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Do you use your landline?

(113 Posts)
GrandmaKT Thu 11-Mar-21 12:03:12

I hardly ever even bother answering my landline nowadays. If anyone is trying to get hold of me, they can always leave a message.
The only calls I get are scams (including one that woke me up at eight o'clock this morning grr!)
Everyone has my mobile number and knows they can get hold of me there (and make calls for free).
Does anyone still use their house phone any more?

tanith Thu 11-Mar-21 12:10:37

I don’t make calls but one or two family members always call my house phone, I’ve no idea why as they have my mobile no.

Chardy Thu 11-Mar-21 12:13:28

Exactly the same as you GrandmaKT. None of my kids has a landline. A friend younger than me told me she had a landline number because it came with her media set-up years ago - but nobody has that number.

Septimia Thu 11-Mar-21 12:40:00

Yes, we use it most of the time.

The mobile signal here was very poor for a long time - you had to experiment hanging out of windows or standing on a particular stair to get a signal.

Although we hate having to give our mobile numbers (we intend them to be emergency only) sometimes it is necessary and sensible. Most of the time calls on the mobiles are intrusive, especially if we're out and about and they're not emergencies.

Otherwise people get the landline number and we use the landline for most local and family calls.

Septimia Thu 11-Mar-21 12:41:43

I should also say that we're prone to power cuts. An old-fashioned plug in phone keeps us in touch with what's going on at times like that, even when the mobile has run out of power.

Ladyleftfieldlover Thu 11-Mar-21 12:41:43

A few friends and family still use it. My doctor rang me on it this morning as I had my mobile on mute (can’t remember why) so didn’t hear her call.

Tricia247uk Thu 11-Mar-21 12:46:03

No, don't have a telephone and only have a landline number because it's needed for the internet

yggdrasil Thu 11-Mar-21 14:18:41

All the time. I have a mobile, for emergencies, but I always forget to charge it till I need it. Wouldn't have it at all except my daughter thinks I should. I have to find my reading glasses to make any calls or anything else on it, so it is a pain.

ayse Thu 11-Mar-21 14:22:16

My children ring the landline as the ring is far louder than my mobile. Although I don’t have hearing difficulties I’ve often not heard the mobile and then get into trouble for not picking up.

Petera Thu 11-Mar-21 14:23:44

We have it in a cupboard - connected - where we never make calls but receive calls from three callers: scams, a friend who has a 'thing' about mobiles and a friend who who isn't entirely on the ball.

I remember though in the early days of mobile phones the advice, from emergency services, was not to get rid of the landline in case your mobile didn't work (signal/flat/lost...)

hulahoop Thu 11-Mar-21 14:30:40

Yes I use it to ring son their signal is rubbish friends ring house phone if they are ringing for a chat .

Katek Thu 11-Mar-21 15:14:43

We seldom use our landline but would still retain it. Not so much for broadband but for the guaranteed connectivity. We live in an area with poor mobile reception and have to use signal boosters as it is. If the network goes down we would be out of contact. If our electricity supply goes down we would also be out of contact as signal boosters wouldn’t work. Prolonged power outages would mean not being able to charge either a mobile (unless sitting in the car with the engine running) or even a cordless handset. To avoid any of these scenarios we have a cheap corded phone costing around 5.99 that we keep in a drawer in the event of an emergency. We also have triple cordless set but, as I said, they are also affected by power cuts so the good old plug and play handset is a cheap, reliable backup.

Tangerine Thu 11-Mar-21 15:47:34

Yes. I use my landline a great deal, even though I have all the modern gadgets. I find people I know who are hard of hearing can hear better if I use the landline.

Ailidh Thu 11-Mar-21 16:29:21

Never. The handset is in a cupboard somewhere. I had to pay for the line in order to get broadband, that's the only reason I have it.

Erica23 Thu 11-Mar-21 16:36:21

We moved house a couple of years ago and decided not to plug the phone in. I don’t even know the phone number, we haven’t missed it one bit, plus it stops the scam calls.

JaneJudge Thu 11-Mar-21 16:46:40

yes but i have a call barring thing on it

Brahumbug Fri 12-Mar-21 07:21:18

If you have a good 4g signal where you live, you can have broadband without a landline, we do!

Ashcombe Fri 12-Mar-21 07:32:47

Yes, my landline is used because the mobile signal is unreliable here, as it is in much of Torbay. However, I make WhatsApp calls on my mobile, especially to DD1 in Australia.

Scribbles Fri 12-Mar-21 07:53:16

I use my landline a lot for all sorts of reasons and would not want to be without it.

lemsip Fri 12-Mar-21 08:03:25

I don't have a handset plugged into my landline socket I use my mobile. I do have my broadband plugged into landline socket of course. so you need the line.

rubysong Fri 12-Mar-21 08:14:31

Yes all the time. We do have old mobile phones on pay as you go. They were cast offs from DS1 and Ddil when they emigrated. We use them a bit for emergencies when out and about but they are frequently out of charge. We just don't have the mobile mindset.

henetha Fri 12-Mar-21 09:53:18

I hate my landline and rarely use it. Most calls I get on it are scammers as my family all have mobiles. When the house phone rings I lose the internet for ages. And speaking on it is difficult as it sounds like someone frying sausages in the background. The reception here is not good.
But I have to have it in order to get broadband, I suppose.

Esspee Fri 12-Mar-21 09:59:38

We prefer to use the landline because the reception is better. We have to pay for a telephone line to get broadband so it doesn’t make sense to not use it.
I had an elderly aunt whose phone bill was enormous as my cousins only had mobiles.

cossybabe Fri 12-Mar-21 10:34:48

I much prefer the landline - more comfortable and a better reception

AlysonH Fri 12-Mar-21 10:34:51

Unplugged the landline phone as was fed up with the scam calls. Anyone who wants me can get me on my mobile...