Ahhh let me just say this might not be as sinister as it seems. A few years ago, i was being called by a number, and whenever i answered, the line would go dead - it was really beginning to get on my nerves..... One day i had had enough, so called my phone provider - cant remember who now, and they did some investigations - It turned out that what was happening was this: Large marketting companies are sold your details - They have a computerised phone system, that allows them to make lots of telephone calls at once, and the first "customer" that answers is transferred to a telephone operator and given the hard sell. Luckily the person that was investigating for me, gave me the phone number to the company and a web address where i could go and fill out a form, and the website would, on my behalf, tell 1000's of companies to take me off their postal mailing lists and the phone loop thing. This worked and for years i havent recieved a call like that. IS this what it could be for you? Maybe this is the reason u cant call the number back - the number is attached to a line, but the line does not take im coming calls, im assuming. Kells

Hi interestrateripoff Just to let you know that although i cant say i have read your entire post here, i did read the first 3 pages before i got a bit lost!! Anyway - i just wanted to say that im amazed at your dedication to keep this going for nearly a year Kells vbmenu_register("postmenu_1454965", true);

Yes maybe you are right Alex. Still doesnt excuse the fact they could of at least cancelled it with the MDA, who may of been able to do something. Anyway, im not going to go on and on about it - whats done is done, there is nothing i can do. Please can this thread be locked?

Hello A...... Thanks for your response...I dont think it is MDA that is at fault here, more the EA's, who failed to inform you of a cancellation on my behalf. I have today sent off a letter to the EA accounts team, who have been very unhelpful and as a business, i feel, could of done more to avoid a huge cost for me. However, if you are willing to answer a few questions for me, then i would appreciate it - although i feel i will end up having to pay anyway. Could you confirm the cancellation policy that MDA has with EA's at all? Could you confirm the exact cost to MDA for a HIP? ( I would like to know how much extra the EA is charging me ) Lastly, if your cancellation policy is 2 business days, what would happen if someone cancelled first thing on the 3rd business day? Is there ANYTHING you could do to avoid charging the full ammount? Thanks everyone for your time and trouble - its very much appreciated Kells

No iwas not informed of any cancellation/lack of cancellation policy - and the HIP is only valid for a period of time - 9 months i think. After which i need to get a new one, if i decide to sell. I dont know what to do - whether to argue my case, and not pay - or just to pay and be done with it. Which ever i choose, ill end up losing lol

MDA wont negotiate. As far as they are concerned, they have provided what was requested form them - they were the third party and it is not their fault. The blame lies with the stupid EA who didnt cancel it with MDA but as i have signed a contract, there is nothing i can do. Im just writing a letter to the EA requesting an ammount - its hilarious, i have had 3 demands for money from them, but not one of them says how much i owe. Im so annoyed i feel like writing a stinking letter - but on the other hand if i play my cards right, they may negotiate a settlement. Not quite sure how to word a negotiation letter as im too annoyed and wanna tell them to shove it up there /bleeep!!!

Ok - spoke to MDA This is the time frame Sat 23rd - House valued and we signed HIP agreement for deferred payment. Wed 27th - Order was placed with MDA Fri 29th - Home Efficiency guy came round to do assesment Mon 3rd Mar - I took house off market and asked to stop HIP. MDA say that if the EA had informed them within 2 business days of the order being placed then they could of cancelled it at no cost. But because th eMonday is 3 business days, i have to pay the full cost of the HIP. So it seems i gotta pay up

Hi Kitty Yes i can remember but not entirely sure what info u need. The payment was to be deferred untill the property was sold and then it would of been paid with the usual lot of payments associated with selling a house hehe. Now that i am not selling they want the payment now. The person i spoke to on the phone said that they had already paid MDA (the HIP provider) and they want their money from me ASAP. Having looked through all the paperwork i have - it doesnt say anywhere how much i owe - just that i owe a *sum* plus a £50 deferment fee + VAT. I have a sum of £468 in my mind - but cant remember where i got that from. Would it be worth me calling MDA and finding out exactly when they were told it was no longer needed?

HI Kitty Yes, i can see what you are saying - most things are done at the touch of a button these days - but if that was the case, then why did they leave it a further 2 weeks to say that my HIP was now ready and they require payment. I would rather not say which estate agents im having the issues with, i dont see the point really, i would imagine that they are all the same. I think that its unfair to have your house on the market for only 5 working days and have to pay £500 for the pleasure!! With no cooling off period of cancellation notice policy in place, it seems we are stuck with this awful tax, and may i add, all estate agents will tell you that no one ever requests to look at these packs!! What is the point.

In the T&C's there are 2 boxes that was supposed to be signed. Box 1 - This is the box that we signed to say that we agreed to pay by deferred payment ie: when the house was sold. Box 2 - I have read and understood the Terms and Condtions overleaf - This we did not sign. We was not even asked to sign it. Apparently the horrid lady from the Estate Agents who called me, said that as from June, you can not market a property without having a HIP in place - I already tried that one as my house was marketed as soon as i instructed them and the HIP wasnt completed till at least 3 weeks after! These HIP's are very vague - there are no firm rules about them, just loads of Estate Agents and Solicitors making their own set of rules up as they go along. I have now only got 5 days to pay and dont know what to do. Should i pay the whole ammount and be done with it, or should i not pay and see this through? Why should we have to pay for something we dont need or want. Helford - I do agree that i should pay a proportion of the total sum to them. I asked them to stop working on it 5 working days after my house went on the market - the energy effiecency man came on day 5, he couldnt of had a chance to write any kind of report. Why did 2 weeks later i receive a letter saying that my HIP was now completed and that they wanted payment. If they had stopped working on it when i asked them too - then surely i wouldnt of incurred such a large cost?

As a consumer, do i not have a statutory right to a cooling off period / cancellation period?

Hi there jowalshy I have read through the T&C's and there is no right to cancel period details at all. I had thought about that, is it not a legal requirement that they should have a right to cancel clause?

Oh my im SO annoyed and was wondering whether someone could possibly give me some advice. On Monday 28th Feb i placed my house on the market - on Monday 3rd March - for various reasons, only 5 working days later, i took my house off the market. 2 weeks after this, just last week infact, i received a letter from the Estate Agents Solicitors demanding £500 for the HIP (Home Information Pack). Now i agree that i should pay a proportion of this, in respect of the title deeds that were applied for (albeit at the press of a button) and for the energy effieciency man, who spent about 5 mins on Fri 29th, looking at light bulbs etc. What i dont agree with is having to pay the whole £500 for something i dont need, or want and after informing them that i was taking it off the market, why didnt they stop working on the HIP!! I have written a letter to them and asked a full breakdown of when work was carried out, and recieved a phonecall from a stuck up woman telling me that as the estate agents have paid MDA (HIP people) that they want their money back from me ASAP. TO which i neither agreed or disagreed with. Have since recieved another 2 letters demanding money and threatening me with legal action if i dont pay within 7 days! Help!