Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

ColinAllCars

Mike_by_the_Sea wrote: »

Is this type of link allowed on MSE? I seriously think that if a UW distributor posted this they would be accused of advertising.

Yes because if you follow the links on it leads to a distributors site.


UW Distributor

ColinAllCars

ColinAllCars wrote: »

1. I didnt say it was a report did i.

2. I was not boasting merely quoting a fact.

3. No i didnt notice the Times article when i posted, i read it elsewhere.

4. Can you give us a source for your quote starting "It is obvious "


UW Distributor.

Cardew re point 4 can you give us the source your quoting from.

UW Dist

1carminestocky

Cardew wrote: »

Nigel,

That is really not worthy of you! i.e. Trying to define 'competitive' in that manner.

By that definition if I played Tiger Woods at golf I would be 'competitive' in definitions 1 and 3.

Definition 2(Comparing well with rivals) is crucial. I know with absolutly certainty I would not compare well with Tiger Woods at Golf.

Similarly UW do not compare well with any of the big 6 on gas and energy prices.

There is no point in telling people UW are competitive on price with BG and then pick their most expensive tariff for comparison. To add insult to injury, even selecting this tariff UW exclude any BG discounts and don't count the UW club membership fee.

I could probably be competitive with Tiger Woods at golf, if I stipulated he wear a blind fold and play left handed with a single right handed club of my choosing!

My take on this analogy would be:

Cardew = UW
Tiger Woods = Online Energy Tariff
Pardraig Harrington in Major-winning form = UW cashback card.

Mike_by_the_Sea

Cardew wrote: »

I could probably be competitive with Tiger Woods at golf, if I stipulated he wear a blind fold and play left handed with a single right handed club of my choosing!

Cardew shock win on the 18th

epsilondraconis

vinnyph wrote: »

Even if something was perfect you would still moan about it. It would never be good enough for you.

Vinnyph, although your post wasn't referring to me, this is exactly what my wife says to me when she has one of her moments. You're not my wife are you? I thought she was securely chained to the kitchen sink downstairs - I'd better go and check she hasn't got free.

Anyway, good to see some golf analogies within the thread. I'm interested now.

I wonder if Tiger Woods is a closet UW distributor?

I'd love to see Tiger arriving at Augusta in the UW emblazened mini.

Cardew

Plushchris wrote: »

My gripe is not the card, the expensive phone, expensive broadband, expensive gas or the expensive electricity its the fact that UW reps continously keep spouting how cheap it is and how the guarentee means its competitive, Its not and never will be for me.

As far as I was aware this thread was (and still is) entitled Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion, without people like myself posting here (and quentin and cardew for that matter, not that I'm taking sides) this thread would be seen as a massive advert for UW the way the reps go on, me being here turns it into the discussion does it not?

That of course is exactly why 'opponents' of UW contribute of this thread.

Martin wisely decided there was to be a single thread about UW on MSE because at every opportunity UW distributors spammed this site. Indeed we still get loads of attempts to do the same; normally phrased as "have you heard about this wonderful company etc - click here!!!"

epsilondraconis

I'm trying to get clear in my head the main issues that exist with the UW opportunity to determine whether it would be of interest to me when my current fixed deal runs out with ScottishPower.

I understand that if we look at just the UW gas and electricity prices in isolation (i.e. without the cashback card etc) that they are not as competitive as the best duel fuel tariffs available.

My understanding is also that UW becomes more competitive when you take into account the cashback card and the additional discounts that appear to be available when you sign up to a larger number of utilities e.g. phone, broadband etc. However, I am also mindful that there is the cost of joining the UW club.

Therefore summarising I see:

For:
1. Cashback card (of which there are restrictions)

2. Additional discounts when taking a larger number of utilities

Against:
1. Unit price of gas and electricity are higher than the best (online) duel fuel deals

2. Fee to be a member of the club (which I understand is £21 per year)

3. It may be possible to obtain cashback from switching via a comparison site when switching to another of the big 6 (although I understand that these opportunities appear to be more restrictive and the cashback values are decreasing)

I suspect that if I look at switching to UW and choose only the gas and electricity utilities, that it may not be as competitive as going with another of the big 6. Largely because we don't shop in Sainsburys etc when using the cashback card - although it does operate with other retailers (I also understand the Nector points advantage with Sainsburys etc and thank CarmineStocky for his detailed post previously).

I therefore have three questions:

1. Without it turning into a slanging match, are there any key points that are missing from either my for or against list above?

2. If I switch to the UW home phone line, will this still be okay with Sky as I understand you need a BT line (although I could have got that completely wrong).

3. If the site exists, can anyone post a link that gives all of the costs associated with becoming a UW customer and also the list of benefits. I am mindful of the rules of this forum that no advertising is possible and so fully understand if it is not possible to post this link. It's just that currently I'm finding it a bit difficult to pick the key points out of this thread.

P.S. Vinnyph - I'm still lovin' the ditties - even if no one else is.

Quentin

epsilondraconis wrote: »

Additional discounts when taking a larger number of utilities

This is not quite right.

You never get "additional" discounts (and never get discount at all unless you take the card)

If you take more services, there is no actual discount (ie you are charged the same price for each service if you have it on its own or along with others).

They do a combined phone and broadband which is cheaper than taking the 2 separately, though not as cheap as similar deals elsewhere for combining them.

What you do get is free calls over different charging periods depending on the number of services you have (though to benefit, you do have to have their phone service). Taking 2 services (phone plus another) and you get free w/e calls. Taking 3 gives you free off peak as well, and 4 or more free calls 24/7.

epsilondraconis

Quentin wrote: »

This is not quite right.

You never get "additional" discounts (and never get discount at all unless you take the card)

If you take more services, there is no actual discount (ie you are charged the same price for each service if you have it on its own or along with others).

They do a combined phone and broadband which is cheaper than taking the 2 separately, though not as cheap as similar deals elsewhere for combining them.

What you do get is free calls over different charging periods depending on the number of services you have (though to benefit, you do have to have their phone service). Taking 2 services (phone plus another) and you get free w/e calls. Taking 3 gives you free off peak as well, and 4 or more free calls 24/7.

Okay - cheers...

It's probably not worth our while then. We don't generally use our home phone to make calls. My wife uses her Orange magic number to call her friend and I have a great deal from Orange on my mobile, I got the Omnia, 500 anytime cross net minutes, 300 texts, free landline calls and free broadband for about £13 per month (it was actually £15 per month but I managed to get some more money off due to their incompetence). I just use my mobile to makes calls.

Edit: Plus due to the fact I'm not very popular - I don't tend to make many calls!

1carminestocky

Quentin wrote: »

This is not quite right.

You never get "additional" discounts (and never get discount at all unless you take the card)

If you take more services, there is no actual discount (ie you are charged the same price for each service if you have it on its own or along with others).

They do a combined phone and broadband which is cheaper than taking the 2 separately, though not as cheap as similar deals elsewhere for combining them.

What you do get is free calls over different charging periods depending on the number of services you have (though to benefit, you do have to have their phone service). Taking 2 services (phone plus another) and you get free w/e calls. Taking 3 gives you free off peak as well, and 4 or more free calls 24/7.

Crikey, that's scandalous. Are you seriously saying I would have to take UWs phone service to benefit from the free calls?? Right, that does it, there's no way I'd touch UW now. :rolleyes:

epsilondraconis, if you take the 4 services (gas, electricity, phone and BB) and make regular use of the cashback card, then it's entirely possible you wouldn't get a cheaper deal anywhere else. Quentin can spout any rubbish he likes but he's never once taken me up on my my challenge to find me a better deal. Yes, he has me on ignore (but reads my posts, lol) but my deal has been quoted by other people so he 's clearly seen it. For us, the UW deal is by far and away the cheapest deal on the market.

Even forgetting the phone line/BB, just gas and electric combined with our (conservative) use of the cashback card would mean we were paying approx £950 a year for 15000kwhs of Gas and 6000kwhs of electric in the Yorkshire region. It will probably work out cheaper cos, like I say, our projected use of the cashback card is very conservative. You do the sums, it can't be beaten. Not even close. Online accounts, paper billing accounts, fixed deals with exit penalties blah blah blah. Maybe you should quote this post and get Quentin to rise to my challenge? He won't, of couse, BECAUSE HE CAN'T. Typical bully behaviour, backs down when he sees he's beaten...