Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

Plushchris

Nobody can expect the comparison sites to have UW new prices if they havent even got them on their own website.

Looking forward to doing the same comparison I've done above on the 1st of April, obviously UW should come out second only to Southern Electric as far as standard tariffs go.

Something tells me that wont be the case though, I guess we'll have to wait and see....

1carminestocky

SwanJon wrote: »

It's not interesting, but I'm kinda imeresed in it.
I don't agree that the Click deals were set up only as short term plans - as Cardew has shown, they still represent a better deal than BG's standard deal, and could be desribed as 'competetive'? What has happened is that they have been superseded by better deals. As an employee, fewer tariffs would make my life easier, let alone for customers.
As for the comparison sites, the club membership fee is unique (I think) in the energy industry, and so would need to be treated differently to all other suppliers, but the ones I've seen to mention how it works in the blurb, even if they struggle to deal with it perfectly in the maths.
As for the sites not having UW's upcoming prices, I can only think that is down to UW not releasing them. As I said above, and mentioned by Chris, if I signed up through a comparison site I would be signing up having seen today's prices, but never would be able to pay them. As prices are dropping it's not as big an issue as it could be.

I agree with this. I'm suspecting the switching sites and UW have a very tenuous relationship at best. The switching sites earn no income (although some would say they do, but I'm still not convinced) and UW receive no referrals either as most of them don't let you transfer to UW allied to the fact that it's sort of a deal that needs explaining beyond the 'bald figures', something I have hopefully shown with my potentially unbeatable deal (TM):D . Hence the independent distributors, I suppose...

Edit: The 'difficult' relationship the switching sites and UW no doubt endure is IMO perfectly illustrated by uswitch blatently adding in the £21 annual club fees twice in all their dual fuel comparisons. Naughty.

Plushchris

vinnyph wrote: »

Yes of course I know that, but not to be picky, its not under the control of UW if a price comparison site updates prices or not, they choose when to update the prices, true. The figures are put across to price comparison sites but don't always get updated. The price comparison information on the UW website itself is handled by energylinx and the information provided by them, that is still showing the old prices. So even the information on UW site price comparison is old.

The new prices were generated on 18th march for UW once all the other companies put their new prices through so it was then known where the cheapest of the standard tariffs were. Those figures would have been issued to the price comparison sites then.

Hardly and customers come in through the website in any case since UW don't use the method of price comparison sites. It gathers customers through recommendation from existing customers through a network of distributors so obviously the distributors knew what the new prices are on 18th march.

Sorry but I find it incredibly hard to believe that if UW revised their prices on the 18th of march they would still allow THEIR OWN SITE to show they are more expensive than the other companies, even if they use energylinx to power their comparisons then surely it would be in UW's interest to ensure energylinx have the new prices to have them shown as favorable rates against the others?

Not exactly great marketing is it? I'd love to be a fly on the wall at the meeting where they decided "Lets reduce our prices so they are lower than 5 of the big six but not tell anyone yet and still let people that visit our own website think we are more expensive"

If I was in charge of a company that was undercutting 5 of the main 6 suppliers I would want people to know about it as soon as possible.

1carminestocky

Anyway, I'm off to the land of snooze. I can genuinely say tonight on here has been a pleasant experience in the main. There's been disagreement but there's been no real nastiness. Very welcome.

Plushchris

Ok, just before I go to bed, I'd like to throw this into the mix..

With regards to Carmine's "Unbeatable deal"

Yes there is something to beat it!

Can anyone guess what it is?


Its his current deal of course! Thats why he isnt in the UW club!

He pockets a load of money from cashback for switching every 3 or 4 months, it must lead to it being a better deal than UW

Cheaper rates for gas and electricity from the get go, and all that cashback to pay for it.

And far far easier than messing about with cashback cards and having to sign up other customers etc.

1carminestocky

Plushchris wrote: »

Ok, just before I go to bed, I'd like to throw this into the mix..

With regards to Carmine's "Unbeatable deal"

Yes there is something to beat it!

Can anyone guess what it is?


Its his current deal of course! Thats why he isnt in the UW club!

He pockets a load of money from cashback for switching every 3 or 4 months, it must lead to it being a better deal than UW

Cheaper rates for gas and electricity from the get go, and all that cashback to pay for it.

And far far easier than messing about with cashback cards and having to sign up other customers etc.

The reason I looked into becoming a UW customer was because it's getting increasingly difficult to get anything like the sort of cashback for switching nowadays that was possible even just a few months ago. Many of the companies who give cashback are insisting on cancellation fees etc (plus E.on gave a rather paltry £40 last time and don't give any discount on their final bill so you are effectively paying their standard rate on that one. Not worth doing).

I haven't taken the plunge yet, as I've said, but I'm comforted by the fact that if and when I do I will be getting the very best deal possible for me. I suppose I've gotten used to never paying the price quoted by the energy companies (i.e. their prices have always been reduced for me by the cashback) and couldn't stand signing up long-term with a supplier that didn't at least give me the chance of bettering the deal without economising on usage. UW gives its punters that chance in a couple of ways that none of the others do. So, in effect, it's unique in the marketplace. And I will be away from the Big 6, who form an industry with probably the most disgusting levels of CS in the commercial world (you just have to look at the Which survey for proof of that).

I think you've said this before, PC, regarding what I do now being far easier than messing about with cashback cards and I really don't get your argument All that will happen is I will pay for my shopping/petrol on a different card, and the card will be automatically topped up monthly by direct debit. Absolutely no messing about at all. And, again, based on our shopping habits, and verified by mysupermarket, we will save approx 25% by shopping at Sainsburys online and have the orders delivered for free. Much LESS messing about. No driving to the store. And I'm actually looking forward to getting paper bills again (who'd have thought it, eh?)

Even better still, it also appears that the 5% cashback can be extended to other shops not included in the scheme by way of purchasing Sainsburys gift cards with the UW card (and, apparently, it also works on top-ups which must make it unique in cashback cards).

I really can't understand this level of negativity towards the cashback card on this moneysaving site where people go to extraordinary lenghths, you included, PC, to save a few bob, it's a simply brilliant innovation and should be encouraged, surely? The main problem, I feel, is the views of the detractors on here have become so entrenched over time and the argument (justifiable in many cases) against UW has been one of price. The cashback card comes along and throws that argument in the bin. But the views are so entrenched that you and the others can't bring yourself to admit that the previously BIG argument against UW, that they couldn't compete on price, has been blown out of the water. Compete? They can be by far the cheapest for just about anybody who is preapred to do what they have to.

NigeWick

Plushchris wrote: »

far far easier than messing about with cashback cards and having to sign up other customers etc.

I do not consider paying for my shopping using a card to be "messing about" with it. It is just a method of payment. It does however have the benefit of getting me a reduced utilities bill. So much so that I pay less than I would with any other company. Many people will not want to shop at the thirty or so nominated stores. That's their choice. As this is a money saving site, some members may want to know how they can pay the least for their utilities.

Carmine, that bloke with the billing problem PMed me and I am in the process of trying to help. If you PM me with your e-mail address, I'll send you a .pdf file of the new UW prices.

Quentin

NigeWick wrote: »

If you PM me with your e-mail address, I'll send you a .pdf file of the new UW prices.

Using the pm system to tout for business is against the rules even for uw reps.

But you already knew that.

Drunkstar

So, excuse me for trying to get back to the basics, I have no use for the cashback card and am locked into broadband and phone already. So, the chances of UW being cheapest for me is next to nothing right?

From what I have read.

Cardew

Drunkstar wrote: »

So, excuse me for trying to get back to the basics, I have no use for the cashback card and am locked into broadband and phone already. So, the chances of UW being cheapest for me is next to nothing right?

From what I have read.

Not 'next' to nothing, The chances of UW being cheapest are not as good as that!!