Tips on how to get surveyor to call us back?!

morg_monster · 4 November 2009 at 1:00PM

Hiya
We had a homebuyers survey done 2 weeks ago and the report raised lots of questions for us. We've been trying to get in touch with the surveyor but whenever we call, the PA/secretary/receptionist just says he's not there, takes our number, and promises he'll call. It's been a week and he hasn't called us at all, despite us ringing every day and reiterating how important it is. It's getting frustrating - ok some of the questions are just clearing up his wording, but others are really important and could hold up our purchase. EG he said that he thinks the fence at the rear of the property is not on the boundary line. That's all. We don't know which side of the garden he is talking about, whether it's us or the neighbours who have "lost" land, etc etc. Or even how he knows the fence is in the wrong place!! Is it usual for surveyors to bring along a title plan for every house they look at?! Our sol has given us some advice but is kind of at a dead end until we know what the heck he was talking about.

Any advice or magic words we can use to make him call us?!!!

bmunky7 · 4 November 2009 at 1:09PM

Have you asked them what their complaints procedures are? This can do the trick!

Fire_Fox · 4 November 2009 at 2:23PM

Have you tried writing or e-mailing? If you didn't pay for a full structural survey, perhaps the surveyor feels he has discharged his responsibility towards you?

Tia_24 · 4 November 2009 at 2:24PM

I would call the office for him everyday until he called you back, ask for his email address and mobile number and leave him messages on all 3! If you're constantly calling them, they'll do anything to make you go away!

Bufger · 4 November 2009 at 3:05PM

use a complaints procedure. Is he the boss of the firm? who is if hes not? ring them and explain. If it has a parent firm ring them. Ring absolutely everyone and professionally kick up a fuss.

I had to ring a senior partner of the solicitors im using as my solicitor never contacted me back when she said she would. 2 minutes later she rang me and gave me the most comprehensive update you could ever imagine.

Its amazing what can happen after a bumkicking

morg_monster · 4 November 2009 at 3:27PM

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will try and get some more contact details for him. It's a really big company with offices all over the place (although I think this guy came from Kettering to survey a house in Surrey...) so I definitely need to find the "right" person/office to bumkick!
Firefox I see what you are saying but I would have thought it was common courtesy to call back after a call a day for a week!

Milliewilly · 4 November 2009 at 4:12PM

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Have you tried writing or e-mailing? If you didn't pay for a full structural survey, perhaps the surveyor feels he has discharged his responsibility towards you?

No I've rung surveyors about valuation surveys before no problem.

Tia_24 · 4 November 2009 at 5:42PM

Morg_Monster which surveyors are you using?

morg_monster · 4 November 2009 at 5:57PM

e.surv - seem to be a really big firm that lots of banks use (Lloyds in our case). It saved us a bit of money to use them for a homebuyer's report as well as the bank's valuation, but if I was doing it again I'd find our own surveyor.

On todays call DH asked for the surveyor's email address but was told by the secretary "we have to talk to him first". He did point out that clearly that was not happening!! He's going to bring out the complaints procedure thing if no callback by friday. Unfortunately I have had no luck googling the guy's name and there's no staff list on the e.surv website.

Bufger · 5 November 2009 at 8:26AM

Do you have direct contact with your vendor? if so i would ask them what the survey was like, how thorough was he and how professional he seemed to them.

Sounds to me like he's hiding away for whatever reason. I'd try and find out as much about him and his practice as i could.

Tia_24 · 5 November 2009 at 5:33PM

morg_monster wrote: »

e.surv - seem to be a really big firm that lots of banks use (Lloyds in our case). It saved us a bit of money to use them for a homebuyer's report as well as the bank's valuation, but if I was doing it again I'd find our own surveyor.

On todays call DH asked for the surveyor's email address but was told by the secretary "we have to talk to him first". He did point out that clearly that was not happening!! He's going to bring out the complaints procedure thing if no callback by friday. Unfortunately I have had no luck googling the guy's name and there's no staff list on the e.surv website.

We're with Lloyds and juts like you used E-Surv as it saved money to let them do the survey and valuation at the same time, we didnt have any problems with our survey though

.

Seems strange they wouldnt give out his email address, feels to me as though they're fobbing you off for as long as possible so that you give up. Persistance is the word that springs to mind now!! Your OH's plan of going down the complaints route if there's no news by Friday seems the best course of action - feel bad for you that your having so many problems just trying to get hold of 1 man!

Tips on how to get surveyor to call us back?!

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