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Hello Forumites! In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non-MoneySaving matters are not permitted per the Forum rules. While we understand that mentioning house prices may sometimes be relevant to a user's specific MoneySaving situation, we ask that you please avoid veering into broad, general debates about the market, the economy and politics, as these can unfortunately lead to abusive or hateful behaviour. Threads that are found to have derailed into wider discussions may be removed. Users who repeatedly disregard this may have their Forum account banned. Please also avoid posting personally identifiable information, including links to your own online property listing which may reveal your address. Thank you for your understanding.Beware of misleading purple bricks
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Hell, if many buyers are avoiding PB, then that's likely to reduce the sale price - all the better for those who don't much care who the EA is they're buying through...Really? Personally, I'd go to a viewing led by anyone, if it was the means by which I could secure a property I wanted.
Similarly I'd buy from anyone, as evidenced by the fact that one of our vendors was 'inside' for something unpleasant when we purchased our current property. All I did was Google to ensure the address wasn't linked to their crimes in media reporting.
It's business and the property's neutral. Someone's going to buy it, so it might as well be me.
Are the onlines a bit useless? Yes, ime of Express.
Is that exclusive to them? Far from it, ime of some B'n'm EAs.
Would I sell through one? No.
Would I buy through one? It's all about the property and the price...0 -
Really? Personally, I'd go to a viewing led by anyone, if it was the means by which I could secure a property I wanted.
Similarly I'd buy from anyone, as evidenced by the fact that one of our vendors was 'inside' for something unpleasant when we purchased our current property. All I did was Google to ensure the address wasn't linked to their crimes in media reporting.
It's business and the property's neutral. Someone's going to buy it, so it might as well be me.
As for the OP, they couldn't even write a thread title that wasn't misleading.
It's not the price that is the problem all the time, with PB I called to view a property and took my details down and never got back to me??
If their not bothered why should I?
Called another agent for a different property and set up an appointment immediately"It is prudent when shopping for something important, not to limit yourself to Pound land/Estate Agents"
G_M/ Bowlhead99 RIP0 -
Initially I put faith in human nature and believed the sales man, who verbally told me it was a no sale no fee and assured me the form filling was just a formality.
Yep - sadly, I know many people who have fallen into similar traps.
A salesperson visits them at home (or calls them on the phone), and gives them some misleading sales patter, and pressurises them to sign, and tells them that they don't need to read all the contract details.
Even worse when it's a service like estate agency, which you may not have any previous experience of.
(I know people who have been misled in similar ways by estate agents, double glazing companies, home heating companies, 'investment' companies etc.)A sales advisor visited me and led to me to the conclusion that it was no sale no fee and insisted I’d have nothing to lose if going with them to see what interest they could accumulate. He encouraged me to complete an online application which I did and I gave them the keys.
Do you mean the advisor stood over you whilst you filled in the online forms - maybe telling you where to click (and maybe distracting you away from important information)?
If that was what happened, it's appalling!
The law tries to protect you from those types of selling practices, by giving you 14 days to check all the details and cancel if you want to.
Unfortunately, it sounds like your 14 day cancellation period is long gone.0 -
4. Instruct us and get on the market
We have two simple payment options. If you pay on instruction we charge just £899 or £1,399 in London and surrounding postcodes. Alternatively, you can defer your payment for up to 10 months from instruction if you use our conveyancing service partner. VAT is included.
Basically it means they will get your money irrespective of whether your house sells or not!
Since they will get the money upfront or later anyway, they have no incentive to sell your property actively.Go to a reputable high street agent instead
No such things exist either. Hence, online agents like PB can fleece customers.Happiness is buying an item and then not checking its price after a month to discover it was reduced further.0 -
babyblade41 wrote: »I wouldn't undertake viewing a house who used PB no matter how nice the house was
The problem is (from previous experience) that trying to actually view a PB house is well nigh impossible. The on-line appointment calendar is pointless. Whatever slot you chose they inevitably come back to you to change the time (on one memorable occasion they did so three times including a last minute change when we were actually en route to the viewing) if indeed they bother to come back to you at all. Their viewing staff leave much to be desired too.0 -
It's like any franchise-type business, so your previous experience may not be everyone's.The problem is (from previous experience) that trying to actually view a PB house is well nigh impossible. The on-line appointment calendar is pointless. Whatever slot you chose they inevitably come back to you to change the time (on one memorable occasion they did so three times including a last minute change when we were actually en route to the viewing) if indeed they bother to come back to you at all. Their viewing staff leave much to be desired too.0 -
One of my buyers on a rental of mine used PB for a sale and talk about ridiculous , they used all the package inc conveyancers on their sale
There isn't a house that that is worth the hassle IMO . Location is most important and for me what's next important can be easily changed in any shell .. I'd rather not deal with incompetents .. the process is difficult enough as it is without adding PB into the mix0 -
It's like any franchise-type business, so your previous experience may not be everyone's.
I agree but I suppose the potential inconsistency is part of the problem really. I remember a (now defunct I think) franchise restaurant chain. A foodie friend of ours really rated her local one so we tried ours and it was AWFUL. Out the other side of pants. It was so spectacularly awful that we went again just to see if it was as terrible as it had been the first time (it was
). That's the issue with franchises. Not such an issue when it's just your tea that's at stake but a real problem when it happens to be your house sale... 0 -
You do realise that a lot of high street agencies are also franchises? Winkworth and Belvoir are two names many will know.
Or in another area, how about Specsavers? Very different experiences for my family in two Devon branches, but it doesn't stop me going to the one I like.0
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