Beware George Wimpey (George Wimpey)

Name: Nitin Patel

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Product:	George Wimpey
Date:	15/12/06 (635 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap product (but the reasons for this become clear)

Disadvantages: Cowboy company

Extremely poor customer service.

Despite reading vast amounts of criticism of George Wimpey on the internet, I bought a house in June 2006. Assuming they must represent either a minority of their work or being relatively old reports, I am now unfortunately in a similar position to thousands of other people (or so it would seem), and I would strongly advise any prospective buyers to steer well clear of this company.

The complaints we have are far too numerous to list individually, but can be grouped together.

1. Pre-purchase service
Once you have signed and the deal has been secured, the staff are no longer interested - they are too busy trying to sell the remaining plots. Their 'options' centre do anything but that - minimal choice, assistants who just want to rush you through (including leaving half way through for a fag break), and make far too many mistakes - all in their favour, ofcourse.

2. The product
Far too many errors, damaged products and shoddy workmanship. Sure, they offer so called seven and 28 day visits, but each time something needs to be fixed you, the buyer, need to take a day off work to be at home. Leave the keys with GW at your peril - muddy tracks throughout the house, and yet more damage. The number of faults so far exceeds 50, excluding cosmetic damage. Any faults that GW are not interested in sorting out, they choose to ignore.

3. The site
Having been resident for over six months, we are still living on a building site. This includes loud swearing from the builders (beware families with children), being blocked in or out of your house by JCBs etc, rubbish strewn over your doorstep & garden. My car has also been damaged.

4. Customer Care
Once you have moved in, this becomes non-existent. Phone calls are ignored / not returned, any problems are 'fobbed off' in true corporate style and the on site office vanishes without a trace.

The final straw: having lived in our house for six months, we find out that the address is wrong. Despite questioning our address with the site office on numerous occasions, and as always being fobbed off with 'we are correct / we will look into it', it only became clear when our postman informed us there were two houses with the same address. Of course, GW are not interested...

Summary: George Wimpey - Extremely poor product and service