Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic KX-TCD545EM Corded Phone with Answer Machine and Additional Cordless Handset and Charger

The Corded + HandSet overall are easy to use. I found the apparatus intuitive. The instruction guides are easy to understand.
1) Most of the features can be set and used from the HandSet rather than the Base corded phone.

2) Sound Clarity is good. HandSet Menu is excellent.Address Book Response is great . Chain Dial is an excellent faclitiy .

3) Some points where I think the model could have been improved.
a)Since the Base Phone is corded i guess in case of Mains Power failure the base phone should operate like an ordinary corded phone and allow dialling and receiving calls. This is not the case with KX-TCD545.
b) There should be option to regulate the volume of the Answering Machine. Or atleast a option of operating in Silent Mode and the company preset volume.

Overall this is a nicely designed and easy to use phone for most people. If however you use broadband, the caller ID and SMS features will not work with the broadband connection on. This is a major problem if you, like me, have an "always on" connection. Net searches reveal that some people have no problem which may mean that some filters work better than others. Please post if you know of a make of filter that seems to work!

I have searched for and tried hands free speaker `phones for sometime now and have returned them all as the speaker in the rear of the DECT hand set was just too weak and pointing away from the user if it was being used in it`s dock. That is for my hearing ability and the amount of background noise present.
This `phone "has it all" and both base station and handset have speakers powerful enough for me to use medium output level only!
There are a host of other features as well that seem good value, well done Panasonic.
Excellent sales service from Amazon as well. Thanks.

On the surface this seemed a good buy with lots of excellent features, and it is quite simple to use, though not intuitive. However, there are some features and applications which significantly reduce the value of this package.

1. There is an SMS contract which, though I think it's unlawful in the UK, suggests that when you send your first SMS you automatically make a contract with Bizzyline (Direct) Ltd. This assumes that you read the manual!! Personally I don't. If it isn't intuitive, it goes back! But I resent even being placed in this position by a manufacturer. I feel as though Panasonic is attempting to entrap me. Really, really bad customer service from Panasonic!!!

2. Most of the useful features can't be operated from the base unit!!!! This includes entering numbers into the base unit memory!!!!! What on earth were Panasonic thinking!!!!

3. In the UK, many people use prefixes for dialing out. I use NTL who provide a dialer box, though I have several phones. I expect any phone to be able to deal with prefixes. This one can't.

4. Although you can enter favourite numbers in the handset (200) and the base unit (only 20?!?), when one of those favourites phones you, this model does not let you know who's phoning. All such caller ID features rely on your subscription with your phone company. In my case that's not an option so I miss out on a wide range of useful features.

5. When the phone rings there is no way to cancel the call with the handset (unless my purchase is faulty), so if you don't want to take the call you just have to let it ring until the answer machine cuts in (assuming it's switched on).

My overall opinion: It's going back. Panasonic produce some good bits of kit but I do wish they'd get the basic package right.