Frequently asked questions

Please visit telecare24.co.uk/brochure/ to request a free info pack.

You can download it via email, or we can send it to you by post free of charge

Our brochure explains everything you need to know and makes it easy to understand the options and share these with your loved ones.

Prices vary depending on the plan that you choose.

Please note, there is a £45* setup fee for all new customers.

* All prices are excluding VAT, which 95% of our customers don’t pay.

This non-refundable fee enables us to prepare your careline alarm and collate all of your medical and emergency contact details on our systems.

You rent the equipment from us for the duration of your service. Your equipment must be returned to us at the end of your service agreement.

Legacy customers of our Buddi plan can keep their equipment when their service ends.

We can accept payment via credit/debit cards, Direct Debit, and PayPal.

Please note:

• Using a credit/debit card is the quickest way to pay, and can be done securely online or over the phone. This also helps us to process your order more quickly, dispatching your new alarm sooner.
• We do not accept BACS or bank transfers.

If you have a disability or a long-term medical illness, HMRC allows you to order a careline alarm from Telecare24 without paying VAT. We call this VAT exemption. (Please note, VAT applies to key safes, regardless of your VAT exemption status.)

To avoid paying VAT when you order from us, simply choose “I am exempt from paying VAT” at the checkout, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Learn more about VAT exemption and how you can take advantage of this 20% saving.

If you are ordering a careline plan on behalf of somebody who is VAT exempt then you do not need to pay VAT.

For more information on VAT exemption, please see our VAT exemption page.

Yes, you can.

This is an excellent idea if you have someone else living in your home who may also benefit from using a Telecare24 careline alarm, or if you would like another device handy in another location in your home.

If you order an extra pendant or fall sensor for somebody else, we’ll ask you for their medical and emergency contact details as well.

Extra pendants and fall sensors are available at the checkout at an additional cost.

We are one of the only careline providers who allow you to join to our service even if you don’t have any keyholders living nearby; all we ask is that you install a key safe.

Having a key safe installed means we can still get you the help you need in an emergency, even if you don’t have a keyholder living close by.

You can either purchase a key safe from Telecare24 when ordering your careline plan, or you can arrange it yourself.

Learn more about key safes on our website.

No, you don’t have to have a keyholder to use our service.

We are one of the only careline providers who allow you to join to our service even if you don’t have any keyholders living nearby; all we ask is that you install a key safe.

Having a key safe installed means we can still get you the help you need in an emergency, even if you don’t have a keyholder living close by.

We’ll begin setting up your new careline alarm as soon as we have received your initial payment and your completed Service Agreement.

When we come to dispatch your new alarm, we will use Royal Mail’s Tracked 24 service, at no additional cost to you.

Please note, Royal Mail cannot guarantee next working day delivery to some addresses in the UK. For more details, please refer to our delivery page.

When you place an order you can choose the delivery address where we will send the new careline alarm equipment to.

The simple answer is no, as everything is included in your plan.

When you raise an alert for help, your careline alarm unit will place a call to our control centre using an 0844 number*. We can not change it. However, please note that your telephone service provider may charge you for these calls. You should check with your phone provider or visit Ofcom for further details.

*0844 telephone numbers are recommended by Ofcom for contacting organisations such as Telecare24.

The contract length for all of our service plans is a minimum term of 12 months. The minimum term applies whether you select the monthly or annual payment option (on the pendant and fall plans) and always on the GO! plan. This period starts from the date we dispatch your equipment.

Please refer to our terms and conditions page.

We do not charge our customers a fee for cancelling their service with us, subject to our terms and conditions.

Please note, however, that there is a £30 restocking fee that is applicable, should you choose to cancel your service after the initial cooling-off period has ended.

This restocking fee covers the cost of several things;

• Shipping the rental equipment back to us (we’ll send you a pre-paid return label in the post)
• De-programming and refurbishing the rental equipment
• Administration relating to the closing of the account with our careline monitoring centre

The equipment you receive on our pendant and fall alarm plans needs to be plugged into a mains power socket. You also need to plug it into either your master telephone socket or your broadband router, depending on whether you have an analogue or a digital telephone service. We’ll check this with you when you place your order, and if you have any questions you are more than welcome to call us for clarification.

The GO! GPS alarm equipment just needs to be charged using the charging cables that we provide.

We’ve made sure that your equipment is really simple to set up, but we are always happy to help if you need us to – just give us a call.

The effective range of our alarms varies, depending on the equipment you receive and the plan that you choose.

Our pendant alarm has a range of up to 100m*, while our fall alarm has a range of up to 200m*.

*This is the approximate distance that you can be from the base unit while wearing your alarm, and still be able to activate your alarm to contact our monitoring team.

Please note that these distances can vary depending on things like the thickness of walls in your home, and other factors.

The simple answer is yes, but it depends on the equipment you have and whether your home telephone is analogue or digital.

For Pendant Alarm plan customers:

• The ‘Smile’ pendant has a battery life of 12-24 months, dependent on use. Our team will automatically be notified when the battery on your ‘Smile’ pendant runs low. When this happens, we’ll reach out to arrange a free replacement.
• In the event of a power cut, the ‘Novo’ base unit is features a 48 hour battery backup. Keep in mind that if there is a power cut and the battery backup in the base unit has run out, the wearable alarm will not do anything when activated.
• If you have a digital home telephone service and your base unit is connected directly to your broadband router, your alarm will only work if the broadband router is still powered on. Learn more about the Digital Switchover.

For Fall Alarm plan customers:

• The ‘Vibby’ fall sensor has a battery life of 12-24 months, dependent on use. Our team will automatically be notified when the battery on your ‘Vibby’ fall sensor runs low. When this happens, we’ll reach out to arrange a free replacement.
• In the event of a power cut, the ‘Novo’ base unit is features a 48 hour battery backup. Keep in mind that if there is a power cut and the battery backup in the base unit has run out, the wearable alarm will not do anything when activated.
• If you have a digital home telephone service and your base unit is connected directly to your broadband router, your alarm will only work if the broadband router is still powered on. Learn more about the Digital Switchover.

GO! GPS alarm plan customers should simply remember to keep the device charged.

On our pendant and fall plans, you need access to either a master telephone socket (if you still have a traditional ‘analogue’ service) or a broadband router (if you now have a digital home phone service).

If you don’t have either one, our GPS plan may be suitable.

If you’re not sure about this, you should call us for clarification.

On our pendant plan, your alarm will work up to 100 metres from the base unit. That’s comfortably enough for most homes and gardens.

On our fall alarm plan, this range is extended up to 200 metres from the base unit. This is ideal if you have a larger-than-average home or garden.

Please note, these distances can be affected by things like the thickness of the walls in your home, and other factors.

All of our alarm devices (including the pendant alarm, the fall alarm, and the GO! GPS alarm) can be worn around your neck on a lanyard.

Important notice: If you have a pacemaker, the GO! device must not be worn around your neck and must be kept at least 25cm away from your pacemaker at all times.

Our pendant alarms and fall alarms can also be worn comfortably on your wrist like a watch.

Our equipment can be worn in bed quite comfortably, but you may take it off at night if you wish.

Should you decide to take your alarm off at night, we recommend keeping it close by – for example, on your bedside table.

The GO! GPS alarm uses the mobile phone network (also known as GSM) to communicate with our careline team.

In order to ensure the best possible service, the device comes fitted with a SIM card that connects to the strongest signal of any mobile network that is available in your area – right across the UK.

If you are unsure as to whether the GO! GPS alarm is suitable, give us a call and we’ll help you find the solution that’s right for you.

Please note that the mobile network coverage in your area or the strength of the signal that you are able to receive inside your home are elements that are outside of our control.

To check the strength of the mobile network signals in your area, use this Mobile Coverage Checker.

The pendant alarm, fall sensor, and GO! GPS alarm are rated as IP67 water resistant so that you can comfortably wear your alarm whenever you take a bath or shower.

The IP67 rating means that the alarm can be dropped into a body of water up to a meter deep for as long as half an hour.

To raise the alert, just press the emergency call button that is located on your pendant, fall sensor, or GO! device.

Pendant alarm and fall alarm customers can also press the emergency call button on the base unit.

GPS alarm customers can press the buttons on the device.

If you have a fall alarm or a GPS alarm, your device can automatically detect when you have fallen and raise the alert for you, even if you can’t.

We’ve got a great video to show you – click here.

When you activate your alarm, our friendly team will begin speaking to you in a matter of seconds.

On our pendant and fall alarm plans, we’ll speak to you via the loudspeaker and microphone that are built into the base unit.

On the GO! GPS plan, we’ll speak to you through the loudspeaker and microphone built into the portable GO! device.

The fall sensor technology inside our fall alarm and GO! GPS alarm devices are designed not to trigger if thrown on the floor or dropped.

When you activate your alarm, we’ll speak to you through the loudspeaker and microphone on the base unit.

GO! GPS alarm customers – we’ll speak to you through the loudspeaker and microphone built-in to your portable device.

Our pendant alarm plan and fall alarm plan devices do not have a built-in microphone. We’ll speak to you through the loudspeaker and microphone on the base unit.

If we cannot reach you via the base unit, we will call your landline to ensure everything is okay. If there is no response on the landline, we will call keyholders or if the situation requires emergency services.

If you have trouble hearing us when we speak to you through your alarm, we’ll call one of your emergency contacts to check that you are okay.

We prepared your new careline alarm for use before we sent it out to you. In essence, all you need to do when it arrives is plug it in and switch it on.

We’ve made sure that your equipment is straightforward to start using, and we included a handy instruction guide in the box we sent out to you.

If you need us to we are always happy to help. Just contact us on 0800 180 85 40.

You can download a digital copy of our alarm user guides using the links below.

Pendant Alarm plan customers:

• If you have a Novo base unit: Download
• If you have a Tynetec base unit: Download
• If you have a Doro base unit: Download
• If you have a TeleAlarm® base unit:
  • Analogue (connects via landline): Download
  • Digital (connects via broadband): Download

Fall Alarm plan customers:

• If you have a Novo base unit: Download
• If you have a Doro base unit: Download
• If you have a TeleAlarm® base unit:
  • Analogue (connects via landline): Download
  • Digital (connects via broadband): Download

GPS Alarm plan customers:

• If you have a Chiptech™ GO! device: Download
• If you have a Buddi device: Download

If you have our pendant alarm or fall alarm plans, we recommend putting your base unit close to a mains electricity socket and either the master telephone socket or your broadband router, depending on whether you have an analogue or a digital home telephone service. If you’re not sure about this, you should call us for clarification.

Please note, our alarms are not compatible with internet-based phone lines.

If you are a GO! GPS alarm customer, you should keep the device on your person.

Ideally, you should check all your equipment at least once a month and make a test call to our team. It gives you the reassurance that your alarms are working and lets us know it’s fine too.

We include a test reminder sheet when we send out equipment to our customers, and we suggest keeping these sheets near their units and check off each calendar month as and when that month’s test has been completed.

If you do not have one of these sheets and would like one, you can download a test sheet online. You can also contact our office and we’ll post one out to you completely free of charge.

For instructions on how to test your equipment, please consult your user guide. A paper copy will have arrived in the box with your alarm. Alternatively, you can download a digital copy using the links below.

Pendant Alarm plan customers:

• If you have a Tynetec base unit: Download
• If you have a Doro base unit: Download
• If you have a Novo base unit: Download
• If you have a TeleAlarm® base unit: Download

Fall Alarm plan customers:

• If you have a Novo base unit: Download
• If you have a TeleAlarm® base unit: Download
• If you have a Doro base unit: Download

GPS Alarm plan customers:

• If you have a Chiptech™ GO! device: Download
• If you have a Buddi device: Download

This is an excellent idea if you have someone else living in your home who may also benefit from using a Telecare24 careline alarm.

As an existing customer, you’ll need to get in touch with our team at your earliest convenience.

We’ll ask you for the new user’s medical and emergency contact details, so please have these to hand.

Calls from our emergency response centre will show as an unknown number.

Whilst we understand this is not ideal, it is a safety procedure to stop emergency contacts from returning calls directly, which could delay calls from users in need.

However, our team will leave a voicemail with a contact number to call back on if we are unable to reach you.

If any of the details we hold for you have changed then you need to let us know. Please get in touch with our team at your earliest convenience.

Examples of details we occasionally need to update include but are not limited to; changes to your telephone number or address, new medical conditions, changing your key safe code, or changes to your key contacts.

Rest assured, we store this data securely and only share vital information with the emergency services.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of our service, accounts cannot be placed on hold.

Feel free to contact us to discuss your situation.

If you are going to be living at a different address for less than 1 month then we would not recommend taking your pendant or fall alarm equipment with you. If you will be living at a different address for more than 1 month, get in touch with us to discuss what to do with your equipment.

If you have a GO! GPS alarm and you are temporarily going to be living somewhere else, you should take your device with you.

Please let us know whenever your address changes so that we can keep our records up to date.

If you are already a customer and you would like to change your plan with us, please contact us to discuss the options available to you.

Please note, charges may apply.

Please get in touch with our team to arrange replacement(s) for your lost equipment.

Please note, charges will apply.

It is rare for our units to develop a fault. However, in the unlikely event that an issue occurs, please call our customer services team in the first instance.

Our team will automatically be notified when the battery on your ‘Smile’ pendant or ‘Vibby’ fall sensor runs low. When this happens, we’ll reach out to arrange a free replacement.

For Buddi or GO! GPS plan customers; if you are having issues with charging your device, please contact us directly.

We’re sorry to hear that you are unhappy with something.

To make a complaint, please send an email to [email protected] – and be sure to include your account number (starts with ‘TC’) so that we can easily find your records. A member of our team will contact you within 48 hours during business hours.

Alternatively, send us a message using the form on our contact page.

Please contact us in the first instance, letting us know that you would like to cancel.

Please note, there is a £30 restocking fee when cancelling your service with us, should you choose to cancel your service after the initial cooling-off period has ended.

This restocking fee covers the cost of a several things;

• Shipping the rental equipment back to us (we’ll send you a pre-paid return label in the post)
• De-programming and refurbishing the rental equipment
• Administration relating to the closing of the account with our careline monitoring centre

A refund typically takes up to 28 days from when we receive your returned equipment.

To cancel your service with us, please contact our team on 0800 180 85 40 or by sending us a message on our contact page.