Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

ThrobsBlackHat

Decado23 wrote: »

The value in UW is perhaps less visible but just as real. My own personal reasons for switching to UW are simple... I don't want to have to watch the prices constantly, I can do without the hassle of switching supplier every few months, I just want to get on with my life. Having switched to the cheapest supplier a couple of times and, without fail, seen their prices rocket up within the next few months, I'm happy knowing that even if my gas & electricity aren't the cheapest in any given month, they're not the most expensive either and that overall I'll be getting a reasonable price.

Did you become a distributor first or a customer?

"The value in UW is perhaps less visible but just as real. "

is a very interesting statement. Basically it relies on a level of trust between the distributor and the customer, who is normally a family friend or relation. The value is less "visible" because it is not in the "price"!

"Having switched to the cheapest supplier a couple of times and, without fail, seen their prices rocket up within the next few months"

Presumably UW's "rocket" too as they "price match" the big six? Mine did when I was with them.

" I can do without the hassle of switching supplier every few months, I just want to get on with my life"

Yes - you can also probably do without the hassle in putting your savings in the highest earning account. Or switching your mortgage to get a lower monthly payment. Or shopping in Morrisons to get the buy one get one free offers. Or checking the "grabbit thread" daily to see what is one offer today. Or getting your bank charges refunded. Or finding a 0% interest deal on any credit card debts. Or working out the best way of starting a pension. Or using a deals code to save money from a retailer. Or using a cashback site to get money back on purchases. Or finding the cheapest flight via a comparison website...

All of those things are extra "hassle" to just carrying on with what you have done before. Thanks for admiting that is what UW rely on. You are one of the most realistic UW distributors I have seen on here :beer:

Decado23

ThrobsBlackHat wrote: »

Which british gas tariff?

Which payment option?

Does that include the membership fee?

"guarantees and price comparisons are based on the standard domestic usage profiles for low, medium and high users on a like for like basis and exclude club membership fee, surcharge for gas customers using an independent gas transporter, duel fuel discounts and online tariffs. Only applies to direct debit customers"

The above is clearly printed below the guarantee in the service brochure, I hope it answers your questions adequately.

ThrobsBlackHat

Quentin wrote: »

This is just more misleading info/promotion from a uw rep. They don't give you any cashback at all!

They have a "top up" cash card, which you first must load with cash and use it at their partner stores. The cash you put on the card is not protected in any way (if uw goes bust, you lose any cash you have on the card, and unlike using a normal credit card, your purchases have none of the cca protection given to normal card purchases)

The card doesn't give cashback - the most you can get is a discount applied to your uw bill.

Even if you are prepared to accept the risks and use the card, you can never get the promoted 5% discount figure as you have to pay the uw for the "privilege" of owning and using the card. You must pay £10 to get the card and after 6 months you must pay on going monthly charges (whether or not you use the card), and you must always pay a charge every time you top up. (And of course lose interest on the money you have used to top up the card).

Oh Quentin stop being so negative.

5% cashback in your hand and 5% off an overpriced utility bill by using a pointlessly costly payment method is the same thing :shhh:

ThrobsBlackHat

Decado23 wrote: »

"guarantees and price comparisons are based on the standard domestic usage profiles for low, medium and high users on a like for like basis and exclude club membership fee, surcharge for gas customers using an independent gas transporter, duel fuel discounts and online tariffs. Only applies to direct debit customers"

The above is clearly printed below the guarantee in the service brochure, I hope it answers your questions adequately.

It does. "small print" syndrome.

1) WE ARE CHEAPER THAN BRITISH GAS

NB"By cheaper we may not mean less expensive. By British Gas that may not include 99% of what British Gas customers are paying. It does not include a high percentage of British gas offers on both the british gas website and comparison sites. And it does not include the fact we charge you a membership fee to pay slightly cheaper than the worst value product in the entire british gas range. Nor does this include any other discounts british gas put on their worst product, which could amount more to what you save from us, especially when you add a membership fee. But be kind, all this extra cash helps us pay our distributors 5% of your bill, and you can trust them because they are your friends.

Decado23

Quentin wrote: »

Isn't the small print to the "guarantee" the clue to its real worthlessness? (It doesn't include the "club" membership fee, and doesn't attempt to "compete" with any competitor's cheaper dual fuel or on line tariffs, and this includes those provided by British Gas and the local regional electricity supplier.)

I tend to think of it as being realistic rather than worthless - the average consumer should be able to safely assume they are paying a reasonable price. They are of course free to continue checking prices regularly and switch if they don't feel they are getting a good deal.
Individual experiences will of course vary depending on individual needs - for me the small cost of membership is trivial compared to the savings elsewhere.

Quentin wrote: »

Thank you for being frank - reading betwen your lines, you are agreeing that this isn't a guarantee at all - there is no way you can use it or make a claim against it! So not a "guarantee", just misleading advertising copy.

UW do not guarantee that your individual bill will be cheaper than the same usage from another supplier - I'd imagine the overhead in comparing 200,000 customers bills with all the tariffs of all the suppliers every month would not be practical or reasonable. The comparisons are made against standard usage profiles to ensure that, in general, for most people, we give a good price.

Quentin wrote: »

This is just more misleading info/promotion from a uw rep. They don't give you any cashback at all!

Firstly, I have no interest in providing misleading info or promoting my business here. I have no expectation that anybody here is likely to become my customer and this board's rules forbid me (rightly) from advertising. My purpose in posting here is to help clarify any misunderstanding around UW services in order that consumers can make an educated choice - hopefully that's within the spirit of this board's purpose.

Quentin wrote: »

They have a "top up" cash card, which you first must load with cash and use it at their partner stores. The cash you put on the card is not protected in any way (if uw goes bust, you lose any cash you have on the card, and unlike using a normal credit card, your purchases have none of the cca protection given to normal card purchases)

You are partially correct here, but not entirely. It is each card holder's resposibility to protect the security of their card. It is not a credit/debit card, treat it like cash in your wallet - lose the wallet, lose the cash (but see below).
One advantage of the pre-pay card is that any loss due to miss use is limited by the amount you decide to top-up by - it is not linked to your bank account/credit limit.
Additionally, your liability for financial loss ends when the card is reported. lost/stolen - the card cannot be used indefinately at your expense.
Regarding cca - it's hardly fair to expect the consumer credit act to apply where no credit is involved.
If I withdraw money from the bank and then lose it, I do not expect the bank to pay for my clumsiness - the same applies here.

Quentin wrote: »

The card doesn't give cashback - the most you can get is a discount applied to your uw bill.

money going in to your account vs an equal reduction in money coming out... hardly a noteworthy diference.

Quentin wrote: »

Even if you are prepared to accept the risks and use the card, you can never get the promoted 5% discount figure as you have to pay the uw for the "privilege" of owning and using the card. You must pay £10 to get the card and after 6 months you must pay on going monthly charges (whether or not you use the card), and you must always pay a charge every time you top up. (And of course lose interest on the money you have used to top up the card).

So not quite the "benefit" as described.

The ongoing monthly charge is £1 if I recall correctly. To use my parents as an example - 5% of 3-400 pounds on their monthly groceries, 5% on fuel (no idea how much they use), 5% on a range of shops they use with varying regularity... subtract £1 = still well worth it.
Of course, as with all services the level of benefit will vary for individuals depending on their usage - but don't dismiss it out of hand.

1carminestocky

They're certainly doing summat right! Shares are going through the roof even in these very uncertain times. Maybe some of these detractors have shares in Centrica and are feeling a little bit disappointed, who knows?


I can't believe Quentin is still banging on about the 5% cashback card. To give him his due he's the only detractor trying to see the negative in that one. Even Hugh Jeego can't seem to find fault with that. And how surprising for one so fond of detail that he just states there's an 'ongoing' monthly charge after 6 months and not state the exact figure, ie. the princely sum of 100 pence. I suppose that wouldn't fit in with his oh so predictable rant.

Incidentally, if any of you people are in credit with any of the Big 6 and they go mammaries skywards...any idea what happens to your credit? LMAO.

PS Decado23, a word of warning. For the sake of your sanity don't get involved in debating UW with Quentin - he has seemigly limitless time to argue the case and he's not exactly easily bored (surprisingly that includes with himself)..

Quentin

Decado23 wrote: »

I tend to think of it as being realistic rather than worthless - the average consumer should be able to safely assume they are paying a reasonable price.

Your "consumers" make the assumption because they are not told the whole truth by their rep (who could well be a friend/relative they would expect to be frank with them). Your definition of "reasonable" seems to be reasonable when compared with the most expensive tariffs, and not including your membership fee.

UW do not guarantee that your individual bill will be cheaper than the same usage from another supplier

They do "appear" to (till you delve into your service brochure to see the small print with all its retractions, and exclusions) when you claim:

we guarantee our prices will always be cheaper than British Gas....we guarantee our prices will always be cheaper than the prices charged by the regional electricity supplier for the area where you live.

========================================================

My purpose in posting here is to help clarify any misunderstanding around UW services in order that consumers can make an educated choice

The problem is, when uw reps try and educate us, they don't - they give us the sales patter, as you did, without telling us the full story. It is left to others to complete the story so that we truly can make an "educated choice"

You are partially correct here, but not entirely. It is each card holder's resposibility to protect the security of their card. It is not a credit/debit card, treat it like cash in your wallet - lose the wallet, lose the cash

I am sure you know that the risks about this card I referred to were the real risks the uw asks all cardholders to accept:

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) of this Agreement.

2(b): In the unlikely eventthat we become insolvent, the e-money on your Card may lose its value and become unusable, and accordingly you may lose your e-money.

18(d):
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme is not applicable to the Card. No other compensation schemes exist to cover losses claimed in connection with the Card. This means for example that your only protection for Internet, mail order or telephone transactions is your statutory protection under the Sale Of Goods Act and other applicable legislation. Where the Card is used in such situations and we are unable to resolve thedispute, you will be liable for the transaction.

.

=========================================================

money going in to your account vs an equal reduction in money coming out... hardly a noteworthy diference.

Most would disagree

With a true cashback deal, we are given cash back to spend how we like.

With yours, before we get to use the (less than 5%) credit we must first buy overpriced utilities from you (as well as join your "club")!

ThrobsBlackHat

Quentin wrote: »

Most would disagree

With a true cashback deal, we are given cash back to spend how we like.

With yours, before we get to use the (less than 5%) credit we must first buy overpriced utilities from you (as well as join your "club")!

That is not true Quentin.

Have you not seen the "Free penny sweets cashback offer" from some sites.

Yeah, instead of money as cashback, you get 5% back in penny sweets. Bad news is that they charge you 3p per sweet and £1.70 a month to be a member, but after that it is all FREE, FREE FREE!

mattpvfc

Utility warehouse are a mess. They have taken the fact that I owe them £230 to a collection agency and are really starting to wind me up. I will include a brief explanation of what happened (because it is a long story):

• Broadband was shockingly slow
• Called them
• 'Not a problem with them'
• Broadband still shockingly slow
• Called them
• 'Not a problem with them'
• Switched provider on Internet because of above
• Now working fine
• (Obviously was a problem with them then!!)
• Asked to change Direct Debit date
• They say not allowed. Will have to pay manually by calling 0870 number each month on a certain day. They would charge me a percentage of my bill for this inconvenience
• I asked the guy what would happen if I cancelled my account. Nothing, you can do it whenever you want he replied
• Called up a week later to cancel, they want £50. Explained about previous call and what he said, no record of it on account (Breach of DPA)
• Cancelled anyway to get rid of them
• Got a call saying I needed to pay a bill so paid it and asked how much I needed to pay to clear account. Guy said £95. I said I would call at the end of next month to pay it
• Bill comes through for £230
• Called them and asked about it and told them what last guy had said. No record of this call (Breach of DPA Part 2)
• Still haven't paid the bill and have written a letter to send off to collection company
• Waiting to see if they want the £230 and a few thousand £ fines for breach of DPA or whether we can call it quits and I can get rid of them

Wasn't as short as it seemed. Sorry folks.

Quentin

They are a company very hot on customer service, and always react quickly when their company is ever brought into disrepute on this forum. (As you can see by the number of times they react to false and misleading claims made by any of their reps).

It will be quite safe to do nothing and await them getting in touch (direct or via the forum) to sort this out so that no possible criticism can be levelled at them, (or jeopardise their much publicised rise to no.1 company for service and value.)