Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

Quentin

NigeWick wrote: »

by using the cashback card I pay less than with any other company

You always claim this, but it doesn't stand up!

Your gas and electric is comparitively expensive. Your director showing you how to use the worthless guarantee as a sales tool even admits that UW will "never" be the cheapest:

http://www.networkerplus.co.uk/videos/triple-value-guarantee-wayne-coupland.html

You think its cheaper because of the way you pay for it - with your real money for part of the bill, and with discount you earn from your risky cashback card.

But you ignore the obvious solution. Get your utilities from the cheapest supplier, then use another (riskfree) card and get the savings from the card off your shopping.

1carminestocky

Quentin wrote: »

You always claim this, but it doesn't stand up!

Your gas and electric is comparitively expensive. Your director showing you how to use the worthless guarantee as a sales tool even admits that UW will "never" be the cheapest:

http://www.networkerplus.co.uk/videos/triple-value-guarantee-wayne-coupland.html

You think its cheaper because of the way you pay for it - with your real money for part of the bill, and with discount you earn from your risky cashback card.

But you ignore the obvious solution. Get your utilities from the cheapest supplier, then use another (riskfree) card and get the savings from the card off your shopping.

Are being deliberately obtuse or are you just plain thick? There's a certain usage on the cashback card for every household in the UK where UW becomes unarguably the cheapest gas and electric supplier in the industry. Why is this so hard for you to understand? That doesn't mean to say these people have to go with UW, that would be up to them completely and it would, of course, depnd also on their shopping habits.

PS What cashback card do you use? You seem to be an expert on them so let's share your knowledge...

keggs

There is an old saying that goes something like this: "He knows the price of everything but the value of nothing."

Steve
UW Distributor & Very Happy Customer

Cardew

Mike_by_the_Sea wrote: »

The UW/UW package is far superior and cheaper than the EON/BT equivalent!

Hi Cardew

I can make statements in bold as well, but where is the comparison to justify the statement? Compare the packages and show the numbers if that is the case. I have tried, using the data provided.

Thanks

Mike

I think everyone has agreed that even with Carmine's newly reduced electricity consumption, and well below average gas consumption he will pay a lot more for Gas and Electricity. He costs it at £135 more.

This is the BT package that I have posted several times:

I pay £31.73 a month(including VAT) to BT for:

line rental,

all geographic calls free 24/7,

200 free texts a month, Sent from phone or PC

Wireless Broadband hub with 20gb monthly,

free McAfee comprehensive security package, - firewall, anti-virus etc

call minder,

caller display

Free 0870/0845 telephone Nos

5gb digital vault

a second(internet) phone line with a separate telephone number(calls to many countries abroad 1.25p/min and evening/weekend domestic calls free),

350 minutes a month free internet access on BT Openzone for a laptop(for all my family).

The ability to interrogate BT call minder from abroad.

Freephone help line.

In addition I get the occasional discounts like reduced rental for 3 months etc.

If 20gb is insufficient I can get unlimited downloads plus unlimited wi-fi minutes for laptops in hot spots for an extra £4 monthly.

It is this package that I am trying to get Carmine or any of the many UW reps to price.

I bet you they know the cost would be huge and I doubt that many of the features on the BT package are available.

Now perhaps you might care to give UW's prices for this package?

Decado23

Cardew wrote: »

Now perhaps you might care to give UW's prices for this package?

Sure, but first lets clarify BT's price for the package since we cannot confirm your alleged cutomer retention discount. Prices for 12mth contract, as per BT website for option 2 broadband, anytime call plan and bt line rental...

BT option 2£20.54
upto 8mb20gb monthly
wireless
free macafee
350 wifi minutes
5gb digital vault
200 texts

internet phone line
usable through BT broadband only
inclusive evening/weekend uk landline +0870/0845 calls

BT anytime calls£4.95
uk landlines + 0870/0845

BT line rental£11.25
paper bill£1.25

total£37.99

As you say, not all features are comparable - both UW and BT packages include features not available on both packages.

Prices for Broadcall standard, internet phone line, f-secure package + membership (silver).

UW Broadcall standard£19.99
upto 24mb
40gb
fixed
optional f-secure£3.00

Internet Phone line£6.16
Usable through any broadband connected router worldwide
calls billed as per customers home phone/broadcall package
price includes £50 set up averaged over 12 months. Ongoing price £2 per month.

free calls
to other UW phone lines 24/7
uk landlines + 10 international - weekends included. 24/7 with two other services

Line rental£0.00

Membership (silver)£2.30
free support from UW line
eligable for 5% cashback card
benefits directory
£10000 accidental death benefit

total£31.45

Based on that I make UW £78.48 cheaper for the first year, £128.48 cheaper per year thereafter.

Anyone who really needs the wireless can pick up a router from misco or dabs and still save money with UW. With the added advantage the router is likely to work with most other providers, should a switch be desirable later.

So...

cheaper, better broadband with UW, or a few inclusive texts with BT... in my opinion UW win hands down.

And that's without including the cashback card (I got £27.63 deducted of this months bill, minus maybe £1.70 processing fees), or the benefits directory (personally I will be taking a look at the £200 discount on used cars, AA membership special offer and clickcover car insurance over the next few weeks)


If that's not enough, from BT ts&Cs

Unless we agree otherwise, we will normally bill you upfront (in advance) for any rental charges for the service. We will bill you later for any usage charges for the service. If possible, charges will appear on your next bill, but sometimes charges may appear on a later bill.

UW charges monthly in arrears.


UW distributor

keggs

Get ready for the vitriol.

Steve
UW Distributor & Very Happy Customer
Someone who knows something about prices but cares about value for money more.

Cardew

Decado23,
Thanks.

It most certainly is not an 'alleged' £5 customer discount. I have had it for a long while and even in the thread Carmine posted to prove a point it states:

they reduce your bill by £5 if you renew, my contract recently ended and they reduced it from 24.99 to 19.99.
if you signed up when bt were offering BB option 3 for £19.99 then you would bt able to get it for £15

Also I am perfectly happy with a paperless bill.

So based on that the UW package and BT package are roughly equal in price. I would contend that the features in the BT package make it much more attractive for the majority of people(Wireless, caller ID, Call minder, all extra on UW and wi fi mins etc etc not available) - but of course the Mandy Rice-Davies quote applies!!

Of course I am not arguing that the BT package is the best or cheapest available, just that it is better value than UW's offering.

So can we once and for all put to bed Carmine's challenge! It has been accepted and roundly beaten.(Bear in mind he said to disregard the cashback card)

Now as I have stated earlier in this thread, provided you are prepared to operate the cashback card wisely and accept the risks(which I do not feel are great) it obviously can make a great saving.

Mike_by_the_Sea

Hi Cardew

Of course I am not arguing that the BT package is the best or cheapest available, just that it is better value than UW's offering.

UW is a different offering to BT, both have their merits depending on the customer requirements / preferences.

So can we once and for all put to bed Carmine's challenge!

Yes please to putting the challenge to bed. :T

It has been accepted and roundly beaten.(Bear in mind he said to disregard the cashback card)

It hasn't been roundly beaten, it has been demonstrated that if you dumb down the 24mb requirement it is possible to find alternatives that cost less.

Now as I have stated earlier in this thread, provided you are prepared to operate the cashback card wisely and accept the risks(which I do not feel are great) it obviously can make a great saving.

That seems fair

I know this is repetition, but thanks to all for putting the challenge to bed and have a great Bank Holiday weekend. :T

Mike

Decado23

Cardew wrote: »

Decado23,
Thanks.

It most certainly is not an 'alleged' £5 customer discount. I have had it for a long while and even in the thread Carmine posted to prove a point it states:

Even if we knock a fiver off the BT Price, UW still comes up cheaper.

Cardew wrote: »

Also I am perfectly happy with a paperless bill.

fair enough. many people are not.

Cardew wrote: »

So based on that the UW package and BT package are roughly equal in price. I would contend that the features in the BT package make it much more attractive for the majority of people(Wireless, caller ID, Call minder, all extra on UW and wi fi mins etc etc not available)

I would contend that most people would prefer the higher potential speed and usage allowance of the UW deal. In order to make the price comparable you need to add on several options to the UW deal. For people not needing those addons is it possible to remove them from the BT deal to match the price?

Cardew wrote: »

Of course I am not arguing that the BT package is the best or cheapest available, just that it is better value than UW's offering.

diferent strokes for diferent folks - a guy I was talking to today has signed up for broadcall standard + silver membership, giving him free calls to family in canada at weekends, which is all he requires. He is also considering picking up the internet phone line to send to his wife's relatives in slovakia - on his BT package he claims he is averaging £80 per month for slovakian calls (I even asked if he was sure that wasn't quaterly). UW home phone/broadcall to UW internet phone = free 24/7. Certainly better value for him than the BT package.

someone wanting to make extensive use of the wifi minutes/texts, or wanting the internet line purely as a second home line etc may prefer the BT package.

Cardew wrote: »

So can we once and for all put to bed Carmine's challenge! It has been accepted and roundly beaten.(Bear in mind he said to disregard the cashback card)

'fraid not ;-)
my comparison was based on your posted requirements, not carmine's. I think it's fair to say Carmine isn't going to get your retention discount straight away (if at all), he may not require the second line, may wish to call destinations included in the broadcall package (10 free, many others 4.9p/min). May not care about texts, wifi minutes, call minder etc. He may want the 40gb monthly rather than 20gb. etc.

In which case the UW package is excellent value and more appropriate (and considerably cheaper) than BT.

again, diferent strokes for diferent folks.

Cardew wrote: »

Now as I have stated earlier in this thread, provided you are prepared to operate the cashback card wisely and accept the risks(which I do not feel are great) it obviously can make a great saving.

hehe, now i'm just wondering if I can get quentin to stop frothing at the mouth long enough to admit this :rotfl:



UW distributor

Quentin

I didn't highlight the fact the card has risks.

It is uw themselves who highlight the card is risky in the opening sentence of the card ts + cs:

By activating your Card you accept these Terms and Conditions and confirm you understand and accept the risks highlighted in clauses 2(b) and 18(d) of this Agreement.

Most folk used to the protection gained from using bank cards would be alarmed by this, though from what we have learned about the uw way of doing things (ie "avoiding getting into any detail"), then presumably your friends and relatives you have signed up for this risky card don't realise every pound they put on the card is at risk (as well as being an interest free loan to the uw - who have charged them for the privilege of loaning it to them!)