Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

AvengerSeawolf

Quentin wrote: »

(Why don't the other reps who get tarred with the same brush never speak out?)

http://www.higgins-sons.co.uk/Customer-Discount-Club.php

Quentin, I agree wholeheartedly with you on this point. As part of the T&C of being an ID, any 'self-constructed' website needs HQ approval to ensure that it is consistent with the company's message. There is a charge for this and also strict and rigorous conditions. Clearly some ID's flout this rule to the detriment of themselves and the company.

I am sure HQ would come down hard on anyone who they found to be ignoring this.

NigeWick

janninew wrote: »

where do they get these figures from?

You know how much you were paying with Utility Warehouse and I thought you had worked out how much you would be paying with your knew supplier. I would ask them to put your direct debit at about the level you worked out which should hopefully be about right.

NigeWick

AvengerSeawolf wrote: »

any 'self-constructed' website needs HQ approval

And hopefully they would use a spillchucker before putting it on line too.

1carminestocky

Cardew wrote: »

You are even further behind the curve than usual.

Try to keep up!

It was a light-hearted post aimed at the preposterous stuff that you'd posted earlier so I'm not surprised it went way over your head. :rolleyes:

jimexbox

1carminestocky wrote: »

LOL. Sooooo...is UW gas and electric a WHICH? Best Buy or not? :rolleyes: I'm assuming their phone & broadband is a WHICH? Best Buy? I suppose they mustn't be too greedy...

Semantics are camines forte. When is a bonus one for loyalty, and when is it a leaving penalty? Answers on a postcode.

It would seem too many areas of UW are decided by interpretation of words rather than one of fact.

NigeWick

jimexbox wrote: »

Answers on a postcode.

SW1 0AA may be the postcode you are looking for.

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

OldGreyFox

Perhaps one of the UW Guys can advise this poster see: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2010555

th1982

I'm not a utility warehouse customer OR distributor, though my boyfriend is a distributor and has it set up at his mum's. I think he'd be keen to get me signed up if I was willing, and has pointed out things like the uk call centre (though my opinion is if I'm with the guy who's working as a distributor I doubt I'd have issues with that as he'd be on hand to sort it immediately).

The reason I haven't signed up is that - rather than using their savings calculator whichi only gives a very vague guide, you can find their actual charges for gas and electricity by kWh and work out what you would really be paying/saving. As I currently use Scottish Power online it keeps track of my energy usage so I went through and working out roughly my annual gas/electricity consumption and then worked out what it would cost me to get this from UW and ran it through the likes of USwitch, and for my own personal G&E useage it doesn't work out the best deal for me - this doesn't mean it wouldn't be the case for others, but there's a way to work it out since they aren't part of the comparison sites, that would give you a more accurate idea (but bear in mind that's only based on current energy prices and your estimated useage which may vary!!).

On the other hand for me personally I am considering switching to their phone and broadband. I rarely if ever use my landline phone, tending to favour my O2 mobile as everyone I call is on O2 also and I get free calls to other O2 numbers. The reason I have a landline is purely for internet.

Sadly despite being on a very new estate, built ont he back of an old estate which has cable, NTL/Virgin decided not to lay fibreoptic cable for us. So I'm currently stuck with cruddy copper BT line. It costs me at the moment £25 ish a month for this, £11.25 for the BT line (and thatd DD online billing etc) plus a further £15 to virgin their half a***d broadband (I could drop to £10 a month but it would involve signing another 12 month contract and i don't want to tie myself in) - surprisingly they had the best deal at the time for the useage allowances. My line only allows up to 2mbps speed, but the exchange is LLU allegedly which means I can take advantage of some cheaper deals - the other issue I have is distance form the exchange.

In an ideal world I'd go for O2 broadband but was told by the guy that although I'm LLU I'm too far for them to gaurantee service (shame as it would only be £7.50 instead of £15 a month), the next best option is UW service since I'm fed up with Virgin and their appalling service (and some very very rude customer service staff, one of which hung up on me) and they offer the next best price for non-fibreoptic broadband, with decent useage allowances. However I'm hanging on for a bit as there are line-upgrades due soon in my area which could change things (but I will point out I only found this out from Utilities Warehouse who checked my line and scheduled work - O2 claimed I wasn't LLU until I told them UW said I was at which point the guy said it was down to the distance issue mentioned earlier).

Sorry for waffling but I guess the point I rather longwindedly am making is that - as mentioned by other - love them or hate them, UWDC may offer the best option for some people while for others they won't, just the same as any other service provider, that's why we all use different providers in the first place. All I will state is that for me, while not being competitive for G&E they are on phone/broadband FOR ME, and they have been the most helpful in providing information about my line even though I'm not a customer (though I will agree that this may be due to my boyfriend being a distributor and requesting this information for me).

Quentin

th1982 wrote: »

.... there's a way to work it out since they aren't part of the comparison sites, that would give you a more accurate idea....

You can use the comparison sites to see how uw compare. Enter your details, then keep going down the lists and eventually you will see them!

It seems the uw brainwashes their reps into believing they aren't shown by the comparison sites, (maybe too hard to overcome a customer asking why they are so expensive on the comparison sites).

eg:energy helpline, uswitch, which?, etc etc.

Ypaymore

th1982 wrote: »

However I'm hanging on for a bit as there are line-upgrades due soon in my area which could change things (but I will point out I only found this out from Utilities Warehouse who checked my line and scheduled work - O2 claimed I wasn't LLU until I told them UW said I was at which point the guy said it was down to the distance issue mentioned earlier).

Are you aware that UW Broadcall phone/ broadband is basically Talk Talk rebranded,without the 18 or 24 month contract,but dearer.

If you go to http://www.samknows.com/broadband/search.php and check to see if your exchange is Talk Talk LLU enabled,and if it is then you should be able to get UW LLU.