Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

Quentin

Decado23 wrote: »

Strangely all I can see about supplies with a 'review' link rather than a 'continue' link is that online transfers are disabled at the request of the supplier. No mention of refusal to pay commision preventing the transfer.

Perhaps it would have been more correct for me to say you get a flat rate of cashback, regardless of which supplier you switch to, providing that supplier is available for online transfers via the energylinx site. Still, the question remains - do all the relevent suppliers have identical arrangements with energylinx with regards to the amount of commision paid for transfers, or is it more likely that energylinx have calculated the average amount of commision they will earn, and have set the cashback at a level they believe will still be profitable for them. If we consider the second option more likely (which I do) then it allows for some suppliers paying less commission, or even none.

You are going to great lengths to put an explanation as to how these sites pay cashback out to uw customers.

But you are supposed to be a businessman. Aren't you being naive to suggest that they pay this cashback out of their own funds (in the case of uw), whereas for everyone else they pay it from the commission they receive?

The uw makes no mention of not paying cashback sites anywhere on their site - yet seemingly in private tell you reps that is their policy.

As they are trying to motivate around 25000 of you to go and get more customers, they clearly are not going to tell you that really, potential customers would be much better off coming direct via either Energylinx or UK Power and get a nice cash present for joining up.

As you have no minimum term, maybe we all should switch for a month this way!

dacouch

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?

Personally I would think in the present climate it would be wise to buy a £5000 kitchen on a credit card just for the Section 75 protection. Obviously load the credit card up with the cash rather than borrow the money from the credit card. Home Base figures are not great at the moment so you never know and £5000 would be a lot to lose if anything went wrong.

Quentin

The uw will not be happy with that advice being broadcast.

To use their card to buy the £5000 kitchen (for which you get none of the s75 protection as you say), you must first make (and pay for) 5 top ups of £1000.

And on top of these payments, who do you think gets the free use of the £5000 between you topping up the card and then using it to buy the kitchen? One guess.

Cardew

Mike_by_the_Sea wrote: »

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

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


Quote:
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.

Thank you!

I have a little used annex with a separate supply and meter that used approx 100kWh last year. I actually made a 'profit' on the account as the dual fuel discount is greater than the £11 electricity cost.

Being a man of strong principles it did occur to me that I could switch to UW(via Energylinx of course) to get the cashcard and get the discount from Sainsburys all applied to that account.

Further plans would be to become a Distributor. I tried to send Quentin a PM offering him the chance to become my first recruit.(sadly his PM box is full) If epsilondraconis withdraws those disgraceful remarks I might(no promises) consider him for my second recruit.

Quentin

Thank you for thinking of me.

But am I right in thinking you intend to immediately join the ranks of the uw reps lock stock and barrel and adopt their characteristics (are these your strong principles?) - and start off by abusing the pm system to get business?

And what makes you think that I am as gullible as the rest of the uw club, and would teach you how to get some energylinx cashback, yet myself gratefully sign up via pm with you and miss out on my cashback??

Decado23

Quentin wrote: »

You are going to great lengths to put an explanation as to how these sites pay cashback out to uw customers.

But you are supposed to be a businessman. Aren't you being naive to suggest that they pay this cashback out of their own funds (in the case of uw), whereas for everyone else they pay it from the commission they receive?

No, I'm suggesting they have an expected 'pool' of incoming commission. Based on the expected size of this pool and the expected number of transactions through the cashback offer they have calculated a level of cashback they are able to support.

This would work in a similar fashion to 'loss leader' offers in retail businesses - some products are sold at extremely cheaply because the retailer knows the special offer is likely to draw in more customers and generate sales for other, more profitable, products. Is this naive? I thought it was fairly standard practice.

Not to mention that basing the level of cashback solely on the specific commision arrangement with the suppliar involved would immediately invalidate their claim to be 100% impartial, should any of those arrangements change and force a differing level of cashback.

I also can't see anything about the cashback offer on the energylinx homepage or in the first couple of pages of a google search for energylinx. If this offer is only publicised through sites like this one then presumably they will be getting a significant pool of commission where no cashback is being paid - I'd hazard a guess this would be more than enough to underwrite the cashback offer while still leaving energylinx a tidy profit.

I don't consider it going to great lengths - simply pointing out that there is no proof (nor even evidence) that UW are paying energylinx commission. And that there are alternative methods energylinx may use to cover the cost of cashback that are both simple and logical.

Quentin

Same old.

Have you no comment on this:

The uw makes no mention of not paying cashback sites anywhere on their site - yet seemingly in private tell you reps that is their policy.

As they are trying to motivate around 25000 of you to go and get more customers, they clearly are not going to tell you that really, potential customers would be much better off coming direct via either Energylinx or UK Power and get a nice cash present for joining up.

As you have no minimum term, maybe we all should switch for a month this way!

Cardew

Quentin wrote: »

Thank you for thinking of me.

But am I right in thinking you intend to immediately join the ranks of the uw reps lock stock and barrel and adopt their characteristics (are these your strong principles?) - and start off by abusing the pm system to get business?

And what makes you think that I am as gullible as the rest of the uw club, and would teach you how to get some energylinx cashback, yet myself gratefully sign up via pm with you and miss out on my cashback??

Strong principles? it is called flexible response!

As you are aware I am a great fan of switching for cashback. However I would rather you didn't give too much publicity to that facility for UW. As it is you have probably ruined my chance of recruiting epsilondraconis!

Quentin

I think it a disgrace that gullible people like you read about the riches to be made if you pay £200 and become a uw rep, when anyone wanting to join the club can come to MSE, read this thread for free and learn how to just join direct, thereby cutting you and your 25000 colleagues out and get some cashback. Then leave if they want to.

Former_MSE_Andrea

Hi everyone

I've removed several posts from this thread.

By all means discuss what you think about UW, good or bad, but please keep your comments on topic. There's no need to make the issue personal.

Thanks!

Andrea