Trading Standards investigators say they have reached a compromise deal with electric heater company Fischer Future Heat Ltd following allegations of fraud and aggressive sales practices.
The family-owned Leicester business had faced criminal proceedings after it was accused of making false claims to customers about the suitability of its products. It was also accused of overstating how good they were at storing heat and of the savings they could make on household bills.
A trial was due to take place at Leicester Crown Court but the charges have now been dropped. The deal, signed by Fischer owners, husband and wife team Keith and Maria Bastian, includes a number of conditions for the business to stick to, including not referring to its salespeople as engineers.
Mr and Mrs Bastian and a number of other people named in the allegations had always denied the accusations, which they previously said had arisen from a flawed investigation and had no legal merit.
Leicester City Council said the deal would see the company hand it funds – the amount has not been made public – to give to customers whose complaints were being used in the original criminal proceedings.
Both the council and the business said the deal and handing over of money did not mean there was any admission of liability, either criminal or civil.
A spokesman for Fischer said not guilty verdicts were formally entered on September 29 against Fischer Future Heat (UK) Ltd, Premier Radiators Ltd and their respective officers and directors after "Leicester Trading Standards formally offered no evidence in respect of all allegations".
Fischer chief executive Keith Bastian said: "I welcome the fact that this long-running saga has finally come to an end which allows Fischer to move on and continue to do what it does best.
“The high level of satisfaction experienced by our customers is evident from both our Trustpilot and Feefo ratings. The customer has always been at the heart of everything we do.
“Now more than ever before, it is clear that the future is electric.”
