We booked an appointment to view a property and was contacted four hours before the viewing to be told that the property had been sold STC, however we were still welcome to view the property. I asked whether the vendor was likely to accept a higher offer, the agent told be that they would call me back. They didn't. I phoned them again and again was encouraged to view the property. We viewed and loved the house and offered £7k over the asking price, but was refused. We were also told that no matter how much we offered, we were never going to secure the property. We offered £10k over the asking price and was told that we were by far the highest offer. We were told that the vendor had chosen to accept the lower offer. All very underhanded and very dodgy. Personally I will never touch them with a barge poll ever again.