Agency scam?

Johnmork

Good morning,

I am a tenant and I am currently in a strange situation. Here is the little backstory of it:

I went to check the flat, it was perfect for me, the offer even seemed too good to be true, but I decided to go with that. I left the holding deposit of 500gbp, so they will remove the advert and do credit checks. On the agreement of this was if I fail credit checks or landlord declines me as a person they will refund 400gbp instead of 500. I was ok with that as I am working professional wwith good credit history. I've been waiting for a week for a flat and at the last minute agency told me that landlord does not have the license to rent the property, then they told me that they can offer me another flat for same price or refund me, but 400, not full amount. I was arguing with them for a long time that it wasnt my fault and that i will go to court for that 100 pounds and eventually they said they will refund me full amount. I've been waiting for a week to get answer when i should expect the refund and after a week they wrote me an e-mail that they will refund me on february 25th and it can take up to 15days to go to my bank account so the latest day should be march 11th. Is it normal or it seems like a scam so they will have more time? As i dont want to wait that long..

Another thing i went straight to landlord and asked whats wrong with the license and if i can rent it straight from him without agency. He said that he has a license and he rent it through the same agency to somebody else.

Opinions please on what steps should I take as this seems like a scam to me.

Browntoa

Name the agency.

Let us check out

Johnmork

Iiqama quarters

G_M

Put your clain in writing,in a 'Letter Before Action'. Then sue if the money is not returned in the time you specify (14 days?).


If you can get something in writing from the LL (or a recording?) repeating what he told you, that will strengthen your claim further.

G_M

Not easy to find their address, let alone a website, but:


Iiqama Quarters
37th floor, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5DY

• Member of:
• 

PRS is the Property Redress Scheme

Browntoa

That's an accommodation address , a post drop.

So no real address probably

https://www.regus.co.uk/locations/united-kingdom/london/london-37th-floor-canary-wharf

They may rent office space but Regus also do virtual office ( post drop , phone answering etc)

Johnmork

So this is a scam for real?

Johnmork

By the way, they rent some kind of space there as i've been in their mini office there for receipt and everything.

Browntoa

We are not saying a scam but possibly a one man band

No website

No obvious landline

Only contact via prime location Website "call now" button Which shows {Edited by Forum team} .. strange number

Other contact via prime location website is a web form , so no obvious email address

Johnmork

The thing is they have a lot of properties to rent, as ive been atleast in 4 of that as well... Ye it seems nothing good for me.

Johnmork

And their phone number is {Edited by Forum team}