Lawson S Stone Coulsdon Fraudulent advertising?

[writing2rightoff]

Happy New year!

Hope you can help.

I am just querying if a n estate agent is advertising legally.

 

I was recently in communication with the estate agents Lawson S Stone Coulsdon  who currently have a studio flat advertised as £650 per month in the following link

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/to-rent/details/53791452

 

I went to a viewing and was told that the studio was £750. I said this was not the amount advertised and the ' senior negotiator' gave a reason that I find hard to recall now. I was also shown other rooms in the same flat and recognised that  photos of the other rooms where also

shown in the same advert.

 

I asked for some written confirmation to be emailed to me and received a form to fill in with an asking price of £800. I emailed the 'senior negotiator' to say the price of £800 was not what was advertised and not what I was told at the viewing,  however I could consider paying £750 per month as I had indicated it was near my budget. The senior negotiator said that the advertised price of £650 was for another room upstairs but insisted that the asking price was £800 for the  studio and that my offer of £750 could be negotiated with the landlord.

I have declined to proceed further.

 

Is Lawson & S Stone advertising the studio  legally?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

 

[AndyOrch]

It does not actually state which flat number the pictures or the rent refer to .

 

Quote

Property descriptions and related information displayed on this page are marketing materials provided by Lawson S Stone. Zoopla does not warrant or accept any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the property descriptions or related information provided here and they do not constitute property particulars. Please contact Lawson S Stone for full details and further information.

 

[writing2rightoff]

Hi ,

I went to the viewing having received flat details and the studio was confirmed as that advertised.

[AndyOrch]

Confirmed in writing ?

[writing2rightoff]

Yes , I have communicated by email to say the advert is misleading  and the senior negotiator has sent back and email to say that they 'totally understand' and that we could go ahead and negotiate with an offer of £750 with the landlord. I am trying not to give out the whole email correspondence  here at this point,

[ericsbrother]

make your offer and see what the LL says.

Be prepared to walk away though if the asking rent is too high, property prices are actually falling in this part of the world.

I also note that Companie House keep having to ask the director for information that if isnt provided will lead to the company being struck off. Now forgetting who owns the business or whateever statutory filing they have failed to do once can be read as a lapse in paperwork but 3 times?

reason I raise ths is who will hold the deposit as I wouldnt trust this lot to

[writing2rightoff]

1 hour ago, ericsbrother said:

make your offer and see what the LL says.

Be prepared to walk away though if the asking rent is too high, property prices are actually falling in this part of the world.

I also note that Companie House keep having to ask the director for information that if isnt provided will lead to the company being struck off. Now forgetting who owns the business or whateever statutory filing they have failed to do once can be read as a lapse in paperwork but 3 times?

reason I raise ths is who will hold the deposit as I wouldnt trust this lot to

Thank you. Yes the rent £800 is high for me and I have walked away. My query is that isn't LL advertising  illegally? Because they wasted my time and I am not sure what other charges they would come up with .

Is there a specific trading standards agency I could highlight what I think is illegal and misleading advertising by LL? 

 

[AndyOrch]

https://www.gov.uk/marketing-advertising-law/regulations-that-affect-advertising

 

https://www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/good-practice/consumer-protection-from-unfair-trading

[writing2rightoff]

Many thanks Andyorch

I didn't pursue with the issue but I am glad I am armed with the information you have given and know what to do if I come across a similar [problem] again.

 

[ericsbrother]

chances are the LL doesnt know they have hired a shark to market and manage their property. So many landlords  are amateurs and rely on someone else doing their job for them and both the LL and the tenant suffer.

 

you have got away lightly, do a google search for  "Premier Moves" and Shaz Chaudhry, its director. he operates in that neck of the woods having been chased out of several other locations