Doing My head in!!!!

[SRE]

Is anyone else getting regular hassle from Utility Warehouse pyramid sellers, they seem to be popping up everywhere offering extra feed in tariff if you sign up for their deals, which don't appear to be the best available. It's really starting to bug me - I've got enough to do without them hassling me to fill out yet another piece of paperwork for something that seems to be a different deal depending on who you talk to.

Is anyone else getting similar calls and conflicting information?

 

[solarsavings]

I received this email today from utility warehouse.

[TABLE="width: 530"]
[TR]
[TD="class: tagbar, bgcolor: #990066, colspan: 3, align: right"]Hot off the press Thursday 13 October 2011 [/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]

[/TD]
[TD]

** IMPORTANT WARNING **​

• • • • TEAM BLASTER PRO​
      • BIG ADVERTISING​
      • THE ANSWER IT GROUP​

The above organisations have been contacting Utility Warehouse Distributors, selling methods to promote your Utility Warehouse business and build your team.​

Despite what they imply in their marketing, none of these organisations is endorsed or recommended by the Utility Warehouse.

• We have not seen satisfactory evidence to support the claims they make
• We consider them to be expensive, with no guarantee that Distributors who use them will get any return
• We are concerned that data given to these organisations may not be secure.

The Company would like to remind our Distributors that all of our most successful Distributors have used the system and tools we teach in the College of Excellence to build their businesses.
College of Excellence training is free of charge - and you can attend as many times as you want.
You do not need to use expensive forms of promotion, or buy leads from other companies, to build a successful business with the Utility Warehouse.
All you need to do is complete the online training, go to the College of Excellence, and follow our proven system.
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[SRE]

That's a bit strange - you're not a utility warehouse distributor are you??? The email suggests that you are to have got the message - I'm more confused now..... but I think I'd like to go the College of Excellence .....

 

[solarsavings]

I approached them last week they were very helpful and emailed over the paperwork to look but haven't found the time to as yet.

 

[SRE]

It must be me - I just can't get away with the pyramid selling techniques, not my cup of tea I'm afraid - been that, got the t-shirt and not keen to go back again ... be good see what you think when you've read their info ..

 

[solarsavings]

I approached them about registering our/their customers for their fit. I haven't read the paperwork and no one said anything about selling. How would that work?

 

[JD6400]

I've seen the way , the Amway !
That one was another load of b""""""s as well !

 

[solarsavings]

I guess I should read the stuff they sent over then.

 

[solarsavings]

There is nothing wrong with the fit application forms and guide they sent out. However, in another email I found this attachment.

Summary of 90-Day Starter Bonus Rules
All new Independent Distributors (ID’s) can earn a £200 bonus by gaining 10 ‘Activity Points’ in their first 90 days.
When does the 90-day period start?
The 90-day period starts from your ‘activation date’. This date is; either the date you complete your Getting Started Online Training course, or; 30 days after the date we processed your application at Head Office, whichever is earlier.
How do you qualify for the bonus?
You have to gain 10 ‘activity points’ within the 90-day period.

• You get one point for gathering a Utility Warehouse Discount Club residential customer who takes at least four ‘eligible services’
• You get one point for gathering a Utility Warehouse Discount Club for Business customer who takes at least two ‘eligible services’
• You get two points for recruiting a new Distributor.

What is an ‘eligible service’?
An Eligible Service is:

• Home Phone, Office Phone or Internet Phone Line (combinations of these only count as one service)
• BroadCall, Office BroadCall – counts as two ‘eligible services’
• Broadband, Office Broadband or Mobile Broadband (combinations of these only count as one service)
• Mobile, Office Mobile (excluding ValuePay)
• Gas
• Electricity

When do you receive the bonus?
Once you have got your 10 activity points, you must also be a Qualified Distributor in order to receive it. To become a Qualified Distributor, you need to have six live personal customers (they do not need to be ‘qualifying customers’). You do not need to achieve this within the 90-Day period. Please see the compensation plan of the business manual (page 20) for the definition of a personal customer.
Once you meet these criteria, we will pay you the bonus on the next commission run (as long as this is at least 120 days after your activation date).
Some important things to note…
There are a few things you should be aware of when going for the bonus.

• In order to count for the activity point, a residential customer must apply for at least four of our ‘eligible services’ on their initial application form, or two ‘eligible services’ in the case of a Business Club customer. At least one of the customer’s ‘eligible services’ must be live within 120 days of your activation date. Please note that our Energy services usually take four to six weeks to go live. This is a timeframe dictated by the Energy industry and we cannot speed this up in any way.
• If a customer cancels within the 90-day period, they will not count towards your bonus – keep an eye on your customer report on the Extranet.
• In order for a Distributor to count for the activity points, we must have processed their application successfully, and they must not have given us notice to cancel their position, within 120 days of your activation date.
• If you recruit a new Distributor and place them somewhere in your team, this will still count for your ‘activity points’, and will not count for the ID you have placed them under.
• Any customer you gather before you have completed the Online Training will be passed to our Sales team, who will process the application. The customer will not count towards any promotions or bonuses, including the 90-Day Starter Bonus. The only exception is your own customer account.
• These rules apply to all IDs whose application we process on or after 5 April 2011.

The full details of this bonus are in the Compensation Plan chapter of the Distributor Business Manual in section 2 (pages 24-25).

 

[judgeelectrical]

I have been contacted, and have experiance of the selling (pryamid) thing in the past. Toatally puts me off to be honest, a;ll a bit American happy clappy to me. Maybe a bit of the englishness( if there is such a word) coming out of me, but doesnt feel right (although i have been wrong before,)

 

[SRE]

I approached them about registering our/their customers for their fit. I haven't read the paperwork and no one said anything about selling. How would that work?

As I understand it to get the extra 2p Fit your customer has to switch to their electricity supplier, which on the face of it appears a good deal but they are a bit cute with their language. They say their electricity is the cheapest but in fact it's cheaper than the standard tariff for your area.

If you're on standard tariff (the most expensive because the original regional supplier isn't allowed to reduce their prices until they have lost a large % of their original market) then Utility Warehouse will be cheaper but not the cheapest. The problem is that you assume when they say it's cheaper that it's the cheapest.

One of the standard phrases of the direct selling fraternity is never assume because you make an --- out of u and me but that's exactly what they expect their customers to do - asume it's the cheapest deal.

I don't have the time, inclination or lack of conscience to get involved but I do keep wondering if I've missed something. You get a cut of what your customer spends on their utility bills and your team leader in Utility Warehouse gets a cut of it too - bet the double glazing guys will go for it ........

 

[SRE]

Solar Savings - So to get your 2p extra Fit you have to take 4 of their products - Broadband, gas, electric, mobile phone ??????

 

[solarsavings]

SRE it doesn't say anywhere that you(the installer) get a cut from the fit or any reward for having their customer (or any other) for choosing to register for the fit with them.

The quote I gave above is from another email not linked to the feed in tariff but no doubt our details were past to another department that saw an opportunity............................to up-sell I guess.

 

[solarsavings]

I can forward the attachments if want them.

[FONT=&quot]Dear Mr Stone,[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Utility Warehouse Feed-In Tariffs[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thank you for your interest in the Utility Warehouse Feed-In Tariff (FIT) scheme.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Please find attached:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]· An information leaflet, including answers to some frequently asked questions,[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]· Full terms and conditions, and[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]· Application form[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]If you would like to apply for the Utility Warehouse Feed-in Tariff scheme, then please send us:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]· your completed application form, [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]· a photocopy or scanned copy of your Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certificate[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]· other supporting documents as listed on the application form.[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]You can scan and email your documents to [email protected], or post them :[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Feed-in Tariff Scheme, Electricity Operations[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Utility Warehouse[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Network HQ[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]333 Edgware Road[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]London NW9 6TD [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]We look forward to hearing from you. If you need any further help or information at this point, please contact our Customer Service Team on 0844 815 7777 or email [email protected][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Yours sincerely, [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Jason Creswell [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Feed in Tariff Administration [/FONT]

 

[SRE]

Looks like they think you're a customer rather than an installer. The woman I spoke to said I'd get a cut (v small one) of the money spent by each customer and another of the utlity people said there was an installer finder fee - I've asked one of my contacts who is a Utility Warehouse seller what the deal is - I'll let you know when I find out - she's pretty straight so I should get an honest answer.....