Feel Ripped off by Bairstowe Eves

TightGit

We tried this estate agent as they are selling pretty well in the area. Sales guy came around and gave me all the spiel which was pretty convincing ( bear in mind this is my third agent so i am not nieve )

Fees were initially £3000 + vat ( property listed at 60k ) fixed fee. I talked down to £2500.

Then comes the bombshell of upfront fees. £100 for bronze, £200 + vat for silver. We went for silver which gives you the magazine, marketing on 24 websites and audio tour etc. etc.

I signed the 7 day cool of waiver so they could market it right away , they even gave me the bull of they got me a viewer already before i signed which i knew was BS.

It took till the 7th day and a complaint to get on rightmove ( only website not the other 23 ) and to get a board up outside.

When i complained they tell me they have to send the details off to head office and then get me to sign them off. So as it stands now THREE weeks in , this still hasnt been done. So where did my £250 go ? I still dont even have room sizes or descriptions.

They have in fairness got me two viewings, one person of which is interested. However they viewed last Sunday and i had to chase the agent for feedback , they said they were talking to her at 4pm on Saturday and would feel her out, they still havent rung me. However the buyer herself has contacted us to say shes very interested and needs to sort finances.

Do i have a rant on the phone and demand a refund , or go higher ? or grin and bare it ? :mad:

peachyprice

They're not known as B'stard Eaves in these parts for nothing!

hazyjo

£3k?! Jeez... what part of the country's this? Most are paying 1-2% (the two agents I last used - this year - both offered 1%). Both those percents are way under your fixed fee. How much were the other 2 agents charging?

Am sure you'll find the bronze and silver were extras. Surely you could have just stuck with 'normal' and still had it advertised on RM, etc.

Sorry, but if you've agreed to it all and signed, you'll have to stick it out. How long was the contract for? Hopefully you knocked the term down a bit too.

Unfortunately lots of people don't give feedback and don't feel they need to. Bit on the rude side, IMO, to not even say you're not interested, but there you go. Was a whole thread about it on here a while back.

Jx

GAH

It depends what you want to do. You could go higher, but most of these are fanchises so you could be sent round the houses.

Unfortunately sounds like they have got you for a bit of money either way, you sack them and they have made a bit of money upfront, or you stay with them and they will make a packet in fees.

You are going to be charged 4% which is huge, 1-2% is the avergae across the board.

They maybe a big company with a well known name, but there customer service is woeful.

G_M

peachyprice wrote: »

They're not known as B'stard Eaves in these parts for nothing!

Round here they're known as Bairstowe Thieves.

Having said that, you paid a fee and they've found you two prospective buyers........ just keep on politely asking for updates.

How long have you agreed to stay with them? If things don't work out, give notice in good time when the contract expires.

sonastin

If that branch of the chain is anything like the branch that I dealt with, you've spoken to the only competent salesman in the office - and he doesn't deal with buyers.

You might end up selling with them but you're buyer is likely to feel equally p'ed off with the high pressure "use our mortgage advisor, use our solicitor" sales pitches so I think you're better off cancelling the contract ASAP and moving on to agent no.4. It would be worth asking for a refund of your payment for the "silver" package as they have yet to deliver what you have paid for. They probably won't pay it but its worth asking - might just get them to pull their finger out and at least give you what you've paid for.

mrschaucer

Twenty five years ago we used to call them "Barefaced Thieves". I see not much has changed.

maninthestreet

£3K to sell a £60K property!!!???

kingstreet

maninthestreet wrote: »

£3K to sell a £60K property!!!???

IIRC they have a minimum fee of £2,800 + VAT regardless of property value. If Bairstow Eves don't other members of Countrywide certainly do. They put my M-I-L's house on for £120k at £2,800 + VAT with a six month sole agency contract. She got one viewer and reckoned they were "shills" for the agent.