Estate agent ID Check charge for House purchase

binky99

Having sold my house I have put in an offer on a new property. It is a cash purchase using the equity from the sale. I had to provide Estate agent with proof of funds which is fair enough. However, they require ID check using movebutler at £35. Not a massive sum but I resent having to pay this given I have already done ID checks for two conveyancing solictors in the last 12 months who simply required items like passport, Driver license, council tax bill and that sufficed. Am I forced to pay for that site or can I not just provide solictors ID check?. Thanks

Albermarle

Policy of charging seems to vary between estate agents. In comparison to the cost of a house its peanuts ( although annoying).

Is your offer accepted? House is off the market? I for sure would not pay for the ID check unless I was reasonably sure that things were moving forward.

MeteredOut

Unless this was absolutely my dream house, and didn't want to risk losing it (eg, if it was a bidding situation), I'd simply refuse out of principle. There's no way a buyer of a property should have to pay any fees to the sellers estate agent.

I think you'll find the sellers estate agent will find a way around what becomes their problem if it means they might lose a sale.

I'd do all I could not to help normalise this.

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6677908/estate-agent-id-check-charge-for-house-purchase

Estate agents are legally obliged to do anti-money laundering checks, its obviously up to them if they make you pay for them or absorb it in the fee to the seller.

They arent going to be able to accept the solicitors checks as the solicitor isnt instructed by them and they have no contracts with the solicitor. It would also potentially cause conflicts of interest if the solicitor is acting for you and also the agent of the seller (aka estate agent).

Tabieth

It’s annoying but I’d just pay it. £35 is a tiny amount given how expensive buying a property is.

binky99

I know! - just don't like to be taken for a ride

martindow

I think I would pay it through gritted teeth as well. It does seem petty and penny-pinching on their part.

At the end of the process if you are asked to leave a review or are inclined to do so anyway, I would mark them down a star and state why in the review. I would hope that if they get enough feedback of this type they would change their policy and pay it out of the money they make on a sale.

user1977

I would guess they're losing more than £35 worth of goodwill every time they do this.

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82086059#Comment_82086059

Yes- if I was the OP I would pay it, but I would not be recommending this EA to anybody.

Slinky

You could of course try suggesting to the estate agents that you will now be offering the purchasers £35 less for the property, and see how that pans out… They will be obliged to put your reduced offer forward, and will no doubt have to explain why. You might just find the EA will swallow the £35 charge.

thebullsback

We have just been shafted for £60 for our two id checks by our EA . We did mention that we went through same checks with the same online id company 5 months ago so our details would still be valid surely.

No this did not matter new checks had to be done .

Obviously a scam to me and something that should be investigated.