Just had apalling treatment from Foxtons!

[Spangles30]

Those of you who were following the previous Foxton's thread may recall that I said I was having a valuation with them today. Well, I waited in at the time we had arranged, and wondered where the guy was ten minutes later. I rang the office and was flabbergasted at the rudeness of the person I spoke to. Nobody rang me back, even though I requested it.

I rang twice more and still no return calls. Eventually, 40 minutes after the appointment time, I received a very snotty and frivolous call from someone at the agency. Instead of being apologetic they were damn rude. I am so livid!!!! I am just about to ring the head office to complain.

And no I did not get the valuation either. They double booked or something and couldn't be bothered to tell me. Their attitude was that due to the 0% commission offer the valuers are 'so busy' - as if that is an excuse!

[mamafeelgood]

are you surprised? this is the beast we are talking about here!

i'm sorry to hear of your experience but to be honest it tallies with many similar stories from friends across london. on the 'foxtons opening thread' someone describes how their valuation went and once read you may be happier that you never met them at all.

[Louisa]

If what you say is true Spangles, then obviously that is not very good at all. But please be aware they have only just opened up and often the new agents need time to get to know the job. I am not defending estate agents, far from it, but please dont be so quick to judge when they are offering 0%. I am pretty sure any estate agent would be just as busy.

[Spangles30]

Mamafeelgood, well, I did know Foxton's had a very cut throat and frankly dire reputation. I guess I have only myself to blame for falling for this PR stunt. The thing is, I have never spoken to such rude people on the phone. It was as if they were doing me the favour in the first place, and that I should understand that they are busy!! I mean, I went out of my way to be home, and even took the afternoon off work. The least they can do is apologise.

Anyway, I have already complained to the Head office and they seemed far more sympathetic. Hopefully this will get passed on to the manager of the Dulwich office.

Louisa, I am 'quick to judge'!!!! I have honestly never received such atrocious treament from an estate agent, and I have bought and sold in the area a few times over the years.

[mamafeelgood]

they probably do think that they are doing you the favour! fair enough that we don't have american style over helpful staff but the least people can be in a service industry is be polite.

did you lay it on thick that you had taken the day off work? what did they offer as an apology? a fresh juice upon opening or a free ride in a mini??

[Louisa]

I would love to go in a mini with an estate agent! :)

[mamafeelgood]

steamy windows as tina crooned all those years ago ;-)

[Spangles30]

Mama, they didn't offer anything as an apology! I did say that I had gone out of my way to be home at the correct time, and had taken time off work. Their attitude was that they couldn't guarantee sticking to appointments as they were offering 0% commission and we mere mortals should be thankful for that!

It beggars belief.

And no, satisfactory compensation would not involve a spin in a mini or a fresh juice, although the suggestion made me laugh - and I need to laugh as I am still very angry!

[TillieTrotter]

Louisa, youre doing it again by starting your post "if its true". Its very offensive of you to question someones veracity in that way. Why would they bother posting a lie. Not being argumentative but its often the reason why you rub people up the wrong way.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I know what you mean Tillie and initially I agreed but then again it's not inconceivable that Foxton's nervous competitors might try to do a bit of mud-slinging is it?

I should point out I'm not accusing Spangles of doing it - but it's possible to imagine it being done by someone so Louisa's cynicism is not as outlandish as it usually is

That said I understand there was a happy end to this particular story...

[*Bob*]

You'd have to sling a lot of mud to put people off the carrot of a 0% fee.

Greed / financial common sense will out.

[TillieTrotter]

Thats a fair point Sean (as per..). Lets hope if there's any doubt about Spangles our Super Detective aka Admin will weed her/him out!!

[Loz]

I've got them coming around tomorrow. Just had a call confirming the appointment, so expect a second report on them sometime soon!

[Asset]

if they turn up!

[Spangles30]

Yes Sean, you are right that there is a happy ending to this story. One of the managers apologised and came two hours later and was very polite. He accepted that Foxton's tactics can be aggressive and he was sorry I had received poor treatment. However, I feel he rectified the situation.

Oh, and to the posters who suggest I am an estate agent - I can assure you I am not! Had to laugh at that insinuation!!!

[karter]

Spangles....and did they OVERvalue your property????

[Quaywe]

Just to post an objective story; I had my house valued for rental by Foxton's last week. I had an appointment booked with them and they couldn't make it that day so a week out a lovely lady rang me and asked if we could reschedule. No problem. They then called me two days before the appointment to confirm we were still on and then also called me on the morning of the appointment to confirm again. Very polite at all times.

The agent that visited (Tanya) was lovely. I definitely reckon she overvalued the rental price of our place but that's what RE agents are there for isn't it?

All in all a pleasant experience from the lettings team. Based on that I'm guessing that yes the sales team are swamped and yes any other RE agent offering the same would act no better.

[Spangles30]

Hi Karter, I don't think they particularly over-valued my property as it was much a much with 2 other agents I had round. Anyway, they have kind of redeemed themselves in my eyes as it was just the one person who was so stroppy and supercilious with me.

Let's just hope that my initial experience was a one off. I tend to think on the positive side...!

[karter]

Spangles, may I ask roughly where is your house, how many bedrooms, what kind of property is it and how much they valued it at?

thanks.

K

[hayesgrover]

Why are you all supporting these guys?! Come on East Dulwichers. I reckon we should agree among ourselves the top three estate agents in ED, only use them and ignore the others. Then hopefully the rest will move on and we will have more interesting shops on our high street. My heart sinks every time you think a new shop is opening, only to find it's another estate agent. Where's the good local italian restaurant? The bistro?

[Spangles30]

Karter, you're rather inquisitive, aren't you? Why do you want to know?! I am not going to post personal info like that on here.

Hayesgrover, perhaps you could enlighten the rest of us as to who the 'top three agents in the area are'. I am intrigued! And by the way, the 0% commission offer really does seem as good as it sounded...I think *Bob* was right...!!!:) Yes *Bob* you were right.

[xone]

Is it me? Why use these agents at all? I recently rented a property by just sticking a home made sign outside with a phone number on it. 10 calls in one day and the first caller took it. My dad sold his house the same way.

Agents do nothing for their money. Put a board outside, make a block viewing on a saturday with 12 young couples desperate for the ED lifstyle, let it go to sealed bids (maximise the income)and hey presto you are a qualified ED estate agent. At ?450k for your 2 bed you have just saved yourself some serious commision.

The "buy sell or rent your proerty" section on here gets me vote.

In the meantime I suggest we arrange a mass gathering in foxtons to drink all the free drinks they put in their fridge counter

[Jeremy]

hayesgrover - there is a reasonably good Italian Restaurant in ED, as wll as two French restaurants which could perhaps be described as bistros! I don't really think the area can sustain many more restaurants or bars.

xone - selling your own property may work for some, but I really don't think it will catch on in a big way. By not going through an agent, you're missing out on people browsing the property sites, as well as people wandering along the high street and peering in the estate agents windows. You also have to make a lot of time to show people round. Some people seem to think that properties in ED sell themselves, but that certainly wasn't true in my case.

[Louisa]

Tillie - posting a lie is the easiest thing in the world to do. But i'm sure if Spangles has done that Admin will find out soon enough so no real issue really is it?

The competition around here is crazy, I've had rough treatment from a certain agent very near Budgens and i've been weary for some time now. A member of my family was treated extremely harsh, but they soldiered on and sold up in the end. I just want to give Foxtons the benefit of the doubt until they are fully setup and the nasty stories come flooding in, as I expect them to.

[tiddles]

Reading all this with interest, however why is the term 'real estate' used. Estate agents deal in property - residential or commercial. I'm sorry to be such a BOF but I really dislike amercianisms creeping in. OK. so I DO have too much time on my hands - sorry will crawl back into my dingy corner......