HIP: Too expensive, do we have any recourse?

ScrewYouHippy

Hello,

We tried to sell our house in November Last year and approached an estate agent with regards to advertising and selling our house.

During the conversation, we were told that this agent would sell us the HIP package for 600 pounds (599 to be exact) - At no point were we told that the HIP package can be bought from anyone at much more reasonable prices (I've seen as low as 200 pounds)

As part of the evaluation and HIP process, an Agent visited our house, (which is a small two-up two-down) and spent ten minutes looking around the property.

As a comparison we also have a house that is a four bedroom detached, trying to sell this last year, the agent spent over 3 hours looking around the property.

We feel that 600 pounds for 10 minutes work is unreasonable, and therefore wish to complain both to the agency and financial ombundsman

Do we have a chance? Has anyone tried this before? Even though the agreement documents were signed - do we have any recourse or are we lumped with this large fee? (even though we aren't selling)

To be clear, we would be happy to pay a 'reasonable sum' instead of the 600 price tag.

Any advice would be greatly received.

Doozergirl

If you were told the price and agreed to pay it and the product is then provided, then the contract is well and truly established.

You can try to negotiate on it and see if they will do it as goodwill but
legally they can charge whatever price they want for something, it's up to a customer to decide whether it's worth paying.

Fees are often high when an agent offers the HIP for 'free' as a part of their final commission. The price is high to discourage a vendor from moving agents or even marketing a property just to see if it sells because it used to cost nothing.

ScrewYouHippy

thanks for the reply...

My complaint basically revolves around the fact that they didn't make us aware that the HIPS can be purchased elsewhere. They kind of made it "you have to get the hips through us" - which is not the case.

Another point is the sheer amount of time taken during the evaluation. 10 minutes - funny how when it's a bigger house they take longer isn't it?.....

domcastro

My hip for a 3 bed detached was 260 - done it through my solicitor. The EPC took more than 10 minutes. Have you had the EPC done?

Richard_Webster

Was it the estate agent or someone else (the Domestic Energy Assessor) who spent 10 minutes at the house?

Did you ask the estate agents if you had to get the HIP from them? If you did and they said "Yes" then you might have a complaint. If not you should have asked that question.

Doozergirl

ScrewYouHippy wrote: »

thanks for the reply...

My complaint basically revolves around the fact that they didn't make us aware that the HIPS can be purchased elsewhere. They kind of made it "you have to get the hips through us" - which is not the case.

Unfortunately, they're not the BBC and don't have to inform you that a range of products are available. 'Kind of' making it that you have to buy from them doesn't exactly sound like outright mis-selling, it justs sounds like they just led you into buying the HIP. They didn't tell you they are widely available, why would they? EAs are salespeople, they sell stuff to you.

A HIP isn't a financial product. The financial ombudsman will have nothing to say about it, btw.

I think perhaps you were just naive.

QTPie

Doozergirl wrote: »

Unfortunately, they're not the BBC and don't have to inform you that a range of products are available. 'Kind of' making it that you have to buy from them doesn't exactly sound like outright mis-selling, it justs sounds like they just led you into buying the HIP. They didn't tell you they are widely available, why would they? EAs are salespeople, they sell stuff to you.

A HIP isn't a financial product. The financial ombudsman will have nothing to say about it, btw.

I think perhaps you were just naive.

Agreed: "buyer beware" in all matters.

It is like buying a car: if you go into a showroom, sign the contract for a car at £30,000, take delivery, drive off, three months down the line realise that the exact same car was available for £14k at loads of other dealers... Is that the dealer's fault for selling you an over-priced car that was widely available elsewhere? Should that dealer have advised you to "shop around elsewhere" or given you a "price promise gaurantee"?

Bear in mind that a HIP isn't solely about the "10 minute walk around" your house: there are searches and paperwork to do too. Yes, they are a wate of money, but you have to have one and you SHOULD shop around to find the best deal.

Unless the Estate Agent said you HAD to get it from them, then I don't think that you have a case.

Buying and selling houses is a very expensive/serious business: always do your research....

QT

Robert_Sterling_3

ScrewYouHippy wrote: »

During the conversation, we were told that this agent would sell us the HIP package for 600 pounds (599 to be exact) - At no point were we told that the HIP package can be bought from anyone at much more reasonable prices (I've seen as low as 200 pounds)

You did not find out for yourself what a HIP was likely to cost. You paid a high price because you did not do your research. You could I suppose Name & Shame the Estate Agent on MSE. If you do use restrained language and just say " Agency Name ... They charged me £600 for a HIP what have other MSE members paid for their HIP?"

david29dpo

I am afraid this is typical of some agents. I really dont think you can do anything about it now. Buyer beware.