Messages left on answering machine are not recorded ie response is "there are no new messages" even though voice messages were sent. Can you help please?

Without know what voice mail system you are talking about you cannot be helped.

You have unheard messages on the voicemail system provided by your telephone company. This system records messages when people call while you're already on the phone. Please contact your telephone company for instructions on accessing their voicemail system.

Here are the instructions you need to follow:

If you want to be able to play your messages from a remote location, you need to enter a two-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) code (01-99).
To select a PIN, perform the following steps:
1) With the phone in standby, press [menu/clock] twice.
The system announces "Security code," and the current PIN code is announced as it is displayed on the base.
Then the system announces the instructions for setting the PIN code.
2) Press [volume/select/ ] or [volume/select/ ] until the desired number appears.
3) Press [set] to select the PIN code. You hear a confirmation tone, then the announcement "Security code" followed by the new PIN code is announced. After a few seconds, the system announces "To set ring time, press menu again."
Note: The PIN code is set to "80" at the factory.

Remote Operation
When you are away from home, you can operate your answering machine with any touch-tone telephone. Use this function to check for recorded messages, to play or delete messages, even record a new greeting message.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) During the greeting message, press [0] and enter your PIN code
3) The answering machine announces the current time and the number of messages stored in memory. Then you hear "To play incoming message, press zero two. For help, press one zero."
4) You may continue to listen to the voice prompts, or you may select a command from the following chart:
Command Function Command Function
[0] then [1] Repeat a Message [0] then [6] Answering Machine On
[0] then [2] Play Incoming Messages [0] then [7] Memo Record/Stop*
[0] then [3] Skip a Message [0] then [8] Greeting Message Record/Stop*
[0] then [4] Delete a Message [0] then [9] Answering Machine Off
[0] then [5] Stop Operation [1] then [0] Voice Prompts
* For Memo Record and Greeting Message Record functions, the first time you enter the corresponding command, it
starts the Recording function. If you want to stop the recording, enter the command again.
Note: Once you enter the remote access menu, you must enter a command within 15 seconds, or the
answering machine automatically hangs up and returns to standby.
5) After all of the voice prompts have been played, you hear intermittent beeps indicating that the system is in the
command waiting mode. You may enter another command at this time from the chart.
6) When you are finished, hang up to exit the system. The answering machine automatically returns to standby.

Turn on the Answering Machine Remotely
If you have forgotten to turn on your answering machine, you can turn it on remotely from any touch-tone telephone.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) Wait ten rings until the system answers. You hear intermittent beeps.
3) Press [0] and then enter your PIN code. The answering machine announces the number of messages stored in memory. You hear "To play incoming message, press zero two. For help, press one zero."
4) Press [0] then [6] to turn the answering machine On. You hear the outgoing message and a confirmation tone.
5) Hang up the phone; subsequent calls will be answered by the system.

Can you please specify the exact model of the phone? Because the steps in accessing it remotely varies from model to model. Anyway, you can try to follow the steps posted here and then test:

Remote operation allows you to control the functions of the Answering System when you
are away from the Base,and call from an outside telephone line. The Answering
System cannot be accessed from another telephone on the same line. You can access
many of the Answering System functons from a remote location, such as listening to
messages, changing recorded announcements, and recording memos.
Remote operation can only be accessed from a touch tone telephone. If the remote phone
is set to pulse dialing, switch it tone. If tone dialing is not available, you will not be able
to access the Answering System.
Note: All function codes should be entered within 2 seconds in order to activate Remote
Operation.
To Activate Remote Operation From a Different Telephone Line
1. If the Answering System is OFF, you can dial your telephone number and wait for
the Answering System to answer your call after 10 rings. An announcement, "Please
enter your security code" is given, and you enter your security code to use remote
operation.
2. If the Answering System is ON, it will answer your call and begin playing the currently
selected announcement (as with any incoming call).
3. Enter # followed by your 2 digit security code during the announcement. The
default security code is 19.
4. Once the security code is received, a double confirmation beep will be given, and
you are in Remote Operation mode. You can then control the Answering Machine
functions using the telephone keypad.
5. The user can also enter the Remote Operation mode during message recording. The
procedure is the same as step 3. The recording will be stopped after entering the
valid security code "s#xx " and the incomplete message will be deleted. If " 0s"
is entered, the Answering System will release the line, but the recorded message
will still be retained.
6. If the user enters a wrong security code, the system will release the line.
Playing Messages Remotely
1. Press " #1 ", " #2 " or " #3 " on the touch tone keypad to play the messages in the
corresponding mailbox.
2. The system will announce "Mailbox X. You have XX new messages and XX old
messages" and the system will playback the new message only. If there are no new
messages, the system will announce "Mailbox X. You have XX old messages. On
the other hand, in the absence of old messages, the system will announce only the
number of new messages.
Repeat Messages During Playback
1. Press "#4" once during message playback to repeat the current message.
2. Press "#4" twice within 2 seconds to skip to the previous message.
Skip Messages During Playback
1. Press "#6" once to skip forward to the next message.
Stop Message Playback
1. Pressing "#5" during message playback will stop playback.
Deleting Messages
1. Press "#9" once during message playback to delete the current message.
Note: Playback will pause if "#" or " " is entered. Answering System will wait for the
command in the following 2 seconds. If no further tone is entered, playback will be resumed.
Memo Recording
1. Press " 8".
2. After selecting the mailbox by entering command "1", "2", "3", You will hear, "Now
recording", followed by a beep.
3. Enter "#5" to stop recording when you have finished.
Change OGM Remotely
1. Enter " 7" to record a new OGM. You will hear, "Now recording", followed by a
beep to signal start of recording.
2. Press "#5" to stop recording. Your new OGM will playback automatically.
Check OGM1 Remotely
Enter "#7" to review OGM. You will hear playback of OGM followed by a beep.
Turning Answering System ON or OFF
Pressing "#0" toggles the Answering System ON/OFF. "Answer machine on", or "Answer
machine off" will be announced, followed by a beep.
Voice Menu for Remote Operation
The system provides two pre-recorded voice menus to help you during remote operation.
Press " 5", and you will hear the simple voice menu.
The simple voice menu is as follows:
• Press "#1" to play mailbox 1.
• Press "#2" to play mailbox 2.
• Press "#3" to play mailbox 3.
• Press "#5" to stop.
• Press "#4" to repeat the message.
• Press "#6" to skip the message.
• Press "#9" to erase the message.
• Press " 5" for other functions.
(To advance voice menu)
The advanced voice menu is as follows:
• Press "#7" to review outgoing message.
• Press " 7" to record outgoing message.
• Press " 8" to record memo.
• Press "#4" twice to repeat previous message.
• Press "#0" to turn the system on or off.
• Press " 5" to return to the simple voice menu.
Pressing any function code will stop the voice menu, and perform the corresponding
functions.
Exiting Remote Operation
1. Enter " 0" on the touch tone keypad to exit remote operation mode. The Answering
System confirms your action with a long beep and then disconnects.
2. The Answering System also automatically disconnects if no key is pressed within 20
seconds during remote operation.

when your greeting answers, punch in your code, usually a 4 digit code, each manufacturer has their own default code that it comes with.. check the manual or website

Try this...
See if this works for you.

Remote Operation
When you are away from home, you can operate your answering system with any
touch-tone telephone.Use this function to check for recorded messages, to play or
delete messages, even record a new greeting message.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) During the greeting message, press 0 and enter your PIN code.
3) The answering system announces the current time and the number of messages
stored in memory. Then you hear "To play incoming message, press zero two.
For help, press one zero."
4) You may continue to listen to the voice prompts, or you may select a command
from the following chart:

Command Function
0 then 1 Repeat a Message
0 then 2 Play Incoming Messages
0 then 3 Skip a Message
0 then 4 Delete a Message
0 then 5 Stop Operation
0 then 6 Answering System On
0 then 7 Memo Record/Stop*
0 then 8 Greeting Message Record/Stop*
0 then 9 Answering System Off
1 then 0 Voice Prompts

If you forgot to turn on answering system the directions for that are here:

Turn on the Answering System Remotely
If you have forgotten to turn on your answering system, you can turn it on remotely
from any touch-tone telephone.
1) Call your telephone number.
2) Wait ten rings until the system answers. You hear intermittent beeps.
3) Press 0 and then enter your PIN code. The answering system announces the
number of messages stored in memory. You hear "To play incoming message,
press zero two. For help, press one zero."
4) Press 0 then 6 to turn the answering system On. You hear the outgoing message
and a confirmation tone.
5) Hang up the phone; subsequent calls will be answered by the system.

GE Digital Messaging System ~ Voice/Time/Day stamp
1a] press and hold down STOP/set button and wait for promps.....
ie. press NEXT to change Day stamp and then SET to pick.
ie. press NEXT to change Hour and SET to pick.
ie. press NEXT to change Minute and SET to pick.
1b] press NEXT to pick 1minute allowance recording for recieving messages coming in, or 2 minutes or 3 minutes or 4 minutes. This machine only has 1/2 hour of recording time, so maybe you can 'tell' -record- that and let incoming callers know they have only minutes and machine will automatically shut off and cut them off [hang-up] on them.
2] press and hold down Greeting button and follow promps to change the answering machine voice promps to your own voice. Machine will automatically PLAY BACK your voice, if you don't like what you hear, press and hold down Greeting button again and try again.
~ hope all above helps.

In the even your new voice message alert flashing gets out of sync with your phone company's voice messaging system, you can reset it bact to the original "no messages waiting", non-flashing state. To do this, with the phone in the standby mode and in its cradle, press and hold find hs (find handset) on the base until the paging sound stops (about 5 seconds). The flashing will stop.

I lost the directions for my NW Bell GHZ answering machine. I would like to change greeting and set the time. How do I do this? It is model 36288.