Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

Mike_by_the_Sea

Cardew wrote: »

So what are French and Saunders doing on TV most nights?

You can watch their video here.

http://www.utilitywarehouseherts.co.uk/

OMG !!! I would be severly repremanded for something like this, where are the moderators? :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Try this one instead http://www.uwdcvideos.co.uk/

Quentin

Mike_by_the_Sea wrote:

Are you able to furnish anything that proves that Telecom Plus PLC are paying a comparison site for supplying customers?

It is your colleagues who bring up the false claim that uw doesn't pay comparison sites, (or pay for advertising), not me!

Now you will see it suggested that I could face legal action for posting false info!

I am "grateful" for your concern, but respectfully suggest you ask your people how Energylinx and UK Power fund the payments that they give to anyone they pass on to become customers at the uw.

(Note there is no cashback from the companies that truly don't pay commission to them, eg. ebico)

Mike_by_the_Sea

Quentin wrote: »

It is your colleagues who bring up the false claim that uw doesn't pay comparison sites, (or pay for advertising), not me!

Now you will see it suggested that I could face legal action for posting false info!

I am "grateful" for your concern, but respectfully suggest you ask your people how Energylinx and UK Power fund the payments that they give to anyone they pass on to become customers at the uw.

(Note there is no cashback from the companies that truly don't pay commission to them such eg. ebico)

Hi Quentin

Thanks for the response, my question is not whether the sites receive a commision for the customers, rather who "pays" them. I have been unable to find evidence that Telecom Plus PLC pay them. I have found evidence that would suggest that they are transferring the potential customers to a distributors site, rather than to the company.

With regard to the advertising, it is generally the overworked and underpaid distributors that "pay" for the advertising material. The rulings are, as you say, for misleading advertising, but the point that vinnyph was making is, in essence true, in the context that UW don't advertise across the media as other energy providers do on a regular basis.

To state that vinnyph is making false claims is a bit harse when taken slightly out of context.

As is the suggestion that you could face legal action.

Best regards

Mike

Quentin

vinnyph wrote: »

The other companies pay a fortune for advertising on TV. Do you realise just how much they spend and how much more their overall costs are compared to the U.W.D.C.

Could you explain then, why your energy costs are so much more expensive than "the other companies"?

Cardew

vinnyph wrote: »

Cardew I have indeed read those sites and in particular the second one goes straight to a report detailing the price rises across europe. The figures are from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development from a report on the Consumer Price index. Cannot see where better to see the price across europe. It seems that the recent price rises in this country have something to do with price reductions in the countries that own most of the energy companies in this country. Our energy prices have risen much higher than any other country in Europe. So it does appear that price rises in this country are out of proportion to the rest of the European market. That's the point I was trying to make.

As I suspected you have read it, but haven't understood it!!!

It doesn't say 'Our energy prices have risen so that they are higher than any other country in Europe."

It states our energy prices have risen at a higher rate.

In fact that article states:

Energy companies claim that while price rises in the UK have been higher, we were starting from a lower base figure than other nations.
The Energy Retail Association said: 'The UK has the most competitive market for gas and electricity in the world. The OECD figures don't show the actual level of prices, just the change over the last 12 months.



'Recent Government data shows that domestic gas prices are still the lowest in the main EU area.'

Let me spell it out for you in simple terms!

I sell a product for £2 and you sell the same product for £1.

If you raise your prices by 50% and I raise mine by 10%, It is absolutely correct to say that your prices are rising at a faster rate than mine.

However it is an undeniable fact that you are still selling the product cheaper than I.

It is also pertinent to point out that the Euro and the US$ has risen dramatically against Sterling in recent months, so in any that(artificially perhaps) skews any comparison in favour of UK having even cheaper energy.

If you care to do a search on MSE you will find plenty of posts that show we have just about the cheapest gas in western Europe, and are very nearly the cheapest for electricity(France on off-peak tariffs for large users being a notable exception.)

However, you made the statement that "We are paying higher prices than on the continent for our energy" so please give us some evidence to support that statement.

Quentin

Mike_by_the_Sea wrote: »

my question is not whether the sites receive a commision for the customers, rather who "pays" them. I have been unable to find evidence that Telecom Plus PLC pay them. I have found evidence that would suggest that they are transferring the potential customers to a distributors site, rather than to the company.

The switching companies state they get paid commission by the suppliers.

You seem to suggest that uw gets round this by telling you "we don't pay them ourselves, but one of our reps does". Do the reps have such authority to do deals like this in the name ou uw with the likes of energylinx - which as you see contradicts your sales patter? Come off it!

Were it true that uw don't pay commission to comparison sites, wouldn't that be plastered all over their website (as it is in Direct Line's advertising)?

We have been told that the uw reps uses this to counter objections from bewildered customers who ask you "why is the uw so expensive on the comparison sites"? (ie Use it to overcome the objection by telling them the comparison sites don't like us at uw because we don't pay them commission)

1carminestocky

With respect, Quintin, it is you who is making the allegations so shouldn't it be up to you prove conclusively that what you are alleging is absolutely true. Anything less would surely leave you wide open to accusations of misleading the readers, something you appear only too keen to accuse UW distributors of.

1carminestocky

And while we are at it, perhaps Cardew could give us full details of which TV channel the French & Saunders UW ad apparently appears on every night.

I think you are back working as a tag team again and getting each other a little over-excited consequently causing you both to make elementary mistakes. It is amusing, though...

Quentin

vinnyph wrote: »

energylinx works differently to all the other comparison sites, and yes we do not pay a commission to them. U.W.D.C. works by referral. U.W.D.C. simply use them on their site because they give our rates and not false ones that the other comparison sites tend to use for us.

How are they different. You input your consumption and they list the companies in order from cheapest to most expensive. Just like all the others.

If you decide to sign up with certain of the companies listed (the ones who pay commission to them), they share the commission with you.

They are not alone in doing this, as I have already shown you, though you choose to ignore that.

What is the subtle difference you see by them paying for a "referral" over paying by commission?

1carminestocky

I have to agree about the 'false price' thing. Uswitch, for instance, when you try and compare UW's dual fuel with all the other suppliers, adds the £21 club fee in TWICE, so to get the correct price you have to deduct £21 from the price shown. And that's a FACT, not some bravado-induced Quintin-like supposition.