What does "toll stop" or TS mean on an answering machine?

Answer 1

It means that you can program it to ring twice when you have a message or 4 times when you don't, so when you call from somewhere to check your messages you won't get charged if you don't have any. Just hang-up if it rings more than twice.

Answer 2

Toll Stop or Toll Saver on an answering machine is a setting that will make the phone ring a certain number of times if there are messages that have not been played and a different number of times if there are no new messages.
The idea is that the person who owns the machine might call home to check the messages and incur a toll (from a pay phone or long distance call, etc.) only to find out there are no new messages.
With Toll Saver, you know before the call connects if there are new messages, allowing you to hang up before you are charged a toll if there are no new messages.
It has nothing to do with collect calls. Your answering machine doesn't know if the call is collect or where it is coming from.

Answer 3

My answering machine has a "toll saver" feature, it's probably the same thing. If the machine has no new messages, it picks up after the 4th ring (to give you a chance to answer if you're there). But if it has new messages, it assumes you're not home and picks up after the 2nd ring. That's so the person calling can save money on long distance charges; they don't have to wait for all four rings. If you're calling in to check messages from somewhere else, you can hang up if it doesn't answer after 2 rings, since you'll know there are no messages.