Offer on house from 'Home Sold Fast' - Genuine?

Budgeting_mum

Please give me some advice. My sister has been trying to sell her flat for many months. A cash buyer turned up on her doorstep last night offering the full asking price, all fees paid if you use their solicitors (dodgy...), no estate agents, able to complete within 14 days to a month.

Their website is home-sold-fast.co.uk and it sounds too good to be true so probably is. Everything is telling me to tell her to steer clear but has anyone had experience of this company?

kmmr

Look at the selling you house for 4 free thread (seach for syh4f) and if it sounds anything like that lot, then it is a scam!

Sounds like a variant of that scam, but there is always a chance it is genuine. I think the key is don't hand over any money until after completion. Ask them to take any costs from the completion monies if you can convince yourself that it is genuine.

Budgeting_mum

Hi kmmr - had a read through the thread you detailed. Thank you. The odd thing about the company that approached my sister is they've not asked for any money. Strange they've not looked at the property but their argument is that they're an investment company. My instincts tell me they're dodgy but my sister is desperate for a sale and wants to find out more about this company before she totally discounts them. If she used her own solicitor can you think of a way they could con her?

poppysarah

From looking at the whois info:


Registrant type:
UK Individual

Registrant's address:
The registrant is a non-trading individual who has opted to have their
address omitted from the WHOIS service.



Very naughty and a dodgy sign if I saw one.


You could contact trading standards about them - suspect they need to be registered under the new rule changes (think they do rent back don't they?)

adg1

This is a strange one. The contact address is a private dwelling in West Drayton, UB7. This would raise fears for me as its not a 'normal' trading premises for a business who can buy a whole house in cash at teh drop of a hat.

However, a quick google of the mobile contact number suggests that he avtually is an investor landlord with property to rent all over the gumtree.

There are also adverts wanting people to drop off leaflets in new areas for them.

Use your head with this - don't hand over money, give out personal details like banking etc at all just in case. It might be a good option as it seems hassle free but hassle free is something that worries me.

Insist you use your own (family, used him for years and years etc) solicitor and see what they say.

Google the mobile and contact some of the ads to see if he really is who he says he is - maybe get some details (Seems to be called Sarko?) and use the landregistry.co.uk website to determine he is the owner of the houses he lists on line.

The lack of data available screams out that he is a fly-by-night type of business.

Budgeting_mum

Some great ideas everyone, thank you. Where did you find your info adg1?

I also rang an estate agent who said that my sisters agent would want their fee anyway and to tell the buyer to go through them. The agent would need to check funds due to money laundering laws. Sounds good. Once she tells him this, maybe she'll never hear from him again.

GDB2222

What sort of contract does your sister have with her agent? In some circs she might have to pay them, but not in others.

adg1

Budgeting_mum wrote: »

Where did you find your info adg1?

Google!

I don't know how we survived without it!

kmmr

Budgeting_mum wrote: »

Hi kmmr - had a read through the thread you detailed. Thank you. The odd thing about the company that approached my sister is they've not asked for any money. Strange they've not looked at the property but their argument is that they're an investment company. My instincts tell me they're dodgy but my sister is desperate for a sale and wants to find out more about this company before she totally discounts them. If she used her own solicitor can you think of a way they could con her?

Haven't asked for any money yet you mean... give it time!

Budgeting_mum

I must be pretty poor at googling then, cos although I'd looked I couldn't get as much info as you! Lol. You must have lots of info interrogation practice. Thank you.

FraudBuster

offering the full asking price, all fees paid if you use their solicitors

Ringing very loud alarm bells with me.