Anyone used Ross Coates for conveyancing?

theoldmotherhubbard

We have recently exchanged contracts on our house sale using Anup at Ross Coates Solicitors. Despite it being a long and drawn out process, due to other parties, we found that he dealt with things efficiently and with a sense of understanding. Selling and buying houses is never an easy time and it always skews our opinions of those that are there to smooth the way. Frustrations occur but, on reflection, the service we received from Anup, and his secretary Amy, were, bearing in mind the cost compared to others, very good.

YamahaOwner

I have used RC twice before and had excellent service, this time however, it was terrible, unprofessional and I had to chase my fee earner, [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] all the time. Poor communications and unable to complete a balance sheet correctly saw me being paid £1700.00 less than I should have on completion, quickly corrected but a very basic error.
At the last straw I raised a formal complaint with the practise manager, which is supposed to be dealt with in 28 days according to their web page; well I had to chase that up too after nearer 40 days! I tried to email Mr Coates, but his email account is suspended, I wonder why?
They finally sent me a good will gesture a post-dated cheque, so I even had to wait to bank it when it finally arrived.
I won’t be using again or recommending to anyone else

DanFountain

I used RC between November 2013 and April 2014. Originally it was a different solicitor but due to issues in the chain (and the original person leaving RC) it ended up changing to Anup.

The change was seemless. I thought Anup was helpful and efficient. Issues were dealt with promptly although sometimes needing some chasing for feedback. I was getting quite upset near the end due to issue with other solicitors - however Anup did a great job in calming me and getting the job done.

mabaudi

I have used Ross Coates 3 times in the last 2 years on property purchases for my small portfolio,
For the last 2, I have had the pleasure to deal with Catherine and her secretary Sue. I found the service
very professional with calls or emails returned.
On the last transaction there was a 3week delay because Catherine had spotted some small print that
could have cost me an additional £650.00 It was the otherside that didn't know what they were doing and delayed everything...
We will be using them again for the next purchase too.

ceriann201

I will begin with a couple of small moans!

Firstly, we live in a world where most correspondence is acceptable via email and Ross Coates could speed things up by not requesting everything by post!

Secondly, you do have to chase and nag a little... But from what i can gather this is true of any solicitor you use!

However, my experience with Ross Coates has been a positive one. The sale memorandum was issued 22nd April, we have exchanged today, 18th July!

The process has not been entirely smooth due to a stream of incomplete paperwork from the other side but Anup has been meticulous with his explanations, advice and has really supported me through the process. I have always felt that Anup has wanted the best conclusion for me and I have trusted him throughout.

I have absolutely no idea about conveyancing, its intricacies and complexities. What i do know is that buying a house is the biggest purchase of my life and therefore it was highly unlikely to happen without lots of paperwork and a few delays. Anup and i have had a good relationship throughout and i think that ultimately comes down to my respect for his role and his empathy with me as the buyer.

I'll be recommending Ross Coates to a friend... but with the caveat that buying a house isn't easy!

hannahsquidge

I have recently employed the services of Ross Coates for conveyancing of my property purchase and have to say the service I received has been APPALING.

My Solicitor frequently does not respond to emails, “doesn’t receive” emails (ie ignores them) and on the rare occasion that I do get a response from him, it is generally an entirely unhelpful one-word or one-sentence response. Sending an email to a client that literally only says “I need another £1014 from you” is hardly professional!!

My purchase should have been incredibly quick, as there was no chain on either side, and no-one moving in or out of the property (buy-to-let), yet the entire process took over 3 months and the seller threatened to pull out because RC were being so incredibly slow.

I spent weeks chasing the for standard and necessary information, getting no response or update from my solicitor, and when they finally responded it turned out they had had the documents requested sat in their inbox for over a month.

When a small and easily-solvable issue arose with the sellers paperwork, he was so unresponsive that I ended up contacting the NHBC and sorting it out myself as I had no faith what-so-ever in him doing it. Really don’t know what I was paying him to do.

When it came to exchange at no point did he advise that I only needed to pay 10% of the deposit, meaning RC were earning interest on my whole deposit for weeks while he, very slowly, arranged exchange and completion.

The day before completion, I found out from my bank that he had not even sent the relevant documentation in order to request release of funds. This resulted in a last minute panic and almost meant we couldn't exchange.

DO NOT USE THEM. If I could go back I would pay the extra cost and use someone who I could rely on to do the job properly. I am convinced that when I come to sell this property issues will arise out of things not properly done upon purchase.

Jolac

I made my biggest mistake in a long time by appointing RossCoates to manage the sale of my property. I am only glad and lucky I was still in the 'cooling' period and managed to cancel the contract before I would loose my deposit. The mood changed immediately after I paid the deposit, and I am still astounded that my case worker, (text removed by MSE Forum Team), is working in a customer facing job. Having said that, none of the senior staff reacted to emails I sent to express my discontent, which leads me to think that, perhaps, (text removed by MSE Forum Team) is merely portraying the culture of the whole practice. It was a narrow escape!

carlykins

AVOID Ross Coates at all costs and use at your peril! Hopeless, inefficient and rude. Extremely poor communication and unhelpful. Our completion did not take place on contracted day - they did nothing to help and have shown a contemptible lack of interest in our plight subsequently.

Do yourselves a favour and pay for a reputable local solicitor. Might be a bit more expensive but could save you time, stress and money in the long run!

5MeoDmt

Really wanted to leave a positive review here but unfortunately I can't! Truly shocking, and incredibly stressful from beginning to end.

Just completed a house sale and purchase with Ross Coates, the Solicitor was [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] ( if you get assigned to [TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] run a mile!)

Sent Recorded delivery letters were 'never received' (lost)
Lost our identification documents (we had to get ID re-certified and posted at our expense)
Contract had incorrect house sale price
Sent us important documents without a a stamp (deeds) it went AWOL at the sorting office
Final bill was completely wrong as miscalculated numerous figures
Complete incompetence over and over again, we ended up having to do most of her work for her!

[TEXT DELETED BY FORUM TEAM] came through at the end on completion day and we breathed a sigh of relief, really not worth the stress, seriously

Oh, and it sounds cheap £199 fees but don't believe it, they add all sorts on at the end, referral fee etc

Save yourself a nervous breakdown and choose a reputable local firm that you can bob into and speak in person

rachel_jane

I have nothing but praise for Ross Coates and am surprised at the negative comments.
Being a first time buyer and unfamiliar with conveyancing and Estate Agents, land searches, surveys etc etc I don't think I could have chosen a better firm of solicitors to help me.
Anup and Aimee were both brilliant, explained all the processes and jargon in words I could understand. The service they provided was friendly, professional, knowledgeable and reasonably priced.
All my queries were resolved swiftly, most phone calls were answered immediately and if I'd left a message this was quickly replied to. Emails were also dealt with efficiently.
Thank you Anup and Aimee.
I would definitely recommed this firm for anyone needing conveyancing.