19th Aug 2024 (20 days ago)
I was considering selling my property, so I invited two estate agents, Garrett & Bradley and Westcoast, to provide quotes. On June 15, 2023, Helen Duthie from Westcoast emailed me, agreeing to match Garrett & Bradley's quoted fee of 0.8%. I informed both agents that I would contact them once I decided to proceed with the sale.
After some deliberation, I chose to go with Westcoast and listed my property with them on August 3, 2023. However, upon reviewing the contract, I discovered that the fee had been changed to 1%. When I questioned this, I was dismissively told that the lower fee was no longer available. Although I considered walking away, I decided to stay since my property was already listed and I had begun searching for a new one.
Buying and selling property is a stressful and complex process, and many people rely on the expertise of their estate agents for guidance. Westcoast referred me to a conveyancer called Muve and a removal company. I trusted that Westcoast had thoroughly vetted these partners to ensure they had their clients' best interests at heart, but this was not the case.
Muve is an online company with conveyancers based in Sri Lanka. From the start, my onboarding process was mishandled, and communication was poor. Midway through my purchase, I received a leasehold report from them stating that I had opted for indemnity insurance instead of local authority and drainage searches. Muve sent me a PDF flyer that mentioned insurance against missing the stamp duty holiday deadline, which had already passed in 2021. The flyer also claimed that indemnity insurance is used when a sale needs to be completed quickly, which was irrelevant to my situation as no one had set a deadline for completion or asked Muve to expedite the process. Their quote vaguely listed a "report with indemnity."
As a client, I expected them to explain my options clearly so I could make informed decisions. Losing confidence in their service, I instructed them to stop working on my purchase and hired a local conveyancer not referred by Westcoast, who was significantly more professional from the outset.
The removal company Westcoast referred to me cancelled their survey visit an hour before the scheduled time. I had rearranged my plans to accommodate them and emailed them a list of alternative dates and times, but I never heard back. Two days later, I contacted Wilkinsons Removal & Storage in Bristol, who were brilliant and highly recommended.
Estate agents often receive financial incentives from the companies they refer to their clients, and it became clear that financial gain was more important to Westcoast than acting in their clients' best interests. Communication with Westcoast was poor, with calls and emails frequently going unanswered. On a positive note, Jeet from Westcoast sold my property quickly and at the desired price, although I'm certain Garrett & Bradley would have done the same and been far more professional.
Westcoast have responded to my complaint regarding the fee being changed by saying this was an introductory offer, this is a complete lie. Helen Duthie had no intention of matching Garett & Bradleys fee, it clearly shows Westcoast cannot be trusted and lack the clarity & integrity showed by other Estate Agents.
Avoid this company at all costs... Read more