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Hertford, SG14
2.6/5, 14 Reviews
50% Recommended
100% sales valuation accuracy
75% letting valuation accuracy
100% sales fee satisfaction
43% letting fee satisfaction
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"From the very start, Steven..."
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1 Star Review
By : 'Tom'
Services : Letting(I am a Tenant)
Rent PCM : £600
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : AL10
4 Sept 2014
People found this helpful6
From the very start, Steven Oates had proven themselves to be incompetent, unprofessional, lying estate agents. Please note: the end of this review reveals the extent of the illegal practice of this company. The first instance was them giving me and my fiancé incorrect directions for the property (it was a new development so the Sat Nav was not helpful.) When we finally arrived at the property for the arranged viewing, the agent had left for another town, meaning our long journey had been a waste of time and we had to return another day. Upon moving-in day, we were surprised with a flood in the bathroom which had made its way through to the kitchen. Also, the fridge, which we were told would have been cleaned/brand new, was in fact black with mould. We were not supplied with energy rating documents and other such documents which are legally required, even after requesting them. Now come the real issues... Our property had not been registered with the council, yet Steven Oates were claiming council tax from all the building's tenants, supposedly included in the rent. When we brought this issue to their attention and said we would inform the council, we were threatened with eviction - because THEY were BREAKING THE LAW. They tried to worm their way out by claiming that council tax was not in fact included with the rent, despite making it very clear beforehand that it was. A huge legion of mould had began to grow in the bathroom; all sorts of fur and colour. We called Steven Oates on more occasions than I can possibly recall, yet we never received the call back we were promised, and nothing had been reported to the landlord, evidently. My fiancé soon developed a chronic cough, mostly likely due to the mould, and the bathroom was definitely uninhabitable by any standards. In January, I called them to ask why we had received no email or call from the Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS.) Steven Oates assured us that our deposit had been put in. Months later, when we arranged a move out date, we enquired about our deposit again. It turns out they had only put the deposit into the DPS in January (after we initially enquired) and then a second deposit had been put in under our name (spelt incorrectly with the wrong email address) AFTER we arranged a move out date. Blatantly ILLEGAL and grossly incompetent; how could they put our deposit in twice without realising? Upon moving out, we found that our furniture had mould growing on it (due to the SEVERAL floods we had endured) and when we asked about compensation, Steven Oates tried to blame the mould on us, despite the mould being present in every flat on our floor and in the hallway. Next, the landlord (supposedly) entered the flat, without prior notice, and finally redecorated the bathroom - a few days before we moved out - and helped himself to the £16 tin of paint I had bought to repaint the holes where the curtain pole had been. Getting the landlord's contact details for reimbursement took 6 phone calls to Steven Oates, being told on the final call that I had "already been given the landlord's number" - either lying or mistaken. Steven Oates called 10 minutes before our arranged check out time, to cancel on us, with no justifiable reason. We were told to leave the keys in the flat, with the door unlocked.... There are countless other instances of incompetence I could list, but I could go on for a while. Bottom line, AVOID STEVEN OATES LIKE THE PLAGUE. They will make your life hell with their lies and unprofessionalism. My fiancé and I were perfect tenants, yet we still had to endure the above and more. Please, do not choose Steven Oates. They are quite literally impossible to underestimate.
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Performance Statistics
| Services | Valuation | Fees | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | 100.00% | 100% | £300,000 | £300,000 |
| Lettings | 75% | 43% | £600 | £1,400 |
Address
Steven Oates
70 Fore Street, Hertford, Hertfordshire
SG14 1BY
01992 303300
Services offered
- Sales
- Lettings
- Block Management
- Surveys
- Conveyancing
- Mortgage Advice
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Steven Oates Branches (View All 2)
Excellent letting and ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Paul'
Services : Letting (As a Owner)
Rent PCM : £1000000
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : EN5
16 Sept 2021
People found this helpful0
I’ve now had the pleasure of using both the letting services and the property sales services and am delighted that both achieved the same high levels - specially given the difficult market conditions. Thanks to Andy and Colin and the... Read Full Review
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A fantastic service! Thank ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Mrs'
Services : Sales (As a Vendor)
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : SG14
1 Feb 2021
People found this helpful0
A fantastic service! Thank you for making the experience of moving so much easier for my Mother! It had been an uphill struggle but then, after changing to Steven Oates and with the help of good team, the properity sold! We would like to thank a particular member of the team, Jack Wall for his... Read Full Review
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… a hell of a ...
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1 Star Review
By : 'Matthias'
Services : Letting (As a Owner)
Rent PCM : £1400
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : SG14
25 Jul 2020
People found this helpful2
When entering my second one-year managed let agreement with Stephen Oates (SO), I did so following their claim that they have taken references and that my tenant was employed FT by Enfield Council (point 1). But SO repeatedly refused to share the references with me, which made it impossible for ... Read Full Review
Attached Files
- 2020072513525209037.pdf
- 202007251352520749.pdf
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- 2020072513525203708.pdf
- 2020072513525206598.pdf
- 2020072513525206681.pdf
- 2020072513525206738.pdf
- 2020072513525202225.pdf
- 2020072513525208914.pdf
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- 2020072513525202581.pdf
- 2020072513525208242.pdf
- 2020072513525209253.pdf
- 2020072513525204026.pdf
- 2020072513525203700.pdf
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Professional, proactive and ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Chris'
Services : Sales (As a Vendor)
Sold price : £300000
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : SG14
25 Sept 2019
People found this helpful0
Professional, proactive and productive. Thank you to all the team at Steven Oates. A massive thank you to Sam who kept us up to date throughout the... Read Full Review
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I have no ...
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4 Star Review
By : 'Mark'
Services : Letting (As a Owner)
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : SG13
12 Apr 2018
People found this helpful0
I can honestly say I had no real issues with the letting team at Steven Oates - Hertford when they managed the a property of mine. Only thing is their appointed contractors did seem a little expensive when required to go in and do the odd job, but as the landlord I did have the option to use my own ... Read Full Review
Comments on Agent Fees
They were competitive
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Absolutely appalling service, ...
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1 Star Review
By : 'Katie'
Services : Letting (As a Owner)
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : EN11
8 Jan 2018
People found this helpful7
Absolutely appalling service, we have used Steven Oates for one of our rental properties and have had nothing but agro with them. Simon has a complete lack of professionalism, doesn't reply to emails for days/weeks, and generally does not care if you are a happy landlord or not. The whole team ... Read Full Review
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If you'd like to waste ...
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1 Star Review
By : 'Claud'
Services : Letting (As a Tenant)
Rent PCM : £1050
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : SG14
9 Nov 2017
People found this helpful1
If you'd like to waste countless hours of your time chasing actions, be constantly provided incorrect information and generally ripped off at every angle then this is the rental agency for you. After living in multiple places in both the UK and the United States over the years, I can... Read Full Review
Comments on Agent Fees
Fees are overpriced. Especially checkout fees when managed by in-house staff on unfurnished properties.
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Like another's reviewer ...
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1 Star Review
By : 'Bruce'
Services : Sales (As a Buyer)
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : SG14
7 Nov 2017
People found this helpful1
Like another's reviewer I only gave one star because couldn't give zero....I am not sure how Steven Oates are still in business, they are rude, untrustworthy, charge a premium, give no service, have no ethics and leave it up to the buyer and seller to do all the work.....I would in no way ... Read Full Review
Comments on Agent Fees
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We rarely write reviews, but ...
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5 Star Review
By : 'Happy'
Services : Sales (As a Vendor)
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : SG13
10 May 2017
People found this helpful1
We rarely write reviews, but felt compelled to as we have been really pleased with Steven Oates. Having recently bought and sold through them, we can and have recommended them. Through the process, which always seems to take longer than it should, they were always available to update us and calm... Read Full Review
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Only giving one star because ...
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1 Star Review
By : 'Hertford'
Services : Sales (Prospective Vendor/Buyer)
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : SG13
10 Apr 2017
People found this helpful0
Only giving one star because I cannot give none! Arranged a viewing on a property nearly two weeks in advance due to it being an open day event. Did not receive confirmation of the viewing as advised. Had to chase up on the day of the booking to confirm. When arrived there were two other... Read Full Review
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As a landlord I am very ...
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1 Star Review
By : 'Disappointed'
Services : Letting (As a Tenant)
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : SG12
29 Feb 2016
People found this helpful3
As a landlord I am very disappointed with the level of service. Other than process the payments the fully managed fee counts for nothing. Issues with both property are raised and said to be dealt with but remain. Communication poor. Make out as if the customer is in the wrong. Stay well... Read Full Review
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From the very start, Steven ...
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1 Star Review
By : 'Tom'
Services : Letting (As a Tenant)
Rent PCM : £600
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : AL10
4 Sept 2014
People found this helpful6
From the very start, Steven Oates had proven themselves to be incompetent, unprofessional, lying estate agents. Please note: the end of this review reveals the extent of the illegal practice of this company. The first instance was them giving me and my fiancé incorrect directions for the... Read Full Review
What agent could do to change your mind?
Find another industry to work in.
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I have recently movedd out of ...
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4 Star Review
By : 'Florence'
Services : Letting (As a Tenant)
Would you recommend ? : Yes
Postcode : SG14
2 May 2014
People found this helpful0
I have recently movedd out of a property managed by Steven Oates and although it wasnt the best property I had ever lived in the customer service skill of the agents were great and helped ease the stress of what was a very difficulty transitional time for me. My personal compalints were promptly ... Read Full Review
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We had a property through ...
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1 Star Review
By : 'Tom'
Services : Letting (As a Tenant)
Would you recommend ? : No
Postcode : SG14
10 Apr 2013
People found this helpful2
We had a property through these agents. They were fine whilst we were occupants but they have been appalling since. They quoted us £190 to come out of our damage deposit for professional cleaning, which we agreed to, but then after it had been done told us it would be £300. Obviously they... Read Full Review
What agent could do to change your mind?
We had a property through these agents. They were fine whilst we were occupants but they have been appalling since. They quoted us £190 to come out of our damage deposit for professional cleaning, which we agreed to, but then after it had been done told us it would be £300. Obviously they haven\'t produced the invoice for us, but I accept this could have been the cost; it just would have been nice to have been advised of this. They have also failed to contact us once regarding how to get our damage deposit back. We have phoned repeatedly to be told time after time that ‘no one from Lettings is available to take your call, but they will call you back ASAP.\' The only times we have successfully spoken to someone from Lettings is when we have made contact, they have repeatedly said they will look at the situation immediately and call us back. As of yet, we have never had a phone call back. We have now moved to new properties and after 2 weeks of being vacant from the old flat we still don\'t know how much they want from us, or how or when we can get back our money. I have never had issues like this with other agents. Deposits have always been paid out within a matter of days. I am also aware that the agents’ need to come to an agreement with the landlord’s but for this to have still not happened, nor to be informed of what is taking place is absolutely unacceptable. The last time I was able to get through to someone in Lettings (5 days ago) they were rude and dismissive about the situation, though in fairness other members of staff have been polite (if ineffective). I have now had to guess at the amount and inform the DPS myself how much deposit we expect back and sincerely hope the agents agree to this. However I\'m resigned to the situation that I probably won\'t hear a response for another couple of weeks. If anyone from the company would like to dispute any of the above then I would welcome the dialogue with them, as phone calls clearly don’t seem to be an appropriate form of contact. I would urge people to think carefully before signing up with this company. I hope that ours is an isolated incident but I felt compelled to write honestly about our experience as I cannot possibly recommend them. A seriously unprofessional and frustrating experience.
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By : Steven Oates
28 May 2013Dear Tom, I would like to take this opportunity to respond to the post you left, regarding our service on Google. We are more than disappointed and bewildered to hear what you have to say given ...
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