Gateley Smithers Purslow - appalling service, never use them
Gateley Smithers Purslow were employed as independent surveyors in our house restoration following a fire.
The process took from 2021 to 2025 - probably about two years longer than it should.
I found them to be:
1. Technically inept, unable or unwilling to recognise obvious problems
2. Generally incompetent
3. Unable to communicate effectively, accurately or without long delays
4. Unable to produce simple schedules/reports accurately or in line with the requirements of the insurance company
5. Unable or unwilling to manage effectively the contract or the contractors on site, leading to long and unnecessary delays
6,. Largely unable to impartially conduct an internal investigation into my complaint against them.
7. Unwilling to listen to us, the customer, and continuously insistent on relying on paper reports/certificates instead of looking at the problems which were there and obvious before their (and everyone else's) own eyes.
This led to numerous serious problems, including leaving us with potentially dangerous electrics, a dangerous banister which could have killed us, a dangerous chimney flue etc.
8. Lazy in the extreme - that is my honest perception.
9. In denial, and unable or unwilling to accept their responsibilities as contract administrators.
10. Always looking for the cheapest remedy, despite our insurance policy which was like for like.
Perhaps one example will illustrate the malaise:
Before the fire, we had solid wooden internal doors.
Our insurance was on a like for like basis.
Under the watchful eyes of Gateley Smithers Purslow, the contractor replaced the upstairs doors with mdf core doors.
We pointed this out to Gateley several times, both verbally and in writing, but they ignored us - for nearly two years!
As relationships were straining, we again complained about this, again with full evidence.
The surveyor in charge, who clearly had more important things on hand, just dismissed this, saying the installed doors were in fact solid wood.
Finally, having repeatedly submitted evidence, the Gateley general manager had a light bulb moment, whereby he managed to recognise the evidence in front of his own eyes.
So, our claim was forwarded to the insurers, and we were finally paid - although of course not enough (another story).
But to cap it all, the Gateley general manager then used this as an example of how much Gateley had helped us!!!
There is so, so much more, but probably best not written here.
I complained to RICS who investigated (took a year and a half!) and generally found for us, but not "in the public interest" to pursue disciplinary action.
Towards the end, Gateley Smithers Purslow just decided to stop communicating with us, and refused to reply to our correspondence , even though we had a signed contract in force.
I recommend never, ever, using this firm of surveyors, based on my experience with them.
If you need to use a surveyor, I would strongly recommend establishing, at the outset, PRECISELY what they think their roles and responsibilities are, and get it in writing, signed and witnessed.
We thought our surveyors were there to administer the contract independently and fairly. I feel we made a dreadful error of judgement.