Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

1carminestocky

Funnily enough, I was thinking exactly the same thing. Say if I was to buy a new kitchen from Homebase for 5 grand?. That would be £250 cashback, clearly more than even such leccy-guzzlers as we are use.

I am also of the opinion that the 5% cashback may also get reduced in the future. No matter what entrenched views against UW anyone may hold, I'm sure (even privately) they would have to conceed it really is an extraordinary figure. I believe the Amex card (Martin's best buy?) only gives the 5% for the first 3 months or so then down to a frankly derisory amount.....plus the total annual cashback is capped? Interestingly, on our projected use of the cashback card and making a (hopefully) small assumption about the soon to be announced decrease in tariff charges, even if it was reduced by 40% we would still have the cheapest deal on the market. At the moment the next best deal (unfairly online) would be that company owned by Mr Sarkozy that would cost us approx £200 more per year (and that tariff is actually an astonishing £44 cheaper than the next cheapest tariff). That can't be bad.

epsilondraconis

Have I visited the wrong thread!

This reminds me of the stories of the allies and the Germans laying down their guns on Christmas day and having a game of footy. Once that was over, it was back to 'all guns blazing'.

I trust normal business will be resumed tomorrow.

P.S. Quentin and Cardew, I heard 1carminestocky, Decado23 and vinnyph say that you both smell; conversely, 1carminestocky, Decado23 and vinnyph I heard Quentin and Cardew say that their Dad's will beat up your Dad's.

That should liven things up a bit...

Mike_by_the_Sea

Cardew wrote: »

While we are in 'civilised mode' a question if I may.

What is the position if the rebate from the cash card is always greater than the bill, and a credit is built up?

From the T&C's.....

If the value of your Cashback exceeds the total cost of services (including any Club Membership fee) provided to you by the Utility Warehouse in any month, the credit balance on your monthly invoice will automatically be paid to your registered bank account. If the Utility Warehouse do not have details of a valid bank account for you, then the net balance will remain as a credit on your account with them and you can deduct it from any future payment for services supplied to you by the Utility Warehouse.

Mike_by_the_Sea

epsilondraconis wrote: »

Have I visited the wrong thread!

This reminds me of the stories of the allies and the Germans laying down their guns on Christmas day and having a game of footy. Once that was over, it was back to 'all guns blazing'.

I trust normal business will be resumed tomorrow.

P.S. Quentin and Cardew, I heard 1carminestocky, Decado23 and vinnyph say that you both smell; conversely, 1carminestocky, Decado23 and vinnyph I heard Quentin and Cardew say that their Dad's will beat up your Dad's.

That should liven things up a bit...

Now we know who the real trouble-maker is.....:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Mike_by_the_Sea

Cardew wrote: »

A couple of predictions about UW.

The present terms and conditions on the cashcard, 5% discount, top up payments etc will be degraded in the future.

In the longer term UW will be sold off to one of the big 6, much as Mr Wigoder sold his telecoms company to Vodafone.

Care to comment?

I think that the cashcard will live or die on its success. From a UW distributor perspective, there is no direct "benefit" from a customer purchasing or using the cashcard. If the retailers find \ believe that the cashcard is helping their business then it will stay or grow etc. etc.

With regard to UW as a business, who can tell. A successful business is more attractive than a failing one. At the moment I would think that UW is of no consequence to any of the big 6. The interesting short-term activity will be whether N-Power take up the option to purchase the shares in Telecom plus PLC that were written into the 2006 agreement.

1carminestocky

epsilondraconis wrote: »

Have I visited the wrong thread!

This reminds me of the stories of the allies and the Germans laying down their guns on Christmas day and having a game of footy. Once that was over, it was back to 'all guns blazing'.

I trust normal business will be resumed tomorrow.

P.S. Quentin and Cardew, I heard 1carminestocky, Decado23 and vinnyph say that you both smell; conversely, 1carminestocky, Decado23 and vinnyph I heard Quentin and Cardew say that their Dad's will beat up your Dad's.

That should liven things up a bit...

LOL! After my philosophical post of a few hours ago I've re-evaluated my position and decided to dip out of the testosterone-fuelled postering and concentrate on my new career as a prospective UW customer . I'm hoping to get a rosette and everything. I think the big test of things is to pose the question: what would our better halves think if they got sight of our bluster on this thread? I know what my wife would think and I value her opinion so highly I'm refraining from further macho musings.

MBTS, many thanks for the info! :beer: So, the purchase of a 5 grand kitchen could result in a nice deposit into Bank of Carmine...

Decado23

epsilondraconis,
My mum said I'm not allowed to play with you anymore.

Decado23

1carminestocky wrote: »

Funnily enough, I was thinking exactly the same thing. Say if I was to buy a new kitchen from Homebase for 5 grand?. That would be £250 cashback, clearly more than even such leccy-guzzlers as we are use.

I am also of the opinion that the 5% cashback may also get reduced in the future. No matter what entrenched views against UW anyone may hold, I'm sure (even privately) they would have to conceed it really is an extraordinary figure. I believe the Amex card (Martin's best buy?) only gives the 5% for the first 3 months or so then down to a frankly derisory amount.....plus the total annual cashback is capped? Interestingly, on our projected use of the cashback card and making a (hopefully) small assumption about the soon to be announced decrease in tariff charges, even if it was reduced by 40% we would still have the cheapest deal on the market. At the moment the next best deal (unfairly online) would be that company owned by Mr Sarkozy that would cost us approx £200 more per year (and that tariff is actually an astonishing £44 cheaper than the next cheapest tariff). That can't be bad.

Obviously I can't predict any possible change of policy with the card, but where I believe the UW card differs from most cashback credit cards is that UW doesn't pay the 5%, it's paid by the shops involved in the scheme. This is why the 5% is restricted to the 28ish shops currently involved.
to take your kitchen example - you get £250 back. win. UW have a presumably happy, profitable customer that's likely to remain a customer. win. homebase sold a £5000 kitchen for $4750 - presumably still made a nice profit and at least the sale didn't go to a competitor. win.
Why would anyone want to mess with that win, win, win arrangement?

I don't know the ins and outs of the amex card, I assume it's a credit card? if so I imagine i'm not the only person that uses a credit card simply to defer payment on certain things till the middle of next month and then pay it off in full. I suspect if I was to start using a 'self funded' cashback card in this manner then my cashback would be subsidised through the interest rates paid by other users who are perhaps struggling with large debt already and could do without the extra burden. Not sure I'd be happy with that.

1carminestocky

Decado23 wrote: »

Obviously I can't predict any possible change of policy with the card, but where I believe the UW card differs from most cashback credit cards is that UW doesn't pay the 5%, it's paid by the shops involved in the scheme. This is why the 5% is restricted to the 28ish shops currently involved.
to take your kitchen example - you get £250 back. win. UW have a presumably happy, profitable customer that's likely to remain a customer. win. homebase sold a £5000 kitchen for $4750 - presumably still made a nice profit and at least the sale didn't go to a competitor. win.
Why would anyone want to mess with that win, win, win arrangement?

I don't know the ins and outs of the amex card, I assume it's a credit card? if so I imagine i'm not the only person that uses a credit card simply to defer payment on certain things till the middle of next month and then pay it off in full. I suspect if I was to start using a 'self funded' cashback card in this manner then my cashback would be subsidised through the interest rates paid by other users who are perhaps struggling with large debt already and could do without the extra burden. Not sure I'd be happy with that.

Thanks for that, it's a refreshing change to be engaged in a civilised exchange on here, long may it continue. Yes, I totally understand your explanation of how the cashback card works, and as a regular cashback site user totally understand the reasoning behind why a retailer would get involved.
Our case is a very real vindication of that, I suppose. There's no way on earth we would have shopped at Sainsburys if not for UW. Main reason is there isn't a store handy (nearest one is 7 miles away) but also we had always been of the opinion it was expensive. We were wrong (certainly based on our shopping habits). Our online order that arrived yesterday would have cost 25% MORE at both tesco and asda (and 100% MORE at that silly Ocado!). So, if I was a UW distributor I'm sure there would be some justication for saying the cashback card is actually saving us far more than just the projected £283 net per annual when you realise how much we are currently also saving on our weekly shop (the figure quoted then would look so silly that I'm sure some would query its validity but we know what that figure is and it would actually pay for the remainder of the monthly utility bill, including phone line and U/L broadband!).

Edit: Following on from my philosophical post of yesterday evening, Sainsburys also clearly have a sense of humour. I've just completed a shower using their 10p shower gel, which was perfectly acceptable and luckily didn't induce any Herbal Essences-type reaction at such an early hour. They state on the label:

'Cleans, no added promises'

Decado23

1carminestocky wrote: »

Edit: Following on from my philosophical post of yesterday evening, Sainsburys also clearly have a sense of humour. I've just completed a shower using their 10p shower gel, which was perfectly acceptable and luckily didn't induce any Herbal Essences-type reaction at such an early hour. They state on the label:

'Cleans, no added promises'

hehe, refreshingly simple