What is the point of Voicemail if there is no way of knowing you have a message?

[#1]

Subject says it all really - I've missed a number of very important messages because somehow Voicemail has intercepted a call instead of it going to my answerphone.
I only found out recently that a 2 tone dial tone means there's a message - which is fine if you check every 10 minutes but a bit dull otherwise.
If there is no way of alerting me then it is of no use. I'd love to switch it off but there's nothing on the control panel - or is it a paid for upgrade to remove it?

[#2]

When it first came out, many of the phones available at the time also had a red button that would flash when you had a voicemail.
But in your case, if you have an answer machine then its best not to also have voicemail, if no one from PN picks it up here, then get on the phone, or chat and ask PN to remove it.

[#3]

You could also try adjusting your phone's settings to set a lower threshold on when to answer to out do the voicemail, but that then means it's a constant race to answer the phone before the machine picks it up. So all round getting it turned off would probably be your best option.

[#4]

It can be useful if you're using a phone that doesn't already have a built-in answer machine, or if you're using a physical answer machine. I've usually found that people who already have a solution in place are better off disabling the 1571 feature as it has a tenancy to take the voicemail before the built-in/physical solution take the call - As you have pointed out.

Quote from: bin

I'd love to switch it off but there's nothing on the control panel

You can remove call features Here on the home phone control panel
I hope this helps.

[#5]

Hi Harry
Thanks very much for the quick response and link, job done.
However, I am very puzzled as to how I would have got to that link in the first place. No matter how I get there, once I am on the Phone Control Panel page, clicking on the Call Features tab just takes me to https://portal.plus.net/plustalk/index.php?page=wlr_add_call_features ; with no apparent way to the Remove section. Probably just having a senior moment (moments?) 

[#6]

[#7]

Not on mine it doesn't - assume it's some sort of Windows only thing..............?

[#8]

If by Voicemail you mean Call Minder - I have it set up to send a Text Message to a mobile phone. I can then access the message directly from the phone or from another phone
If you do not mean Callminder then sorry I have wasted your time