“Tried to rent a property through this agent, eventually traced ......”
1 Star Review
Mar 10,2018
By:
'Moving'
Mar 10,2018
Branch: Newport, 31 High Street
Services: Lettings (Prospective customer)
Rent PCM: £650
Would you recommend?: No
Postcode: PO32
Branch: Newport, 31 High Street
Lettings (Prospective customer)
Rent PCM: £650
Postcode: PO32
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Tried to rent a property through this agent, eventually traced and contacted the landlord direct when it became clear that agent was not passing communications clearly in either direction. Given that the property had been empty for a couple of months and I was good to go with a flexible timescale this should have been quite straightforward, but no. Had also looked at another property but came back to this within a week as it was still available at which point they tried to get yet more fees out of me to proceed. When I raised a formal complaint their regional office immediately refunded what I'd paid already. The landlord thinks they're doing a good job (?) but the property is still available on rightmove (couple of weeks later), even though they're now offering it with a huge reduction on tenant fees. How difficult can it be to take a willing tenant and a keen landlord, treat them fairly, and let a property? Obviously very difficult in this case. If this is indicative of Countrywide's performance it is easy to see why their shares are taking a battering. The fees are ridiculous, their explanations to queries are nonsensical and their lettings model will presumably fall apart as soon as the fees are finally banned completely. Given that it is agents exactly like this who succeeded in getting the fees banned anyway, that seems only fair. Over £500 in fees to set up a tenancy - and charging the landlord too? Seems a shame that the landlord still has an empty property but I have absolutely no sympathy with the agents whatsoever.
Comment on agent fees
Preposterous, but sadly still not uncommon in the market. Especially given that they are charging the landlord for effectively the same service.
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