Phone completly dead

[davel745]

Our phone went dead and there is no way to contact emergency services and the phone company only lists phone numbers to get a hold of them the email doesn’t get answered.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Dave

[Darren]

I always go to a payphone when that happens. I never use the automated system but wait till I get an actual person on the line. Get the work order number from them. It also gives me the opportunity to find out if the trouble has already been reported and the estimated time of repair.

[10kids]

Do you have a relative or friend that you could email and have them call it in?

[Rick]

Pm or email the number to



I will call but they usually have a 10 day backlog. Do you have an old cell phone for 911 use?

[Rick]

Do you have a wire lined phone? If so try it inside first, or any other phone first to make sure the problem is not the phone. If still dead repeat on any remaining inside jacks. Next go out to the NID - Network Interface Device - the Gray box the wires from outside join with the wires to inside. Try the phone there. If you have a dial tone the inside wiring is at fault. No tone - it is likely the Phone Company's problem.

[switchman62]

Dave,

As Rick already mentioned, go outside to the NID and hook a regular phone out there. If there is no dial tone there than the problem is the phone company. If there is dial tone the problem is somewhere in the inside wiring or phones, answering machines, etc. If that is the case unhook all devices and add them back on 1 at a time until you find the culprit.

Also, a lot of companies you can report trouble online (you mentioned you had tried to email so I am assuming you can get online somehow). I know with Verizon, Frontier, Att, etc all have ways to report online. If you have a neighbor you can go to, you can have them report it also.

Dave

[Harry Chickpea]

Good luck. Went through something similar with AT&T recently. Phone companies are horrible with customer service. One possibility - go to a neighbor call the number to set up service. Another is to cruise the streets looking for a phone truck and hijack the driver.

FWIW, the AT&T way of reporting stuff online has a funky web interface that didn't work for me. It wanted me to setup an online account first and refused the report of a service outage.

[tinknal]

Could be your phone too, or do you have more than one that isn't working?

[Darren]

The phone company always asks if the problem is your phone or your wiring. In fifteen years, it's always been on their side of the interface. If you're dealing with Frontier who bought Verizon's patched togther network, file a formal written complaint with the PSC. the phone company doesn;t mind phoned in complaints. Formal written ones are a big issue,

[Ken Scharabok]

If you haven't done it before, open the door on the gray box. Inside you will see a gray line with a plug in jack. Undo that jack and plug in a phone you know works. That will likely be the first question an AT&T operator will ask.

Pay phone? I haven't seen one in years now.

[texican]

There are still lots of pay phones... just look for the line of unicorns waiting to call out! Cell phones killed pay phones. I know homeless people with their own trac fones.

I always check the NID first. Last week a dog chewed my inside cord in two. The new cord has been slathered in a lovely habanero hot sauce... have seen a few dogs pawing at their mouth... but the new line is still intact!!!

[Ken Scharabok]

At least in TN a free cell phone comes with the welfare system. Well, maybe someone will call them with a job offer.

[Two Cents Worth]

Depending upon your phone company you may very well be able to send them an email about the outage.

[Cyngbaeld]

Originally Posted by texican

There are still lots of pay phones... just look for the line of unicorns waiting to call out! Cell phones killed pay phones. I know homeless people with their own trac fones.

I always check the NID first. Last week a dog chewed my inside cord in two. The new cord has been slathered in a lovely habanero hot sauce... have seen a few dogs pawing at their mouth... but the new line is still intact!!!

I had to wrap my line with additional wire and LOTS of duct tape cause the geese kept biting thru it.

[Darren]

Believe it or not there are still pay phones in many parts of rural WV due to the almost non-existent cell phone coverage.

[davel745]

They fixed the phones yesterday and the tech called and said that mice had gotten into the pedestal and had chewed a bunch of wires. The phone works now and I am able to get online.

Thanks for all your help

Dave