Competing Bidder dies - does EA need to advise me ?

DannyboyMidlands

Turn the situation around. It is not for the vendors EA to keep every potential buyer up to date on the situation of all other potential buyers so that they can get away with paying as little as possible. If they did we'd have the vendor on here quoting codes of conduct instead of you.

The EA played you like a fiddle. Treat it as a lesson learned.

timmo65

I get the picture.

I know the EA is contracted and obligated to the vendor (as stated in first post). I'm happy with the purchase, something just didn't sit right with how things panned out.

I'm almost in 'moving on ' mode but punting out a couple of emails can't hurt for peace of mind.

timmo65

Van1971 wrote: »

I understand your frustration, but don't think you have a leg to stand on.

Besides, did it occur to you that the Vendor could have refused to go back to the original agreed price?

Thanks, yes have thought about that but the flat had been vacant for some time and was off the market after they had accepted our first offer so I seriously doubt there would have been other bidders. Would maybe have met them half way though.

timmo65

googler wrote: »

Unless the EA is a TPO member, the ombudsman won't even look at your complaint.....

They are TPO members

princeofpounds

Don't worry about the 'robust' nature of some of the replies. I don't think anyone is going to blame you for asking, but they are just giving pretty direct advice to disabuse you of some misperceptions.

I notice you have a relatively low post count and wouldn't want to scare someone off the forum.

DannyboyMidlands

Firm but fair I'd call it. Or maybe cruel to be kind.

I doubt the TPO guidelines cover bidding wars with dead people. That'd be the very definition of ghost offers.

timmo65

princeofpounds wrote: »

Don't worry about the 'robust' nature of some of the replies. I don't think anyone is going to blame you for asking, but they are just giving pretty direct advice to disabuse you of some misperceptions.

I notice you have a relatively low post count and wouldn't want to scare someone off the forum.

Thanks, I didn't think what I was suggesting was that unreasonable but I can see that any moral obligation that I might think exists is subjective and I forgot that EAs are not human.

nomoneytoday

The EA works (worked) for the seller to get the highest price.
Their contract wasn't with you, and so they would have no obligation to advise on this IMHO.

tyllwyd

It's completely by chance that the EA knows that the other bidder has passed away - what if he/she had lived somewhere else, and had not spoken to the EA after their bid had been rejected? Would the EA have been obliged to have checked that they had not died before you completed on the flat? Did you make her continued existence a condition of your offer? If she had found somewhere else to live and moved on before you completed, would you have expected the EA to have found that out and told you? In reality, it must often be the case that a competing bidder's situation changes before a purchase is completed.

ILW

If you have not exchanged yet, you can withdraw your offer and make a lower one.

Sorry, just noticed that you have completed.