Name and Shame!

[Melboy]

I guess I can't really name them for obvious reasons but here goes with a similar name quiz and I will leave you to work it out. They are a fairly large letting agency but not sure if they are countrywide.

"Something you would open to a pathway". "A person who looks after the goal mouth"

Combine the 2 words.

Anyway they have a terrible reputation in my part of the World and by strange coincidence someone contacted me last week seeking advice on what to do having been told I may be able to help them with some advice.

From what I was being told, and there is always two sides to any story, this couple had been given notice to quit their rented property having been in place for 2 years and always paid their rent on time and had been no trouble to anyone.

The LA wanted them to sign a new 6 month contract with some new terms added which were to them a bit dubious so they quite rightly asked for clarification of what the new terms meant. The answer came back with a property repossession instruction and to be out by December 31st!

My best guess is that the LA was trying it on to gain additional monies for producing a new contract and probably other things as well.

The first thing I suggested to this couple was to contact the landlord direct and ask him if he was aware of what was going on with this LA. It turns out the Landlord was completly unaware of what was going on and was furious, so much so he instantly sacked this LA organisation on the spot and is taking the matter further as I understand it.

The Landlord and Tenant had both be charged for new contracts being drawn up every 6 months for the last two years plus a renewing admin. charge.

I did a "Google" to see anyone had had trouble with this LA and sure enough there were cases revealed which came as no surpise to me as I had already heard from another local source that this company was bad news.

Mel.

[Richlist]

* DoorGoalie, * GateGoalie, * Entrance Keeper, * DoorKeeper, * GateKeeper, GateGoalKeeper.....this is getting silly !

Never heard of any of these names as lettings agents..

[Melboy]

Glad to see your joining in with the spirit of the "quiz" Richlist

But you have named it in your selections and it is number 5 which stands out as the most sensible name for a letting agency I would suggest from your selections.

It would appear that they are a UK wide company but I am told they carry their business out internet based. Is it a franchise business? I don't know.

http://www.gatekeeper.co.uk/

Anyway it would appear that they are shite and to be avoided.

Quoted feedback from a Tenant.

Absolutely awful service from Gatekeeper - worst service I've ever received for any company or from anyone in my life!

Sam Gritton & Clarice Taylor are the main people I've spoken to; they're patronising, unhelpful and, quite frankly, incredibly stupid!

They don't record their calls, so whenever I have called them, I have had to explain my situation over and over again as neither of them know what I'm talking about as they never make any notes from previous calls.

Their charges are extreme! They charge you if you want sky TV, if you want to paint a room (both of which may be beneficial to the landlord in the long term!).....list goes on and on!

We overpaid in rent accidentally & they told me that they won't action a refund of the month's rent until I click the 'accept button' on their deposit link - in the small print it says if I click 'accept' it confirms that I'm happy with the deposit money I get back - which I'm not!

Disgruntled prospective Tenant No.2

Keep away from Gatekeeper Properties! I cannot stress enough how impolite and dishonest the people at this company can be. First off, I'd like to mention that they claimed to be members of the Property Ombudsman group. I later discovered this to be false when I tried to contact the Property Ombudsman group to complain. Gatekeeper had been forced to leave the group over a year ago because of the number of times they broke the rules.

When I first contacted Gatekeeper, I inquired after properties that would allow a dog. I made it very clear that if a property did not allow pets I was not interested in viewing it. I was told of 3 that fit my requirements (size, price, and allowed pets). I asked the person at the office with whom I was speaking to contact each of the landlords and verify that a large dog would be allowed. He assured me that this would not be a problem.

When we viewed the properties a few days later with another agent they had booked another viewing only 15 minutes before ours. The other viewers were not finished so we were forced to wait. Whilst waiting we met the landlady. When asked about the dog, she said she had said No Animals to the letting agent! '

EOQ

.........and there are more.

Of course you can't please everyone and a few stories from disgruntled customers Nationwide doesn't always mean that ALL branches are the same BUT don't you just know when you read some of the "wonderful service" reviews that they have been "planted" there by the very people who work for the organisation`to counteract the disgruntled customer's comments.

Mel.