CountryWide. When to Bug them, when not to?

SolemnSolitary

[FONT=&quot]Hi Guys,

So as in my previous thread:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4674875

I am in the process of buying a house with my partner. The Estate agent talked us into using Countrywide as the Vendors are also using Countrywide.

We put in our offer on the 31/05 and had it accepted same day and kicked off anything with Countrywide on the same day too.

At the moment we have had the following complete[/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]Identity checks done[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Payment on account received (withdrawal fee and search fees)[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]'Purchase Information Form' received[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Complete contract pack received from your seller’s lawyer[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Title checked and enquiries raised with your seller’s lawyer[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]We have a complete signed contract[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]We have a completed and signed 'Stamp Duty Land Transaction Return’[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Drainage search satisfactory[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Environment Search Report sent to you[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Mortgage legal work complete (part complete)[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]We have a completed, signed mortgage deed (part complete)[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Items in Progress:[/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]Local authority search satisfactory - Status (Waiting for Tree Preservation Order Document to be sent)[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Title enquiries (Replies from Vendors needs to be reviewed )[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Second purchase for fittings completed[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The TPO was requested on roughly around 20/06, I have asked Countrywide to chase this 4 - 6 times now but still haven't heard anything back. Is there anything I can do to chase this directly?

Enquires raised by Countrywide with Vendor. I have asked what these are but get evasion responses. I called on Monday (08/06) at roughly 12:00 and was told the latest status is that they have received allot of responses and these need to be reviewed by my case lawyer. Called again on 10/06 at 12:00 and was told that these have not yet been reviewed by the case lawyer and that the lawyer is given 3 days to review. I asked if this would be reviewed later that day and was told that they would put a rush on it. I called again later on at roughly 18:00 and was told no progress has been made and that they will get the case lawyer to call me tomorrow (11/07)

Purchase of Fittings.
When we initially made our offer the Vendor asked us to put down 5000 for Fixtures and fittings probably because my offer was 250 000. We refused and the Vendor started talking about taking out kitchen cupboard and fitted things. At which point we offered 1.5 to leave the house as it is. They reluctantly accepted. Since then all paperwork for mortgage and everything else has come through with no mention of the 1.5k. The Fittings and Fixtures form was filled in and sent to us two weeks ago and we noticed that it was items part as the sale price (250000). After talks here and with our lawyer and estate agent, the purchase of Fittings(only) is going to be treated as a separate purchase. this is where we will be buying things like curtains and carpets and standing appliances' etc. This was all worked out on 2/07 by our lawyers an sent off to the Vendors lawyers to look over and agree to. As of yet I haven't had any progress on this but hope that it is part of the replies that Countrywide said they had received on 08/07


So now!

I get the impression when I call Countrywide that I am being a pain! But 3 days to read over replies (and then it even happening) seems excessive to me! I know those kind of SLA's wouldn't be accepted where I work! So, today, I am waiting for a call which I haven't had as of yet..

Looking for some advice from people that have been here before, or from people in the business,

Do I keep calling and hassling them? Or do I just leave them be and wait for a response?[/FONT]

AnnieO1234

Please please please remember estate agents, solicitors etc are not just working for you - they have other clients too. I know you're anxious. Call them talk to a manager and tell them that you're feeling anxious xyz ask them what/when you should expect answers.

hazyjo

I'd keep ringing 'for an update' every day (nicely). They will soon get fed up of you and put yours to the top of the pile!

You probably know they're not the quickest and don't have a particularly great reputation. Bit late now, but not the wisest move to have used them in the first place. Case of grin and bear it now, and do all you can to keep on top of it.

If others in the chain are getting a bit pushy, make sure you update their EA at every turn. I had so many delays on my sale/purchase and made sure I emailed the EA I was buying through with the smallest of info just so they were kept in the picture. If I hadn't, I know they would have making all sorts of threats for the property to go back on the market. If they know you're chasing something at least once every day, they have something to tell their client and know you're serious and not dragging your feet.

Jx

SolemnSolitary

AnnieO1234 wrote: »

Please please please remember estate agents, solicitors etc are not just working for you - they have other clients too. I know you're anxious. Call them talk to a manager and tell them that you're feeling anxious xyz ask them what/when you should expect answers.

I completely understand that they have other cases. Just like I have plenty of customers. But I was told that the Case Laywers have 3 days (to me that still seems excessive! maybe I am just in the wrong job!) to read responses, and today is day 4 now. So even they have missed their mentioned SLA.

I am happy to sit and wait a few weeks (if thats what it takes) for them to read their emails, just trying to gauge on here how fequently I should chase, of maybe I shouldn't be chasing at all?

SolemnSolitary

hazyjo wrote: »

I'd keep ringing 'for an update' every day (nicely). They will soon get fed up of you and put yours to the top of the pile!

You probably know they're not the quickest and don't have a particularly great reputation. Bit late now, but not the wisest move to have used them in the first place. Case of grin and bear it now, and do all you can to keep on top of it.

If others in the chain are getting a bit pushy, make sure you update their EA at every turn. I had so many delays on my sale/purchase and made sure I emailed the EA I was buying through with the smallest of info just so they were kept in the picture. If I hadn't, I know they would have making all sorts of threats for the property to go back on the market. If they know you're chasing something at least once every day, they have something to tell their client and know you're serious and not dragging your feet.

Jx

Thanks I haven't thought of Contacting EA honestly! Oversight on my part there, although I did tell the EA last week where we are, and they seems happy with our progress.

I do also try to and be polite :P hmmm, daily calls for progress updates seems good to me at least I feel I am being proactive about these things then!

hellokitty08

Considering how slow they can be I would say everytime you breath in and out............... lol

hazyjo

SolemnSolitary wrote: »

Thanks I haven't thought of Contacting EA honestly! Oversight on my part there, although I did tell the EA last week where we are, and they seems happy with our progress.

I do also try to and be polite :P hmmm, daily calls for progress updates seems good to me at least I feel I am being proactive about these things then!

tbh, I'd never really done it to that extent before, but the agents I bought through were HORRIBLE. Took two months to let me even get a second offer in, and one had me in tears after one particular phone call. Honestly, just the worst! So I knew exactly what sort of threats and hassle to expect from them.

I had a horrendous delay getting my mortgage approved (had to get divorce financial settlement in writing) and there were delays with our buyer waiting for some document or other re her sale, so I just sent an email to let them know when I'd called my mortgage bod, what the EA had said about our buyer, what colour knickers I was wearing... ahem, okay, not the last, but it felt like it!!!!

I did get a very nice friendly email from them one day saying they wished all their clients were as informative as me, and they seemed to bend over backwards to be accommodating re dates and didn't push me once (they did email for a few updates which prompted me to just send them every teeny little thing to keep them off my back).

Jx

SolemnSolitary

So I have called today, and was told that nothing has been looked at. The lady on the phone said that she would email the property lawyer and the team leader to give them a nudge.

Hopefully my tomorrow call will have something new!

demontfort

Get direct numbers for the property lawyer and team leader and phone them up. For the duration of this purchase these chumps work for you i.e you pay their wages. I'm buying right now and I bother the estate agent, bank and conveyancer as and when it suits me. I know if I don't then the deal would proceed at a snails pace.

I work in a client facing role and I know if I adopted the sluggish, slipshod approach and unprofessional attitude of many indivduals in the property sector and legal profession I'd be out on my ear within the month.

SolemnSolitary

demontfort wrote: »

Get direct numbers for the property lawyer and team leader and phone them up. For the duration of this purchase these chumps work for you i.e you pay their wages. I'm buying right now and I bother the estate agent, bank and conveyancer as and when it suits me. I know if I don't then the deal would proceed at a snails pace.

I work in a client facing role and I know if I adopted the sluggish, slipshod approach and unprofessional attitude of many indivduals in the property sector and legal profession I'd be out on my ear within the month.

Thanks for the reply, I do feel like nothing would happen if I didn't keep bugging em.

I have called today to chase up the case laywer reading the replies sent to them from the Vendors on Monday! I got through to a call center agent who put me on hold and and when she came back said she has spoken directly with the case laywer and that the case laywer will read the replies to today and get back to me.

So now after a week, someone is going to read their emails.. The time scales seem insane to me but anyway!


Now my question,
Do I sit patiently and wait for the lawyer to call me back which I think will be next week some time:P Or do I make a second call today at about 6 and ask for another progress update.

I am not trying to be pushy, but also don't want to sit on my hands when there is a possibility I could be doing something to move things along?

Thanks for all your advice!

SolemnSolitary

Latest Update!

Made a call on Saturday and was told that no one has looked anything over yet. The agent agian said he will forward it on to management it will be looked at on Monday.

Hopefully I will hear something today

Also if I don't would it be valid to threaten to go with someone else.
As I understand it we would lose 400 in searches but they will need to provide us with those searches anyways because we have paid them them and the new laywer will just need to read the replies to the latest lot and we should be good to go?