Will/can the estate agent demand a fee?

hurstpierpoint

HPsauce63 wrote: »

Why ask this? Why assume he/she is an estate agent too? You don't have to be an estate agent yourself to think it's wrong and bad, for people to USE an estate agent for a few months, take their house off the market with the estate agent, pay them NOTHING, and then slyly sell it to someone who viewed it through the estate agent some months before; getting away without paying ANYthing to the estate agent. It's a pretty nasty thing to do actually, and I agree that they deserve to be caught.

What were they doing taking personal details of potential buyers anyway? All correspondence is supposed to go through the estate agent ... Did the OP actually say 'give us your contact number, as we may take it off the market soon, and in a few months, we'll contact you and you can buy it.' Do they say 'don't say anything to the estate agent, and we'll give you five hundred quid' or something. Surely there has to be something in it for the buyer.

Moreover, if they want to put the house on the market again, why not go back to the estate agent? How come they're sneakily contacting previous 'interested parties?'

I agree with hahalol. Anyone who does this, deserves to sued for the Estate Agent fees. It's a dirty trick, and too many people seem to do it.

And FTR, NO, I am NOT an estate agent. I just think that it's a nasty, sly thing to do.

100% agree, they did the job, pay them.

cool_dude_2000

To be honest, i'm sure there are just as many if not more estate agents that engage in equally morally bankrupt activities.

Mantrahalos

Just to clarify a point- there was nothing underhand. The agent booked appointment with said couple. They turned up, viewed and left.
Agent didn't follow up with a a feedback call to us ( and didn't contact the viewers either apparently)
We then got a letter sent by post to us out of the blue from prospective buyers.

I accept some of the comments and can see why they have been made.

Mallotum_X

Personally I dont think you do owe anything. Their terms try and make things vague, but thats typical of Estate Agents.

However I wouldnt tell the Agent but be prepared to argue with them over it.

googler

cool_dude_2000 wrote: »

To be honest, i'm sure there are just as many if not more estate agents that engage in equally morally bankrupt activities.

Based on what evidence?

Just as many or more than what (or whom)?

Feel free to ask if I'm an EA too. You won't be the first.

newsgroup_monkey

Googler, whilst I don't want to get drawn in the morals of this thread, morality of EAs is definitely in question and as you use this forum a lot you will see the threads....

Look at the thread above about where an EA has blacklisted a potential customer, therefore breaking the contract terms they have with a vendor, not to mention breaking the law.

Then there's this thread...

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4516441

where someone says that the EA said it was chain-free, but it wasn't. Not to mention EAs that advertise end-of-terraces as semi-detached and so on.

I don't think you'll ever change anyone's view on EAs. The majority of EAs are chancers. I'd like to see the market on EAs and LAs more regulated. I think the majority of the public would like this too, but unfortunately the people that make these decisions have decided for whatever reason otherwise.

They rank along tele-sales people and traffic wardens as the most hated.....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-206103/Traffic-wardens-hated-job.html

Fire_Fox

Just pay up don't try to scam them, you signed the contract and the estate agent introduced the buyer.

Stormchaser_2

Mantrahalos wrote: »

Just to clarify a point- there was nothing underhand. The agent booked appointment with said couple. They turned up, viewed and left.
Agent didn't follow up with a a feedback call to us ( and didn't contact the viewers either apparently)
We then got a letter sent by post to us out of the blue from prospective buyers.

I accept some of the comments and can see why they have been made.

Have to agree with the people saying you should pay up. You would not have even been introduced to these people, had it not been for you using the estate agents to begin with. Why do you think it's OK to carry on with the sale with these people, and not let the estate agents - who introduced you to these people - know about the sale? If you don't think it's wrong to 'not pay them,' then why hide it from the EA? And why even ask on here about it? Because, deep down, you know you're in the wrong; THAT is why.

I honestly can't believe the cheek of some people. I find it morally reprehensible that you actually truly believe that you should not be paying SOMEthing to the EA. I also (like someone else has said,) find it a bit odd and a bit 'convenient' that these people got in touch with you, just as you decided to sell again. :;

And if some people think EAs are so 'corrupt,' then don't use them: Simples!

And as for this:

cooldude2000 wrote:

To be honest, i'm sure there are just as many if not more estate agents that engage in equally morally bankrupt activities.

I would like to echo what 'googler' said; where is your evidence to back this up?

DRP

OP: go for it! what's the worst that can happen?

Stormchaser_2

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Just pay up don't try to scam them, you signed the contract and the estate agent introduced the buyer.

Totally agree. This is obviously an intention to scam. I mean, why did the prospective buyer(s) not go back to the estate agents? Sounds well dodgy to me.