Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

Cardew

1carminestocky wrote: »

Maybe I've misunderstood Keggs' post (one of us certainly has ) but I'm assuming he meant by A unique billing system that no matter how many services you take from UW (gas/electric/broadband/telephone/mobile), there's only one bill?

Inidentally, I've just been looking on British Gas' site and can't see anywhere where it details what they deem a low/standard or high user, either. I've obviously missed it, so would be grateful if you could provide a link. TIA!

I get the impression that you will be joining the ranks of UW distributers soon??

Similarly I get the impression, you really would be ideally suited to that role - lots of friends etc.

Plushchris

1carminestocky wrote: »

(Some would say predictably) you seem to be ignoring the drunken brawls that reportedly developed at the hotels the 'BG bigwigs' went back to?

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http://www.birminghammail.net/2008/08/01/fury-as-british-gas-staff-run-riot-97319-21449563/

I wasnt ignoring them, just didnt seem relevent, as you say, it was at the hotels the BG bigwigs went back to, it wasnt at the conference.

Its not like there was a mass brawl and Jimmy Carr's minder had to step in (assuming he has one) it was probably a couple of execs had a disagreement in the hotel bar and slapped each other and the media thought they could roll with it, along the lines of "BG put prices up by 35%, millions will freeze, old people will die and the ba*!*!ds even had a scrap in a hotel bar!"

keggs

Hi 1carminestocky

Just a quickie to answer your confusion. You are quite right. There is just one bill which you receive every month around the 16th of the month. It's very detailed with every service used. It's also unique because no one else in Britain has the software which belongs to the Utility Warehouse. From what I understand it is basically the same software that was used by People's Phone when prior to the company being sold to Vodaphone. Many other companies have tried to buy a licence but UW refuses. I for one hope they never will sell the licence.

Regards
Steve

1carminestocky

Cardew wrote: »

I get the impression that you will be joining the ranks of UW distributers soon??

Similarly I get the impression, you really would be ideally suited to that role - lots of friends etc.

I'd be more inclined to invest in their shares, tbh . They seem to be on an inexorable upward curve, even in these volatile times for the markets. I do have lots of friends, how did you know? :rotfl: I suppose it's because I'm basically a friendly sort and don't view the knowledge I possess on certain subjects as a weapon with which to try and belittle people. :rolleyes:

SwanJon

keggs wrote: »

I'll tell you a little story which happened fairly recently.

How recently?

keggs wrote: »

An UW distributor

My mum's hairdresser's dog's best friend's owner's sister....

keggs wrote: »

received a phone call out of the blue from a potential customer. She was referred by her manager at a British Gas call centre. She had recently joined the firm and asked her manager if BG gave their staff a discount on staff members gas energy bills. The manager laughed and said if you want a discount you had better join the Utility Warehouse. Needless to say, this person did because she realised she would get a far better deal than she would get from the company she worked for..

BG do offer a staff discount, and even before they did if someone was looking for a cheap deal (staff discount suggests they were), you would look for an online deal, not UW.
I'm all for differnt ways of marketing, but just as I don't like door knocker making their spiel up, so why should UW distributors? Are they covered by EnegySure?

keggs

Hi SwanJon

As far as I am aware it wasn't very long ago when this story occurred. I have reported the story from a comment made this month on one of our distributor forums. How old or young it is I have no idea but that doesn't really matter. It is also irrelevant even if BG do give a staff discount. The individual concerned obviously felt UW was better.

I know from personal experience that when ever I speak to a BG seller either on the phone or at the door they always tell me that BG can't beat UW so they don't event try.

I'm not sure who you are referring to by the doorknocker comment. When people join UW they have to sign document stating that they will not do anything that misrepresents or miss sells or does anything that brings the company into disrepute. Anyone who does so will have their distributorship terminated. Thats a fact.

Some ADs do go door knocking I believe but they have to wear their ID badge. Doorknocking though is not recommended. It isn't in the spirit of the business.

With regard to Energy Sure I am sure UW will do all what is necessary legally. It might just interest you that a few years ago, someone contacted Ofgen because they hadn't heard of UW which is quite normal. It turned out that the person they spoke to was a member himself. His own recommendation put the person at ease and I believe joined himself.

Regards
Steve

epsilondraconis

keggs wrote: »

Hi 1carminestocky

Just a quickie to answer your confusion. You are quite right. There is just one bill which you receive every month around the 16th of the month. It's very detailed with every service used. It's also unique because no one else in Britain has the software which belongs to the Utility Warehouse. From what I understand it is basically the same software that was used by People's Phone when prior to the company being sold to Vodaphone. Many other companies have tried to buy a licence but UW refuses. I for one hope they never will sell the licence.

Regards
Steve

I took a look at UW to see if some of my bills could be reduced - my dual fuel energy would be higher and the mobile phone range was very limited.

I personally don't like the way the UW referral business operates; however if they were able to reduce my bills then, I'm fine with that. The fact is, they weren't able to reduce my bills.

Regarding the software, I too can write some software that no one else in the country will have. Just because I have it and no one else has it, doesn't make it anything special. Why is this software so special? My advice to UW is that they should licence this software to other organisations. The money UW bring in from the licences could then be used to reduce the UW tariffs, thus making them more competitive.

Currently I'm more than happy to find the best deal available to me and obtain cashback from Quidco / TopCashBack for the priviledge of switching.

Quentin

keggs wrote: »

You keep going on about the ASA finding fault with the UW. I believe this occurred about twice in 10 years.................... You are what is called a rate chaser. That's fine. The club doesn't want or need rate chasers. They only want people who like a good overall deal.

Unfortunately, the ASA doesn't cover the internet, as all the misleading posts from their reps in this forum alone would keep them busy. (Like the one you have posted about them only being in trouble twice in 10 years).

You must have been wrongly informed by someone at your "club" about the number of adjudications the ASA has made against the uw - and in turn you wrongly pass on your "belief" here.

The ASA archive only goes back 5 years, and shows 7 adjudications - covering 19 different complaints about false and misleading advertising - all upheld. So what is the real figure for 10 years?

Maybe you'd now correct the lies about this in your post?

Then you tell us the "club" doesn't want people who are "rate chasers" - good job as they would get no-one at all if they went after that section of the market.

But why then do they start off their interest getting on their website with "You'll be amazed at how much you could save"? Cleverly saying that they compare themselves with direct debit tariffs, (not including the membership fees, and cleverly not actually saying you will actually save anything at all, if you read the small print).

And of course not even attempting to compete with the cheapest on line tariffs.

1carminestocky

Quentin, have any other energy companies ever incurred the wrath of the ASA? Or is it just UW?

(O/T) PS You got your 'free' LCD TV from Axa Sunlife and cancelled the DD yet? Still waiting here...

Quentin

No other energy company comes on here telling lies about how many times they got an adjudicaion against them from the ASA for false/misleading advertising.