Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

MSE_Martin · 17 May 2010 at 12:13PM

Utility Warehouse

This is a special area for the discussion of Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus).

Unfortunately, it has become the topic for heated debate in the past and detracted from the main gas & electricity discussions. Therefore I would like to keep it restricted to just this discussion. Past discussions have been closed due to too many arguments between posters. This is a huge drain on resources and if it continues in this thread we'll have no choice but to keep the thread locked.

What is Utility Warehouse?

Unlike most energy companies and resellers Utility Warehouse operates by network marketing which means its customers are encouraged to sell on the product to their friends and they get commission for it.

This tends to mean it does well on feedback charts, as customers have a vested interest, and many of them are evangelical about the firm – and sometimes over claim. That in itself doesn’t make the product bad, but in our view it is no better or worse than any other energy provider.

Utility Warehouses prices are included in all the main comparison services we list therefore if the company turns out to be cheapest for you it should be listed by the comparison sites and then it’s worth going for. Please see the Compare gas & electricity guide for more.

Some strict rules

Due to rather bitter discussion about this we have had long term rules established.

All Telecom Plus Distributors must declare it when they post
All workers or those related to other utility companies must declare it
There are to be no abusive comments, accusations of fraud.
Anyone breaking the above rules will be barred first of all from this board, and if they persist, from the Forums as a whole.

We hate having to be so draconian, yet this problem has lasted a long time.

For general, non-UW, discussions on gas & electricity click here.

And please, I know there are two very polemic views on Utility Warehouse going to be expressed in this thread. Please do not libel anyone. Treat those with opposing arguments with respect, even though you disagree and please try and avoid personal remarks. I live in hope!

Mike_by_the_Sea · 17 May 2010 at 12:59PM

Thank you for opening up a new thread for discussing Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus). I look forward to it being more constructive and respectful to all views.

My question relates to whether this is the time to move the thread away from the Gas and Electricity sub-forum and recognise that the discussions cover a very broad spectrum of activities including Utilities, Phone, Broadband, Mobiles, Cashback etc.

Would it perhaps make sense to have a new sub-forum covering "Bundled" deals as more companies are now offering deals that cross the boundaries of Utilities and Phones, Web and TV and include the Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) thread as part of that sub-forum.

Thanks again

Mike

I am a UW ID

Cardew · 17 May 2010 at 10:40PM

Whilst I welcome a new thread, I don't agree that it should have a new sub-forum.

UW is marketed primarily for gas and electricity and the majority of queries from newcomers on the old thread were enquiring about UW's gas and electricity prices.

Any other newcomer to MSE will seek answers to questions he might have about UW in the Gas and Electricity forum.

Mike_by_the_Sea · 17 May 2010 at 11:47PM

Cardew wrote: »

Whilst I welcome a new thread, I don't agree that it should have a new sub-forum.

UW is marketed primarily for gas and electricity and the majority of queries from newcomers on the old thread were enquiring about UW's gas and electricity prices.

Any other newcomer to MSE will seek answers to questions he might have about UW in the Gas and Electricity forum.

Hi Cardew

I think that the reason newcomers went to that thread to enquire about gas and electricity was primarily because it was in the Gas & Electricity sub-forum. There are other newcomers that initially post in other sub-forums with regard to the relevant UW products and services.

As to UW being marketed primarily for gas and electricity, I would have to disagree with that assumption. As you will be aware, the company started out originally in telecoms and has added other services progressively since then. If one was to try and pigeon-hole its offering, it would be more accurate to say that the focus is primarily the multi-service or bundled opportunity.

It is to this end that I am suggesting it would be more appropriate to have the thread in a more generic category, or possibly have a thread in each of the categories in which the business operates, rather than have it placed in just one of the product areas.

Mike

Former_MSE_Archna · 19 May 2010 at 11:31AM

Thanks for the (very valid) suggestion above to move this to a wider forum. For the moment we're going to keep it here in Gas & Elec as energy is usually the focus of the discussion.

Thanks

Archna

NigeWick · 19 May 2010 at 4:43PM

MSE_Archna wrote: »

For the moment we're going to keep it here in Gas & Elec as energy is usually the focus of the discussion.

I honestly believe that's because discussion about Utility Warehouse is only allowed IN the Gas & Electricity section.

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

NigeWick · 20 May 2010 at 7:55AM

uptomyeyeballs wrote: »

Obviously discount card purchases show a couple of days later on the website, but I wonder where the cashback from the other cashback partners gets shown. Will it just appear on our bills a few months later? This is a bit unclear at the moment.

The transactions from all the "partners" show on the web site after a few days usually as you say but my bill just shows the total as a reduction for the month.

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

keggs · 20 May 2010 at 11:14AM

Hi Upto

You should see a list in blue type of the shops you used the cashback card in. If you make a purchase this month it should I think show up on you next bill in June including the amount. I also assume the same process works for using your debit card for all the other shops in the Clubhouse.

Regards

keggs · 20 May 2010 at 12:46PM

Hi

I'll give them a ring and let you know. Unless someone beats me to it.

keggs · 7 June 2010 at 1:23PM

Hi upto

Sorry for not getting back sooner. I've been very busy just lately and kept forgetting to phone the company.

Anyway I did manage to do so. The procedure is as follows.

1. Go to your online club web site and sign in.
2. Visit a shop
3. Buy something with your cashback card (for those businesses accepting it) and your debit / credit card that don't

The details of your purchases with a CC or DC are recorded in the same way as if you used your cashback card. However apparently there is a month's delay at the moment which is logical I suppose.

Hope that helps

keggs · 8 June 2010 at 10:08PM

Hi

I got the impression that the company are trying to make sure cashback is given back in the same month as per the cashback card but presumably the problem lies with the banking system.

Nothing new there then.

Regards

Utility Warehouse (Telecom Plus) Discussion

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