Reasons to choose your retro telephone from "sp_retro_phones": 

1.     I am a qualified and experienced engineer with an eye for detail and a desire to achieve near-perfection. I have a passion for renovating telephones to their former glory, transforming old telephones to fully working items of apparatus. 

2.     All telephones are refurbished to their best possible condition, whilst maintaining originality as much as is practicable. The telephones are disassembled for specialist cleaning, fully tested and appraised prior to sale. Any necessary remedial work or adjustments are made, for example dial speed, and ringer impedance. Finally the finishing touches such as a reproduction telephone number label, or a new BT lead or plug (where necessary) are added. 

3.     Where necessary, any replacement line cords and handset cords are fitted with the correct terminations inside the telephone. Other non-specialists may simply use unfinished cable ends – these run the risk of coming undone in time, perhaps causing annoying intermittent faults or severe problems such as disabling the telephone line. Of course any botched connections such as these are out of sight when buying a telephone – be confident that my telephones have these purpose-specific connections, fitted with specialist tooling. 

4.     My attention to detail is second to none. The refurbishment process is comprehensive and the subsequent appraisal means that you as the customer gets a detailed account of the telephone you are purchasing. You can then rest assured you know exactly what you are purchasing. 

5.     I have countless delighted customers, and number of repeat customers – please check my feedback to see comments. Customer satisfaction is the ultimate goal for me – I want you to enjoy owning the telephone as much as I have enjoyed refurbishing it. Additionally, I can tailor each telephone to your specific needs. For example you may wish to have a brand new, or colour coded BT lead fitted. For GPO 700 series telephones you may even request a specific colour combination, as all components are interchangeable – please contact me with your requests!

• No ringer impedance or operational check
• No guarantee or return policy, items "sold as seen" 
• No reproduction telephone number label – one of those small, but essential finishing touches
• A dial that is slow - or more critically, sticks.
• Perhaps a grubby, damaged BT lead; or a "botched" lead
• Traces of grime and dirt trapped in awkward areas!
• Flaws and imperfections that were missed (or simply not declared!)

The refurbishment process:

The refurbishment procedure is comprehensive. Each telephone is firstly tested for correct operation and assessed for physical condition. It is then dismantled and professionally cleaned externally (and internally if necessary). Any damaged or faulty components are replaced; the dial and mechanical components are checked and lubricated. The impedance of the ringer is adjusted and the bells are adjusted so that the optimum ring is achieved.

Finally all plastic mouldings are polished using a two-stage procedure, using authentic products that were used by the GPO. This removes as many of the surface marks as possible and results in an attractive, glossy finish. Indeed many of the telephones look almost brand new once the procedure is complete! I test each telephone once more after refurbishment, and appraise its condition so that an accurate description can be given. As a final measure, each telephone is given a full operational check one more time prior to dispatch.

Technical Information (GPO telephones only):

All GPO telephones have been converted so that the ringer impedance is adjusted for modern BT landlines. This ensures that whilst ringing, the telephone does not draw too much current from the landline, therefore preventing problems for lines where multiple telephones are connected. Most telephones feature a "rectifier", a component that minimises the clicking noise when the hang-up button is pressed when making a further call. This clicking noise could actually harm hearing over time if you were to repeatedly press the hang-up button whilst holding the handset to your ear! Please note that some of the older 700 series telephones may not have this feature.

Finally for GPO 700 series telephones (excluding Trimphones), a modern GPO 21A electronic microphone may be specified for additional cost. The 21A microphone was an original GPO upgrade introduced in the 1980s and improves speech quality, bringing it up to modern standards. The standard carbon granule type microphone can deteriorate over time, although all those fitted to my telephones are of perfectly acceptable quality.

Please note that other phones in eBay auctions may not have these features!  Be confident in the knowledge that this telephone does!

Pulse / Tone Dialling:

Pulse dial telephones generate a series of electronic pulses to dial telephone numbers. This method has been superseded by the modern "tone" dialling method (also known as DTMF, TOUCHTONE etc), however pulse dialling is still supported by BT and some other networks. If you have any doubt, please check with your service provider. Even if pulse dialling is not supported on your landline, the telephone should still support incoming calls which for me is most of the appeal. Dialling telephone numbers with pulse dial telephones can be rather time consuming, and I always recommend you retain your touchtone phone for repetitive day to day use!!  

Important Payment information:

Payment must be made within 7 days, otherwise a non-payment report will be filed with eBay. Cheques or internet banking transfer (BACS) are preferred methods of payment for this listing and for certain items using either method entitles you to a nominal discount - please see listing for details. Internet banking transfer is quick and easy! I reserve the right to wait for cheques to clear.

I reserve the right to refuse PayPal payment from bidders with unconfirmed addresses or those with a history of negative feedback. Please enquire PRIOR TO PURCHASE if you are in any doubt. Genuine, reliable bidders are always welcome. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Delivery: 

I package my telephones to exceptionally high standards – please see my feedback from buyers. The telephones are well protected and should reach you in the condition they left me - please let me know if they do not. I use bubble wrap and other protective materials and the telephones are always packaged in boxes – not merely wrapped in paper or plastic bags as I have seen all too often from other sellers. The delivery price takes into account the materials, time and effort however I do reuse materials where possible for environmental reasons and to keep the delivery price I charge as low as possible. Please note telephones are usually dispatched twice a week, meaning delivery could take up to 7 days. Please contact me with any queries or if you need the phone especially quickly – prior to purchase if it is critical – and I will do my utmost to accommodate your needs.

Warranty, Returns and After-Sales: 

I am confident that you will be delighted with your vintage telephone and as such I offer a 7 day returns policy (please see "Returns Policy"). Furthermore, most telephones include a 60 day warranty, which can be extended to 6 or 12 months. I also provide a comprehensive after-sales service including a reconditioning and conversion service for any existing GPO telephones you may have - please contact me for more details. I would also consider purchasing any redundant telephones, possibly as part exchange – any condition considered!

Returns Policy:

I give a detailed account of every telephone I list - please read this and consider your purchase carefully prior to buying. I am sure that you will be delighted with your purchase, and for peace of mind I offer a 7 day returns policy should be unhappy with your purchase. Should you wish to return the telephone, a refund of the purchase price will be made on its safe return. Please note there is no refund on the original delivery cost. To initiate a return, contact must be made first stating your intention and to comfirm arrangements for return. The telephone must be returned to me in the condition in which it left me, in the original secure packaging via trackable means at your expense.

Feedback: