EA affilliated damp "surveyor" ruined future sales? Turned up without warning from EA

BronzedCab

The buyer had a proper surveyor round for the building and they didnt pick up any issues. Then just after queries were done they came to look at the house one more time, I got no explanation as to why. I got a phonecall the next day from the EA and was told that a damp surveyor had turned up to the EA, requested from the buyer to pick up the keys. I had no warning, and agreed to this. I was later told the buyer has felt dampness in the house, which is nonsensical. I checked the house later just in case and it's still bone dry with no signs of damp anywhere.

I then got a report from this unqualified surveyor for huge problems, and he was selling treatments for tens of thousands of pounds. Again the RICS surveyor found no issues, I dont even believe the buyer even believes this new "surveyor", and I think they just wanted to lower their offer and poison the house if we rejected to lower the price. By poision I mean, the EA has to give a reason for why a sale fell through to the next buyers. Now I have this BS survey ruining the price. Even worse is when I asked for his details at the impromptu phone call, the EA gave them, but also said he was affiliated with them!

I believe I am in the sole selling period, if this is grounds to move EA, I certainly don't want to have to pay double commission due to  previous introductions, I feel this is a terrible thing that has happened and I should never have let that person in the house, and that the EA has failed me badly. Am I seeing this wrong? 

youth_leader

So the house is empty?  Have you left the heating on, I'm in the NE and temperatures at night are very low now.

I don't understand why you are saying 'unqualified'?  Is the surveyor from a PCA approved company?  If so, the damp/timber survey would have involved the floorboards being taken up to inspect the subfloor.  

woody7777

Was the damp rising damp? A friend of mine had that in a house he bought and it was really expensive for the remedial work.

eddddy

As you suggest, it sounds like the 'surveyor' was really a 'salesperson' from a damp treatment company.

Maybe email the EA with the following questions:

• Why did the EA introduce a damp treatment salesperson, when the RICS surveyor hadn't identified any kind of damp issues?

• What does the EA mean by "affiliate"? What is the relationship between the EA and the damp treatment company?

• Does the EA get referral fees / commission or any other type of payment from the damp treatment company? (If so, how much would the EA earn if the buyer went ahead with the salesperson's quote?)

• Tell the EA that they must explain to the buyer that the RICS surveyor found no damp problems, and therefore the salesperson from the damp treatment company is likely to be trying to sell unnecessary damp treatment services.

And tell the EA that by introducing the damp treatment salesperson, they risk scaring the buyer and scuppering the sale - and therefore getting no commission.

And since the EA has caused this problem, you expect them to work hard to fix it by reassuring the buyer that there isn't a problem.

Chief_of_Staffy

I experienced the same thing. In the interests of a quick sale, and not being constructionally inclined, I gave a minimal discount, but if I were to do it again I'd say you either pay the agreed price or forget it. In my case it was a 'friendly roofer' who was eager to say the house needed a new roof, especially in view of the 'sagging ridge beam'. It was unfortunate that I did the research after I'd conceded the discount, because a few hours' investigation later confirmed by two roofers showed that I don't have a ridge beam (structural), I have a ridge board (non-structural), that there is no sag in it whatsoever (unsurprising for a ridge board) and the timbers are in such good condition that it would be 'a waste of time' to even treat them.

Call it what it is, an attempted scam. And act accordingly.

Chief_of_Staffy

Also, if you're worried about the buyer backing out and the EA having to give the reason to another potential buyer, then you be the one to back out. Then you can give whatever reason you like and that's the one the EA would need to tell any inquirer down the line.

GDB2222

I’m not sure what the estate agent has done wrong? The buyer wanted the name of a damp company, and the estate agent suggested one. If he had not, the buyer would have found a different one.

The op was asked whether it would be okay to let the ‘surveyor' in, and the op agreed. The op could have said no, but chose not to.

Can someone explain why the estate agent is to blame? 

BronzedCab

I was in the middle of working at the office, had no warning, no time to think and had a sudden phone call, the "surveyor" was wanting to enter the house. With absolutely no warning, and being somewhat trusting, the scam did not occur to me. A good EA should have warned be about this horrific repurcussions! I am not used to such underhandedness.

BronzedCab

eddddy said:

As you suggest, it sounds like the 'surveyor' was really a 'salesperson' from a damp treatment company.

Maybe email the EA with the following questions:

• Why did the EA introduce a damp treatment salesperson, when the RICS surveyor hadn't identified any kind of damp issues?

• What does the EA mean by "affiliate"? What is the relationship between the EA and the damp treatment company?

• Does the EA get referral fees / commission or any other type of payment from the damp treatment company? (If so, how much would the EA earn if the buyer went ahead with the salesperson's quote?)

• Tell the EA that they must explain to the buyer that the RICS surveyor found no damp problems, and therefore the salesperson from the damp treatment company is likely to be trying to sell unnecessary damp treatment services.

And tell the EA that by introducing the damp treatment salesperson, they risk scaring the buyer and scuppering the sale - and therefore getting no commission.

And since the EA has caused this problem, you expect them to work hard to fix it by reassuring the buyer that there isn't a problem.

Thank you, unfortunately they pulled out shortly after

BronzedCab

Chief_of_Staffy said:

Also, if you're worried about the buyer backing out and the EA having to give the reason to another potential buyer, then you be the one to back out. Then you can give whatever reason you like and that's the one the EA would need to tell any inquirer down the line.

Thank you, unfortunately they pulled out shortly after, not sure what to do now.

Chief_of_Staffy

BronzedCab said:

I was in the middle of working at the office, had no warning, no time to think and had a sudden phone call, the "surveyor" was wanting to enter the house. With absolutely no warning, and being somewhat trusting, the scam did not occur to me. A good EA should have warned be about this horrific repurcussions! I am not used to such underhandedness.

Unfortunately these people exist. I'm dealing with one right now, who pulled the identical stunt, except in my case with a 'best-mate' roofer who oddly seemed to know exactly what he'd find before he'd even opened the loft hatch, and claimed I needed a new roof. After researching what he said I suspected it was all nonsense, and once I got the opinion of two other roofers (one couldn't understand why I'd asked him to assess a "perfectly serviceable" roof, the other said there was nothing needed doing and when I asked, "Not even treatment of the timbers?" he replied, "No, there's nothing wrong with your timbers or anything else") that was confirmed. And that's just the start of this buyer's BS. Next week I'll probably tell them to FO.