LudlowThompson - incompetent, ignorant nightmare (Estate Agents in general)

Member Name: tenant no more

Product:	Estate Agents in general
Date:	14/01/09 (225 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: None

Disadvantages: You no longer have control of your own home

I was moving out of my flat, and my landlord decided to use LudlowThompson Wimbledon office as the letting agent. What a nighmare for the sitting tenant. They walk in and out of your flat as if they owned it, they move your stuff around, leave the door unlocked, and don't think they are bothered if they can't get you on the phone - they will come in anyway.

First it was ok, they were calling me and I was telling them it's ok to go in. I found it strange that sometimes things wouldn't be where I I thought left them in the morning, but I thought it's just me and I am just imagining. Then one Saturday, I got home and was about to walk straight into the shower, when I heard a knock on the door. LT agent with some clients, who said he'd just seen me walk in. When I asked why he hadn't called me first he said he didn't have the time. Stupid me, let them in for viewing, although I was shaking at the thought that had I got home one minute earlier, he would have not seen me go in, he would have walked in using the key while I was in the shower!!

I complained to the lettings manager of the office, who apologized and said it will not happen again. Came home one day next week, the door wasn't locked, and I realized LT was showing the flat without contacting me first for permission, what they are required to do by the Code of Conduct. As if they cared.

Even worse, next Saturday morning I woke up to someone opening the door (the flat was a studio, my bed was about 1.5 meters from the door). Another idiot from LT coming in to show the flat. Shouted at him, and he went back to the hall and then was asking through the door if he can come in to view the flat. I still don't know why I let them in. When I asked him what the h*** he was doing walking in my flat without permission, he said he tried to call but I didn't answer. When I pointed out to him that it was MORNING and I was sleeping, therefore not answering my phone, he wasn't too bothered at all.

After that it just got worse. I left a set of spare keys on the kitchen table, and they went missing. I repeatedly asked the lettings manager what happened to them, he never even bothered to comment.

Not once did I tell them not to show the flat (despite that under the code of conduct I am allowed 48 h notice!), always kept the flat tidy and was nice and helpful when I was in during the showings. Yet the lettings manager went and lied to my landlord that I am being difficult and therefore the letting is harder than normal (probably an excuse because the flat had been on market for 3 weeks without any offers), which completely destroyed the good relationship I had with the landlord.

Once I finally got in my new flat, and had 2 weeks of my tenancy left, they went completely mad. Didn't call me at all if they can go in (property still officially my residence), caught them couple of times in the flat and they just couldn't care less.

Afterwards I tried complaining, first to the lettings manager of Wimbledon office who told me the agents in question 'would receive a warning'. I asked for a copy of the key register, which again they are required to keep under the Code of Conduct, so that I could check how many times exactly they had been there without me knowing. Lettings manager didn't comment this in anyway, nor the keys, nor his claims to my landlord about my behaviour, despite repeated questions.

I contacted the governing association, who said they can only look into it if I have first gone through LTs official complaints procedure. So I contacted LT and asked for this. I was put through to the lettings director, who was equally as ignorant as everyone else. He said the agents in question will get a warning (funnily enough he didn't ask who the agents were..), and ignored all the other bits in my complaint. I kept insisting on the other points too, his idea of resolving the issue was to stop replying to my emails.

Now I am trying to find out who the Managing Director of the company is, so that I can complain to him - that must count as an official complaint as LT continues to ignore my requests to inform me about the official complaints procedure. Once they ignore that too, I can finally take it further.

But warning to everyone who live in flats being let by LT: watch for everything. Do not leave your valuables or keys lying around. Sleep with one eye open. And for goodness's sake, COMPLAIN. It is outrageous they should get away with making people's lives a living hell in their own homes.

And as if that wasn't enough, their incompetence and idiocy followed me to my new flat. I had got my electricity sorted ages ago, when suddenly I got a new bill where the starting reading was suddenly a lot lower than in original (which had been correct). When I called the electricity company, they informed me that the lettings agents had contacted them to give them the 'correct' reading. I informed them that it is not possible, as I own the flat and it has never been dealt with by lettings agents. And that why do they listen to some lettings agent 6 months after I had moved in and started my contract with them. And guess which lettings agent it turned out to be? LT of course. What they had to do with my meter readings, and who gave them access to the meters, i don't know, but I will find out and I will get them in trouble for that.

If your flat is being let by them, read the code of conduct (easy to find with google), and insist on everything it says you can get, including the prior notice. Give them a little finger, and they will take your whole arm and rest of your body with it.

Summary: Read the Code of Conduct, and make sure they comply with it!