Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

NigeWick

epsilondraconis wrote: »

Seriously guys, do any of you have paid employment that you should be doing at the moment rather than posting on here?

Suffice to say that at the present time I can't be far from a big white telephone. The words "explosive evacuation" should complete the picture. :eek:

mech_2

NigeWick wrote: »

Come on, give it a go, answer the question with a straight yes or no, I know you can do it if you try:-

Is it possible that, including paying all relevant fees, by using the pre payment card and shopping to a certain level at Argos, Boots, Burton, Comet, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Goldsmiths, Halfords, Homebase, House of Fraser, JJB Sports (in-store only), Marriott Hotels, Miss Selfridge, Mothercare, Outfit, River Island, Sainsbury's (for the sake of argument, food & drink only), TGI Fridays, Thorntons, Topshop, Topman, Virgin Experience, Wallis and a few others that one can pay less for utilities than with any other company?

I'll give you a clue. I do it.

No because you could probably have saved more by not shopping at those places in the first place. They're hardly cheap shops. Boots and Halfords in particular are shops I just never go into because they are so astronomically expensive compared to alternatives. Sainsburys is hardly known for being cheap, whatever Carmine reckons a website has told him. The clothes shops are a more difficult case as you might see something you want which you can't get elsewhere, but if you didn't have the card you wouldn't have the incentive to look there in the first place, so would you really lose out? The others (even with 5% off) are still not cheap enough that I wouldn't look elsewhere first.

Spending more to be tricked into thinking you're spending less isn't a saving.

1carminestocky

mech wrote: »

No because you could probably have saved more by not shopping at those places in the first place. They're hardly cheap shops. Boots and Halfords in particular are shops I just never go into because they are so astronomically expensive compared to alternatives. Sainsburys is hardly known for being cheap, whatever Carmine reckons a website has told him. The clothes shops are a more difficult case as you might see something you want which you can't get elsewhere, but if you didn't have the card you wouldn't have the incentive to look there in the first place, so would you really lose out? The others (even with 5% off) are still not cheap enough that I wouldn't look elsewhere first.

Spending more to be tricked into thinking you're spending less isn't a saving.

I'm surprised at you, mech. You normally rail against anecdotal 'evidence' and prove the anecdotal evidence is wrong by way of a complicated graph. For once, it's me who's done my due dilligence on this one, I'm afraid, and you haven't. I win.

NigeWick

mech wrote: »

They're hardly cheap shops. Boots and Halfords in particular are shops I just never go into because they are so astronomically expensive compared to alternatives. Sainsburys is hardly known for being cheap,

I have bought items at all three at prices that were best for what I wanted. As I have previously stated, I do spend a bit over £250 per month at Sainsbury's on stuff that I want. It's fine that you choose to shop elsewhere and obviously Utility Warehouse does not provide what you want. But, it gives me what I want and I save money overall.

It appears to me that some people think that because what suits me does not suit them, that it will be bad for everybody. This is just not correct. I have found a system of purchasing goods and services where I get what I want for less money than any other combination that I would be happy with. I contend that if it suits me, it can be just as good for many others.

Twopints

vinnyph wrote: »

Shock story of the day, number 1.

Quentin says UW are expensive and use distributors using mind control.

Shock story of the day, number 2.

The moon is made of green cheese and martians have 3 eyes.

If ever I was thinking of changing Gas or Elctricity supplier and came here looking for information regarding UW, this post and many similar ones being spewed out would certainly ensure that I would dismiss them out of hand. If you want to debate the pros and cons of UW then why not do so?

The increasingly ludicrous ad hominem attack, the continued cries of "slander" and the insinuations that MSE condones it because they are getting a cut from the switching site are frankly laughable.

If you believe a post is in some way contravening the site rules, why not report it and let it be dealt with (as suggested at the top of every page)? :rolleyes:

NigeWick

Twopints wrote: »

If you want to debate the pros and cons of UW then why not do so?

I sit chastened.

Quentin

NigeWick wrote: »

I do spend a bit over £250 per month at Sainsbury's on stuff that I want.

If you spend £250 using your card, that equates to £12.50 in discount (less charges). Yet you say you save £4.50 overall by getting your card reward set against the expensive utilities.

So why not get the utilities elsewhere and have the £12.50 off your shopping (actually you probably get more than £12.50 if you use the card at other uw merchants).

These discounts for using a prepayment card aren't unique to the uw card!

Why do you think many others should be able to emulate you. Why would they volunteer for expensive utilities just to reduce them to normal by way of the uw card?

1carminestocky

NigeWick wrote: »

I have bought items at all three at prices that were best for what I wanted. As I have previously stated, I do spend a bit over £250 per month at Sainsbury's on stuff that I want. It's fine that you choose to shop elsewhere and obviously Utility Warehouse does not provide what you want. But, it gives me what I want and I save money overall.

It appears to me that some people think that because what suits me does not suit them, that it will be bad for everybody. This is just not correct. I have found a system of purchasing goods and services where I get what I want for less money than any other combination that I would be happy with. I contend that if it suits me, it can be just as good for many others.

That's the bit I just don't get, Nigel. I've always made it clear by the judicial use of phrases 'For us' and 'Based on our shopping habits' and never once suggested these would be the best for everybody, shame the same attitude isn't coming from the detractors. At the end of the day, it's down to personal choice, people do things for reasons that are personal to them, I guess. For someone to imply because a certain way of shopping is no good for them so it's no good for anybody is IMO arrogant and disrespectful. The definitive statement: FOR US, sainsburys is *currently* by far the cheapest supermarket. I'm grateful for UW for making us look at this supermarket because previously we would have agreed with Mech. We have ordered from there and have been staggered, TBH. Even if we couldn't qualify for 5% discount off our UW bill when we sign up we would still shop at Sainburys now. Can't say fairer than that.

NigeWick

Quentin wrote: »

These discounts for using a prepayment card aren't unique to the uw card!

I refer you to message 1729.

Is it possible that, including paying all relevant fees, by using the pre payment card and shopping to a certain level at Argos, Boots, Burton, Comet, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Goldsmiths, Halfords, Homebase, House of Fraser, JJB Sports (in-store only), Marriott Hotels, Miss Selfridge, Mothercare, Outfit, River Island, Sainsbury's (for the sake of argument, food & drink only), TGI Fridays, Thorntons, Topshop, Topman, Virgin Experience, Wallis and a few others that one can pay less for utilities than with any other company?

I'll give you a clue. I do it.

jimexbox

vinnyph wrote: »

Simple statement no 1

It is a slanderous statement to put forward claims UW being expensive for utilities.

People are putting this up without even knowing the prices in the first place. The debate is not a real one if people are basing it on the slanderous statement above. It is simply not true. Just because price comparison sites get the figures wrong doesn't mean people should base what they think on that. They are opening themselves up for being charged in court to make that statement.

Are you claiming that 'Energy helpline', which is MSE top pick for comparing utility prices are deliberately misleading their customers, or are you claiming MSE have chosen a useless site that misleads its customers?