Motorola MD791 5.8 GHz Digital Expandable Cordless Phone with Corded Base and Answering System (Silver/Black)

Reviews of Motorola MD791 5.8 GHz Digital Expandable Cordless Phone with Corded Base and Answering System (Silver/Black)

1.) Impressive
Reviewed by: Alex Nashville, TN
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Outstanding features such as expandibility, different ringtones and speakerphone. The best phone I have ever owned, but a bit overpriced.

2.) Great product!
Reviewed by: Morning Glory Homer, Alaska
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I have had many different corded/cordless phone and answering machine combinations over the years. All have had their pluses and minuses. There really is nothing to complain about on this one. Four years previously I bought the two line business version of this unit. It has recieved intense use and is still performing well. I have never before gotten this kind of performance and longevity out of my business phones and it is the reason I purchased this unit when I decided to upgrade my home system. My new unit performs just like my business one does and I am very satisfied.

3.) Great system
Reviewed by: Dr. L. Jacobson
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We bought this unit plus 3 expansion units (MD71) to replace an old answering corded phone plus separate cordless system. We had no problem with set up or with "registering" the expansion units with the base. We've particularly liked the intercom feature, the shared phonebook, and being able to screen or listen to messages on any of the handsets.

We've only had one bug, and I don't know whether there is something that we can adjust. The answering machine doesn't seem to recognize hang-ups, and thus records the loud "If you'd like to make a call. . . " message from the phone company each time. Also, the quality of the outgoing message isn't the best, though the recorded messages sound fine.

Overall, a great system, especially for the price.

4.) Good phone for the price
Reviewed by: Jane P. Carlo
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Nice compact system with easy set-up. Clarity is fine. I would compare it favorably with phones twice the price.

5.) Some people are a little slow
Reviewed by: treetop682
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Re: previous review

The volume must be adjusted when the answering machine picks up incomming call. It will then retain that volume setting unless u adjust it again. Good Luck!!!

6.) Motorola Phone
Reviewed by: Ms. Margaret Wickham Elbridge, NY
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Great phone! Works well. Only drawback is how it is fastened to the wall is not very strong and I'm afraid it will fall off.

7.) Haven't had the problems other reviewers have had!
Reviewed by: Connoisseur USA
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Wow, some folks have been really unhappy with this system! I have to say my experience has been quite the opposite. The phone works great for me and has for the past three years with no major glitches. The voicemail works consistently, the range is fantastic for the cordless handsets (I can walk out to get my mail at the curb or well into the backyard and it still works), and the sound is pretty good as far as cordless phones go (and I've had several different kinds over the years).

I knocked one star off because of battery life on the cordless units. After a few months, they don't hold a charge for very long and replacement batteries were not easy to find, but I found them online after some searching. To be fair, I had the same problem with my last cordless phone system. So that is more of a ding against rechargeable batteries than the phone itself.

8.) All issues resolved quickly...
Reviewed by: Real Critic Castro Valley, Ca
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While there was an initial delay on the delivery of the phone, Abe stood behind it and made the deal even better than the original price. Upon arrival there was a charger missing and without question they forwarded it to us in a fairly fast method at no extra cost.

All in all, I would deal with them again without hesitation!!!

9.) Beware Motorola, read the reviews first!
Reviewed by: Michael A. Nielson NY
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I bought this phone based on the the different functions that it offered. It has not been all bad, but after 2 months the cordless stopped holding a charge. Well, these things happen. I figured a quick call to Motorola would solve the problem. Boy, was I wrong. I can't get anywhere with them. So, I have to warn you. My phone barely works now (three months later), and Motorola refuses to make good on it. My advice is to stay away from all Motorola products, and most certainly this one.

10.) New Phones, work fine
Reviewed by: Satalite Commander Monticello, WI
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It's not all that I thought it would be, butit works great and was really cheap!

11.) cant lower volume on incoming messages!
Reviewed by: Jacob NY, NY
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I have the MD 791 for about a week. The phone works great, but the answering machine has a major omission. There is no way to lower the volume on incoming messages. This is a first...I dont ever remember an answering machine that doesnt give you the option to lower the volume on calls coming in. How can one use this answering machine in the bedroom? Aside from this major flaw, the phone is fine.

12.) Voice Mail indicator light does not work!
Reviewed by: Maria Massapequa, NY
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One of the reasons we purchased this phone (base station and 2 handsets) was because we kept missing our Verizon voicemail. The Voice Mail indicator light does not work. The manual does not make any reference to the indicator light, it doesn't even tell you where it is. It also does not give any specifications as to what kind of service you need in order for it to work but all of the boxes have it as a bullet item feature. Motorola customer service is blaming our telephone service. We have the latest and greatest Verizon FIOS. Verizon has been very helpful, spent almost an hour with me on the line and did things like resetting our connection, checking that we receive a visual signal etc. but the light STILL does not work.

FYI, our inexpensive, older technology, Radio Shack Messagelite still works beautifully. On the plus side, we really like the intercom feature.

If you need a Voice Mail Indicator Light - Do not buy this phone.

13.) phone
Reviewed by: Pablo Falo mclean va
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1-on a desk, the craddle doesn't hold the receiver that well
2- no signal or light to be seen or heard re: messages on answering machine

14.) Great features and poor performance
Reviewed by: Peter D. Esser Long Island
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I purchased this phone with 3 extensions based on the company's reputation and the array of nice features. Unfortunately the phone system behaved in unpredictable, erratic ways and require lot of time for debugging. For example, the answering machine would stop picking-up for no apparent reason. Technical support did their best - but after resetting the whole system and still having problems, I have gave up, swapped it for the similar Panasonic system that so far has performed superbly.

15.) loser !
Reviewed by: Philochoros Philadelphia, PA
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I, too, bought this phone with 3 extensions based on reputation and features. The range of the cordless handsets is mediocre (compared even to my old cheap Vtech). Worst of all, the handsets won't hold a charge ! Even after overnight on the charger, I pick up a phone to answer it, and get beeping for low battery.
There is something bad with the circuitry, because I bought a NEW battery for a handset ... and it is somewhat better, but still runs out of gas after only 40 minutes or so of talking.
I'm tossing it out

16.) DOH!!!
Reviewed by: tideguy
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Well, it looks nice, it's small, setup isn't hard, the sound is good, and it has several cute little ringtones. However, this phone has a major design flaw that makes it unusable for me:

There is no way to tell the answering system to record silently! Every time it answers a call, it broadcasts both the OGM and the message that the caller leaves, through the speaker! There are volume buttons but they make only a slight adjustment, from loud to medium loud.

Sometimes, you might not want other people in the room to hear the messages being left on your phone! Sometimes, you might be sleeping, and don't want to be disturbed.

Apparently, this never occured to the Motorola product designers. DOH!!! What a boneheaded mistake. Mine is for sale.

17.) DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE SYSTEM
Reviewed by: Kristina Wasserott Fairfax Station, VA USA
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Have had my Motorola system for well over a year now. Many, many complaints:

1. the handsets buzz
2. battery life is bad - one of the handsets now lasts about 3 minutes
3. no headset plug on the base unit, which I have to use often because the handsets are so bad.
4. You can't read the display on the base unit unless you stand over it and look straight down.
5. If you take the time to assign names to all of your handsets, you lose the names when the power goes out! This happens even if you put batteries in the base unit.
6. The headset jack on the handset units is nestled into a soft plastic area. Some headsets also have a soft area on the male piece that plugs in. Two soft areas do not connect well... the headset falls out. I finally found a headset that stays plugged in.

18.) Don't buy the Motorola MD71
Reviewed by: Daniel New York
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I purchased this system 8/05 with two handsets. Within 18 months, the handsets began to behave erratically. First, the ringing would go on after the base phone was picked up. Next, the handset would signal "out of range" even when inches away. I tried to reset the system but unplugging it; the two handsets just died.

Please save yourself a headache and resist purchasing this utter P.O.S. Shame on Motorola for despoiling their brand in such a cheesy fashion

19.) Don't buy it
Reviewed by: tall
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This is the worst system i have ever bought The communication is very bad. I don't recomend it.

20.) NOT for a work environment
Reviewed by: networkmom space coast fla
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We need someone to help us on this phone. Replaced a similar system with the Motorola and i am shocked at the crappy features...looks pretty but I can't find it functional for our office. Everyone has had problems with the hold feature ...we may just be use to our old system..but this is driving us all crazy. There is no clear hold button it goes from a conference lcd button to a hold button depending on the 2 line status. Sounds confusing, but in a busy store it's even worse.

We don't like the volume control either. Don't like the handset on the wireless it's too wide! So..form and function don't follow this one anywhere.

Hope we can find something else soon...

WE got this for the 2 line feature and expandable handsets...we won't be expanding.

21.) motorola md791
Reviewed by: Chi Ray Chang
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Battery hold very little charge (cordless). Lost volume of calling party on cordless phone.

22.) display stopped working
Reviewed by: DB
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The display on the cordless stopped working after a few months. After contacting Motorola several times, they finally sent a replacement unit. This replacement has now stopped working as well and Motorola is refusing to replace it. Don't buy this unit, spend your money on a better quality product from a different company.

23.) Terrible phone
Reviewed by: Christine Salzo New Fairfield, CT
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I purchased this system with the 2 extra handsets. The unit is 5 months old and the answering machine usually does not work and if it does it keeps the line open after the caller hangs up. The 2 extension units do not hold a charge and the screens are illegible. This was a bad purchase.

24.) Ringer problems with MD7091
Reviewed by: HV
Rating:

I tried three different phones (same model) from three different vendors (thinking that I was one of the unlucky ones to receive a bad unit) and they all have very similar ringer problems -- Line 1 ringer doesn't work, or the phone doesn't ring at any of the extensions when you are on one of the lines, or it Line 1 rings but line 2 doesn't.

I am very disappointed at the quality of this phone. When I called Motorola tech support, they passed the buck to my phone provider saying something about baud rates and that the company needs to adjust it in order for the phone to work reliably. What a bunch of crap from tech support!!! I currently have a Siemens two-line phone that works just fine, so its obviously an engineering issue with the phone.

I can't believe a company like Motorola would release such a sub-standard phone to the market. How long have they been in the phone business?

Features of Motorola MD791 5.8 GHz Digital Expandable Cordless Phone with Corded Base and Answering System (Silver/Black)

With 5.8 GHz FHSS digital technology, the stylish and dependable MD781 is equipped for great conversations, any time, any where. Long battery life and emergency backup help you stay connected through long conversations or power outages. Retrieve your answering machine messages from the base station or handset - or have them forwarded to your cell phone or other number. Plus, you can talk where you want to, because the system is easy to expand up to 8 handsets - which you can place anywhere in your home or office, whether or not theres a phone jack. - 5.8 GHz FHSS Digital Technology - Digital telephone answering machine - Up to 15 minutes or 59 messages recording capacity - Message retrieval from base, handset and remote telephone - Message forwarding - Answering machine toll saver - Caller message screening - Voice memo recording - Speakerphone in handset and base - 24 selectable polyphonic ring tones - Custom ring based on phonebook [This feature requires subscription to the Caller ID service from your local telephone company. Caller ID numbers, name and number service is not available in all areas. To operate the Visual Call Waiting ID feature, you must subscribe to Caller ID name/number with Call-Waiting special combination service.] - 50 private and 48 shared phone book memory locations - Caller ID with Visual Call Waiting in handset and base unit [This feature requires subscription to the Caller ID service from your local telephone company. Caller ID numb

The flexible MD791 has it all: clear, dependable sound, convenient features, and advanced connectivity. 5.8 GHz FHSS digital technology gives you improved clarity and privacy for all of your calls.

The system comes with two handsets--one corded on the base and one cordless model MD71--and you can easily expand your cordless system to a total of eight extensions. When you expand, you still need only one base station and one phone jack--just add additional remote handsets (MD71) as needed.

The built-in digital answering machine makes it easy to retrieve messages from the base station or handset, or you can have them forwarded to your cell phone or other number. Long battery life with emergency backup keeps you connected during a long conversation or even a power outage.

What's in the Box
Base, charging cradle, cordless handset, battery, corded handset, cord, telephone cord, power adapter, belt clip, user's guide warranty card

1.) Cordless handset with 5.8 GHz digital signal; corded base unit;
2.) Caller ID with visual call waiting on handset's LCD screen;
3.) Phonebook includes 50 private listings and 48 shared listings;
4.) 15-minute digital answering system with memo recording;
5.) Expandable to 8 cordless handsets, 1 included; customized ringtones based on phonebook;

Package Height x Length x Width: 12.7 in. x 12.7 in. x 11.3 in.
Package Weight: 4.6 lbs.