Has anyone else used bookasurvey.co.uk and had problems?

trigger_mike

After not logging on for a massive 8 years I'm back with a problem! I'm currently going through the joyful experience of moving house, the property I'm buying is a 17th century cottage so I decided to go for a full building survey, ringing around a few local companies they came back with quotes of £1000 but I found a website on Google called bookasurvey.co.uk which all looked legit and came back with a quote of £554, I took the gamble and booked a appointment.

2 days later I get a reply saying they had assigned a surveyor to us called Hunter and Mason, I was a little dubious as their website didn't give much detail or even business location where they were based so I left a few messages and eventually the surveyor contacted me and explained what he will be doing and put my mind to rest.

He was due round yesterday but this morning I've got a phone call from the estate agents to say that he had never turned up, now he won't respond to any phone calls or emails and bookasurvey also won't respond to any phone calls, emails or even their livechat.

I feel like I have now been ripped off £554 as well as having to wait 2 weeks for the appointment in the first place, this is set the house move back now too. I've since found a reputable surveyor local to the house I'm buying for £580 who can do it next week but I can't get hold of bookasurvey to even try and get my money back.

the website boasts that they do not collect the money until after the surveyor has been but the money has gone out of my account and they also offer a 30-day money back guarantee, I feel like I've been fleeced, has anyone else had any experience this company?

G_M

trigger_mike wrote: »

...... the property I'm buying is a 17th century cottage so I decided to go for a full building survey,
sensible
ringing around a few local companies
sensible
they came back with quotes of £1000
standard

but I found a website on Google called bookasurvey.co.uk which all looked legit and came back with a quote of £554, I took the gamble and booked a appointment.
As you say - a gamble. So an online company you've never heard of quoted half the going rate. Now what level of service do you expect - at best?
And what likelihood of a rip-off?

2 days later I get a reply saying they had assigned a surveyor to us called Hunter and Mason, I was a little dubious as their website didn't give much detail or even business location where they were
So one loud warning sign after aother!

based so I left a few messages and eventually the surveyor contacted me and explained what he will be doing and put my mind to rest. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

He was due round yesterday but this morning I've got a phone call from the estate agents to say that he had never turned up, now he won't respond to any phone calls or emails and bookasurvey also won't respond to any phone calls, emails or even their livechat.
You're forking out £100s of £000s and cutting corners on a survey. What can I say?!

I feel like I have now been ripped off £554 as well as having to wait 2 weeks for the appointment in the first place, this is set the house move back now too.
Surprised? I'm not.

I've since found a reputable surveyor local to the house I'm buying for £580 who can do it next week but I can't get hold of bookasurvey to even try and get my money back.
Surprised? I'm not.
the website boasts that they do not collect the money until after the surveyor has been but the money has gone out of my account
that can only happen if you let it happen. Why dd you let it happen? The mind boggles....!

and they also offer a 30-day money back guarantee, I feel like I've been fleeced, has anyone else had any experience this company?

Yes, sounds like you've been fleeced and yes, others probably have too.

Lespaul1960

If you paid with a credit card you should be able to lodge a complaint with the card company,and hopefully get your money back that way...

trigger_mike

Thank GM �� I thought the website was a comparison website like gocompaire etc so thought they were competing for business, there was nothing on the website to make you think it's a scam and even https://www.scamadviser.com said the site was safe so there was no reason to suspect otherwise.

I paid by visadebit card so I dont think I have any protection now.

eddddy

trigger_mike wrote: »

I paid by visadebit card so I dont think I have any protection now.

You can ask your card provider to do a 'chargeback'.
See: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/shopping/visa-mastercard-chargeback/


Had you paid by credit card (instead of debit card), you'd have had stronger protection from Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

But it's still worth trying for a 'Chargeback'.

trigger_mike

Thanks, I spoke to Nationwide this evening and they said as they haven't provided the service that I had paid for and it's been over 15 days since I paid them then I'm entitled to a full refund, which is a result!

Word of warning for anyone else thinking of using bookasurvey though and found this thread whilst Googling.

gazzabj

I was assigned the same surveyors!!!

This site is a scam it has to be. they don't answer the phone, used to have a chat facility and now only have a contact page.

I'll be getting on to my bank too now.

trigger_mike

Sounds very much like it. I spoke to Nationwide fraud team yesterday about it and they are doing a investigation on it, I also received a credit from Visa today so thankfully I'm sorted now but other people need to be made aware.

lisyloo

Would recommend credit card in future.
Chargeback is not a statutory right, so it's great you got a refund but not guaranteed.
Section 75 on credit cards is a statutory right. Obviously you have to weigh up charges. For holidays I always put £1 on my credit card and pay a 2p (2%) fee to et the proptection.

eddddy

lisyloo wrote: »

Section 75 on credit cards is a statutory right. Obviously you have to weigh up charges. For holidays I always put £1 on my credit card and pay a 2p (2%) fee to et the proptection.

Extra fees for using credit cards have been banned since January 2018.

See: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2018/01/cards-fees-to-be-banned-from-saturday/

teneighty

Looks like a standard lead generating site like My Builder, Checkatrade etc. so the website is probably only an intermediary passing on contacts to survey companies for a fee. There are lots of websites doing this now, not price comparison sites, they just sell your details on.

They claim to only use RICS regulated firms but there is no record of a firm "Hunter and Mason" being regulated by the RICS. Maybe the spelling is different.

I know this is a money saving website but trying to penny pinch on a specialist survey on a 17th Century property probably isn't the best idea. It really needs a building surveyor with specialist historic building experience, not your average run of the mill residential surveyor/valuer and even £1000 sounds too cheap.