Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

Meeper

Cardew wrote: »

So please explain how UW's phone/broadband package represents better value than BT's package.

UW's phone and broadband package "Max" costs £24.99 per month. The closest equivalent I can find with BT costs £28 + £10 per month line rental, on an 18-month contract. http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=25633

You steadfastly refuse to admit, or discuss, the indisputable fact that UW's gas and electricity is hugely expensive.

I do not agree, once again. Yesterday, I saw a new customer, they were with Scottish Power. They had paid, over the last 12 months, £2,482 for their gas & electricity, excluding VAT. The cost of UW energy for the same period and same usage would have been £2,095. Are there cheaper options out there? Yes. Did this particular guy save money? Absolutely. Short of calling me a dirty rotten liar, liar pants on fire, how do you explain this from a company with such EXPENSIVE energy?

You make claims in posts about Standard Tariffs and when shown that you are, without question, incorrect, you just ignore the truth and revert to type.

I don't remember being shown anything "without question".

Some UW salesmen know the facts about UW prices and others patently do not.

Into which category do you fall? Everything seems to indicate the latter?

How rude.

Meeper

Cardew wrote: »

i.e. the small print that makes it useless.

How so? There is small print on every deal in the world. How, specifically, is the small print in this case rendering the deal "useless"?

MillicentBystander

HappyMJ wrote: »

You represent UW you should know when the £69.99 applies.


On BT if a new line is needed it's free when both landline and internet is taken for 18 months. Normally £130. If only landline is taken it's discounted to £30. 10 calls need to made per month otherwise a charge of £5.15 per month will apply.

There again, UW's price includes international calls whereas that's £5/mth extra with BT. It's swings and roundabouts. Personally that is more beneficial to me than 200 free texts (I mean, lol) and 5gb of virtual storage (what???) All these things are extremely niche products BT know that the vast majority of their clients won't use but they include them anyway to justify their high prices. As far as I can see, a new customer taking up yours and Cardew's BT package would be charged approx £36/mth and they would need to commit to a min 18 months before that price would be reduced in any way (that's without the International option included in UWs price as well or we would be looking at £41+!!). That's the bottom line here, it's the package and price available to all that's the real test and I think you both know it. In that respect BT is so way off the pace it's actually laughable. Cardew doesn't surprise me, he'd swear black was white if it was to do with UW but I am a bit surprised at you, Happy.

HappyMJ

Meeper wrote: »

I do not agree, once again. Yesterday, I saw a new customer, they were with Scottish Power. They had paid, over the last 12 months, £2,482 for their gas & electricity, excluding VAT. The cost of UW energy for the same period and same usage would have been £2,095. Are there cheaper options out there? Yes. Did this particular guy save money? Absolutely. Short of calling me a dirty rotten liar, liar pants on fire, how do you explain this from a company with such EXPENSIVE energy?

Today, I saw a customer, they were with Scottish Power and paying £2,482 on receipt of bill excluding VAT. (£2,606 with VAT). I suggested they could save money by switching to UW. The comparison site said it would cost £2,576 per year with the same payment method but with the cashback card they could save 25% bringing it right down. However, the comparison site also said they could stay with Scottish Power switch to monthly direct debit and pay £1,982 and fix their energy prices until January 2013.

Meeper

HappyMJ wrote: »

Today, I saw a customer, they were with Scottish Power and paying £2,482 on receipt of bill excluding VAT. (£2,606 with VAT). I suggested they could save money by switching to UW.

Good idea. Is that you declaring your interest in this thread as a distributor?

The comparison site said it would cost £2,576 per year with the same payment method but with the cashback card they could save 25% bringing it right down.

I'm afraid that was incorrect, as I worked out my figures based on the usage numbers from the guy's bills along with the actual UW prices from the tariff guide. Granted, I didn't include the monthly membership fee, which would reduce the saving slightly, but still into the hundreds of pounds.

However, the comparison site also said they could stay with Scottish Power switch to monthly direct debit and pay £1,982 and fix their energy prices until January 2013.

Whether there are better alternatives available is not in dispute here. I have said that there are on many occasions. Why would you want to stay with a company charging you £2,482 per year when it knows it could offer you the same for £1,982? I wouldn't want to deal with a company like that.

Cardew

Meeper wrote: »

I do not agree, once again. Yesterday, I saw a new customer, they were with Scottish Power. They had paid, over the last 12 months, £2,482 for their gas & electricity, excluding VAT. The cost of UW energy for the same period and same usage would have been £2,095. Are there cheaper options out there? Yes. Did this particular guy save money? Absolutely. Short of calling me a dirty rotten liar, liar pants on fire, how do you explain this from a company with such EXPENSIVE energy?

Ok let us take gas and electricity first and another post on phones.

Put bluntly I think you are 'mistaken' about the Scottish Power comparison; or deliberately not comparing 'like with like'.

I just wonder if you are talking about a domestic customer and not a business customer. We are all aware that business customers can inadvertently find themselves locked into stupid tariffs.

So assuming a domestic customer.

I can readily believe someone might have PAID SP £2,482 over the last 12 months. Very easy if you entered that 12 month period owing say £1,000 and were paying back arrears over the period.

However I don't believe the above will apply to a domestic customer.

Please give us the details - area, gas and electricity consumption and tariff. As you have the exact details and it was only yesterday, they must be to hand.

Meeper

Cardew wrote: »

Put bluntly I think you are 'mistaken' about the Scottish Power comparison; or deliberately not comparing 'like with like'.

I'm afraid not, sorry to burst your bubble.

I just wonder if you are talking about a domestic customer and not a business customer. We are all aware that business customers can inadvertently find themselves locked into stupid tariffs.

Nope, this is a residential customer.

I can readily believe someone might have PAID SP £2,482 over the last 12 months. Very easy if you entered that 12 month period owing say £1,000 and were paying back arrears over the period.

There were no arrears and paying back anything. That was what he was charged for his usage.

However I don't believe the above will apply to a domestic customer.

Sorry about that.

Please give us the details - area, gas and electricity consumption and tariff. As you have the exact details and it was only yesterday, they must be to hand.

He took most of the stuff away from him, but my scribbled notes show 22,023 kWh for gas and 9,227 kWh for electricity for the year. Area is 13 - Manweb. I don't have a note of the tariff, but the costs were as follows: £1,023.78 for gas and £1,458.75 for electricity.

Based on those usages, UW would go with the High User tariff, which for the equivalent numbers would have been £894.73 for gas and £1200.83 for electricity. Add in the £30 per annum membership charge if you like, so the saving here is £356.97 regardless of the 10% back at the end of the year and cashback card savings, all of which are supplementary.

HappyMJ

Meeper wrote: »

Good idea. Is that you declaring your interest in this thread as a distributor?

Not a distributor. I don't think I could get enough customers quick enough in 90 days to get the joining fee back.

HappyMJ

Meeper wrote: »

I'm afraid not, sorry to burst your bubble.

Nope, this is a residential customer.

There were no arrears and paying back anything. That was what he was charged for his usage.

Sorry about that.

He took most of the stuff away from him, but my scribbled notes show 22,023 kWh for gas and 9,227 kWh for electricity for the year. Area is 13 - Manweb. I don't have a note of the tariff, but the costs were as follows: £1,023.78 for gas and £1,458.75 for electricity.

Based on those usages, UW would go with the High User tariff, which for the equivalent numbers would have been £894.73 for gas and £1200.83 for electricity. Add in the £30 per annum membership charge if you like, so the saving here is £356.97 regardless of the 10% back at the end of the year and cashback card savings, all of which are supplementary.

I get £2,169 for Manweb region Scottishpower compared to £2,218 for UW.

Cardew

HappyMJ wrote: »

I get £2,169 for Manweb region Scottishpower compared to £2,218 for UW.

Also the £2482 is what he purportedly paid in the last 12 months - when prices were much cheaper.