Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

1carminestocky

jimexbox wrote: »

The Which surveys Ive seen in the past requested a response from their readers. The didn't actually carry out a qualitative survey, rather if a minimum response requirement was met, it was included in their results.

Yes? Like I say, take it up with them if it's bothering you (and don't claim it isn't or you wouldn't be on here posting about it, lol).

Just been reading the reviews on reviewcentre for your supplier, jimexbox. Ouch. This particular one sort of hit the nail firmly on the head when it comes to questionable policies. Like I have said before, there are no 100% good guys in this industry so to pick out one for indignant criticism like is happening on here is futile IMO.

Average Ratings
Value for Money 1.5/10
Overall rating 0.8/10

:eek:

Full review by
Guest.
on 3rd May 2009


User Rating : 0
Respect : 0

Good Points: Online account management and viewing of bill history is easy

Bad Points: Finding out details of your tariff, and "no discounts on final bill".

General comments: Have just moved from E.On after several years on their various EnergyOnline tarrifs. Eventually got fed up with having to keep an eye on the latest "version" of the tariff and phoning up to be changed. Final insult is that they don't apply any of the discount (18% in my case) to the final bill. As this is the "bigger bills" time of year this is around £100 , thus ensuring that I will NEVER use them again, however good their deals look initially. Shame because the prices were good most of the time.

Effectively, your tariff actually DOES have an exit fee - it's just that it's not called that and, amazingly, unlike 'normal' exit fees it has no time limit where it gets cancelled. Disgraceful, tbh.

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews52218.html

1carminestocky

We have been with the UWH for about 5 years. It's been the worse 5 years of my life dealing with these people.

This 'reviewer' spent 5 years with UW and it was the worse 5 years of his life? LOL. As if anyone, even the most apathetic soul, would spend 5 years with a company that was supposedly making their life hell, lol. Err, anyone on here want to own up to writing this review?

jimexbox

1carminestocky wrote: »

Yes? Like I say, take it up with them if it's bothering you (and don't claim it isn't or you wouldn't be on here posting about it, lol).

So my point is proved then, please admit that? Its not a 'survey' at all, rather a reader response that can be skewed by their readers if they wished. Glad we settled that.

kippen_noedel

1carminestocky wrote: »

KN, Ofgem didn't even fine npower over its sculpting scandal so I'm not entirely convinced your theory holds water, tbh. I was going to suggest they are useless but that would probably be unfair to the word.

NPower have had numerous fines, problem with prosecuting over sculpting is that although imo inherently deceptive, it is covered in their T&Cs.

A bit like the claim from UW to be cheaper than....... carefully worded to avoid falling foul of the law.

1carminestocky

If you read the whole npower sculpting thread the main bone of contention seems to be that it actually wasn't covered in their T&Cs at all. Certainly not before it actually 'happened'. But we digress.

On topic: I already have a person who wants to join UW on my referral (the figures are unequivocal with regard to it being the cheapest solution for them, like it is for me). Nice thing about me not being a distributor is I can do the figures for them as opposed to telling them to work it out themselves, lol. However, I won't refer them until I've experienced the service personally and am entirely happy with it so we'll see.

Cardew

kippen_noedel wrote: »

NPower have had numerous fines, problem with prosecuting over sculpting is that although imo inherently deceptive, it is covered in their T&Cs.

A bit like the claim from UW to be cheaper than....... carefully worded to avoid falling foul of the law.

I think we need to be careful in the use of the term 'sculpting'.

Sculpting - 'Seasonal Weighting' as Npower term it - is fully covered in their T&C's as you say.

However Sculpting is used as a 'shorthand' term to describe the scam Npower used to get their customers to pay for 2000+ extra Tier1 units in a year. They did this by inventing - retrospectively - the term 'tariff year' where an Npower tariff year could be any period Npower wanted, instead of 365 days. That condition certainly wasn't in their T&Cs.

You are of course quite right about UW's carefully crafted claim to be cheaper than

---

. Completely misleading - deliberately so - but doubtless legal.

1carminestocky

Horrible drink IMO.

jimexbox

1carminestocky wrote: »

However, I won't refer them until I've experienced the service personally and am entirely happy with it so we'll see.

Odd stance seeing that you have been defending them with such belligerent passion for as long as Ive read this thread, and you weren't even a customer. You are a very complex individual carmine.

1carminestocky

jimexbox wrote: »

Odd stance seeing that you have been defending them with such belligerent passion for as long as Ive read this thread, and you weren't even a customer. You are a very complex individual carmine.

Thank you. I could of course throw a similar accusation back at you and other members of Cardew's Anti UW Faction (TM); you have never been a customer but attack them with such belligerent passion. It clearly works both ways. My reasons for 'defending' UW on here have been explained many times - my pet hate is hypocrites. And this thread is stuffed to the gills with them.

jimexbox

1carminestocky wrote: »

Thank you. I could of course throw a similar accusation back at you and other members of Cardew's Anti UW Faction (TM); you have never been a customer but attack them with such belligerent passion. It clearly works both ways. My reasons for 'defending' UW on here have been explained many times - my pet hate is hypocrites. And this thread is stuffed to the gills with them.

Though you defend the indefensible. The UW 'triple guarantee' which is used as a sales tool rather than a genuine guarantee. Their reps even push online billing apparently to save the planet, then exclude online tarriffs from this guarantee. Do you not find this a paradox carmine, even ever so slightly odd?

Ive even proved that anyone only taking their gas and electric with UW would be advised to choose the cheapest online tariff, then shop at Asda. Even after asking you numerous time for your 'independent' opinion as whether you would recommend that in these circumstances you would not recommend UW, you singularly failed to answer my question. These are discrepancies I find hard to reconcile with your claimed impartial stance.