Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

Quentin

Choc wrote: »

Remember that UW's energy prices are competitive agaisnt standard tarrifs only and not internet tariffs. So with that yes it is competitive.

Wow. theyve took my sig off again but state we must declare our interest???

You say "yes it is competitive". Can you do what no other rep has done and define what is meant by "competitive"?

And how can a customer make a claim against the guarantee?

(You know you are supposed to declare your interest when you post in this thread - so why do you ask about it and break the rules yet again?)

mech_2

1carminestocky wrote: »

Well, we are currently making our second online Sainsburys order (through www.mysupermarket.co.uk - that's a neat site!) and there's something not quite right. How can Sainsburys be so much cheaper than the other 3 on there?? We are only up to £28.70 at Sainsburys so far and the corresponding basket at Tesco and Asda costs £39.37 and £36.20 respectively! That means for that basket of goods Tesco is 40% dearer than Sainsburys!! Was it KY who queried on here a while ago why someone should spend £2,000 at Sainsburys to save £100 off their UW bill when the same shop would be £1600 at Tesco and £1500 at Asda? Seems like times are changing. .

I really wouldn't rely on that website to tell you equivalent shopping costs at the different supermarkets. Its equivalency system seems quite good (at least as good as it can be given the different products stocked at the different supermarkets), but it can never take into account that the goods you choose in the first place are influenced by price. If I start shopping on there in Tesco it's bound to tell me it's cheapest because I'll choose all kinds of things that are good deals and hold off buying less good deals until they come on offer, so price will affect my basket of goods. If I start shopping in the Sainsburys section it will probably also come out cheapest (though I haven't tried). The list I've just made in Tesco comes to £29.59 and it reckons it would cost £35.20 in Sainsburys. That would be 19% more expensive for goods I didn't hand-pick myself.

The killer for me (apart from the fact I can walk to Tesco, thereby browsing the 'reduced to clear' section as well as not paying a delivery charge) is that Tesco Clubcard points are better value than Nectar points anyway. And they also issue better money-off coupons. I have a £3 off if you spend £30 coupon. That's the only reason I'm trying to make such a big shopping list in the first place given that £30 will feed me for about 2 weeks. I'm struggling to spend more than £30 in Tesco without buying stuff I wouldn't normally buy. When I do, that will be nearly a further 10% off (I used one on my last Tesco shop as well. And the time before that I had a £4 off £30 one).

There's no way on Earth I can recoup the extra cost of UW's high prices with a discount card. And why should I? I thought we were meant to be taking an ethical stand against energy companies' huge profits? Since the only way UW is potentially competitive on price is for their customers to subsidise their bills with the discount card (which a UW rep tells us is paid for by the retailers) then UW must be raking it in. Especially as they claim to be "more efficient" than the Big 6. Somehow though UW are the good guys. I can't figure that one out at all unless there are a lot of vested interests on this thread.

What did you say the share price was again Carmine?

Plushchris

Choc wrote: »

Remember that UW's energy prices are competitive agaisnt standard tarrifs only and not internet tariffs. So with that yes it is competitive.

Wow. theyve took my sig off again but state we must declare our interest???

Can you confirm what UW classes as standard tariffs as Vinny seems to ignore questions he cant answer.

He states UW compete against the cheapest standard tariffs but I thought each company only had one standard tariff?

Plushchris

1carminestocky wrote: »

3) On the life of your kids (nephews and nieces if you don't have kids)..can you categorically state you have never checked out my posting history?

Yes, I can quite categorically state I've never looked through your posting history (without sounding rude, I'm really not that interested in what you write). I know you have looked through mine more than once, I hope its been interesting reading for you!

Quentin

Take care if you get offered a martini presentation by anyone down at the gym:

http://www.networkerplus.co.uk/videos/gary-martini.html

1carminestocky

mech wrote: »

I really wouldn't rely on that website to tell you equivalent shopping costs at the different supermarkets. Its equivalency system seems quite good (at least as good as it can be given the different products stocked at the different supermarkets), but it can never take into account that the goods you choose in the first place are influenced by price. If I start shopping on there in Tesco it's bound to tell me it's cheapest because I'll choose all kinds of things that are good deals and hold off buying less good deals until they come on offer, so price will affect my basket of goods. If I start shopping in the Sainsburys section it will probably also come out cheapest (though I haven't tried). The list I've just made in Tesco comes to £29.59 and it reckons it would cost £35.20 in Sainsburys. That would be 19% more expensive for goods I didn't hand-pick myself.

The killer for me (apart from the fact I can walk to Tesco, thereby browsing the 'reduced to clear' section as well as not paying a delivery charge) is that Tesco Clubcard points are better value than Nectar points anyway. And they also issue better money-off coupons. I have a £3 off if you spend £30 coupon. That's the only reason I'm trying to make such a big shopping list in the first place given that £30 will feed me for about 2 weeks. I'm struggling to spend more than £30 in Tesco without buying stuff I wouldn't normally buy. When I do, that will be nearly a further 10% off (I used one on my last Tesco shop as well. And the time before that I had a £4 off £30 one).

There's no way on Earth I can recoup the extra cost of UW's high prices with a discount card. And why should I? I thought we were meant to be taking an ethical stand against energy companies' huge profits? Since the only way UW is potentially competitive on price is for their customers to subsidise their bills with the discount card (which a UW rep tells us is paid for by the retailers) then UW must be raking it in. Especially as they claim to be "more efficient" than the Big 6. Somehow though UW are the good guys. I can't figure that one out at all unless there are a lot of vested interests on this thread.

What did you say the share price was again Carmine?

I would imagine someone spending just £15 on shopping per week should steer well clear of the UW card, so ,once again, you are entirely correct. For a start that wouldn't even qualify you for the 5% UW bill discount on petrol/diesel whearas for us we can spend our £50+ on diesel (for me) and petrol (for SWMBO & eldest son) and double the advantage. The card is clearly not designed for people like yourself. Does that mean it's not good for people who don't share your lifestyle/shoppng habits? Myself and your lifestyle clearly differ hugely. The card would be great for me, useless for you. What's the problem? Ignore it.

You know nothing about my shopping habits so not sure where you can get your theory from that definitely applies to my shopping? There isn't ONE special offer/BOGOF/reduced item in my Sainsburys shopping list. The reason why, at the moment, Sainsburys are so much cheaper, FOR US, is that we take advantage of their far broader range of Basics items. Their range extends way beyond the likes of asda and tescos and encompasses such unusual items as Avacados, stock cubes (the Oxo brand name are many multiples the price. Money saving? Don't think so), salmon fillets, massive cheese selection etc. far more items in far more Depts. Oh, and if it wasn't for UW we wouldn't have had the chance to experince purchasing 80 FAIRTRADE tea bags for the princely sum of 28p! :rotfl:


UW are in a disadvantaged position compared to the Big 6 on account of the fact they haven't got millions of apathetic punters who have been paying their expensive standard rate for many moons, thereby funding their foray into acquiring new punters by getting to the top of the switching sites by bringing out yet another incaranation of their online tariff. UW have essentially just 3 tariffs and they rise and fall in line with the rises and fall of the new prices when they are announced. No new tariffs introduced every time there's a change in prices. No 'loss leader' internet tariff. I genuinely think it really is that simple. Efficiency? British Gas' computer cost twice as much as UW the company is currently capitaised at and STILL doesn't work properly. And STILL SENDS separate bills for gas and electricity - to it's DUAL FUEL punters. Don't make me laugh...


If you think the Big 6 are the good guys in comparison to UW, that's entirely your right to feel that way. You have previously stated you don't work in the industry and I have to believe you. This is the internet, I could be Bill Gates. Stay with them. On your lifestyle and spending habits UW, on price alone, is clearly no good for you. It's not a big deal, there hasn't been a war and no-one died. If you were so concerned about fair play in the industry, surely you would lend your unrivalled analytical mind to the npower sculpting thread Come to think of it, the only time I see you contributing in the negative threads concerning the Big 6 is to defend their position. Funny that...

Share price? I dn't think I've mentioned it recently but I'm sure one look at my posting history will bring up the last time I mentioned it. Or maybe you are like Plushchris, not interested in what i post (whilst seemingly replying to just about all of my posts).

Have a good day. The sun is shining here, I hope it is where you live also.

1carminestocky

Latest Which survey results into energy industry on customer's satisfaction based on value for money and service.

npower 30%
British Gas 37%
Eon 39%
EDF 41%
SP 44%
SSE 53%
Ebico 73%

Top performing company deliberately omitted to avoid putting further strain on A&E wards. :rolleyes:

Clearly this is an industry that requires a massive amount of sorting out.

http://timesbusiness.typepad.com/money_weblog/2009/03/the-worst-energy-suppliers-for-customer-service.html

Cardew

vinnyph wrote: »

Why have there been so many different Click deals? Why isn't there just a single Click deal and have done with it? Click 1, Click 2, Click 3, Click 4, Click 5, Click 6, Websaver 1, Websaver 2? Why do they become superseded by a new deal and the old deals go up in price. What's the deal?

The real question is why was every one of those Click/WebSaver deals cheaper than UW tariffs?

Why is it it that anyone remaining on any of the Click 1, Click 2, Click 3, Click 4, Click 5, Click 6, Websaver 1, Websaver 2? tariffs will still be paying less than UW prices?

To BG's credit they did at least reduce the prices on all those old internet tariffs when they reduced their other prices in Feb.

Your post are littered with errors of fact, which you refuse to correct.

As for your ludicrous 'threats' on this forum. you make yourself a laughing stock; do you honestly think anyone takes them seriously?

I say again:

Why is it so difficult for you to admit that UW consistently have some of the highest energy prices available and the 'triple guarantee' is meaningless?

Do you also feel that there is any credibility in the claims, like yours in the Review website, that UW come out top on price - It must be a big mistake to have used the name 'vinnyph' on both forums.

With 25,000 distributors and their family members all with a vested financial interest in seeing UW perform well in reader surveys, those surveys also lose any credibility.

1carminestocky

I'm assuming Hugh Jeego will next be claiming that UW reps have 2 Which? subs. - one to big up UW and the other to vote down his beloved BG in the surveys :rotfl: . No matter what gloss he puts on it (actually, funnily enough he never mentions BGs showing in the surveys. Funny that), the FACT is 37% customer satisfaction is a truly woeful figure. With any 'normal' regulator probably a trigger point to investigate. Again, here are the scores sans UW (big 6 in bold):

npower 30%
British Gas 37%
Eon 39%
EDF 41%
SP 44%
SSE 53%
Ebico 73%

Shocking.


UW will be far cheaper for me than any BG tariff, online or paper. I don't see the problem with that (others clearly do, of course :rolleyes: ).

NigeWick

Quentin wrote: »

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

I was not touting for business, I was attempting to answer a question with the requested information. I tried to put it into a message but the format became "unravelled" for want of a better description.

No doubt if Carmine wants to become a customer of Utility Warehouse in the future, he will look for a way to do it and gain cashback. That precludes him from signing up as my customer.

Your accusation is unwarranted and I therefore ask you to retract it.