4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Panasonic KX-TGA520M Cordless Expansion Handset
Date of Review: Aug 30, 2006
The Bottom Line: Don't be tempted. The absence of a reliable display makes this phone a no-go. Find a phone with better reliability and same or better features.
Great handset...when it works.
I purchased the Panasonic KX-TG5212M GigaRange Supreme 5.8 GHz DSS Expandable Cordless Phone with Dual Handsets and Answering System from Amazon in September of 2004, and at the time they were running a special which added a third handset for free. At first I was ecstatic with the purchase; the phones worked as advertised, and they allowed for crisp, clear communications well away from the base unit.
However, approximately 10 months after the purchase, one of the handsets began to brighten to the point that the display (caller ID, missed calls, etc.) was unreadable. I called for support, and after following their instructions, the display worked again, albeit with a little less contrast that I'd have liked.
Less than a week later, the problem appeared again. Long story short, after having to "fix" the unit practically every day for almost a month, I called Panasonic and had the handset replaced. I was a little put-out that I'd spent so much for a phone "system", and yet had to send my handset back before they'd replace it with a new one. But I liked the phones, and hoped to avoid further issues.
Now, approximately a year later, a different handset has the same problem, but worse. With the first bad handset, I could usually remove the battery, push the buttons on the front of the phone and the display would be legible for a while. Not so with this one. The display is completely oranged-out (if that's a word), and consequently the display is completely illegible.
Sure, I've had the phones for a while now (just under 2 years), but two of three handsets failing within 2 years – with the exact same problem no less – is more than I believe one should reasonably expect. I've had several phones last MUCH longer with zero defects, phones that were only replaced due to perceived improvements and/or advancements justifying the update.
Rather than replace another defective handset – this time at my expense – I've decided to look for a different set of phones from a different manufacturer. I'm a bit slow sometimes, but not so slow as to be tempted into repeating my mistake. I cannot in good conscience recommend Panasonic cordless telephones. I'm looking elsewhere, and I recommend you do the same.
