100% sales valuation accuracy
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99% lettings fee satisfaction
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Oct 01,2013
Oct 01,2013
0
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Where to begin?! Staff at Bowes Mitchell are not only completely incompetent, but quite happy to lie and be very sneaky in order to cover their own backs.
Soon after moving into the property numerous maintenance problems became apparent including substantial damp (mould and spores growing right next to where I was sleeping), broken furniture and doors, dodgy electrics etc. Despite repeated phone calls / emails nothing was done about these problems until several months later when I went into the office with photographs, and even after that progress was slow.
Also, on the original advert for the property, when we were shown around for the viewing, and in the inventory, there was a ¢â‚¬Å“luxurious spa bath¢â‚¬Â ¢â‚¬â€œ however, there was no mention that this didn't actually work. When we asked them about this they just said that the landlord was not prepared to fix it and not prepared to reduce the rent, despite this being a key advertised feature of the flat.
After eight months a new tenant replaced someone who had moved out of the flat. We went into the office and Suzanne Hewson advised myself and the new tenant not to sign a new contract and to use this as leverage with the landlord to try to encourage them to fix the problems in the house. We were not given a contract with the new tenants name on to sign and return at any point. Neither did Bowes Mitchell send us a new Tenancy Deposit Scheme certificate with the new tenant's name on as they should have.
One month later we received an email from Suzanne Hewson saying that we would be asked to move out because ¢â‚¬Å“the landlord wanted to get the property back to its full potential¢â‚¬Â and we had a period of two months to move out. There was no mention in her email of giving a month's notice, or of being able to move back in after the work had been carried out. We thought we were being told to move out as soon as possible so we began looking for another flat. We did not actually want to move out because the problems were beginning to get fixed and we liked living there.
When we told Bowes Mitchell that we had found somewhere else and told them the move-in date we had been given by the new lettings agents, she told us that we had to give a month's notice as stated in our contract (but she had advised us not to sign a contract) and pay the full rent for that month, even though we would have moved out by then. When confronted on the lack of a contract or a new TDS certificate, Suzanne and Emma just updated it there and then and printed a copy out, whilst lying to us about having updated it at the time the new tenant moved in.
Emma Steventon, the supervisor, actually told us that Suzanne should not have emailed us because this had confused matters (we should have just been sent the section 21 notice which would have told us about giving one month's notice ¢â‚¬â€œ we did not receive this until after we had put down a deposit on a new flat); and also that she should not have told us the reason the landlord wanted us to move out, because it wasn't actually true ¢â‚¬â€œ it was because the landlord wanted to sell the property. Also, that she should not have advised us not to sign a new contract. Although she apologised for these mistakes on their part, she said the landlord was not willing to give us our deposit back so we must go through the TDS dispute process.
Luckily we had emails / photographic evidence from the whole time we were there so thought we stood a decent chance of getting the deposit back (there were no issues with the standard of the house itself and the check-out inspection reported that there were no damages / costs). However, Bowes Mitchell lied about various details in their statement to the TDS, including that we had said we wanted to move out earlier because of the maintenance issues. This was not true! We would have stayed there for the long term if we'd had the chance. They also stated that we owed two month's rent, again not true ¢â‚¬â€œ but this is what the TDS based their decision on and so we lost the entire £650.
I'd strongly recommend avoiding any interaction with Bowes Mitchell lettings agents or Dr S. Tyagi as a landlord.
Soon after moving into the property numerous maintenance problems became apparent including substantial damp (mould and spores growing right next to where I was sleeping), broken furniture and doors, dodgy electrics etc. Despite repeated phone calls / emails nothing was done about these problems until several months later when I went into the office with photographs, and even after that progress was slow.
Also, on the original advert for the property, when we were shown around for the viewing, and in the inventory, there was a ¢â‚¬Å“luxurious spa bath¢â‚¬Â ¢â‚¬â€œ however, there was no mention that this didn't actually work. When we asked them about this they just said that the landlord was not prepared to fix it and not prepared to reduce the rent, despite this being a key advertised feature of the flat.
After eight months a new tenant replaced someone who had moved out of the flat. We went into the office and Suzanne Hewson advised myself and the new tenant not to sign a new contract and to use this as leverage with the landlord to try to encourage them to fix the problems in the house. We were not given a contract with the new tenants name on to sign and return at any point. Neither did Bowes Mitchell send us a new Tenancy Deposit Scheme certificate with the new tenant's name on as they should have.
One month later we received an email from Suzanne Hewson saying that we would be asked to move out because ¢â‚¬Å“the landlord wanted to get the property back to its full potential¢â‚¬Â and we had a period of two months to move out. There was no mention in her email of giving a month's notice, or of being able to move back in after the work had been carried out. We thought we were being told to move out as soon as possible so we began looking for another flat. We did not actually want to move out because the problems were beginning to get fixed and we liked living there.
When we told Bowes Mitchell that we had found somewhere else and told them the move-in date we had been given by the new lettings agents, she told us that we had to give a month's notice as stated in our contract (but she had advised us not to sign a contract) and pay the full rent for that month, even though we would have moved out by then. When confronted on the lack of a contract or a new TDS certificate, Suzanne and Emma just updated it there and then and printed a copy out, whilst lying to us about having updated it at the time the new tenant moved in.
Emma Steventon, the supervisor, actually told us that Suzanne should not have emailed us because this had confused matters (we should have just been sent the section 21 notice which would have told us about giving one month's notice ¢â‚¬â€œ we did not receive this until after we had put down a deposit on a new flat); and also that she should not have told us the reason the landlord wanted us to move out, because it wasn't actually true ¢â‚¬â€œ it was because the landlord wanted to sell the property. Also, that she should not have advised us not to sign a new contract. Although she apologised for these mistakes on their part, she said the landlord was not willing to give us our deposit back so we must go through the TDS dispute process.
Luckily we had emails / photographic evidence from the whole time we were there so thought we stood a decent chance of getting the deposit back (there were no issues with the standard of the house itself and the check-out inspection reported that there were no damages / costs). However, Bowes Mitchell lied about various details in their statement to the TDS, including that we had said we wanted to move out earlier because of the maintenance issues. This was not true! We would have stayed there for the long term if we'd had the chance. They also stated that we owed two month's rent, again not true ¢â‚¬â€œ but this is what the TDS based their decision on and so we lost the entire £650.
I'd strongly recommend avoiding any interaction with Bowes Mitchell lettings agents or Dr S. Tyagi as a landlord.
What agent could do to change your mind?
They should have fixed problems in the flat in the first place and done something to rectify the situation with the bath, eg a gesture of good will of even a small amount of money (‚£50 would have done it!). This would have been good customer service because we were effectively being sold something which wasn't true. They also sould have used the proper procedures, and given us better advice. When they had done something wrong they should have admitted this to the landlord instead of lying and letting us lose all our deposit because they want to continue to have a good relationship with the landlord. We, on the other hand, were just tenants, dispensable and moving on anyway. It is highly likely that the letting agency and landlord were working together throughout the dispute process to ensure their stories aligned and apportioned all blame to us. I thought deposit protection schemes were supposed to protect tenants against landlords / lettings agents who think that they can just make anything up / lie and get away with it, because they always have the upper hand, they¢â‚¬â„¢re the ones who draw up the contracts, make the rules etc. Tenants are completely at their mercy. We abided by the rules and did everything they asked us to, but they end up with extra money at the end of the day.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Opening Hours
Address
Bowes Mitchell
172 Benton Road
Benton,Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne and Wear
NE7 7UH
0191 266 1010
Performance statistics
| Services | Valuation Accuracy | Fees Satisfaction | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 100% | 100% | £105,000 | £220,000 |
| Lettings | 50% | 99% | £595 | £700 |
Review statistics
| From Landlords | From Tenants | From Vendors | From Buyers | Other | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Areas covered
Services offered
- Sales
- Lettings
- Block Management
- Surveys
- Conveyancing
- Mortgage Advice
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Jun 18,2022
Jun 18,2022
0
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A great team, friendly, approachable and easy to talk with. Splendid job in selling my property within 2 days of going on market. A big thank you to Lindsay, Clare & Michael...
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May 03,2022
May 03,2022
1
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I noticed that most reviews on Google are from buyers/sellers, so I wanted to make our experience as tenants known publicly.
Fundamentally, our experience whilst living in the property was okay, although the property was very poorly presented when we moved in (dirt and ...
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Mar 31,2022
Mar 31,2022
0
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Appalling! Do not use!
Appalling! Constant chasing to get an straight answer, really bad experience with the management of my property! E-mail warriors, never pick up the phone and ring. Some of the responses from some of the staff were condescending and implied racism.
I ...
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Jan 14,2021
Jan 14,2021
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I have used Bowes Mitchell on a number of occasions and found them to be excellent. They are professional and friendly. Michael and Claire the handsome pair!...
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Nov 16,2020
Nov 16,2020
1
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Wow ! Wow Wow !
Its not often that you can find a business that can't be faulted. But the team at Bowes Mitchell have been incredible.
Clare, Lynn, and Michael have been hands on, approachable and professional throughout the sale of my late Mums apartment. Great ...
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Oct 20,2020
Oct 20,2020
0
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Friendly professional staff who know the local market inside out, with you every step of the way, competitive pricing with clear pricing for the service provided, no hidden costs....
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Jul 25,2020
Jul 25,2020
1
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Phoned to view a property. Denied the opportunity as I didn’t have my house on the market (I would have liked them to have valued it and potentially put it on but this want even discussed). The staff member was arrogant and condescending and ...
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Feb 07,2020
Feb 07,2020
0
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The Bowes Mitchell team in Benton act with professionalism at all times but are friendly, welcoming and extremely helpful. The moment you call or walk in, you are looked after and know you're in safe hands.
Michael in particular is an absolute star, he does ...
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Aug 31,2019
Aug 31,2019
0
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Thank you for your wonderful support and help .I would especially like to thank Lynn for her kindness and positive advise ....
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Jun 06,2019
Jun 06,2019
0
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Would highly recommend this Estate Agent. Great communication and lovely, friendly and helpful staff. We got a full asking price offer within days of putting our property on the market. It's been an extremely positive experience & the staff at the Benton office provided us with ...
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Comment on agent fees
Good
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Jul 08,2016
Jul 08,2016
2
people found
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this helpful
Hi, my name is David, my dad passed away beginning of year, I needed to sell his house, there was a lot do and I was bewildered. I contacted Bowes Mitchell best move I ever made, I don't live in the area any more which ...
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Jul 14,2015
Jul 14,2015
0
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Michael - Thanks for all the support, we will think of you whilst lying on the beaches of europe.
Best Wishes
The Tulips...
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“FantasticFriendly, straight forward and knowledgeable Always ready to answer questions ......”
Jul 02,2015
Jul 02,2015
1
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Fantastic
Friendly, straight forward and knowledgeable
Always ready to answer questions and respond to calls
He has made this a much easier and less painful process
I would be very quick to recommend him and the team to anyone embarking on selling their house...
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Jul 01,2015
Jul 01,2015
0
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Bowes Mitchell organised an impressive amount of viewings from the outset - all of which by parties who were genuinely able to consider our property (i.e. not wasting anyone's time). The property photographs were extremely good.
Unsurprisingly we had an offer very quickly. We ...
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Comment on agent fees
Very fair.
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May 05,2015
May 05,2015
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I have used bowes mitchell on benton road for over 4 years being the letting agents for my property. I am more than pleased with their work ethics anything that needs to be taken care of in my property is done as fast as possible. Any ...
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Comment on agent fees
THE AGENT'S FEES ARE VERY REASONABLE AND I HAVE NO ISSUE WITH THE AMOUNT.
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Apr 15,2015
Apr 15,2015
0
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Christine
Thank you so much for your help in finally getting the flat. I know you all work hard as a team but your personal touch has been fantastic!! I know you will share this small gift with the office so enjoy.
Many Thanks John...
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Apr 07,2014
Apr 07,2014
0
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We attempted to put our house on the market and contacted this agent on two separate occasions.
The first time the valuer failed to turn up. When I contacted them again I asked if the valuer would turn up this time. The second time the ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
Turned up on timeAttached Filesnbsp;
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Oct 01,2013
Oct 01,2013
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people found
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Where to begin?! Staff at Bowes Mitchell are not only completely incompetent, but quite happy to lie and be very sneaky in order to cover their own backs.
Soon after moving into the property numerous maintenance problems became apparent including substantial damp (mould and spores ...
read full review
read full review
What agent could do to change your mind?
They should have fixed problems in the flat in the first place and done something to rectify the situation with the bath, eg a gesture of good will of even a small amount of money (‚£50 would have done it!). This would have been good customer service because we were effectively being sold something which wasn't true. They also sould have used the proper procedures, and given us better advice. When they had done something wrong they should have admitted this to the landlord instead of lying and letting us lose all our deposit because they want to continue to have a good relationship with the landlord. We, on the other hand, were just tenants, dispensable and moving on anyway. It is highly likely that the letting agency and landlord were working together throughout the dispute process to ensure their stories aligned and apportioned all blame to us. I thought deposit protection schemes were supposed to protect tenants against landlords / lettings agents who think that they can just make anything up / lie and get away with it, because they always have the upper hand, they¢â‚¬â„¢re the ones who draw up the contracts, make the rules etc. Tenants are completely at their mercy. We abided by the rules and did everything they asked us to, but they end up with extra money at the end of the day.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Aug 26, 2014
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Hi, I don't know if you'll receive this but we're currently having similar issues with Bowes as well (on what sounds like the same property). They're trying to blame us for the damp issue which was definitely a pre-existing issue.
It's a long shot, but if you still have them photos, could you send them over to me? They would be really helpful in proving that the damp has been there since before I moved in. I'm getting sick of letting agents pushing tenants around. ...
May 09,2013
May 09,2013
0
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Useless. Been a tenant for 2 years and recently could not be bothered. reported a leak. 1st plumber (arranged by bowes) said we would need a new bath at £500 (which I might add is less than I pay for rent). I had a closer look and ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
fixed the problems within reasonable time.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Mar 04,2013
Mar 04,2013
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We rang Bowes Mitchell, advising them that we would be unable to make a viewing, and arranged another time. They advised us that they would pass the message on.
When we turned up for the rescheduled viewing, we talked to the vendor. They told us ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
The agent could have acted with honesty and integrity. It was their choice to act dishonestly, in order to cover up their lax attitude. It's simply not good enough.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Aug 21,2010
Aug 21,2010
1
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Bowes Mitchell are not a good place to go if you are a landlord...their standards are shabby and they let tenants trash your property and then say it wasn't the tenant's fault! Disgusting... waste of time and effort using them. Inspections are scarce and ...
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No fees information available
Kindly note that legally, letting agents need to publish information about their tenancy fees, government-approved redress schemes and client money protection schemes on their website and on third party websites (on which agents are listed). For properties to lease/rent in England, agents need to keep this information up to date and precise on allAgents or specify within the property description.
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It's a long shot, but if you still have them photos, could you send them over to me? They would be really helpful in proving that the damp has been there since before I moved in. I'm getting sick of letting agents pushing tenants around.