or Staples and buy replacements. Also, again doubtless because of the power requirements, they wear out quickly.On the plus side, the system performs admirably and as advertised. Or I should say, performed. I've since replaced it with a simpler and cheaper Panasonic system that doesn't have nearly the range...but does have an on-off switch on the handsets (and a much easier-to-use intercom set-up).
