Referencing fee refund question

Guest101

jjlandlord wrote: »

The amount of nonsense is growing by the minute in this thread.
That landlord really did dodge a major bullet here, IMHO.

Good luck with the house hunting.

Yes it is with almost every post u make.

runningfool

jjlandlord wrote: »

The amount of nonsense is growing by the minute in this thread.
That landlord really did dodge a major bullet here, IMHO.

Good luck with the house hunting.

Genuinely can't take someone seriously when they use text speak I'm afraid - in my humble opinion.

You think they dodged a bullet because I am sticking up for what I feel is right?

Bottom line - I wasn't asked for any extra info at the start, when they all knew of my IVA. The EA withheld that information till after they had received and banked my money (remember, they admitted the LL had asked at the beginning).

What, exactly, is nonsense about that?

KatieDee

I can see this from both sides. You were honest with them from the start, explaining your financial background and they gave no indication that this would cause a problem. You also provided the standard information they requested to prove that you could afford the property. I would say that as far as this part of the tale is concerned, you did everything possible to make them aware of any issues.

However, there may have been other factors involved which caused them to request further documentation. I do agree that six months worth of bank statements is extensive but an IVA is a considerable deal to most companies, especially those such as estate agents who survive on monthly payments from their tenants. That IVA suggests that you have had difficulties maintaining your finances in the past, so I suppose that would make them extra vigilant which is probably why they asked for more information.

They may have wanted to ensure that you had met the monthly payment consistently for an extended period (if it's still in place).

It seems to me that the main culprit here, like most estate agents, seems to be lack of communication and training. You were told the incorrect thing by the first person who handled correspondence and were led to believe that the IVA would not cause an issue. On the other hand, they requested further information as part of the referencing procedure which you refused to provide for the reasons you have stated.

In an ideal world, it would be fair of them to admit their mistake in the beginning and refund you the money, however I don't think you have a leg to stand on if you were to dispute it, unfortunately

I hope you find another place to live soon.

Guest101

KatieDee wrote: »

I can see this from both sides. You were honest with them from the start, explaining your financial background and they gave no indication that this would cause a problem. You also provided the standard information they requested to prove that you could afford the property. I would say that as far as this part of the tale is concerned, you did everything possible to make them aware of any issues.

However, there may have been other factors involved which caused them to request further documentation. I do agree that six months worth of bank statements is extensive but an IVA is a considerable deal to most companies, especially those such as estate agents who survive on monthly payments from their tenants. That IVA suggests that you have had difficulties maintaining your finances in the past, so I suppose that would make them extra vigilant which is probably why they asked for more information.

They may have wanted to ensure that you had met the monthly payment consistently for an extended period (if it's still in place).

It seems to me that the main culprit here, like most estate agents, seems to be lack of communication and training. You were told the incorrect thing by the first person who handled correspondence and were led to believe that the IVA would not cause an issue. On the other hand, they requested further information as part of the referencing procedure which you refused to provide for the reasons you have stated.

In an ideal world, it would be fair of them to admit their mistake in the beginning and refund you the money, however I don't think you have a leg to stand on if you were to dispute it, unfortunately

I hope you find another place to live soon.

Nicely summed up bit I disagree, in this case I think there is a solid case ultimately money claim online and see I guess

KatieDee

Guest101 wrote: »

Nicely summed up bit I disagree, in this case I think there is a solid case ultimately money claim online and see I guess

You might be right Guest101, and I do hope the OP manages to get his money back. I'm just going on how difficult some estate agents can be in my experience!

Fees nowadays are so expensive and to lose them through mis-communication means losing a significant amount of money.

runningfool

KatieDee wrote: »

You might be right Guest101, and I do hope the OP manages to get his money back. I'm just going on how difficult some estate agents can be in my experience!

Fees nowadays are so expensive and to lose them through mis-communication means losing a significant amount of money.

Many thanks both.

I think my argument is that had they told me in the beginning, I could have said no before paying any money at all - and we would have gone our separate ways.

Apparently the LL did request it at the beginning but the EA did not tell me until I had paid and we were over a week into the process, through one person not communication to another within the company.

So, in my mind, regardless of what the LL wanted, the EA is at fault here.

I shall see what happens :-)

runningfool

Just to let you know, I chased up the estate agent today and they are giving me a full refund :-)