Featured Review
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“Saffron has been my first experience of letting with an ......”
1 Star Review
Sep 25,2014
By:
'DonnaL'
Sep 25,2014
Branch: London, 81 Parkway
Services: Lettings (as a Tenant)
Rent PCM: £1080
Would you recommend?: No
Postcode: NW5
Branch: London, 81 Parkway
Lettings (as a Tenant)
Rent PCM: £1080
Postcode: NW5
11
people found
this helpful
Saffron has been my first experience of letting with an estate agent in London. I am not religious but I have been praying that these horrifically unprofessional people are all contained within this one company. I am finally free of my tenancy with this company and now¢â‚¬â€œas I have promised them I intend to tell anyone who will listen about the experience they gave me. In saying that, I don't actually want to spend a lot of time on this ¢â‚¬â€œ if you are considering Saffron you can either read this and move on to the next agent or just move on to the next agent ¢â‚¬â€œ there is no redeeming quality with Saffron. They happily lie to your face while smiling ¢â‚¬â€œ often with no win for them. Anyway, I am good at complaining, if something is wrong I dont just accept it. If I am unhappy the people who have the power to change that are given the chance to fix it. With Saffron ¢â‚¬â€œ I informed them with the letter below: they responded with¢â‚¬Â¦nothing, I took legal advice and was told that although they deliver terribly bad service this is not illegal- I was tied legally into a timeframe. I have waited for my deposit to be returned ¢â‚¬â€œ they have of course made unreasonable reductions but this was expected and now I am just so happy to be rid of them! Please bear in mind that every email I refer to is pasted into the original as a screenshot. Laurence is the manager, Krisztina is in their property management¢â‚¬â€œ Tony, Dan & Rod are their contractors.
As discussed, please find below the details of my complaint against Saffron. I am tied into a 12 month contract with your business, if you are unable to make any attempt to rebuild our relationship once you have reviewed the information below I will need to consider taking further legal advice with regard to leaving or reducing this tenancy.
I understand from having taken advice that you have 6-8 weeks to respond to this complaint. Please ensure that your formal response is received on or before 27 January 2014. I have no wish to escalate this further but I will not accept this level of service.
To be clear, I have no issue with the property. I have an issue with your approach to your tenants and level of capability. You have not said or done anything up to this point to make me consider that this sequence of failures might not be your normal practice.
¢â‚¬Â¢ Saffron answerphone/call steering recording does not contain the emergency number
o Neighbours attempted contact via telephone and email in my absence gaining no response
¢â‚¬Â¢ The emergency number listed in the tenancy agreement went unanswered
o 16 calls rang and were unanswered between 18:36 and 23:11
¯â€šÂ§ A call attempted at 23:40 connected to a message indicating that the phone was switched off ¢â‚¬â€œ not disconnected as the telephone network typically do if reported lost or stolen.
o 5 text messages read at 19:55, 20:25, 22:01, 22:20 and 22:35
¯â€šÂ§ The contractor advised Saffron manager that the phone was taken at 22:54 PM
¢â‚¬Â¢ The manager took no action
¢â‚¬Â¢ The Calls began being made to the emergency number almost 4 hours before the phone ¢â‚¬Ëœdisappeared'
¢â‚¬Â¢ The contractor did not get the fix right the first time
o The first contractor Tony laughed when he identified the previous fix to the problem
¯â€šÂ§ Calls from Tony's boss (who was in hospital having scans) and the office interrupted him on average every 10 minutes
¯â€šÂ§ The first call I heard was Tony's boss explaining that the problem was not behind the toilet but behind the sink and he would have to take the tiles off from that area
¯â€šÂ§ One of these calls included comments from his boss advising him that the same problem occurred 3 years ago but ¢â‚¬Ëœthe council didn't want to pay to fix it'
Note. This information was relayed to me by the contractor in an attempt to assure me that they knew exactly how to fix it.
o Tony secured the bathroom pipe to the waste pipe with some sort of industrial tape
o C1 hour after he left when using the toilet flush and the sink the leak was visible
o I contacted the office who told me she would arrange for the contractor to return, I clarified that this would be today (Monday). The girl said yes I will call you back to confirm the time, it will definitely be today
¯â€šÂ§ The girl also said ¢â‚¬Ëœthe quicker I get off the phone from you the sooner I will be able to find out the time'
o The contractor called (Ron) asking what time tomorrow (Tuesday) they could come after 12. I lost my temper saying I was expecting the contractor to return today and would not be able to take another day off work. Ron advised that they had the keys to access the property, I told him I had no faith in the company and was not happy with them returning tomorrow so would speak to the office.
o I contacted the office explaining that I was expecting them to call me back to confirm the time the contractor would return today (Monday) I was not expecting the contractor to call me to ask what time he should come tomorrow. I advised that they were wrong to assume that people did not work and could just drop everything because they did not stand by their word. Krisztina outlined that the contractors would be able to access without my presence as the tenancy agreement stated. I repeatedly told her that I was bothered that I had been told it would be fixed on the same day; if they had to now come tomorrow we agreed I had no choice but not to present. Krisztina did not seem to understand the inconvenience or the fact that they had not done what they said they would do.
Both written and verbal communication skills within the Saffron team are lacking, manager inclusive.
¢â‚¬Â¢ Despite agreeing with Krisztina by telephone and by email that although I was not happy the contractors would enter the property without my presence to resolve the issue on Tuesday.
o The email outlined a temporary fix which Krisztina corrected to permanent when prompted
o No work took place on Tuesday. Although I had advised Saffron that I had to work on Tuesday I received a number of missed calls and emails from Krisztina during a time where I was presenting to clients. These emails went unread and calls went unanswered until I left the office and called Krisztina back.
o Krisztina advised that the contractors would need to return to complete the work on Wednesday and asked me for a convenient time. I confirmed I was working from home on Wednesday and would be in all day before asking why the work had again been extended. Krisztina said that they needed a part to complete the work but confirmed that I could now use the bathroom.
Note. I had not at this point read any emails.
o When I arrived home I was disappointed to find that the note advising the contractors of my contact details and to help themselves to tea and coffee left for the contractors had been untouched. As the note was in a prominent location to where they would have been working I contacted the office to confirm again that they had actually been. There was no answer and so I left a voice mail for Krisztina asking her to confirm that I could in fact use the bathroom as it looked like nothing had been done (if nothing had been done I could not use the bathroom as the leak was obviously still active).
Note. The email received from Krisztina on Monday at 18:15 advises that the contractors will attend tomorrow to complete the job (below).
o Krisztina also advises I can use the bathroom but not to flush the toilet.
Note. If there is a leak on day 1 and I am advised I cannot use the bathroom why on day 2 with no changes would I be able to use everything in the bathroom except the toilet flush?
¢â‚¬Â¢ During the first conversation with Saffron on Monday morning I asked to speak to the manager as the person I spoke to offered no apology for the lack of response to the emergency contact. I was told that he wasn't in yet and I would have to call back. I rang back twice before he finally called me back.
¢â‚¬Â¢ Laurence advised that the emergency phone was stolen on Sunday and so the failure to respond at the weekend could not have been avoided. I countered that if the phone was stolen (I am not convinced that this happened) it is not acceptable that there are no processes in place to ensure that this scenario would not prevent Saffron in providing the emergency service to tenants. Laurence disagreed completely saying the contractor had not planned to lose the phone and completely disregarding that Saffron should have a contingency in place.
¢â‚¬Â¢ I asked Laurence what would have happened if it was a gas leak being reported, he told me it wouldn't matter as the instruction in the tenancy was to ring the gas board. I clarified that the tenancy in front of me instructed tenants to contact Saffron and the gas board; neither were given priority in the text. Laurence then asked what I would have done if I owned the property and there was a leak to which I answered that I would have called a plumber. The implication was that I should have called a plumber myself. I have no intention then, now or in the future to assume responsibility for maintaining the property rented to me as a ¢â‚¬Ëœmanaged property'.
¢â‚¬Â¢ At this stage I pointed out that the leak took place on Saturday not Sunday (when I returned). The neighbours had turned the water off at the main when their attempts to contact Saffron failed. It became evident at this stage that Laurence did not have the facts or an accurate timeline of the events that had taken place. Laurence said he was under the impression the leak happened on Sunday and lethargically advised that he would need to investigate. I curtly agreed that he obtain the facts and asked when he would come back to me with his findings. Laurence said he would call by the end of the day (Monday).
Note. This call never came despite me asking Krisztina by telephone and email to remind Laurence of his promise to respond on Monday.
o Laurence response, due on Monday by close of business was sent to me the following day at 16:20 by email. The contents of which confused the situation further.
o Laurence refers to my comments regarding the quality of work as ill-founded but does not explain:
¯â€šÂ§ How when I returned to the property after two days away my neighbour at the impacted property (21A) was able to tell me exactly what Saffron would do to resolve.
¯â€šÂ§ The contractor call included Ron telling Tony exactly where the problem was and what he would have to do to fix it
¯â€šÂ§ How a soil pipe would erode so substantially in the time since the new bathroom was fitted
o Laurence also mentions his contact with environmental health and discussions with my neighbours at the impacted property (21A). The same neighbours advised me that environmental health would be attending at 15:00 the next day (Wednesday) to check for asbestos.
¯â€šÂ§ The neighbours maintain that the person who visited their property on Tuesday said that there was potentially asbestos in the property and had arranged the inspection on this basis.
¢â‚¬Â¢ The contractor (Ron) arrived c10:30 on Wednesday. I asked Ron if he was allowed to do the work he was doing before the environmental health inspection as I believed asbestos was not to be touched.
o Ron said, it is not asbestos and denied having mentioned asbestos to my neighbours at 21A
o Ron's colleague Dan arrived and set to work, at some point Ron left.
o Soon after the work began my neighbour came upstairs and told us to stop the work as this shouldn't be happening before the environmental health inspection stressing that if it was asbestos it can become airborne and is dangerous.
o Dan looked shocked, said that the pipe looked like plastic and he knew nothing about environmental health visiting but should stop until they have been if that is the case.
o I rang Saffron and spoke to Laurence asking him to stand Dan down until the inspection took place. At this point Laurence advised that he was not aware of any inspection. We discussed who should have informed him to which he implied this should have been me.
Note. Given Laurence's mention of contact with environmental health I believed that Saffron were aware of this inspection.
Note. At this point I decided all contact with Saffron should be written to ensure that there is evidence of what has and has not been said.
o I advised that I thought he was aware based on him mentioning his contact with environmental health in previous email and asked him to put everything we had spoken about into an email. Laurence agreed to do this and asked to speak to Dan.
o Laurence and Dan spoke. While Dan did something to the pipe I rang Ron and asked him why he had said the work was fine to go ahead before the inspection. Ron repeated that it wasn't asbestos, I closed the call and Dan had left.
¢â‚¬Â¢ Laurence's email was supposed to summarise his view of our conversation. Instead, Laurence chose to attempt to assign blame to me for the delay and threaten to use landlords powers
¯â€šÂ§ Once again the information and statements made by Laurence were factually incorrect.
Note. I believe that stating in my email that I appreciated that due to the time lapse between drafting and sending the email Laurence may not have been in possession of all of the facts makes it very clear that I am correcting the version of events Laurence has documented. Laurence had not sent any follow up to me indicating that he was now aware for example that Dan had not been refused entry or that the first time anyone advised me the work would move to yet another day was in front of the environmental health officer.
o Laurence chose to respond with yet more inaccuracies ¢â‚¬ËœYour at first refusal to allow entry on Tuesday and then the calling in of the environmental health officer to inspect for asbestos has only delayed the repair and caused further inconvenience to yourself, other tenants in the building and Saffron as managers'
¢â‚¬Â¢ As per email contact with Krisztina I had expected that the contractors were accessing the property on Tuesday
¢â‚¬Â¢ I did not call environmental health and had not had any contact with them. Saffron, specifically Laurence Pearl had been in contact with environmental health.
¢â‚¬Â¢ As Laurence's style had repeatedly offended me by this point I outlined that I wanted no further contact with him and the complaint should be addressed by their procedure followed by the ombudsman if necessary.
¢â‚¬Â¢ As I still could not shower or flush the toilet I again stayed elsewhere on Wednesday evening. After informing the owner upstairs that she was also unable to use her facilities I called Ron to advise him I would not be present when he arrived the next day. Ron advised that he would be there at 9 and he was sure to get the problem resolved within the day.
¢â‚¬Â¢ At 10:50 I received a call from Krisztina advising that the keys Saffron held for the property did not open the door. I agreed that they could collect my keys but voiced my displeasure at yet another display of incompetency.
To summarize my discontent. Although I do not believe that this is a new issue at the property I appreciate that leaks happen and properties from time require maintenance. My issue with Saffron is what I deem to be incompetence.
¢â‚¬Â¢ I expect emergency phones to be answered
¢â‚¬Â¢ I expect problems to be fixed correctly the first time
¢â‚¬Â¢ I expect an apology when things go wrong
o I have not received an apology
o My neighbours at 21A have not received an apology. Nor have they been contacted regarding the package Saffron will offer to compensate their inconvenience which should include the repair and decoration of the damage to their property
¢â‚¬Â¢ I expect an explanation of what went wrong and an outline of what the corrective action will be taken to ensure the same thing does not happen again
¢â‚¬Â¢ I expect Saffron to know that the keys they hold to a property work
o If Saffron' s emergency number was available on the out of hours recording, the neighbours would have contacted the emergency phone on Saturday. The call would have been answered but you did not have the keys to enter the property!
¢â‚¬Â¢ I do not expect to be repeatedly talked over. I do not expect a manager in any industry to operate with such an aggressive, petulant and incredibly condescending manner.
¢â‚¬Â¢ I do not expect to receive threats or insinuations that I have caused problems as the result of Saffron internal mis communications.
What agent could do to change your mind?
Dropped the attitude, considered me a customer - performed basic levels of customer service.
Attached Filesnbsp;
Comment on agent fees
I begrudge paying anything for nothing.
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