Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

Cardew

billsavings wrote: »

Very interesting article in todays Guardian, about UW. The author clearly has had a good read of this thread.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/dec/05/utility-warehouse-telecom-plus-distributor

Let us hope he follows up on this subject - nice to see an objective report.

vinnyph

I read through the guardian article and found way too many untruths. Just seems the reporter has looked at the headline deals without digging any deeper himself. I would go as far to say that as a result the article can be disregarded as just digging for a story, not the first time a news reporter has done this. I would not be surprised to find that he has spent just a few hours looking into this and now suddenly believes himself to be a money saving expert. No doubt Rupert Jones will himself receive a bonus for writing such a story digging article. Then again, if he has been reading information given on this thread then he can be forgiven for being mis-guided. He even goes against a quality independent review magazine like The Which that vets its customer satisfaction reviews for authenticity. Something moneysupermarket does not do.

As with the many self proclaimed UW dis-tractors on this thread, no mention of the many discounts and benefits available by being a member of the Utility Warehouse Discount Club.

I wonder if his follow up article will be about Quentins Cashback Card.

Satisfied Utility Warehouse Discount Club Customer and then became Distributor.

1carminestocky

Does Cardew work for The Grauniad then?

Edit: Just been looking at the payemnts I've made to UW since joining approx 4 and a half months ago. My total payments have amounted £205.00 for my combined gas/electric/phone/bb/calls. My cashback from using the cashback card to pay for the things I would already have paid for anyway amounts to just shy of £200 for the same period, which averages out at approx £44 per month, or £528 annualised. Rupert majors on Sainsburys in the rather brief cashback card summary in the article ( i know someone else who uses this 'tactic'). I have today received £29.75 cashback from buying a TV package from Comet that I challenge anybody to beat elsewhere (suffice to say a Panasonic 42" 1080P Full HD Plasma will have set me back at most £400* when the 'extras' are taken into account. The TV itself is £640 on Amazon).
If the level of cashback continues, my net annual bill for

15000 gas
4800 leccy
Phone line rental
Unlimited broadband
ALL calls (including some international ones)
Monthly paper bill
Free calls to UW CS/BB helpline etc
Referral discount

..will come in at less than £900.

It's clear that Rupert reads this thread. I would welcome him sorting me out with a cheaper (let alone better, lol) utility supplier. Come on, Rupert, at least have a go or you will forever be classed with the rest of the AUWF who go strangely silent when faced with this challenge. The ball is in your court, good sir.

* 15% special Comet discount email offer used but anyone could get 6% off this TV package, anyway.

NigeWick

Cardew wrote: »

Your choice? as a UW salesman? No vested interest there then!!;)

The point of this exercise, as far as I am concerned, is to give people facts on which they can exercise their considered choice.

You know full well that if UW salesmen were honest and frank about UW's very high gas and electricity prices, few prospective customers would join, and existing customers would leave in droves.

The difference between us, is that you have a financial motive to hide the facts, and my sole motive is to ensure that the facts are known.

Yes, I have a vested interest in selling the services to customers but that does not stop me saving my money by buying elsewhere if I get a better deal, which I can't.

I have no problem in providing facts. I provided Carmine with a .pdf of the prices so that he could check his figures. I tried to put it on public display in this very thread but did not have the technical ability to do it. Customers stay with the company because they are happy with the overall deal and customer service that they get. Some people leave because they see something they believe offers better value, and, a few do have a challenge with customer service but that is true of all companies.

I have no motive for concealing any facts as I want my customers to sign up knowing that there is nothing hidden. That way they are more likely to stay customers and keep paying my commission. You obviously believe that I try and trick people into becoming customers. All I have to do is find the people who will be helped by signing up to Utility Warehouse and the benefits that Utility Warehouse offers will sell themselves. I do not believe for one moment that your sole motive is to just ensure all the facts are known.

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

harrybird

just had a very quick glance at this thread to see the knockers are out again. My wife and I have just(today) returned from a 12 day cruise on the Queen Victoria, I saved well over 20% (real money) on the best deal I could find on-line (ThomasCook) by booking through UW holidays service, Prospero Travel and there are are many more shoppers bargains available. I never see this service mentioned when discussing UW pro's and con's.
Just a customer.

1carminestocky

Cardew wrote: »

Just not good enough Carespress.

This is what you said



Now where have I admitted that, come along Carespress - you are full of bluff.

And I wonder what you are full of, Rupert? Talking of bluff, maybe I'm just psychic but of course you can prove me wrong by just detailing the cashback cards you have used and why you don't use it/them now. It's entirely clear you have never used them or you would have been chomping at the bit to give full details. You didn't because I suspect you would be fearful of the supplementary questions regarding them that I would no doubt be asking. :rolleyes: You can't afford another 'French & Saunders' embarrassment/debacle after all. Put up or shut up, Rupers old dear

jellygoodfellow

vinnyph wrote: »

I read through the guardian article and found way too many untruths.

Name them then.

Seems like a very balanced article article to me.

Cardew

jellygoodfellow wrote: »

Name them then.

Seems like a very balanced article article to me.

I thought so too!

I can't comment on the renumeration of the UW salesmen, but the gist of his remarks on UW's very high prices were, if anything, kind to UW.

For instance, he stated that UW were around 20% more expensive than the cheapest. In all the comparisons I have made, UW are around 30% more expensive.

UW told him about a £100 bonus for a £350 spend on gas. However neglected to mention its was a one-off payment for new customers and existing customers got nothing.

He was fair on Broadband - not the cheapest but competitive.

Likewise spoke about high mobile prices.

Gave credit to the cashback card, didn't mention you get discounts applied to your bill e.g you pay the full price.

Rightly mentioned that NPower (who supply UW) are £184 cheaper than UW.

He also raised the issue of the 31,000UW reps, their family and friend, skewing the result of WHICH reader's survey.

Lastly he mentioned pro-UW input to moneysupermarket.com. This will be of particular interest to a voceiferous contributor to this thread. After a trolling post on their forum, this was posted.

Due to persistent attempts by Utility Warehouse distributors to tout for business on this community forum - contravening the moneysupermarket.com Community Standards and Terms of Service - this post has now been locked. Touting for business, advertising and marketing tactics will not be tolerated by this community.
May I respectfully suggest you look for more original means to advertise your business, while checking out the following:
1. moneysupermarket.com Community Standards.
2. moneysupermarket.com Community Terms of Service.
3. Unfair Trading Regulations - Please pay particular attention to 'Section 5: Misleading actions'.

So all in all I thought it a very fair and balanced article; had I drafted it;) I might have been a little more scathing!!!

1carminestocky

Cardew wrote: »

I thought so too!

I can't comment on the renumeration of the UW salesmen, but the gist of his remarks on UW's very high prices were, if anything, kind to UW.

For instance, he stated that UW were around 20% more expensive than the cheapest. In all the comparisons I have made, UW are around 30% more expensive.

UW told him about a £100 bonus for a £350 spend on gas. However neglected to mention its was a one-off payment for new customers and existing customers got nothing.

He was fair on Broadband - not the cheapest but competitive.

Likewise spoke about high mobile prices.

Gave credit to the cashback card, didn't mention you get discounts applied to your bill e.g you pay the full price.

Rightly mentioned that NPower (who supply UW) are £184 cheaper than UW.

He also raised the issue of the 31,000UW reps, their family and friend, skewing the result of WHICH reader's survey.

Lastly he mentioned pro-UW input to moneysupermarket.com. This will be of particular interest to a voceiferous contributor to this thread. After a trolling post on their forum, this was posted.



So all in all I thought it a very fair and balanced article; had I drafted it;) I might have been a little more scathing!!!

Odd that you accuse me of bluffing, Rupert, but have so far steadfastly refused to give details of the cashback cards you have allegedly used in the past. Actually, not odd at all, just par for the course with you. Come on, lad, cough up....:p What cashback cards have you used, why don't you use it/them now? Not a particularly difficult question to someone who hasn't got summat to hide...

Cardew

Why on earth would I give you, of all people, details of my cashcards in order that you can divert the discussion away from UW's high prices.

I have previously stated that UW's cashcard is excellent - and certainly of greater value than those I use; albeit mine are available for all purchases not in those stores that accept UW's card.

However I would see little point in paying over £800 a year more for my gas and electricity to UW to get their cashcard. To save this I would need to spend well over £16,000 in shops that accept the UW card. That is not counting the much more modest savings I make on the many cards I use!!!

Nice try carepress - but again you are a loser!

By the way what do you think about moneysupermarket.com closing that thread?