Foxtons - could they stoop any lower?

[familyof4]

I have just had an offer accepted on a house in East Dulwich.

It is Under Offer and i'm in the process of booking a survey - but the money for the survey hasn't been paid - thanks goodness.

Foxtons have stuck a For Sale sign over the original estate agent's board (which says 'sold') and clearly they intend to market the house.

I've heard nothing from the vendor/my estate agent to say it is back on the market and / or that the vendor no longer wants to sell the house to me.

What do i do????

[red devil]

As tempting as it is, you shouldn't be slagging off Foxtons just yet until you know the full facts. For instance, they could be acting on the vendor's instructions. You need to speak to your estate agent and find out exactly what is actually going on. Only then can you decide whether to withdraw your offer or not...

ETA: typo

[familyof4]

I'm worried that my (previously accepted) offer has been rejected - as the property is clearly back on the market.

Do you think that Foxtons have told the vendor he could get more money through them?

I find it underhand to take on a property which is already 'sold'.

['bout now]

Much as I loathe Foxtons and estate agents in general, this seems to be a problem orchestrated by the seller.

[Saila]

.

[peristalsis]

familyof4 Wrote:

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> Probably safe to say my (previously accepted)

> offer has been rejected - as the property is

> clearly back on the market.

>

> Foxtons have told the vendor he could get more

> money through them. Is my guess. Nice.

Don't guess or assume anything. Find out the facts. Talking to the agent through whom you made your offer would be a good starting place. They have an interest in the matter too so will also want to find out what's happening.

[ratty]

As a seller, once an offer is accepted you get the option to continue having viewings or not. Most do the decent thing, but its a sellers market in ed at the moment.

[KidKruger]

This happened to me a couple of times a few years ago.

Both times I knocked on vendors door and said what's the story have we got a deal or not.

Both times they got embarrassed and said please go through agent, in each case I said I've been doing that and now having had an offer accepted and spent money on fees to progress the purchase I find myself ignorant of your intentions.

In one case they just said they're after more money and refunded my survey costs (they'd allowed more prospective buyers to view after I'd instructed survey), in the other case they just acted coy and tried to end conversation ASAP.

So it was down to seller in both instances, the agents are dogs they will do whatever they're told as long as there's money in it for them.

[bonaome]

Do confirm through your agent that the house is backup for sale. The boards are put up by third parties and it might be that Foxton's were instructed just before your offer was accepted - I.e. it's just a matter of unfortunate timing. I hope it turns out well for you, one way or the other.

[familyof4]

I agree. Although there's some serious lack of judgment going on as it says 'sold'

Also unless the vendor is blind, or away, then she's up to no good

Depressing

This is the 4th property I've had offers accepted and they've pulled out 'for a higher offer'

Not guzumping as none of them had received a higher offer, they just got greedy.

Let's hope it's all just one big misunderstanding

[Tr?]

You should make your offer subject to taking the ppty off the market (and you should check this happens). Realistically though you'll need to offer asking or above for a seller to agree to this. This isn't a Foxton's thing, it's a market thing.

[Blackcurrant]

You need to find out all the facts - no point guessing.

If it is on with Foxtons, do a viewing through Foxtons and make an offer 5% lower than your real one. Wait a couple of days, then tell the first agent you will withdraw your original offer if the property isn't taken off the market.

[LondonMix]

This type of behaviour on the part of sellers is illegal elsewhere. The law should change. I think in Scotland its already illegal to do this.

[red devil]

If you get as far as having your offer accepted and the property removed from the market, get a friend to enquitre about the property a few days later, in order to guage whether the agent(s) are still surreptitiously marketing the property or not...

[familyof4]

Wasn't anything to do with the vendor.

Foxtons knew it was under offer, but forgot to cancel the board going up...

Will hopefully be removed today

[wood_vale]

I'm glad it was a misunderstanding in the end, I know how stressful house buying is!

What I would say is keep on at them to remove the sign ASAP. If Foxtons get lots of interest on the back of their sign outside the property and convey this to the vendor, you still stand a chance of losing the property.

[Al&Em]

Or you could just go and remove the sign... Estate agents are usually very very slow to take them down...

[tomskip]

Perhaps you should now amend your op and/or thread title?

[Jeremy]

Probably would have been wise to actually talk to the agent and find out what was going on, before venting your anger on here!

[red devil]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> Probably would have been wise to actually talk to

> the agent and find out what was going on, before

> venting your anger on here!

I know, and an apology wouldn't go amiss...

[familyof4]

I disagree with you and would expect foxtons to apologise.

They made a huge error putting a board up, advertising a house was for sale, when it clearly wasn't.

Totally dodgy imo.

The vendor had clearly told them that it was not for sale, but they went ahead anyway.

It's a cheap trick to see if they can get interest behind the current buyers back and frankly I am annoyed and upset by it.

Just grateful that it isn't because the vendor wants to keep the house on the market.

I don't buy that they forgot to cancel the board. Its been under offer for weeks.

It is stresful enough as it is without this going on.

[paulc]

familyof4 - sorry to hear about your stress.

They're still stooping.

Despite nobody in this property ever having had any contact with their company, they have just now decided to put a board up on the fence. Snipped it down and asked them to take it away. Even if it was a genuine error, their rep neither offered to check it out nor give an apology.

Searching for "board wars" shows they have past notoriety at this game.

[Toldyouso]

I really don't know why people are still using Foxtons (well in fact I suspect I do - inflated valuations, 0% fees when they enter an area and possible name board snobbery) - there are plenty of recommendations on here for better alternatives - stop using Foxtons and they will go away surely! If they have truly been doing underhand things then report them to the Property Ombudsman - http://www.tpos.co.uk/make_complaint_sales.htm

[Peckhampam]

In the last two days they have left messages on my home phone and mobile phone and clearly know my name and my address. I have no idea how they know any of this!

[familyof4]

Foxtons managed to convince our seller they could get him *75k* more for his house.

He bought it in the end and went with them.

We have been forced to sell chain free and go into rental as no other houses w our criteria have come up.

The house *still* hasn't sold (7 weeks later)

Well done foxtons. A win-win situation for everyone.