Safestyle UK

Safestyle UK is part of the Style Group UK and is a provider of PVCu double glazed windows, doors, French doors, patio sliding doors, bifolding doors and conservatories in the United Kingdom.

Safestyle UK
Public limited company
Traded asAIM: SFE
IndustryGlass, glazing and fenestration
Founded1992
Headquarters
Bradford
,
England
Key people
ProductsReplacement windows and doors
ParentStyle Group UK
Websitewww.safestyle-windows.co.uk

History

Established on 22 December 1992 with £2,000, in 2005 the company installed more than £100 million of replacement windows and doors. Safestyle’s head office is in Bradford, West Yorkshire and the company now has more than 40 branches across the United Kingdom.

In 1996 the company expanded and set up a new division, Windowstyle, which manufactures Safestyle’s double glazed PVCu windows and doors in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. The company has invested more than £6.5 million in Windowstyle to date, including £2.5 million worth of state-of-the-art glass toughening and processing machinery. The facility is set in an 18-acre (73,000 m2) site, employs over 600 specialist production staff, runs 24 hours a day, 6 days a week, and produces more than 5,500 frames and 13,500 double glazed sealed units per week. It is also the biggest employer in the area.

In 2005 the company was nominated in the national G Awards, which take place annually and are open to all organisations in the glass, glazing and fenestration industries. Safestyle won the G05 Award for Best Promotional Campaign of the Year, following that in 2006 with the G06 Award for Best Customer Care.[1]

Also in 2006, Safestyle UK received Government-backed endorsement in the TrustMark scheme,[2] a scheme also supported by the building industry and consumer groups. TrustMark-endorsed companies must have proven ability to make improvements and repairs inside and outside homes, adhering to high standards of workmanship and customer care.

In 2007, they have continued to win industry awards, winning the G07 Installer of the Year Award, and the G07 Health and Safety Initiative Award at the annual industry G Awards.[1]

In 2013, it was announced that Safestyle UK Ltd would be floated on the Alternative Investment Market in a deal worth £70 million.[3] The company began life in 1992 with £2,000 of seed capital and was floated at £1 a share, at which point co-founder Mitu Misra exited and used some of that money to write and produce his debut film, Lies We Tell, a northern noir set in Bradford and starring Gabriel Byrne and Harvey Keitel.[4]

Controversies

In 2003 the Sunday Mirror published a report on Safestyle UK's sales representatives' techniques, saying that "it is almost a badge of honour to rip off a customer".[5]

In March 2007 the Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint against a Safestyle advertisement which had been broadcast in September 2006. They agreed that the advertisement had been misleading in two respects, both relating to the "Buy now, pay next year" credit terms. The ASA ruled that the advertisement should not be shown again.[6]

In 2008 the company was criticized by consumer rights charity Which? for its use of questionable sales techniques.[7]

In February 2011, Safestyle UK became the first company to be prosecuted under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. In an action[8] brought by North Lincolnshire Council Trading Standards Department they were found guilty under paragraph 25 (ignoring a request not to return)[9] and fined £4,000 with £18,000 costs for repeatedly calling on a consumer in Scunthorpe.

Jeff Brown

Jeff - a lifelong fan of Burnley F.C. - is also often the matchday host in the corporate lounge at Turf Moor. In 2013, Premier Range (the club's sponsor) challenged Jeff by offering to sponsor him £10,000 to complete the new Jane Tomlinson Pennine Lancashire 10K.[10] After the event, organisations in and around Burnley with charitable status were invited to make bids for a share of the cash pot to support one of their projects after the appeal decided to distribute the money to good causes.[11]

Jeff Brown, known for starring in Safestyle's window adverts since 1999, pleaded guilty in 2016 to six counts of being knowingly concerned in the fraudulent evasion of income tax and was given a 20 month prison sentence suspended for two years.[12][13] Timothy Brennand, defending, said Brown has ‘now got his finances in order’ by employing an accountant and a book keeper.[14]

In 2018 Safestyle was fined £120,000 for "aggressive sales" by Sheffield Crown Court. Sheffield Crown Court was told that Safestyle UK employees used a variety of "unlawful business practices" to apply pressure to homeowners[15]

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References
  1. The G-Awards Winners List Archived 17 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Trustmark Recognition for Safestyle UK". AZoBuild.com. 9 February 2006.
  3. "Safestyle UK in £70 million flotation on AIM". Bradford Telegraph and Argus.
  4. Hans, Simran (4 February 2018). "Lies We Tell review – culture clash in Bradford". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  5. Evans, Dan (15 June 2003). "Sunday Mirror investigates: sash and grab". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  6. Advertising Standards Authority. "ASA Adjudications: Safestyle UK". Archived from the original on 22 November 2008. Retrieved 20 March 2008.
  7. "Watchdog rap for window company". Bradford Telegraph and Argus.
  8. "Windows firm hit with £22k bill after persistent cold-call visits" (4 February 2011) This Is Scunthorpe Archived 7 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008". www.legislation.gov.uk.
  10. "Safestyle Jeff's window of opportunity to support good cause!". www.janetomlinsonappeal.com. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  11. "Jane's Appeal donates £10,000 to good causes in Burnley". www.janetomlinsonappeal.com. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  12. Macpherson, Jon (9 September 2016). "Buy one, get one free advert man must pay £53k - or face jail". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  13. Robb, Simon (5 May 2016). "TV advert double-glazing man convicted of £58k tax evasion". Metro. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  14. Macpherson, Jon (9 September 2016). "Buy one, get one free advert man must pay £53k - or face jail". manchestereveningnews. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
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