Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

Quentin

janninew wrote: »

Yes Quentin advised against using the card.

I pointed out something that the reps never ever mentioned. I did not advise you not to use it!

The card has risks associated with it.

You now know of the risks, and cannot grumble if they come back and bite you.

From the opening sentence in the uw card's ts + cs:

By activating your Card you accept these Terms and Conditions and confirm you understand and accept the risks highlighted in clauses 2(b) and 18(d)

janninew

Quentin wrote: »

Glad you get a laugh out of me.

There are other prepayment cashback cards.

This thread is for discussing uw, not to make an aunt sally for uw reps/supporters to have a go at!

As previously mentioned, what is the point paying for a risky uw prepayment card if buying expensive utilities is the only way to realise the discounts?

The moneysaving thing to do would be to buy your utilities via the cheapest supplier, and if you want a prepayment card, get one not tied to uw. (You cannot be so helpless that you cannot find them yourself on the net!)

I see the reps now get paid a fiver for each card they sell, so clearly uw's motives with this card of theirs aren't purely philanthropic.

Is that you advising me to get another prepayment card Quentin?? Show me a better card that suits my needs if you can!

Cardew

There is a danger that this thread will become a discussion on the merits of a cashback card and deflect attention away from the main issue which is UW's extremely high gas and electricity prices.

That deflection away from UW prices is of course the aim of the pro-UW lobby.

So without doubt the UW discount is excellent.
Bearing in mind you have to pay for the card, pay to top up every time, and of course paying in advance and losing interest on your money, I would guess the overall discount would be around 4% in real terms and you can only use it in selected shops.

Offsetting that 4% you can get on a 'normal' credit card cashback of between 0.5% and 1.25% which can of course be used in any shop.

Nevertheless I believe that the UW card has a 3% to 3.5% advantage over most other methods.

However as has been pointed out so many times you pay £hundreds more for your gas and electricity with UW so the average user would need to spend around £9,000 a year on the card(in their selected shops) just to get back the extra you pay UW for your gas and electricity.

If you want the UW card - get gas and electricity from a cheap supplier saving £hundreds and get Broadband/Phone from UW and get the UW discounts applied to that account. UW's Broadband is not the cheapest by any means, but the additional costs are not as much extra as their gas and electricity.

Quentin

@ janninew

I think you have emboldened that quote in your post #8998 to suit your self!

I'll embolden another bit for you which you seem to have ignored:

You cannot be so helpless that you cannot find them yourself on the net

janninew

Quentin wrote: »

@ janninew

I think you have emboldened that quote in your post #8998 to suit your self!

I'll embolden another bit for you which you seem to have ignored:

At least I quoted the whole comment so it can be read it context! I have searched and cannot find a card that beats what UW offer, so I guess I am helpless! Do you agree that you did advise me to get another card even though you stated earlier that you did not?!

janninew

Cardew wrote: »

There is a danger that this thread will become a discussion on the merits of a cashback card and deflect attention away from the main issue which is UW's extremely high gas and electricity prices.

That deflection away from UW prices is of course the aim of the pro-UW lobby.

So without doubt the UW discount is excellent.
Bearing in mind you have to pay for the card, pay to top up every time, and of course paying in advance and losing interest on your money, I would guess the overall discount would be around 4% in real terms and you can only use it in selected shops.

Offsetting that 4% you can get on a 'normal' credit card cashback of between 0.5% and 1.25% which can of course be used in any shop.

Nevertheless I believe that the UW card has a 3% to 3.5% advantage over most other methods.

However as has been pointed out so many times you pay £hundreds more for your gas and electricity with UW so the average user would need to spend around £9,000 a year on the card(in their selected shops) just to get back the extra you pay UW for your gas and electricity.

If you want the UW card - get gas and electricity from a cheap supplier saving £hundreds and get Broadband/Phone from UW and get the UW discounts applied to that account. UW's Broadband is not the cheapest by any means, but the additional costs are not as much extra as their gas and electricity.

You make some valid points Cardew and I'm glad you can see the merits of the card, unlike some people on here. Its suits my situation at the moment and I would be mad to not use it and gain the £40.00 plus cashback that I have been receiving monthly.

1carminestocky

I haven't read the whole thread (even I'm getting bored now ) but has Cardew informed the group which cashback card he uses yet? He must surely use one for his retail spend, given his advice to others on moneysaving in this thread.

I actually can't wait until his BG fixed deal ends in April 2010. Unless something drastic happens BG will be nowhere near his cheapest option. The burning question of the day is: will he sign up with the cheapest supplier showing on the switching sites? Again, given his already stated belief on here that cheapest equates to best value for money, I would expect Cardew to be an OVO or First:utility punter come April 2010:rotfl:. Not a chance, i reckon. But there again he freely admits to using BT for his phone/bb needs so I genuinely can't figure him out. He's a mystery, that's for sure.


PS Please be aware, reader, that the cards Cardew has clearly just read up about are CREDIT cards* and not PRE-PAID cards like UWs card. A wholly different beast altogether. And the so-called best one of these credit card pays its cashback ANNUALLY not MONTHLY like the UW card.

PPs 4% net?? Really?? My 'net' cashback after all deductions concerned with running the card equates to approx 4.8%. Nice try again, lol.

* Here's the criteria for the Amex platinum cashback credit card:

To apply for the Platinum CashBack Credit Card online you’ll need: 

• Your bank account details
• Your address details (if you’ve been there less than three years we’ll also need your previous address)
• To be earning at least £30,000 a year
• No history of bad debt
• If self-employed, to have been working for more than one year.
• To be a UK resident
• To be 18 or older

Cardew

1carminestocky wrote: »

Again, given his already stated belief on here that cheapest equates to best value for money,

Yet again something I have never ever stated. IIRC I have said just the opposite.

You really have a vivid(i.e. twisted) imagination.

State some complete untruth - repeat it and repeat it and it becomes your reality.

Have you found where I said I have never used a card yet?

You really are getting into quite a state attempting to score points; and making yourself look pathetic.

Why don't you go and answer carespress' questions? - as you know the answers? Oh I forget, you can't - the moderator locked the thread as he saw through the ploy.

Cardew

A question for you UW salesmen please.

Sainsbury's Energy still operates as a company with its own tariffs see:

http://www.sainsburysenergy.com/sainsburys-energy/showPage.do?name=landingPage.til

However they are part of the EDF group I believe.

Their gas and electricity prices, as I am sure everyone knows, are £hundreds cheaper than the very expensive prices UW charge.

So if you had a UW cashback card for say Broadband, could you get Sainsbury's Energy and pay for it with your UW cashback card and thus get the 5% discount?

It would be a delicious irony if it were possible!!

Ypaymore

Cardew wrote: »

So if you had a UW cashback card for say Broadband, could you get Sainsbury's Energy and pay for it with your UW cashback card and thus get the 5% discount?

By the look of the T&C. No.

"

4. Sainsbury’s:
i. The 5% saving on your shopping only applies to transactions that are carried out instore at the till, or at the online checkout, and paid for using your Utility Warehouse CashBack Card.

ii. The 5% saving is limited to goods that can normally be purchased at the till"


https://www.utilitywarehouse.co.uk/home/Misc/tacs/Utility_Warehouse_CashBack_card_Participating_Retailer_Ts_and_Cs.pdf