Carson & Co Reviews 2

They cannot be trusted. We had to abandon the purchase a few weeks before exchanging contracts. When we made our initial offer, we agreed with the estate agent that the offer was subject to surveys. The state agent was very reassuring saying that they would negotiate the price for us if there were any issues identified. Unfortunately, the survey revealed the presence of asbestos throughout the house and issues with windows that required costly repairs.
Price negotiation that was promised on a few different occasions has never happened, even though we requested that the vendor covers only part of the asbestos removal which we thought was fair.
Annoyingly, a few weeks before our survey was completed, the estate agent told us about their previous customer who discovered asbestos in the property they were about to purchase and the price being reduced significantly to cover the cost of asbestos removal.
When we raised our concerns and told the estate agent we felt misled, the manager, in a rather rude email, replied that he did not agree with our claim of being misled. Shocking!
Very distressing experience that led to significant emotional and financial loses.

Appalling customer service

I saw a property available for rent on Rightmove through Carsons estate agents in Woking, part of Countrywide, I am led to believe.

From the outset, I was clear about a couple of possible sticking points and was told no problem!

However the service overall and from her superior and branch manager Louise Hurlow is a different matter and I am quite frankly appalled at the way my Dad and I have been treated.

Anna Ozog was very friendly and helpful, but she was the only one! The rest of their staff seem to have zero common sense and seem to enjoy their power.

1) Following the house viewing on 26 July, I completed a form with Homelet form
2) My credit is obviously reflecting a two year old IVA, but it’s from a business ending, not reckless spending on clothes, holidays, jewellery or cars!
3) I was told my credit failed, so my Dad would need to be referenced. He found it a difficult procedure because the HomeLet form would not accept attachments. My Dad rang them and was told to send in an email which he did, only later to be badgered by Carsons for not filling in the form, and then I was told by Louise that HomeLet would not ring him to collect missing information because of GDPR?! Madness.
4) My Dad went to an estate agent in northern England where he lives to show ID, now appears in vain! Why not accept electronically? I opened a bank account with Monzo by showing ID through a webcam.
5) Eventually, one day before the proposed move in date (3 August), on 2 August HomeLet seemed to get everything they wanted from my Dad… at last.
6) I chased Louise on the key collection day around 10am to ask what was happening. She said there should be an answer by midday.
7) At 11.47, rather than have someone ring me, I get an email from Anna basically telling me that my Dad’s income is insufficient to be guarantor! Wouldn’t a phone call have been friendlier? Demanding someone earns £46,000 especially when they can prove they own their own own home with no mortgage or rent of their own is bloody minded?
8) Carson’s are also unwilling to entertain rental income because a tenant might leave a property? If it’s taxable, it’s income.
9) When I realised I was getting no-where and Louise started to come across as patronising and condescending e.g. asking me to get in touch when ‘I find something I can afford', I asked what would happen with my £294 holding deposit which I had to pay instantly. She said I was not entitled to it back! But then seemed to suggest she would give it back as generosity? Is this right? Would it not be illegal to keep this money? When will I get my money back? Am I not entitled to start charging you interest
10) Louise seems to like hanging up on people when she doesn’t have answers. She hung up on both my Dad and I on separate occasions. She didn’t like me asking why you’re clinging on to my money and also didn’t like me saying that ‘all it takes for evil to prevail is good men and women do nothing’.
11) Before you told me the property was not mine, I received an email from Tili to set up my bills for council tax and water. Today on Saturday 3 August, I recieved the attached text from Spark to say they are my energy supplier? Really? Are you going to close these accounts now! Incompetent to set up utility services prematurely. Are you now affecting my credit rating if bills go unpaid for a property I am not legally responsible for. How does that affect GDPR?

I’m sure there are more absurdities that I have forgotten, but this should give a flavour of the service received.

Their values seem to suggest they do the right thing ... personal, straightforward, and passionate. I’m not sure I’ve experienced that. It feels like Carsons are bloody minded, stubborn, inflexible and patronising.