Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

keggs

Hi 1carminestocky. No idea. I do expect an increase but I don't think it will be a large one. The increases have always been about the lowest and they usually despite the nasty sniping here always positioned themselves below the cheapest or very near. I am not an expert on this industry - I don't have to be but I know it is a complicated and ever changing one. The so called experts here talk rubbish most of the time, but people have to make decisions for themselves and not take advice of me or anyone else.

Small businesses are also in difficulties and most if not all cannot access the large discounts that corporations can access. Many business are swapping to the UW now because the UW can offer similar sorts of discounts.

Best wishes
Stev

I'm going to a meeting at the end of September. The company have brought it forward as I believe they have some important changes to make. They have a licence for water which they currently can't exercise until the market is deregulated. So we are all bit excited as to what is happening. I know they are doing a major upgrade to the web site so it must be something very important.

Quentin

You cannot use this forum to advertise your company's forthcoming "important changes".

Nor can you come here posing as a delighted customer wanting to defend your other customers without declaring you are a rep for the uw!

All Telecom Plus Distributers must declare it when they post

1carminestocky

Quentin wrote: »

You cannot use this forum to advertise your company's forthcoming "important changes".

Nor can you come here posing as a delighted customer wanting to defend your other customers without declaring you are a rep for the uw!

It's not 'his' company, though. We get many people on here who work for large corporations giving 'inside' info. I don't see anybody complaining then. I'm suspecting if Keggs worked for the company you (and me! ) are currently 'exploiting'* their T&C's for in order to get a LCD tv/SatNAv for £6 you wouldn't be complaining, either. If double standards were an Olympic event you would win a gold medal, and no costly lottery funding required :rolleyes: . Lighten up, man.

*Some would say scamming, of course! But not me, Gov.

keggs

It seems to me that the only thing that's allowed here is the ability to attack but when someone decides that they don't actually agree then they are described as either an idiot or duped. Further, it also seems from your comment that only ex UW customers should be allowed to post. Anyone remotely satisfied should or are believed to have a vested interest should stay away.

Out of the 200,000 odd customers those with a vested interested form a small part of the whole. UW is one way of saving money amongst many and I for one will praise the company when they get it right and criticise where I feel it gets it wrong irrespective of whether I have a vested interest or not. If you don't like that. Tough.

Incidentally, anyone (including you Quentin) can attend the meeting I'm going to. I doubt very much BG or BT would allow that!

Steve

Quentin

keggs wrote: »

Further, it also seems from your comment that only ex UW customers should be allowed to post.

I did not suggest that.

But You are not allowed to post about how marvellous your company is without declaring your interest. Which you know!

Read post #1 of the thread.

Originally Posted by MSE Martin

All Telecom Plus Distributers must declare it when they post

Anyone breaking the above rules will be barred first of all from this board, and if they persist from the Chat Forums

keggs

I have declared my interest and you know I have so can talk from experience from both camps. Do you have experience of being either. If you haven't any experience of being a customer of UW with respect, you don't have the right to make any comments about the company.

I only respect people's opinions when they are based on experience whatever the subject. Anybody can voice their opinion on any subject they like but it doesn't make it valid unless they can back it up with personal knowledge and experience.

If you have experience then there is something to talk about. If your so called knowledge of UW is based on either other people's experiences then you are only repeating what others have said - positive or negative. Where's the credibility in that. That includes the ASA. Just because the ASA have found the UW wanting on occasions is irrelevant. The question has to be asked who complained? If it was a customer then I for one would take notice. But it never is a customer. It's a big corporation with a vested interest in destroying the competition.

As for credibility, the UW is constantly getting 3rd party endorsements because the organisations that have endorsed the UW are completely independent. This contrasts sharply from the so called 'independent' comparison web sites. These organisations get paid hansomely for recommending BG or EOn or BT or whoever. They are not truly independent. But most people won't know that. I know it because a Glasgow newspaper did a report on this very subject a couple of years ago.

UW will not pay anyone for anything that it doesn't feel will be of benefit to either the company or its customers. That includes comparison sites. If UW is on them it's beacause the site itself has included it but don't believe for one minute it i=has done so to be fair. It hasn't.

If I was a potential customer I would take more notice of independent 3rd party orgnaisation such as Which? magazine than anything said on this forum whether positive or negative. People who contribute on forums, me included, always have some sort of vested interest. In my case it is a positive vote for the UW.In your case it is negative. I'm positive because I have had a positive experience both as a customer and a distributor. Where does your negativity originate? If I have to declare my interest, perhaps you should do all here the courtesy of declaring your own. Then the discussion can be enhanced.

Regards
Steve

Cardew

keggs wrote: »

I have declared my interest and you know I have so can talk from experience from both camps. Do you have experience of being either. If you haven't any experience of being a customer of UW with respect, you don't have the right to make any comments about the company.

I only respect people's opinions when they are based on experience whatever the subject. Anybody can voice their opinion on any subject they like but it doesn't make it valid unless they can back it up with personal knowledge and experience.

If you have experience then there is something to talk about. If your so called knowledge of UW is based on either other people's experiences then you are only repeating what others have said - positive or negative. Where's the credibility in that. That includes the ASA. Just because the ASA have found the UW wanting on occasions is irrelevant. The question has to be asked who complained? If it was a customer then I for one would take notice. But it never is a customer. It's a big corporation with a vested interest in destroying the competition.


Regards
Steve

That is about the silliest argument I have seen on this Board.

I suspect Martin hasn't any experience of all the products/services(utilities/banking/insurance etc) he recommends or warns of us about - so perhaps he should not publish his newsletter unless he has personally experienced the product or Service.

Everyone should be banned from stating that BG standard tariff is the most expensive on the market unless they have been on that new tariff. Likewise all those slagging off NPower for their 'sculpting' shouldn't do so; unless they have experienced this tariff.

as you say I doubt if the members of the Advertising Standard Authority, who have so often ruled against UW for their misleading adverts, have any experience of UW; how dare they!!

Unbelievable!!!

Quentin

keggs wrote: »

Just because the ASA have found the UW wanting on occasions is irrelevant.

That of course is only your opinion (and whatever you try and say, that opinion is degraded coming from a UW rep)

But that wasn't the context that the ASA came into this discussion.

You wrongly tried to persuade us that they only had cause to complain about your company's misleading advertising twice in ten years.

This was a lie, and was pointed out to you, (the ASA has adjudicated against uw on 19 complaints in the lst 5 years), when you were asked to provide the correct figure for the ten year period.

You chose to ignore the correction, and the question.

You have been told repeatedly about the rules for uw distributors, but deny breaking them, though you do in every post you write in this thread defending them/praising them as a customer etc etc without declaring your interest.

keggs

I have every right to voice my opinion (as a customer) on this forum or does this forum only want 'customer' opinions that attack a company. I have declared my interest as required. I have not actively encouraged anyone to try any particular service. However, you on the other hand have attacked the company at every opportunity giving it no credit whatsoever for anything it does. That is as biased as any customer/distributor voicing his or her opinion.

That to my mind is not only unfair is can be seen to be unfair. In any balanced discussion there are always pros and cons. If this forum just wants those who voice cons then it is a totally pointless and worthless forum.

As for the ASA you may well be right in your facts. So what? What does it prove? No doubt BT have as many if not more. Ditto BG, Virgin etc. So what? It doesn't matter how many timers the ASA has found UW, BT, BG or any tom !!!!!! or harry wanting it is who the complainent is that matters not what is said or not said in any advert.

I have experience in copywriting and know what is needed to write good copy. The like of BT pay their copywriters a small fortune to write copy that baffles, confuses. It is the headline that matters. It is the headline that is read by any potential customer. All companies do this. The ASA is concerned with any particular small matter it considers not to be right. The UW have always complied with what the ASA has adjudicated on.

But as I said to you before - if you are so hung up on advertising standards then do something about it.

By the way, you accuse me of ignoring your ASA question haven't you done just that by refusing to declare your own biased interest.

Regards
Steve

espresso

keggs wrote: »

I have every right to voice my opinion (as a customer) on this forum or does this forum only want 'customer' opinions that attack a company. I have declared my interest as required.

It is not sufficient to declare your interest once.

Originally Posted by MSE Martin

All Telecom Plus Distributers must declare it when they post

Anyone breaking the above rules will be barred first of all from this board, and if they persist from the Chat Forums

The normal way to declare your interest in every post, as is required by the forum rules, is by using a signature.