Estate Agent Won't Refund Admin Fee When We Didn't back Out

[Katy1980]

Hi there

To (try and) cut a long story short; A house my mother was going to let has fallen through. The Estate agent turned around and said the landlord wants her to move in sooner than the AGREED date (1st of July). I also have another witness to who also was told the 1st of July was OK when he went to sign as a guarantor.

The Estate agent messed my mother around many times (never ringing back when promised, kept lying and changing the situation etc).

My mother (rightfully) said that she will only move in on the agreed date and if the landlord wants to back out that's fine - and asked "But will I get ALL my money back if the landlord backs out?" to which the Estate agent said "Yes, certainly" (again, he will deny this now because he clearly is a compulsive liar!)

A few days later (today) the Estate agent has called and said "We've done as you've asked and withdrawn the agreement, and I've refunded your bond". Excuse me?!!! My mother DID NOT on any occassion pull out - she simply stuck to the agreement.

As well as the bond my mother paid the Estate agent an admin fee of £180, I believe - as she's done nothing whatsoever wrong that she should receive the admin fee back. I have called them and argued it's unacceptable, but (as well as dealing with an arrogant young man) they will not refund the admin fee.

All my mother has received is upset, stress and a hole in her pocket and I'm quite frankly fuming. There's nothing written down to prove the 1st of July was agreed, but we have my mother and her guarantor as a witness.

I'm going to go to town on Cowell and Norford in terms of Google reviews (hopefully it'll lose them some business). Is there anything I can do to get her money back, and/or is there an appropriate way to report them somehow? Trading Standards perhaps?

I'd like to get hold of the actual landlord: If he can agree that he backed out - that's proof that my mother didn't back out (hence should get the admin fee back). Or, if he says he did NOT back out, then we can ask why he changed the date - and still prove that we didn't do anything wrong. But I don't know how I'd get his contact details.

Thanks so much for your time.

 

[OldWelshGuy]

contact trading standards, contact the estate agent and tell him you are going to the county court to get papers and unless the admin fee is returned within 7 days, you will take action against him to recover it. Also tell him that you have contacted trading standards about the matter.

If he still refuses then he is stupid as well as arrogant.

personally however I think I would speak to the branch manager or the owner if it is a private small company. either way do it over the phone, then confirm in writing by recorded delivery.

 

[Katy1980]

When I called them, I asked to speak to the manager, but they said she wasn't there. I ask them to get her to ring me back, and they said she will only ring my mother (fair enough, but I think she's been through enough stress). So if they do not call her back today (which they won't as they were meant to call her yesterday, the day before that, the day before that etc!), then I'm going to phone Trading Standards and put it in writing to the Estate agent as you have suggested.

I'll let you know how we get on.

Thanks so much.

 

[SillyJokes]

Poor you and your Mum.

I'm not sure where this £180 bond came from? Is that normal?

When I looked into renting a house I discovered you as a the renter can pull out at any time and there's nothing they can do. When the house we were promised would be ready for us to move into was not ready at all, in fact was still in a dreadful state despite assurances from the estate agent that it would be ready when we came back of hols, we pulled out the day before moving and went somewhere else at no cost to us at all.

Gotta say, that was a day I NEVER want to live through again, but hey ho.

 

[Katy1980]

Oh no, that sounds like a stressful (and very frustrating day). Many Estate agents have alot to answer for don't they!

The £180 is not a bond (my mother paid a month's rent as the bond which was refunded) - the £180 is actually an "admin fee" the Estate agent took. Apparently they are allowed to do that (and charge more if they want) Yes, it's a joke when they already make commission from the landlord isn't it!

 

[SillyJokes]

Oh no, that sounds like a stressful (and very frustrating day). Many Estate agents have alot to answer for don't they!

The £180 is not a bond (my mother paid a month's rent as the bond which was refunded) - the £180 is actually an "admin fee" the Estate agent took. Apparently they are allowed to do that (and charge more if they want) Yes, it's a joke when they already make commission from the landlord isn't it!

The admin fee is provide the property. No property, no admin fee surely, even if she had cancelled the agreement?

If you can possibly do it, go and camp out at the office where the owner/manager is in person and make yourself felt.

£180 is a lot of money to pay for bad publicity.

edit to say that in our case the agents who let us down were a small local one and the owners had kids at the same school as ours, they were furious with the staff.

On the up side the agents who helped us find a new home in 24hours (the movers had already packed everything into the lorry!!!!!!) were complete and utter stars, so not all bad.

 

[Katy1980]

Exactly! I'm hoping that when I review them ALL OVER Google, they'll lose some customers!

 

[OldWelshGuy]

Stand outside their offices and tell people not to pay a deposit as they will refuse to return it if the landlord pulls out. Have a nice big sign made, cellotape white paper to cardboard and use felt pens is good enough. Then telephone the local newspaper and tell them what you are doing.

 

[Katy1980]

Ha ha ha! I really wish I had the guts to do that!

 

[Lease4Less]

Hi Katy,

Before you do anything as drastic as standing outside the offices of this company, double check that your Mum has not signed anything that states that the admin fee of £180 is non-refundable.

From what you have descibed they sound terrible to deal with, but just check that they are not legally in the right before you start slandering them on Google.

 

[Katy1980]

Thanks for the heads up. I'm going to ask for a copy of all paperwork before I do anything (I don't think there was anything saying it's non-refundable - but I'll double check)