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KEYWORD "Refund" - 94 RESULTS
Chris Brown, CEO and Founder of Hydrogard Legal Services

Who are you and what does it say on your business card? I am Chris Brown, CEO and Founder of Hydrogard...

06 July 2023

From: 60 Second Interview

Prison for conman who stole thousands from property buyers

A man has been jailed for fraud after conning potential property buyers out of nearly £16,000. Jaspal Singh Juttla, 64 of Northwood...

01 June 2023

From: Breaking News

New agency AML service pledges to pay fines for own errors

A new product to help agents meet their anti-money laundering (AML) responsibilities has launched. Lifetime Legal has unveiled Smart Compliance, which advises...

21 April 2023

From: Breaking News

Doorsteps among collapsed agents ejected from redress scheme

Eight agents were excluded from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme during the first quarter of 2023 including collapsed online brand Doorsteps for...

06 April 2023

From: Breaking News

Hundreds of claims to be made for ‘mis-sold spray foam insulation’

A claims management company (CMC) is in the process of helping with more than 500 claims from homeowners to get refunds...

27 February 2023

From: Breaking News

Competition watchdog secures ground rent reductions for leaseholders

Thousands more leaseholders are expected to see ground rents cut and some may even receive refunds. It forms part of the Competition...

25 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Purplebricks delays publication of annual accounts

Purplebricks has pushed back the publication of its annual accounts. The online agent’s full year results were due to be published on...

29 June 2022

From: Breaking News

New homeowners warned over fake stamp duty refund claims

New homeowners are being warned about cold calls from scammers advising them to make speculated stamp duty refund claims. The warning comes...

06 June 2022

From: Breaking News

Purplebricks reveals drop in new instructions

Purplebricks has revealed a drop in instructions so far this year. The online agency brand issued a trading update this morning for...

25 May 2022

From: Breaking News

Insight - is it Time to Stamp Out SDLT?

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) has long been the bugbear of many property transactions. Even the very wealthy will lose interest...

07 May 2022

From: Features

Hundreds of sellers enter ‘agency fee refund’ competition

Online agent Strike is preparing to name a home seller who will be reimbursed the equivalent of an estate agent fee...

19 April 2022

From: Breaking News

Essex online agent expelled from TPO scheme

It was a quiet first quarter this year for sanctions at The Property Ombudsman (TPO). The redress scheme has revealed that just...

08 April 2022

From: Breaking News

Purplebricks de-lists another property after unacceptable vendor comment

For the second time in recent weeks, Purplebricks has de-listed a property after an unacceptable comment by the seller on social...

15 March 2022

From: Breaking News

Purplebricks wins praise for dropping prejudiced sellers

Purplebricks’ decision to de-list a property after the Christian vendors made anti-gay comments has won widespread support from industry figures, including...

24 January 2022

From: Breaking News

Purplebricks de-lists home for sale after vendors’ anti-gay comments

Purplebricks is reported to have removed a property listing from its website when it discovered the vendors - a Christian couple...

21 January 2022

From: Breaking News

Leading agency refunds all Covid salary cuts plus furlough funds

Knight Frank has reported a record pre-tax profit and has reimbursed staff who sacrificed some salaries during the pandemic. The agency - which has...

01 November 2021

From: Breaking News

HMRC SDLT Refunds: Agents warned about ‘ambulance chasers’

A property specialist is warning about “modern day ambulance chasers” who try to convince buyers they have paid too much stamp duty.  “An increasing...

22 October 2021

From: Breaking News

Rightmove reveals four new Modern Method of Auction providers

Rightmove - which for some time has linked solely with iamsold to provide the controversial Modern Method of Auction system to...

06 October 2021

From: Breaking News

Shock intervention by Trading Standards in 'charging for viewing' row

The controversial proposal by a PropTech start up to charge potential viewers of properties to let or for sale has been...

10 August 2021

From: Breaking News

Pay-per-view wins Propertymark green light but agents warned

Propertymark says a new pay-per-viewing service is “interesting” but warns agents to protect themselves by abiding by consumer protection regulations. The warning has come following...

26 July 2021

From: Breaking News

Revolutionary pay-per-view property service launches

A number of estate agencies have signed up to a service which charges £30 to view a property. The online service, called...

24 July 2021

From: Breaking News

Agency chief - 'I wish we could bring HIPs back, but just better executed!'

In this week’s In Conversation Today, we have another industry big-hitter and one of the most high-profile female leaders in property...

22 July 2021

From: Breaking News

Ground Rent refunds: Agents demand rest of industry must follow suit

NAEA Propertymark says the news that two major players in the leasehold sector have reformed their activities must be just the...

24 June 2021

From: Breaking News

Ground rent refunds after watchdog strikes leasehold deal

The Competition and Markets Authority has struck a deal with house builders over leasehold abuses. Aviva has committed to remove certain terms...

23 June 2021

From: Breaking News

Two years on - how can agents comply with the Tenant Fees Act?

It’s nearly two years since The Tenant Fees Act came into force for tenancies in England. On 1 June 2019 it...

19 May 2021

From: Features

Furlough funding refunded to government by major agency group

Another major agency group has agreed to repay substantial sums it claimed under the government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, introduced to...

28 April 2021

From: Breaking News

Stamp Duty reform would speed sales says another leading Tory MP

The MP leading a new parliamentary committee on the housing market says a radical reform of tax would help more people move...

06 April 2021

From: Breaking News

Agent warns public of perils of Modern Method of Auction

A prominent estate agent has warned buyers and sellers about the perils of the controversial Modern Method of Auction. MMA is now...

15 March 2021

From: Breaking News

Slow conveyancers should suffer financial penalties, says PropTech man

The head of a PropTech platform wants financial penalties on conveyancers if transactions miss deadlines. “The only way to accelerate the current...

03 March 2021

From: Breaking News

Controversial Modern Method of Auction wins £80k for Zoopla agents

Zoopla says it has so far delivered almost £80,000 in agent fees through its access to the Modern Method of Auction. MMA...

24 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Rightmove courts controversy with Modern Method of Auction link

Rightmove is the latest portal to forge a link with the controversial Modern Method of Auction service being offered to agents. A...

15 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Legal warning over little-known stamp duty technicality

There’s been a huge focus on both the stamp duty holiday and Help To Buy deadlines at the end of March...

08 February 2021

From: Breaking News

Allow agents to do more conveyancing during sales - call

A PropTech supplier says the conveyancing process is “antiquated” and buyers and sellers would be better served if they were ’shadowed’...

26 January 2021

From: Breaking News

Is the property industry at a crossroads?

The property market became somewhat fractious during 2020. After receiving a much-needed boost with the promise of stamp duty relief, things...

20 January 2021

From: Features

Online auction fees controversy: One operator to publish all charges

An auction house that's made a transition from ballroom operations to online streaming is to publish all fees for all lots -...

31 December 2020

From: Breaking News

Modern Method of Auction firm says public needs to be educated

The largest company involved in the controversial Modern Method of Auction says it’s producing a “disruptive digital market campaign to address...

24 December 2020

From: Breaking News

Tax expert claims buyers of homes-with-annexes may pay excess SDLT

A tax expert says his research suggests some buyers of homes with annexes may have paid too much stamp duty on...

22 October 2020

From: Breaking News

Stamp Duty may have been overpaid by 120,000 buyers - claim

Stamp duty specialist consultancy Cornerstone Tax claims some 120,000 buyers in the UK may be owed SDLT refunds. It says that in...

06 October 2020

From: Breaking News

Victim of notorious agency price fixing hits out at lack of refund

One of the victims of a notorious estate agency price fixing cartel has spoken out against one of the offenders.  Christina Davis...

01 September 2020

From: Breaking News

New agency charges buyers not sellers, through reservation fees

A property developer has set up an estate agency that charges no commission to sellers but instead levies a non-refundable reservation...

11 August 2020

From: Breaking News

Why diversifying into auctions can boost post-lockdown cashflow

Following the easing of lockdown restrictions on England’s property market in May, NAEA Propertymark reported a sharp increase in business for...

05 August 2020

From: Features

Purplebricks refunds widow after press intervenes in case

An intervention by a magazine has led to Purplebricks refunding the up-front fee to a seller whose husband died suddenly and...

04 August 2020

From: Breaking News

Zoopla to promote online Modern Method of Auction to agents

Zoopla has entered into a partnership with an online platform to promote the so-called Modern Method of Auction option to estate...

15 July 2020

From: Breaking News

Ker-ching!  Stamp duty refunds soar during Coronavirus crisis

A tax and legal specialist says there’s been a huge rise in stamp duty refund cases between March and June -...

19 June 2020

From: Breaking News

PropTech Today: Settled - people miss the point about failure

I recently read the news about Settled closing its doors. As of 6.29am on Tuesday morning, the article had been read by 8,642...

20 May 2020

From: Breaking News

Online estate agency ceases trading and customers refunded

The online estate agency Settled appears to have ceased trading with its customers refunded. It was launched in 2014 by former Google...

14 May 2020

From: Breaking News

What happens after the Tenant Fees Act transition period ends?

In these unprecedented times, Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) aims to reassure letting agents, landlords and tenants on any legislative changes, relating...

06 May 2020

From: Features

Portals Say No! They reject agents' plea for virus payment holiday

The three leading portals have rejected an appeal to give the industry a payment holiday to help firms through the Coronavirus...

13 March 2020

From: Breaking News

Agent training to include Modern Method of Auction compliance

Training operator The Able Agent is to include a module on the Modern Method of Auction in its future programme.  Charlotte Jeffry-Campbell,...

12 March 2020

From: Breaking News

Stamp Duty change and business rate holiday announced in Budget

There will be a two per cent stamp duty surcharge on the purchase of UK investment properties by non-resident overseas buyers...

11 March 2020

From: Breaking News

Property Information Form in spotlight after sellers face £285k bill

Sellers who failed to mention a motel and diner being constructed nearby have been ordered by a court to pay £285,000...

24 February 2020

From: Breaking News

Lifetime deposits – what are the potential challenges and benefits for lettings?

Last November, as part of the Conservatives’ general election campaign, Boris Johnson made a surprise announcement that his party would introduce...

01 February 2020

From: Features

Humberts offers controversial Modern Method of Auction to vendors

Humberts is the latest estate agency to announce that it’s going to offer customers the controversial Modern Method of Auction option. The...

22 November 2019

From: Breaking News

Buyers who paid £100k deposit sue vendors after withdrawing offer

The prospective buyers of a home in Oxfordshire who paid a deposit of £108,000 before withdrawing are suing the sellers in...

18 November 2019

From: Breaking News

New online auction service launches, pledging a fairer service

A new online auction service has launched this week, pledging a fairer service for agent partners, as well as buyers and...

10 October 2019

From: Breaking News

Industry bodies back Modern Method of Auction best practice guide

Three key industry organisations have endorsed a best practice guide for the controversial Modern Method of Auction. The iamsold guide is aimed at...

03 October 2019

From: Breaking News

How much do first timers know about buying a home? Not a lot...

A study from Santander Mortgages has blown the cover on first time buyers, suggesting they know almost nothing and research very...

18 September 2019

From: Breaking News

Ex-Foxtons agent launches first-ever buying service just for first timers

A former Foxtons estate agent has set up a property finding service which is exclusively for first time buyers - believed...

13 September 2019

From: Breaking News

Trying Times: Agent’s rugby marketing wheeze could cost him £250,000

An estate agent in Cardiff has come up with a marketing wheeze in a bid to win more instructions - but...

05 September 2019

From: Breaking News

PropTech firm wants to clean up image of Modern Method of Auction

A company operating the controversial Modern Method of Auction says it is trying to improve the sector’s image after a series...

30 August 2019

From: Breaking News

Agents Do Charity - come rain, come sunshine, come storm

A distinctly autumnal storm seems to be gripping the UK for the early part of the weekend but as ever, nothing...

09 August 2019

From: Breaking News

Modern method of auction - the online bidding process explained

The modern method of auction is proving to revolutionise the way properties are bought and sold across the UK.  By putting the...

26 June 2019

From: Features

MyBid4It offers exclusivity benefits for Estate Agents…

MyBid4It is an online auction platform which has been developed to partner with Estate Agents and revolutionise the way properties are...

26 June 2019

From: Sponsored Content

In Praise of Purplebricks: a senior estate agent speaks out

A former Territory Owner at Purplebricks, who at one time managed 11 Local Property Experts, has spoken out in support of...

24 June 2019

From: Breaking News

Impact of the Tenant Fees Act - how can agents cover their costs?

It has been a long time coming, but the tenant fees ban, which forbids landlords and letting agents in England from...

13 April 2019

From: Features

New ‘Modern Method of Auction’ firm tries to woo estate agents

Another new online auction company has launched and is bidding to woo traditional estate agents with the controversial ‘modern method of...

18 March 2019

From: Breaking News

Purplebricks Uncovered: What it's like to be a Local Property Expert

Here’s an unusual story, describing the work of one of Purplebricks’ Local Property Experts who was with the company for around...

04 March 2019

From: Breaking News

Warning over reservation fees in the Modern Method of Auction

A member of a prominent legal network is warning buyers and their conveyancers to be ”wary” of the Modern Method of...

27 February 2019

From: Breaking News

New stamp duty surcharge: consultation starts over foreign buyers

The government has launched an official consultation about a new stamp duty surcharge - the long-awaited additional one per cent for...

12 February 2019

From: Breaking News

Just the ticket (not). Another house raffle closed down by authorities

Yet another property raffle has had to be abandoned because it has been deemed illegal under Gambling Commission rules. A Yorkshire couple,...

07 January 2019

From: Breaking News

Is the deposit-free rental model a good idea?

When renting a property out, letting agents and landlords recognise that it is important to take a deposit from the tenant...

15 December 2018

From: Features

Emoov: Rival agents try to poach vendors as public complaints mount

At least some calls from potential customers to Emoov are being cut off and rival estate agents are now plundering the...

03 December 2018

From: Breaking News

Reservation agreements back on the agenda thanks to former agent

A new company is claiming to reduce chain collapses during sales by creating a lockout agreement, also known as a reservation agreement. Property...

06 November 2018

From: Breaking News

A quiet Budget – but there’s still enough to keep everyone busy

On the face of it, this year’s Budget was not what you could describe as ‘housing heavy’ in terms of the...

03 November 2018

From: Features

Agents slammed for milking buyers for profits via online auctions

A consumer group says agents are securing increasing income from online auctions, but it warns that for buyers there are pitfalls...

30 October 2018

From: Breaking News

Agency refuses to return pre-contract deposit - now expelled by TPO

An estate agency trading under two different names has been expelled by The Property Ombudsman after refusing to refund a £2,000...

21 September 2018

From: Breaking News

New blow to house raffles - refunds after unforeseen circumstances

The brief but troubled history of individuals and companies attempting to raffle homes as prizes has received another blow as a...

21 August 2018

From: Breaking News

Introduction of reservation agreements for buyers and sellers gaining support

As the estate agency business in England moves towards being more robust with professional qualifications and higher standards being introduced, there...

17 April 2018

From: Sponsored Content

More backing for buying reforms from conveyancers and agents

The Conveyancing Association has backed the government’s calls for extensive reform of the buying and selling process, announced at the weekend. The...

12 April 2018

From: Breaking News

Independent agency snapped up by expanding regional hybrid

Independent agency Coast and Castle has been acquired by Signature, a chain in the north east of England with 18 other...

21 December 2017

From: Breaking News

Online agent deposit/conveyancer scheme claims 100% completion rate

Online agency Settled is introducing a deposit scheme which it claims will assist sellers and buyers reach completion faster - and...

29 November 2017

From: Breaking News

Chaotic stamp duty system means HMRC refunds £10m each month

HMRC has refunded £185m to some 15,000 house buyers since the introduction of the stamp duty surcharge in April of last...

10 November 2017

From: Breaking News

Major finance company joins call for stamp duty reform

The largest mutual life pension and insurance company in the UK has added its voice to growing calls for stamp duty...

08 November 2017

From: Breaking News

Purple smoke and mirrors

Purplebricks’ advertising is very negative and critical of the competition. They talk about 'commisery', trying to make potential sellers feel ripped...

08 April 2017

From: Features

TPO defends code change over buyers' pre-contract deposits

The Property Ombudsman’s office has defended a change to its code of practice which, according to a national newspaper, means agents...

06 February 2017

From: Breaking News

First-time buyers – how agents can help them through the legal process

Conveyancing is the most complained about area of law in England and Wales – accounting, on average, for nearly a quarter...

14 October 2016

From: Features

Auction House says stamp duty surcharge worries will force sellers its way

London-based Auction House says the new stamp duty surcharge rules will encourage more sellers to use auctioneers. The additional homes three per...

06 April 2016

From: Breaking News

Tax experts blast SDLT surcharge as incredibly unfair to joint purchasers

A group of leading tax experts claims the stamp duty surcharge coming into effect one week from today will hurt the...

25 March 2016

From: Breaking News

Legal Ombudsman issues conveyancing guide after buyer's £20,000 bill

The Legal Ombudsman has published new guidance for first time buyers as a result of conveyancing problems topping the list of...

19 January 2016

From: Breaking News

Agents expelled from Property Ombudsman over compensation dispute

Two more agents have been expelled by TPO because they failed to pay awards when ordered to pay compensation, and because...

11 November 2015

From: Breaking News

Agents Do Charity - it just keeps coming

It’s pretty hot out there but our industry still confounds critics by doing good work for good causes.  We’ll gladly publicise your...

19 June 2015

From: Breaking News

Another agent criticised for charging buyers

An estate agency has been criticised for taking fees from buyers and vendors, known as ‘double-charging’. Over the weekend The Guardian published...

08 June 2015

From: Breaking News

Fee disclosure: Are you ready for an inspection?

Earlier this week we passed the official deadline for letting agents to fully publicise their fees as well as providing evidence of...

29 May 2015

From: Features

Landlords must register old tenancy deposits – now!

In 2007, the government introduced a compulsory deposit protection scheme as part of the Housing Act 2004 to help protect tenants...

22 May 2015

From: Features

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