DOES ANYONE ELSE GET THE IMPRESSION THAT ALL THE POSITIVE REVIEWS ARE WRITTEN BY TOUCHSTONE STAFF? The first ten reviews are all negative – one star. Then we see lots of positive reviews – five stars. Have a look at how often a five star review comes in. And they sound not quite right. “Lynsey's mere competence has me practically at the point of orgasm” “Harry's lack of outright hostility has me on cloud nine” A WARNING FOR ANYONE THINKING OF RENTING FROM TOUCHSTONE: I have just reached the end of my first year with Touchstone and cannot give a full account of their incompetence as there is too much to say. This flat was in a state of extreme disrepair – the amount of work needing done since I moved in is outrageous – and any work being done requires several phone calls and emails to Touchstone and several weeks or months wait before they bother to do anything. Here are some highlights:- - There had been a leak from upstairs – first reported by the upstairs tenant a year before I moved in. I reported it in September 2017. Took a few weeks and several phone calls before anything was done. I was promised that the water damage to the ceiling would be painted over and that the carpet that got soaked would be cleaned. After making sixteen phone calls I was promised that these jobs would definitely be done by the middle of October. After MANY more phone calls and emails the painting was done in MAY and the carpet cleaner contacted me in AUGUST. THIS IS A TYPICAL EXPERIENCE! - I was without running water due to a burst pipe in the flat. Touchstone told me that I would be without running water for around 60 hours. After many phone calls and vehement protests I was only without water for just over 40 hours. - My washing machine broke down and was beyond repair. It took Touchstone fifteen days to get a new one delivered. - The walls in the close are solid black with mould. I reported this last August 2017 and a surveyor came out to look at it in December and has done nothing about it. - My second bedroom smells so badly of dampness that I developed a respiratory condition and had to use an inhaler for two months and can now use it only as a store room. I reported this in September 2017 and a surveyor came out to look at it in December and has done nothing about it. - The latest farce is what inspired me to write a review. A new tenant moved into the flat across from mine two months ago and has been smoking daily in his flat. For two months the close has been stinking of cigarette smoke and so has my flat. The flat is also managed by Touchstone so the tenant has the same no smoking and no nuisance clauses in his tenancy agreement as I do. At least one other tenant has complained as well as myself. Touchstone made an appointment with the tenant in question to check his flat for evidence of smoking. He ceased smoking until the check was complete then started again. Touchstone then agreed to complete another check, and I was assured by Harry Rowley that he saw the logic in not announcing that they were to conduct a check and that no appointment would be made this time. They made an appointment again. An older couple was witnessed showing up at the flat the night before the appointment with buckets, mops and cleaning products. The flat was cleaned and no smoking occurred until the check was complete. After the check was complete the smoking recommenced daily. I have been told by Harry Rowley that he, his manager and the surveyor are content that there is no smoking in the flat, despite several witnesses and the blatant evidence to the contrary. I made a complaint via Touchstone's complaints procedure to David Beanland, a company director, who told me that both he and his operations manager Julie Kemp were also convinced that the manner in which Touchtone carried out their investigation was reasonable and satisfactory, that they too are content that there has been no smoking in the building and that the matter is now closed. In my experience these people are not competent in the slightest and have no integrity. The latest is that they now appear to be ignoring me altogether and not performing their maintenance responsibilities. They should be ashamed – but they're not. Imagine that?