Have you ever gazundered?

Person_one

ReadingTim wrote: »

For a money saving website such as this, there's a curiously puritanical view of gazundering and (to a lesser extent) gazumping. Yet this same site also trumps phoning up the likes of sky, virgin media, O2, vodafone etc and saying you're thinking of leaving unless (by implication) they lower your monthly contract.

I wonder how many of the 'holier than thou' brigade have pulled the latter trick and reneged on a previously agreed contract, yet consider it beyond the pale changing a verbal agreement, where no contract exists just because a house is involved...?!?

I think its actually because a private individual is involved whose life is tied up in the sale/purchase just as much as yours is, rather than a company with large profit margins to whom you're just an account number and an income stream.

The two aren't remotely comparable.

JimmyTheWig

I once had a vendor do the opposite to me.
Had the usual backwards and forwards at offer stage, resulting in him accepting 1% below asking price.
Fine.
All the paperwork, mortgage, etc went through with this price.
The process dragged on for months, during which prices had gone up by 10%.

As we were getting ready to exchange he turned around and said the price was wrong - we agreed asking price.
Everyone agreed that there was no way he hadn't seen this price on the paperwork before now and was trying it on, but he could have got 10 times this increase by pulling out of the sale so I agreed to it.
We exchanged and all was fine. I wasn't happy about it, though.

ReadingTim

Person_one wrote: »

I think its actually because a private individual is involved whose life is tied up in the sale/purchase just as much as yours is, rather than a company with large profit margins to whom you're just an account number and an income stream.

An extension of that argument goes that it's ok to shoplift from large supermarkets because of their large profits and the fact you're just an income stream...

Seems principles are somewhat flexible when it comes to property...

Person_one

ReadingTim wrote: »

An extension of that argument goes that it's ok to shoplift from large supermarkets because of their large profits and the fact you're just an income stream...

Well no, because stealing is against the law...

ManuelG

ReadingTim wrote: »

I wonder how many of the 'holier than thou' brigade have pulled the latter trick and reneged on a previously agreed contract, yet consider it beyond the pale changing a verbal agreement, where no contract exists just because a house is involved...?!?

Not sure the comparison holds up, as the utility companies is the negotiation before agreeing the contract.

A bit like telling a homeowner you'll buy another house as you can't afford more than your offer.

I've never cut a utility contract back once I've agreed to it!

Jhoney_2

ReadingTim wrote: »

For a money saving website such as this, there's a curiously puritanical view of gazundering and (to a lesser extent) gazumping. Yet this same site also trumps phoning up the likes of sky, virgin media, O2, vodafone etc and saying you're thinking of leaving unless (by implication) they lower your monthly contract.

I wonder how many of the 'holier than thou' brigade have pulled the latter trick and reneged on a previously agreed contract, yet consider it beyond the pale changing a verbal agreement, where no contract exists just because a house is involved...?!?

Never have. I'm not beholden, nor is it a requirement of this forum, for me to pursue any of their tips or suggestions without independent thought.

People are involved and directly affected even up the chain if the result is that the onward purchase cannot be paid for etc, money already spent and restarting the whole process incurring further costs and fees.

Turning away potential buyers knowing you only intend to pay less than your offer is an awful way to obtain a home. It's simply not a nice or fair thing to do.

If that view means I have to subscribe to 'holier than thou' magazine, i'll sign up.:)