Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

Plushchris

SwanJon wrote: »

Sorry, missed this one.

Watch the assumptions - how do you know what I do - plenty of roles in a company the size of British Gas.
Based on the check I made for Click 5, BG standard was cheaper than UW

I noticed that too in the comparison I did.

I will check again on 1st of April and see if thats still the case, any bets as to who will be further up the list, BG Standard or UW on 1st of April?

Cardew

vinnyph wrote: »

If you say UW customers are so unhappy

Where have I said UW customers are 'so unhappy'? They should be!

I guess you don't like all the good press U.W.D.C. has been getting recently and recommendations from which magazine etc, etc.

Getting good press for their business model does not mean a good deal for their customers.

Although covered before in this thread, the Which report is not an investigation but a survey. With 25,000 reps their friends and family who have a chance of participating, there are some vested interests likely to come into play. Why even you have voted to give UW 10/10 for pricing on various internet sites. A totally objective vote of course!

You are no doubt old enough to remember when Arthur Scargill at the height of his unpopularity was voted BBC 'Man of the Year'.

As usual I notice you have avoided any difficult questions from several contributors.

P.S.
Thank you for your advice and interest in my welfare; I am confident it is as genuine as your other contributions to this thread and other internet websites!

SwanJon

vinnyph wrote: »

U.W.D.C. have the guarantee so have to wait until all the other companies disclose their new prices which was on 16th march. I know the new prices but they don't come into effect until april 1st so we display the current prices so as not to misinform people. You will find that the other companies new prices will come into effect on april 1st with the exception of british gas standard price was earlier but after the reduction on gas price for their standard rate customers which still was more expensive than the standard price for U.W.D.C. in any case at the time. Is it not better to not lie to people and display the new rates until they are actually in place.

The point you accepted before is that click 1 click 2 click 3 click 4 click 5 have been increased over time to a level near the standard rate. True. So its only if people keep swapping they get a keener rate. The same will happen no doubt with click 6. They are short term deals it appears. Is that not true. You accepted it before. Eventually people get put on a higher rate. The standard rate will proportionately have to be increased to compensate for these short term special rates. That is true.

Again people taking U.W.D.C. take the whole package not just 2 energy services and so there are greater savings as a result than just paying for energy. You have to admit its not a bad deal at all. The people in the Which customer satisfaction survey seem to think it is.

Anyway I am off to bed now so goodbye everyone. Sweet dreams

You've just got to love punctuation.
I don't know how having these internet tariffs affects the standard rate, so I'm suprised that you do. Do you deny that a company can make savings by dealing with customers by email instead of over the phone? Do you think some of that saving should be shared with 1) all customers or 2) those customers willing to accept this to rediuce their cost to serve?
I've accepted that the click tariffs have been superseded, and that when standard prices rose, so did the click ones (often a few weeks later), but also said that some people are willing to make these checks. I've also accepted that some people are willing to take extra services and use the cashback card to make it UW work for them, but neither option suits everyone, and I'd also place money on the fact that the two options together wouldn't be enough.
I recognise that UW doesn't have online tariffs, but does have different tariffs for customers who use different amounts. I assume this is to meet a the needs of different customers, the same principle even if a bit simpler.

billsavings

vinnyph wrote: »

actually I have never bothered ever to write anything on a forum before

One of the first things to do is read is the site rules.;)

" Pls be nice to all MoneySavers. There's no such thing as a stupid question, and even if you disagree courtesy helps."

Also read the original post in this thread.

" All Telecom Plus Distributers must declare it when they post "

That means all the time not when it suits you.

1carminestocky

billsavings wrote: »

One of the first things to do is read is the site rules.;)

" Pls be nice to all MoneySavers. There's no such thing as a stupid question, and even if you disagree courtesy helps."

Also read the original post in this thread.

" All Telecom Plus Distributers must declare it when they post "

That means all the time not when it suits you.

I'm assuming it would be OK if he declared his interest in his sig in 'invisible ink' like the other person on this thread who derives his income from an energy company? Martin's rules in the first post also extend to ALL energy company employees across the G&E forum.


No matter how annoying you find it, vinnyph really does make a very valid point regarding online tariffs! The switching sites will give you the projected yearly figures for switching to, say, BG's online current tariff. Only problem being, during their 3 year history, NOT ONE of these online tariffs has actually survived for the full 12 months! That means, effectively, the person switching has been lied to, as the savings will NOT be what they say they are over the next 12 months! It's a very dodgy practice. For instance, Click 6 lasted precisely 2 and a half months!

Quentin

vinnyph wrote: »

Why would a distributor pay for advertising it is expensive. Why pay for advertising when they have friends and family to approach. No there isn't a single distributor who uses energylinx.

No matter how many times you ask, and you have asked many times today. U.W.D.C. do not pay commission to any price comparison sites for a customer transfer. Its does not use that method the other companies do.

Your faith in what the directors of uw have told you is your downfall.

I have given you 2 switching sites (energylinx and ukpower) that do pay cashback to customers who sign up to uw.

They both say the money they pay out to customers who they switch comes from commission they are paid by the company. They also say that as some companies do not pay them commission, (ebico and utilita), then anyone wanting to switch to those companies must go direct and cannot switch via their service.

You and Mike by the Sea keep asking for some proof that these switching sites are paid by uw. You have been given proof by way of quotes from their website on where the money comes from.

But we note that nowhere on the uw website is the claim made that uw do not pay to be on the comparison sites!

Your only "proof" is to keep telling us your director told you on the phone!

Don't you think if true your company would want to make this claim highly visible - that they don't participate in comparison site switching - (it sounds reasonable when directline use it in their advertising), it would sound more value than the worthless guarantee.

And do you expect us to believe that these two websites are paying out cash from their own pockets to anyone switching, yet lie on their website by saying the cash comes from the suppliers!

What may be nearer the truth is that uw have never had to pay out commission to these switching sites offering the cashback because no-one has ever used them to switch to you because you come so far down the list on price!

Rachie004

Does anyone know what day in the month it is that Utility Warehouse will refund money back to my account? I'm assuming its the same day that my direct debit would have been due to leave my account but would be grateful of some clarification.

I'm not a fan of Utility Warehouse, I've probably spent more money than I've saved with them by having to call them up every month to tell them that they've got it wrong, again.

Quentin

You have the proof in writing - visit the two sites mentioned (ukpower & energylinx) and see for yourself. Are you saying they are lying?

People here generally don't take too much notice of uw reps who are renowned for posting misleading claims, trying to pass themselves as satisfied customers etc

Quentin

vinnyph wrote: »

You can upgrade to silver membership if you want and get free customer support calls.

More misleading advice.

According to the uw, to get free customer support calls, not only must you upgrade to the silver service (£2.30/month), you must also take their telephone service as well!

Freephone support is only available when using our Home Phone or BroadCall service.

Quentin

vinnyph wrote: »

Its not proof. It just mentions in general for the industry which you are trying to infer means U.W.D.C. pay them a transfer commission as well.

What is hard to understand about this explanation taken from the energylinx site regarding how they get paid:

The services are provided completely free of charge. Energylinx receives a small commission payment from the utility providers should you decide to enter into a contract with them

They offer direct switching to uw via their website. They pay the customer cashback if they use their website to join uw. They say they get this money from the provider.

Are you asking us to believe that is all lies? In your earlier post you actually said:

The U.W.D.C. uses Energylinx for a comparison because it gives our true prices and includes the membership monthly fee. They use Energylinx because also they are independant of the energy companies.

Yet as you (and everyone else) can see, this is not so. Energylinx is quite happy to state they do get paid for supplying customers, and no-one is bothered.

What does bother us is you continually denying it, and somehow trying to makeout uw is above such practices.