Moving from BT to EE with Advanced Digital Home Phone with Alexa

[garywood84]

I have recently moved from BT to EE for broadband and digital voice. Although EE sent me a new router and smart wifi devices, I have retained my original BT Advanced Digital Home Phones with Alexa. 

I've re-registered these phones to the new router, and so they are working to both make and receive calls.

However, the Alexa function is not working: when I press the Alexa button, or try to access Alexa Settings from the phone's main menu, I see "Alexa is not available" on the phone's display.

Anyone else experienced this issue or know of a solution, please?

[mountain-goat]

If the new handset is an Alexa one I would guess best to send it back for a refund because it won't work properly. If it's the Essential one it should work as far as I am aware.

Regarding your question "Did your contact with the BT Executive Complaints dept provide any assurances that the problems are actually being worked on or is it a situation that was previously mentioned that unless there is a ground swell of complaints they are not prepared to get it right?" I would say the answer leans towards yes. In my calls and email correspondence with my BT Executive Complaints dept. contact in one email he stated "I am sorry that your case has turned out like this, it will be used as feedback on how its progressed." which I have taken to mean they are aware of the issues, I know they are from conversations with him, and are working towards a solution but I suspect it will be like turning a supertanker, it will not be easy and will take a long time!

[AP2020]

Yes same here.

Just  been swapped over to EE by BT and sent an EE SMART HUB 2 PLUS [i THINK] Quite a Bruiser of a unit.

All working to make and receive calls after spending hours on the phone to various GUIDES who would/did NOT understand there is not a wired base unit.They kept telling me to plug the base unit in.

HOWEVER NO ALEXA Just going to start off on that one and found your post and replies.

Cheers Andy

[cgee1]

BT said that everything would stay the same. even Alexa. but no nothing did .In fact 

Alexa does not and never will work with EE  according to EE.

BT also said the prices will reamain the same,

nope that never happened its more expensive.

sometimes I now wished I hadn't have stayed with EE. 

I have had load of promises that I would get a refund and drop my bill. That never happened

.Oh yes I got £20 back.  Big deal after all the problems I had . Had nearly 1 week without  my phone  and broadband as it kept disconnecting and got nothing for  it.

Now finally all is working with both.  except the odd times no phone .

[Paddy-B · Accepted solution]

Hi All,

The Alexa function is a 3^rd party service and may change from time to time.  For customers who have moved from BT Digital Voice to EE Digital Home Phone on the new Smart Hub Plus, the Alexa function is no longer supported but this does not affect the use of the handset otherwise.

Thanks,

Paddy

[CeeJayTee]

My Alexa handset will not work with the new EE smarthub plus. It says service not ready.

I just called them, and they did several resets of the line which made no difference. I have been point-blank told that the BT Alexa phones don't work with the EE hub, so I cannot make or receive any calls.

None of this was mentioned when I was moved over. EE is a complete cluster-$%&!

[AP2020]

OMG
Have they not learnt anything yet.
What aren't the GUIDES told or the info available when searching.

Hey you don't think it's deliberate.

So NO Alexa will never work now on our handsets.

I asked for compensation and new handsets.
Got 1 BUT Handsets are no good the display is smaller.
In the end they compensated me with a refund of my last bill £50

Cheers Andy!

[JimM11]

@CeeJayTee The model of handset has been reported to work previously apart from the Alexia function, do you find now that it completely does not work in any way what so ever?

[AP2020]

Yes old BT digital voice HANDSETS SHOULD WORK FINE WITH NEW ROUTER. 

However I have 5 handsets. The maximum and like the very, very, old system powered by BATTERIES and had REN numbers. (Remember those???)

Every so often some handsets or 1  will ring not ring. Bonkers. 

Progress eh.

Really cannot be **bleep**d to ring up and find out why. Spend and hour trying to teach a tech guide about phone systems first. 

Where do they all come from. Reading useless scripts. When you get a real techie it's fantastical simple. 

That are so high up and well trained they know it all. Works out only about 2 out off 10 calls 

Cheers Andy

[Bert007]

Just found this on a BT web page!

https://www.bt.com/help/landline/digital-voice--using-the-bt-advanced-digital-phone-with-alexa

So even BT now say the alexa advanced phones WILL work as phones but NOT with Alexa.

[JimM11]

@Bert007 Probably something that google has done!