Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

Maz

Quite. Expect a lot of flack!

janninew

mech wrote: »

No that was my point. Most people don't have Carmine's particular (possibly manufactured) set of requirements that add up to UW being a good deal. He doesn't like that being pointed out, so rather than counter any points being made he resorts to personal abuse and extremely weak fabricated claims that I called him names, which I never did. This is why I'm going to go back to ignoring him.

The fact remains that some things remain true whatever your lifestyle. £x off a shop of £xx applies whatever goods you are buying. Even in percentage terms you could spend several times more than I do and still get similar discounts, because I can't actually spend enough to use most of the vouchers I get. Nor is it true that it is a massive hassle to shop around unless you are bedridden and never go near any shops in your day-to-day life. All this kind of stuff is just blatent untruths designed to protect the hard-sell tactics of those with vested interests in promoting Utility Warehouse.

QUOTE]

Though i do agree with some of your posts, i do have to wonder (and not for the first time!) why satisified customers are accused of having 'vested' interest in UW? I have been accused of it before and now Carmine. We do not benefit in anyway by giving our opinion on UW, so why is our interest 'vested' i wonder? Why can't people accept that some of use are happy with UW and the services we receive.

1carminestocky

mech wrote: »

No that was my point. Most people don't have Carmine's particular (possibly manufactured) set of requirements that add up to UW being a good deal. He doesn't like that being pointed out, so rather than counter any points being made he resorts to personal abuse and extremely weak fabricated claims that I called him names, which I never did. This is why I'm going to go back to ignoring him.

The fact remains that some things remain true whatever your lifestyle. £x off a shop of £xx applies whatever goods you are buying. Even in percentage terms you could spend several times more than I do and still get similar discounts, because I can't actually spend enough to use most of the vouchers I get. Nor is it true that it is a massive hassle to shop around unless you are bedridden and never go near any shops in your day-to-day life. All this kind of stuff is just blatent untruths designed to protect the hard-sell tactics of those with vested interests in promoting Utility Warehouse.

If you get only the UW telephone and broadband package, there's no need to get the expensive UW electricity and gas. I would suggest that for most peoples' energy consumption the price difference would add up to an unreasonable amount of daytime or 08xx numbers. It doesn't wash with me.

That's fine, but most peoples' supermarket shopping baskets are diverse enough that promoting one of The Big 4 supermarkets over another on the basis of one or two choice products is disingenuous in my opinion. Especially if we're going to criticise the idea of splitting ones shop.

Generally the shelf prices are not that different. Even at the extremes we're probably looking at a 20% spread between Lidl/Aldi at one end of the spectrum and Waitrose at the other for reasonably equivalent products. Between the Big 4 the difference is single digits of percent. Generally, most surveys I've seen bring Asda out as cheapest, not Sainsburys. In these kind of comparisons, making the most of Tesco Clubcard points and vouchers doesn't generally get taken into account, so I'm happy that I get a good deal at Tesco, all things considered, whatever I choose to buy. The doubling of points awarded this month is just a bonus. This would apply however much I spent each week. Spending less doesn't mean a better deal in percentage terms until you run out of vouchers. It certainly does mean a lot of BOGOFs are counterproductive.

When I get someone like you accusing me of potentially 'manufacturing' my requirements in order to make UW look like a good deal I think it best that you place me on ignore again. Despicable arrogance. The facts are you live alone, have no car and spend £15 a week on groceries (and personal care?). This is what you have told us, it's not something I am assuming. There is no way on Earth you would fit the criteria for saving on utilities with UW. Who cares? Certainly not I. My lifestyle is vastly different, I live with 3 other people (for most of the week, it's actually 5 other people if you count my 2 son's almost live-in GFs), there are 3 cars in the household and we spend considerably more than £15 a week on groceries.

This makes UW a good deal for us. For some unfathomable reason you don't seem capable of accepting this even though I have never suggested who you use for your utilities is unsuitable (I genuinely couldn't give a toss who you use!). It really is strange behaviour. Suggesting I have a vested interest in UW would be akin to me suggesting you have a vested interest in tesco. As I KNOW that's ludicrous I wouldn't embarrass myself by saying it. Take a leaf out of my book here...

Cardew

[QUOTE=janninew;24277487
Though i do agree with some of your posts, i do have to wonder (and not for the first time!) why satisified customers are accused of having 'vested' interest in UW? I have been accused of it before and now Carmine. We do not benefit in anyway by giving our opinion on UW, so why is our interest 'vested' i wonder? Why can't people accept that some of use are happy with UW and the services we receive.[/QUOTE]

Carmine has been the most savage critic of every gas, electricity and telephone company on this Forum – with one single exception; namely UW.

You refer to him as a ‘satisfied customer’ yet he has only just joined the company. His irrational ‘defence’ of UW started soon after he joined MSE and was simply a stance taken to be in opposition to those contributors with whom he had clashed in other posts; this pre-dated the introduction of the now much championed cashcard.

I assume that this stance was also taken before he bought shares in the company????

I don’t think anyone could accuse Carmine of lacking intelligence, only lacking judgement; and on the issue of UW his posts lack any form of balance, indeed integrity.

His modus operandi is to discredit, indeed ridicule, any opposition by researching their posting history. His rather twisted logic is that if an opposition poster can be shown to have made a mistake in a post, or an unwise choice of Utility company/Supermarket/investment etc then any valid criticism they make of UW can be discounted.

jimexbox

Cardew wrote: »

Carmine has been the most savage critic of every gas, electricity and telephone company on this Forum – with one single exception; namely UW.

Indeed, I find this very odd myself. Carmine refuses to answer any specific question relating to UW in this thread. Go on Cardew give it a try, you will either be blanked (like me), ridiculed for having the temerity to ask such a question (like me), or a question asked in return (like me). At no point does carmine actually find the time to actually answer a perfectly sensible question regarding UW.

I find this rather odd from an individual who claims they are here as an impartial observer trying to 'help' those less knowledgeable than himself. At no point does carmine, who one UW distribuitor describes as a 'legend' actually criticise UW.

Now to test my theory, carmine can I ask you specific questions relating to UW that you will answer without any of the above?

vinnyph

Just thought I would bring it to peoples attention. I don't just eat sainsburys basics curry sauce on chips. I also eat jam sandwiches as well. Having a well balanced diet is very important in order to be a UW Distributor.

1carminestocky

Pretty good laptop deal for UW punters at Comet if you are in the market for a brand name.

http://www.comet.co.uk/shopcomet/product/554480/COMPAQ-CQ60-405SA?cm_sp=FeatureEnd-_--_-position1

£329.99

Cheapest I can find it anywhere else is £338 at Amazon. 3.5% Comet cashback at both topcashback & cashbackkings (Quentin's favourites Quidco don't seem to be offering cashback here). However, the 3% discount code that supposedly ended on 31/7 appears still to be working so that's almost a tenner off before we start! 3.5% cashback site cash back of £11.20 and £16 discount off the UW bill. Back of the net!

NigeWick

Plushchris wrote: »

The Tesco clubcard!

What if there is no handy Tesco? I walk to work and Sainsbury's is on my route.

NigeWick

jimexbox wrote: »

I would love to answer mate

Why not do so and "take the moral high ground."

Having said that, even if Utility Warehouse is not for you, it is for others and could be for many more.

I am an independent distributor for Utility Warehouse and the opinions I express may not be shared by the company.

NigeWick

mech wrote: »

No that was my point. Most people don't have Carmine's particular (possibly manufactured) set of requirements that add up to UW being a good deal.

But, and this is the point, many do have requirements that can get best value from Utility Warehouse, especially if their lifestyle puts them in a position to use the pre payment effectively. It appears that you are like the other detractors here, stating that Utility Warehouse can suit nobody just because it doesn't fit in with your wants.

I shopped at Sainsbury's, Boots and Argos when I saw stuff *I* wanted that they had at a price I was prepared to pay, before the pre payment vard was introduced. Up to last year, I was also getting best value for *my* wants from Utility Warehouse without the pre payment card. I did occasionally look to see if I could get a better deal elsewhere and could not. Then the pre payment card arrived on the scene and my choice became a no brainer as it meant that I paid less for my electricity and gas than with any other company. Yes there are restrictions on the way I shop, but, they suit my wants because Sainsbury's is on may walk to and from work. Also on my route I buy at Aldi and Lidl because they have stuff I want too. However, the amount of goods I buy in Sainsbury's means that I get what I want and pay less for my utilities. Quentin has stated that there are better deals out there, although he has never told us the name of the cash back card that beats the Utility Warehouse one. But he too misses the point that I have found a company and way of doing things that suits me, and, if it suits me I am sure that similar actions will be right for others too.