Estate agents mislead us

tallsmithy

I'm a FTB with my OH and we are about to exchange on a house. The experience has been a very stressful one as the estate agents (Purplebricks) and to some extend also the seller, have misled us by stating on the listing that the property was CHAIN FREE, when in fact it isn't.

We found out about 5 weeks into the process, when we suddenly get immense pressure from the seller/Purplebricks to get an exchange date ASAP or the chain(??) will fall through! Luckily our solicitors have managed to get everything tied up in time to prevent this.

What I'd like to know is can we take action against Purplebricks for what essentially was false info in their advert? I've read an article on hoa.org.uk which clearly states estate agents:

Not leave out important information that potential buyers need to make informed decisions. They must give all the necessary information so a buyer can make an informed choice when it comes to making an offer or instructing conveyancers or surveyors

and also:

Not put undue pressure on any party to act quickly – to put in an offer, raise their price, skip the survey or exchange contracts

Don't know if its worth pursuing with the Property Ombudsman, but if compensation is achievable I'm well up for it!!!

Comms69

no, obviously not.


Clearly being in a chain wouldn't have put you off, as you didn't pull out, but instead decided to continue.


Get the pound signs out your head, you're not due anything.

G_M

Agents can only go by what their clients tell them.

If the client originally told purlebricks the sale wwas chain-free, that's how PB would advertise. Not their fault if the seller either lied, or later changed their mind.

tallsmithy

Bit rude!

Yes, we did decide to continue, as at that point we've already incurred costs!
The point I'm trying to make is we have been treated very unfairly in this situation, blaming us for holding everything up when in fact THEY were at fault for not being honest.

The EA has also flouted the law here and I'm within my rights to take action against them!

Grenage

tallsmithy wrote: »

The EA has also flouted the law here

But they probably haven't.

Honestly, just move on and chalk it up to experience.

tallsmithy

They have... there are regulations brought in 2013 that state the rules by which EA have to abide. If these are breached then a complaint can be raised.

[Deleted User]

You're refusing to consider the fact that they were told it was chain free.

Why is that?

Comms69

tallsmithy wrote: »

Bit rude!

Yes, we did decide to continue, as at that point we've already incurred costs!
The point I'm trying to make is we have been treated very unfairly in this situation, blaming us for holding everything up when in fact THEY were at fault for not being honest.

The EA has also flouted the law here and I'm within my rights to take action against them!

So what? they were rude, get over it.


You are owed nothing. You will not win a case. You may as well take £500 and burn it.


Just because it's not what you wanted to hear, suddenly it's rude, and 'I know my rights', well if you did you wouldn't be posting here.

worried_jim

Op- you opened with the fact you are a FTB, everyone else helping you will have bought and sold multiple times, in chains and out of them, just because the answer isn't what you want to hear doesn't make them rude, just factually correct and to the point.

societys_child

Why is that?

Compensayshun . . .

Red-Squirrel_2

Loads of places are advertised as chain free when that’s not really the case, you need to take it with a pinch of salt. A lot to f the time sellers start out thinking that they’ll move into rented or in with family but then realise what a pain that is and change their mind. It’s not a big deal, most sales are in a chain and people still manage to move house!