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Ashtons Estate Agency - Harpenden

A selection of reviews/testimonials by highest rating
(in some cases, not all reviews/testimonials will be displayed)
2.00 /5

Poor after sales service lets this company down.

Reply from agent

Hi Roy. Sorry to read this. If you can let me have an order number either here or via sales@midwestdisplays.co.uk I will investigate further.

2.00 /5

Customer service of some staff was very good however the focus is so much on landlord not the tenant

Reply from agent

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback Victor. Regarding your application, we want to clarify that the landlord ultimately made the decision not to proceed, which was beyond our control, however, we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this caused. We want to assure you that we did our utmost to assist you, including spending significant time trying to find another suitable property for you. While our role often requires balancing the needs of both landlords and tenants, we strive to provide excellent service to all parties involved. Thank you again for your comments and if there’s anything further we can do to assist you, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Wishing you all the best, the Ashtons team.

2.00 /5

Put up a 'For Sale' board in my garden instead of my neighbours!!!🙃 …

Reply from agent

We’re really sorry for any inconvenience caused by our board contractors. I understand they rectified the issue quickly afterwards and they pass on their apologies. Best wishes from the team at Ashtons

2.00 /5

They felt different to start, but by the end I felt they were taking us over the coals for more money without any evidence of changes to the other offers. Have since heard some very rough reviews about them from other buyers.

Reply from agent

We're sorry to hear your experience with Ashtons was disappointing, we would like to discuss this with you in more detail, please get in touch at your nearest convenience on 01582 461166.

1.00 /5

Would not use their renting/letting service if you paid me. Kirsty is absolutely dreadful, rude, abrasive and arrogant. She made mistakes with how the property was advertised from an offer perspective and then doubled down rather than admit that she’d made a mistake. She interrupted me every time I tried to explain her mistake. I ended up hanging up on her because she's so infuriating. Just admit you messed up???? Two days before the start date, they try and hit you with last minute ridiculous fees for things such as taking an inventory and getting the property in a professionally clean state. Awful, awful, awful. Avoid at all costs. To be absolutely fair, their sales department is fantastic. It is professionally run and they are very polite and courteous. Such a shame the lettings team is dog awful.

Reply from agent

While Ashtons are always open to constructive feedback regarding our service, we strongly refute the characterisation of our colleague and will not tolerate unwarranted insults or aggression towards our team members. Both our Managing Director and Lettings Director have reviewed your concerns in detail, alongside email communication from your partner, who is the client in this matter. We are satisfied that our team acted professionally and in line with both company standards and legal requirements. In relation to the points raised, we will not support any landlord acting outside of the law or the requirements of the Renters' Rights Act. We actively advise on best practice, including the importance of professional inventories and ensuring properties are presented in a clean and well-maintained condition prior to the commencement of a tenancy. In this case, the property was not presented in a suitable condition at the point of move-in. As such, the recommendations made were not last-minute additions, but necessary steps required to ensure compliance and to provide a fair and appropriate standard of cleanliness for incoming tenants. We are confident that at all times we have communicated openly, fairly and in good faith while acting in accordance with both our professional obligations and legal responsibilities.

1.00 /5

We had a very disappointing experience with Ahtons while attempting to purchase a property. Throughout the process we repeatedly asked about the tenure and were consistently told it was share of freehold. Not once were we informed that the property was actually leasehold with less than 40 years remaining — information that only came to light after the memorandum was issued. This is a material fact that directly affects both the value and the mortgageability of a property. Had we been given accurate information from the beginning, especially after asking multiple specific questions, we would never have proceeded. Ahtons were fully aware of the stressful, time-sensitive situation we were in, yet still failed to provide this essential information upfront. As a result, we lost time, money, and the opportunity to pursue another property. Our experience reflects a serious lack of transparency and professionalism, and we would urge future buyers to be extremely cautious.

Reply from agent

We are sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your experience, however, we would like to clarify a number of points. The property was marketed as having a share of freehold, which is correct and this was clearly stated within the property description. At no stage did we intentionally misinform you regarding the tenure. As explained, there is an underlying lease, which the current owner is in the process of extending with the other owners in the block, with whom they share the freehold by mutual agreement. We appreciate that this may ultimately have affected your decision to proceed and we understand the frustration that can arise when a transaction does not progress. However, the information provided regarding the tenure was accurate and transparent throughout the process. We wish you all the best with your onward search and would be happy to assist with any future enquiries.

1.00 /5

We recently made the difficult decision to withdraw from the purchase of a property marketed through Ashtons. This decision came after we commissioned a full building survey and an in-depth report into local planning, environmental, and development factors. The findings raised significant concerns, including a high risk of subsidence and flooding, as well as proximity to several large-scale developments. Shortly after I emailed to confirm our withdrawal, I received a call from a lady named Hannah. She was very understanding, professional, and empathetic - exactly what you would hope for in such a conversation. I appreciated her approach greatly. However, just a few minutes later, I received a call from James Hall - the agent who had initially dealt with us. I was surprised to be contacted again, having already explained the situation. Unfortunately, this call was markedly different. Rather than seeking to understand or even acknowledge our reasoning, James interrupted me abruptly and questioned the validity of the information we had obtained. He made dismissive remarks such as, “Well, that’s not been approved yet, has it?” and “I don’t see how that would affect you - it’s 10 minutes down the road,” when in fact the site in question is just a 2-minute drive or 8-minute walk away. More concerning still, James went on to suggest that if this kind of development concerned us, we should “take Harpenden off the table” altogether and look elsewhere - even suggesting we would struggle to buy anywhere because “they’re developing everywhere,” and that we would be better off living in the middle of a city where development wouldn’t be a concern. His tone was noticeably disbelieving, and he asked where I had obtained the information. Due to the level of doubt he expressed, I offered to send him the documentation we had received from the solicitor as evidence. He responded that he would “absolutely” like me to send it that evening. However, later in the conversation, I noticed a note on the documents stating that they were not to be shared with third parties, so I was unable to do so. I felt that the way in which he questioned me and our decision was inappropriate and unprofessional. His tone was antagonistic and confrontational, and the conversation felt more like an interrogation than a professional discussion. He appeared unwilling to listen, and instead focused on challenging my decision. As a first-time buyer trying to make an informed and responsible choice, I found this not only inappropriate but also extremely disheartening - particularly as we already felt bad about disappointing the sellers. This experience has left me with serious reservations about engaging with Ashtons in the future. I fully appreciate that the withdrawal from a purchase can be frustrating, but buyers deserve to be treated with respect, especially when they have conducted thorough due diligence and reached their decision in good faith. Further to our disappointment, we were concerned to find that our detailed email, sent over a week ago outlining the situation and our concerns has not received any acknowledgement from the Managing Director. We had expected at least a professional response, and the lack of courtesy in this instance has only reinforced our view of the standards we have experienced with Ashtons.

Reply from agent

I am very sorry to learn of your recent experience with our Harpenden team. I know that John Ingram, our resident Director at Harpenden has been in communication with you to explain that unfortunately, the email you sent did not reach any of our inboxes, which is why you did not receive a direct response at the time. That said, I would like to apologise that your interaction with the Harpenden team did not meet the standard you quite reasonably expected. If you would still like our assistance in finding a new home, our resident Director at Harpenden, John Ingram, would be pleased to work with you personally to ensure you receive the level of service you deserve.

1.00 /5

We recently made the difficult decision to withdraw from the purchase of a property marketed through Ashtons. This decision came after we commissioned a full building survey and an in-depth report into local planning, environmental, and …

Reply from agent

I am very sorry to learn of your recent experience with our Harpenden team. I know that John Ingram, our resident Director at Harpenden has been in communication with you to explain that unfortunately, the email you sent did not reach any … More

1.00 /5

So, I am a Tennent at a property Ashtons are selling. I overheard the Viewing guide tell the buyer in not so many words that the neighbour will be happy when I move out. His reply was that it was the buyer who said this, even though you can hear the viewing guide saying it. I complained to the Branch Manager Joe Wilkes, this is the reply I received. " I am sorry for any distress caused but as my mother used to say, ‘sticks and stones may break our bones but words can never hurt me.’ I hope that you are able to get over this quickly." If Mr. Wilkes watched or even listened to the news, he should realise that name calling does more than break bones.

Reply from agent

Naturally we are disappointed to read your review and comments and are very sorry if any upset has been caused. We understand the situation has now been looked into and John Ingram, Director, has been in touch with you to resolve the issue. If there is anything further you feel we can do, please do not hesitate to get in touch with John Ingram

Contact details
Sales Phone:

01582 461166

Opening hours

Unknown

Address

10 High Street, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2TB, South East, UK, AL5

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