Have had and used a model 27851 GE phone as a cordless phone for several years. We have never used the answering machine feature. Recently it has started prompting for set up constantly. Have gone through the prompts and about 24 hours later it starts again. The only two things I can think of are a weak battery are a phone that is bad. There does not appear to be a way to kill the voice prompts.

SOURCE: brand new cordless handset -- no dial tone, no ring!

I doubt it's the battery. As I understand it the base works fine and the problem is only with a cordless phone. Are you using an external charger stand for the cordless handset? These phones need to be registered to the base unit. That is usually done by installing the cordless phone in the base unit but you may need to do that shortly after insalling the battery or you could have a register button or setting.

SOURCE: ge phone answering machine

The solution for the base (not the handset) is to press and hold for 2 seconds the "Skip" button (it's marked with ">>").

SOURCE: changing the number of rings to answer on our Model 28112 GE Cordless phone

the voicemail ring count has to be setup on your phone line thru your voicemail menu,and has nothing to do with the answering machine. if you don't want the answering machine to pickup, just shut it off. follow the prompt's for your voicemail settings, there you'll be able to set the amount of rings you want.
hope this helps.
wg

SOURCE: displays new voice mail and VMWI constantly blinking when no voice mail

I have the opposite problem - no voicemail waiting light or display when there is voicemail