Phones 4u: Difference between revisions
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In 1987, [[John Caudwell]] and his brother Brian founded Midlands Mobile Phones, to wholesale distribute mobile phones. The company became the [[Caudwell Group]], for which the high street retail arm was named '''Phones 4U.''' |
In 1987, [[John Caudwell]] and his brother Brian founded Midlands Mobile Phones, to wholesale distribute mobile phones. The company became the [[Caudwell Group]], for which the high street retail arm was named '''Phones 4U.''' |
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On 26 September 2006, it was announced that the Caudwell Group had been sold for a sum of £1.46 billion to [[private equity]] firms [[Providence Equity Partners]] and [[Doughty Hanson]]. <ref>[http://www.caudwell.com/pressreleases/060926%20-%20Caudwell%20Group%20sale%20completed.pdf Caudwell Group Completes £1.5bn Sale To Private Equity Firms], Caudwell Press Release, 26 Sep 2006</ref> |
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Today the Phones4U Group is the rebranded version of the Caudwell Group, renamed to reflect new private equity owners. The group includes two insurance based businesses, Policy Administration Services Limited and Lifestyle Services Group Limited. |
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Today the Phones4U Group is the rebranded version of the Caudwell Group, renamed to reflect the new private equity owners. The group also includes: handset sourcing firms 20:20 Logistics and Dextra Solutions; two insurance based businesses, Policy Administration Services Limited and Lifestyle Services Group Limited. The group employs over 8,000 people worldwide, and sells 26 phones every minute. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/business.cfm?id=1141312006 |title= ''The Scotsman'' |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070311132108/http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/business.cfm?id=1141312006 |archivedate=2007-03-11}}</ref> |
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== Awards == |
== Awards == |
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Revision as of 09:04, 20 May 2009
| File:Phones4u logo.png | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Newcastle under Lyme, England, UK |
| Products | Home and Mobile telephone equipment and services |
| Website | phones4u.co.uk |
Phones 4u is a large independent mobile phone retailer in the UK. Since opening in 1996, it has expanded to over 440 stores throughout the United Kingdom.
Company Background
In 1987, John Caudwell and his brother Brian founded Midlands Mobile Phones, to wholesale distribute mobile phones. The company became the Caudwell Group, for which the high street retail arm was named Phones 4U.
On 26 September 2006, it was announced that the Caudwell Group had been sold for a sum of £1.46 billion to private equity firms Providence Equity Partners and Doughty Hanson. [1]
Today the Phones4U Group is the rebranded version of the Caudwell Group, renamed to reflect the new private equity owners. The group also includes: handset sourcing firms 20:20 Logistics and Dextra Solutions; two insurance based businesses, Policy Administration Services Limited and Lifestyle Services Group Limited. The group employs over 8,000 people worldwide, and sells 26 phones every minute. [2]
Awards
Phones4u were Awarded:
"Best Retailer" at the 2008 Mobile Industry Awards.
"Best National Advertising and Marketing Campaign" at the 2008 Mobile News Awards
"Marketing Effectiveness" at the 2008 Marketing Society Awards for Excellence
"Online Retailer" at the 2009 Mobile News Awards
Criticisms
In November 2008, Ofcom found Phones4u guilty of misleading customers over network coverage, failing to swiftly provide refunds for faulty handsets and having unfair terms on chequeback schemes.
Phones 4U has given Ofcom a series of undertakings to ensure that similar issues do not rise again. "We feel that this matter has now been fully resolved," it said in a statement.[3]
There are also complaints from general consumers appearing on the web, with stories in Google News about disgruntled shoppers feeling pressured by hard sell tactics for phone insurance.[4]
References
- ^ Caudwell Group Completes £1.5bn Sale To Private Equity Firms, Caudwell Press Release, 26 Sep 2006
- ^ "The Scotsman". Archived from the original on 2007-03-11.
- ^ "Phones4U 'breached consumer laws'". BBC. 2008-11-10. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
- ^ "Phones4U consumer complaints".
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External links
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