"trailer" writes:
I had one like that once. To make matters worse, if there was one message
on the machine (not yet listened to) it always answered on the second ring.
I guess it assumed that if you haven't listened to messages, you weren't
available. It was AT&T.

That's usually called a "toll saver" feature. I'm surprised it couldn't
be turned off. The basic idea is this:

* Your answering machine provides remote access. You use this by
calling the machine, waiting for it to answer, interrupting the outgoing
message with #1234 (or whatever 4-digit security code you chose). The
machine shuts up and listens for DTMF tones. By pressing buttons on a
tone phone, you can listen to messages, delete them, change the
outgoing message, and anything else you could do if you were at home
in the physical presence of the machine.

* If you are on a trip, you call your answering machine frequently to
check for messages.

* But you don't want to pay for a long distance call when there aren't
any new messages waiting. So, when "toll saver" is turned on, the
machine answers after 2 rings with new messages, but 4 with only old
messages. When you call home to check, you can hang up after 3 rings
and know there are no new messages, without paying anything.

Dave