Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

MillicentBystander

Look on the bright side, chaps/chapesses, at least Quentin no longer claims to know of the existence of a cash back card as good as the UW card after repeatedly failing to rise to the challenge and name this mysterious rival so maybe he will also quietly shelve his ''risky card' claim after he's been challenged (and failed) to explain his stance oodles of times. I find it hilariously ironic that he frequently describes 'upto' as a WUM.

MillicentBystander

And the card is 'risky' how?

MillicentBystander

DaveW007 wrote: »

I hope someone may be able to help?

Unfortunately I had dealings a couple of years ago with Utility Warehouse. To cut a long story short a payment plan was agreed with one of their directors.

I have paid in full by direct debit and I thought that was the last of it.

A couple of weeks ago I received 2 letters from Utility Debt Collectors stating there is still £8.81 outstanding.

I have tried numerous times to contact Utility Debt Collectors on the phone but always receive a message informing me that their mailbox is full and to try later.

I have sent countless emails detailing the payment plan and when payments were made etc but have never received a reply acknowledging my emails.

Not wanting to have a County Court Judgement etc against me what do people suggest?

Whilst I appreciate it is a very small amount it certainly isn't owed by me and I don't see why I should pay.

Whilst I hate to be defeatist, I do agree with upto here. It may be financially in Quentin's interests to challenge something like this but £8.81 is less than 2 hours at minimum wage. It's going to take you longer than that to get to the bottom of it - and for all you know it could still be that you do genuinely owe it. Be careful taking fighting advice from someone who won't be taking the potential consequences of so doing. And temper Quentin's advice with the realisation that he has a pretty irrational hatred of UW so he isn't going to advise you to pay it, is he? Maybe you inconveniencing them and ending up with a CCJ will look like a victory in his campaign against the company. Take care.

HappyMJ

MillicentBystander wrote: »

And the card is 'risky' how?

The money deposited is held by PrePay Technologies Ltd and is not guaranteed by the bank. Although the money is held in the Clydesdale bank it is only protected if the Clydesdale were to go bust it doesn't cover PrePay Technologies Ltd. Prepay Technologies is owned by Edenred and Mastercard so is quite unlikely to go bust. The purchases made on the card do not have the same protection as those made on a credit card so if the supplier of the goods goes bust before delivering them to you then you will lose your money with no recourse to the credit card provider. Whilst it is fine for purchases of less than £100 I would never consider using it for bigger purchases.

There is risk. Albeit small but there is risk.

Quentin

HappyMJ wrote: »

....There is risk. Albeit small but there is risk.

When Meeper/Millicent/upto ask what are the risks, they aren't really wanting an answer!


The UW reps/supporters are well aware that there is risk associated with their card, but for some reason are unhappy that the risk gets mentioned in this thread - (not by them, of course!), and use their UW style techniques to deal with this! (Misleading replies/personal abuse etc)

Meeper

Of course I wanted an answer, and of course I already knew what it was. The problem is that all you do, Quentin, is re-use the word "risky" over and over without explaining what those risks are in an attempt to sensationalise or (as that word may be too long for you) make it appear more of an issue than it actually is.

So, your money is at risk on the card, because PrePay Technologies might go bust. The company part-owned by Mastercard. Might go bust. Right.
Also, your purchases are at risk because they aren't bought on a credit card, so aren't covered under that particular legislation. Is it therefore your contention that it is MORE risky to use the UW prepay card backed by Mastercard than it is to take on credit cards?

Any more risks? Perhaps it's a risky card because it has sharp edges and you might hurt yourself when you put your hand in your pocket? Maybe the silver chip on the front could be removed and hacked into by sophisticated cyber-terrorists who can steal the money on the card. Fortunately, that is never more than a few hundred pounds, as opposed to losing a credit card with a limit of thousands.

Risky? HA!

NigeWick

DaveW007 wrote: »

I have sent countless emails detailing the payment plan and when payments were made etc but have never received a reply acknowledging my emails.

I think I would pay up and then claim it back as an overpayment unless they can show you the exact figures proving you are wrong. I believe that one can go through the small claims procedure which is either free, or, you get costs from the other party if you are correct. Having said that, I would check that small claims stuff as I'm no expert and wouldn't want to put you wrong. But, as I said at the start, I would pay up and then begin the fight.

MillicentBystander

Speaking as someone who purchased a 700 quid TV on the card (got it from Comet which had the best price at the time, went through Quidco and reserved it online, paid for it at their counter and picked it up an hour or 2 later, after instantly loading the cash onto my card) I did so in the full knowledge of the 'risks' involved. The fact I got a discount of £35 on my monthly UW bill in addition to the £20+ Quidco cash back sweetened the deal somewhat.

There are risks involved with ANY card, prepaid or credit. If Quentin is happy to call the UW card 'risky' then he should also do the same for every other card, including the much discussed (and market leading) Amex cash back credit card. That was my point.

Quentin

Meeper wrote: »

Also, your purchases are at risk because they aren't bought on a credit card, so aren't covered under that particular legislation. Is it therefore your contention that it is MORE risky to use the UW prepay card backed by Mastercard than it is to take on credit cards?......

You now admit you know about that particular risk, so why do you ask if your card which doesn't carry the protection legislation that a mastercard (or any other) credit card does is more risky when it clearly is??

As previously posted, your motives for continually asking questions you know the answer to are questionable!

As is your motive for posting misleading and untruthful stuff as you did after upto gave wrong information regarding the risk of the money held on the card being lost:

uptomyeyeballs wrote: »

.... When i used my card, the money I charged it with was only ever held for an hour at most before being spent, that negates the risk you are alluding to, namely that if UW goes bust any balances will be lost. The card isn't run by UW though, it's with a well known commercial bank, who won't be allowed to go bust, ......

Although you were well aware upto had made a "mistake" in believing the money is held by the bank, and despite you being a financial adviser, (who one would expect to be anxious not to leave any false impressions regarding the safety of any deposit) you chose not to point this out, and instead posted this "misleading" reply :

Meeper wrote: »

And that response from Upto, my dear Quentin, is why I keep asking the question....... The risk is, in fact, miniscule. Especially when compared to other cards you have previously advocated on this forum.

(I have not advocated any specific cards on this forum - though I have pointed out that other cards are available through which you can get far more discount/cashback by shopping at Sainsburys etc than by using the risky uw card to make your expensive energy bills look cheaper!!)

MillicentBystander

Quentin wrote: »

You now admit you know about that particular risk, so why do you ask if your card which doesn't carry the protection legislation that a mastercard (or any other) credit card does is more risky when it clearly is??

As previously posted, your motives for continually asking questions you know the answer to are questionable!

As is your motive for posting misleading and untruthful stuff as you did after upto gave wrong information regarding the risk of the money held on the card being lost:



Although you were well aware upto had made a "mistake" in believing the money is held by the bank, and despite you being a financial adviser, (who one would expect to be anxious not to leave any false impressions regarding the safety of any deposit) you chose not to point this out, and instead posted this "misleading" reply :



(I have not advocated any specific cards on this forum - though I have pointed out that other cards are available through which you can get far more discount/cashback by shopping at Sainsburys etc than by using the risky uw card to make your expensive energy bills look cheaper!!)

Typical of your cowardice on here. Let's have a name for a change. What are you perpetually scared of in this thread?? Having your choices forensically investigated like you do with the people who are man enough to actually name their choices? Grow a pair and then come back, eh? Until then stop wasting people's time.