0% lettings valuation accuracy
99% lettings fee satisfaction
Nov 08,2021
Nov 08,2021
0
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this helpful
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Acorn Property Management's Andrew Roberts, my name's Matthew Blaize, The Prince Of Orange SE16. Where necessary I'll use time/date stamped references. Prospective Acorn customer feel free to Gmail me for a totally unfettered testimonial.
2 formal complaint procedures in 15 months. When freeholders have to explain to A.P.M UK property law in my humble opinion THEY HAVE NO SERVICEABLE BUSINESS MODEL.
26th November 2019 17:22pm received the following email from Acorns accountant,
"Therefore the £14,654.54 was always in the one account but not allocated correctly on our system. As you quite rightly mentioned, it was acknowledged that we had received the funds at handover and I hope this is no way in dispute. I believe the error is on our part by not allocating the funds received at the time to the correct account on our system. Furthermore looking at the narrative for the transfer, I can see that this may also be misleading as it would suggest the funds were only just received at the time of entry".
For context, a non accountant freeholder called out Acorn's accountant. The £14,654.54 error he had failed to spot for himself for 3 YEARS. Shameful!
Our director sent an email to the same accountant on 19th October 2019@ 3:29am explaining as freeholders the ground rent invoices sent to 10 x freeholders was not applicable under UK Property law, and could a refund be arranged for anyone who paid the demand. Yes you read that right, we as customers had to explain to our property experts that UK freeholders don't pay ground rent. Incompetence on a monumental level.
Our building went from self management to Acorn in April 2017. At our insistence we requested for 2 Acorn A.M's to attend site 5th April 2017@ 11am for a walk around. This was due to the fact we had historical issues with the roof which it was imperative they be made aware of. We reasoned only an idiot would try to explain the condition of a roof from the ground. From the roof they were told all roof structures had been completely replaced at the cost of approx £200k and was still under a 12 year warranty, and any work other than by the roof contractor would invalidate the warranty. 4 years later 2 new freeholders got it into their heads the building needed a 10 year health check. Acorn recommended a surveyor @ £850. On the strength of their report our directors called for funding for £35,000. £18k earmarked for future roof maintenance. The survey for the roof was conducted from the pavement, (see my earlier comment) even though Acorn or myself could/should have arranged access to the roof. When questioned at an account review meeting why Acorn hadn't given the surveyor visibility of the documentation/ guarantees they held on our behalf once they read their surveyors report, "Acorn could offer no answer". The call for funding was of course abandoned and money collected via a payment plan during the pandemic when people were on reduced furlough salaries or made redundant was returned to freeholders. Ruinous!
We made Acorn re-tender for the contract April 2020. So keen to secure our business they made written assurances of enhanced SLA's regarding improved response times to emails, site visits and the delivery of an online portal. None of these written assurances were delivered/kept/met and we were told by Acorn because they were in breech of these enhanced SLA's we had the right to terminate our contract early. Cretinous
Our building was self managed 23rd June 2016 when it flooded. In 25th July 2021 Acorn managed it when it flooded again. As amateurs we managed the 10 month process to the satisfaction of all affected freeholders. In 2021 the first thing our insurers did was to classify the incident as a flood and not as storm as they did in 2016. The excess for storm damage is £100, for flood potentially £23,000. During a zoom meeting 27th August @ 2pm we asked our account manager what Acorn's expert advice/strategic response to our insurers would be."Well obviously we need to discuss how you are going to raise the £23,000", and that was it. I emailed Sun 29th Aug 14:44pm sacking Acorn from all flood related issues and handled it ourselves. We held our insurers to the wording of our contract. Within days they admitted they had, "misread the ambiguity of their contract and the liability due was indeed £100 not £23k. Masters of diaster.
September 2021 Acorn served notice our account was no longer financially viable for them. The same account they'd given multiple fruitless assurances to secure 19 month earlier.
Acorn needs to assess how they add value when we've repeatedly proved we achieved much greater results without their involvement. They need to understand the difference between a fee and a donation. From small Acorns huge plon*ers grow. Andrew, that's your cue.
2 formal complaint procedures in 15 months. When freeholders have to explain to A.P.M UK property law in my humble opinion THEY HAVE NO SERVICEABLE BUSINESS MODEL.
26th November 2019 17:22pm received the following email from Acorns accountant,
"Therefore the £14,654.54 was always in the one account but not allocated correctly on our system. As you quite rightly mentioned, it was acknowledged that we had received the funds at handover and I hope this is no way in dispute. I believe the error is on our part by not allocating the funds received at the time to the correct account on our system. Furthermore looking at the narrative for the transfer, I can see that this may also be misleading as it would suggest the funds were only just received at the time of entry".
For context, a non accountant freeholder called out Acorn's accountant. The £14,654.54 error he had failed to spot for himself for 3 YEARS. Shameful!
Our director sent an email to the same accountant on 19th October 2019@ 3:29am explaining as freeholders the ground rent invoices sent to 10 x freeholders was not applicable under UK Property law, and could a refund be arranged for anyone who paid the demand. Yes you read that right, we as customers had to explain to our property experts that UK freeholders don't pay ground rent. Incompetence on a monumental level.
Our building went from self management to Acorn in April 2017. At our insistence we requested for 2 Acorn A.M's to attend site 5th April 2017@ 11am for a walk around. This was due to the fact we had historical issues with the roof which it was imperative they be made aware of. We reasoned only an idiot would try to explain the condition of a roof from the ground. From the roof they were told all roof structures had been completely replaced at the cost of approx £200k and was still under a 12 year warranty, and any work other than by the roof contractor would invalidate the warranty. 4 years later 2 new freeholders got it into their heads the building needed a 10 year health check. Acorn recommended a surveyor @ £850. On the strength of their report our directors called for funding for £35,000. £18k earmarked for future roof maintenance. The survey for the roof was conducted from the pavement, (see my earlier comment) even though Acorn or myself could/should have arranged access to the roof. When questioned at an account review meeting why Acorn hadn't given the surveyor visibility of the documentation/ guarantees they held on our behalf once they read their surveyors report, "Acorn could offer no answer". The call for funding was of course abandoned and money collected via a payment plan during the pandemic when people were on reduced furlough salaries or made redundant was returned to freeholders. Ruinous!
We made Acorn re-tender for the contract April 2020. So keen to secure our business they made written assurances of enhanced SLA's regarding improved response times to emails, site visits and the delivery of an online portal. None of these written assurances were delivered/kept/met and we were told by Acorn because they were in breech of these enhanced SLA's we had the right to terminate our contract early. Cretinous
Our building was self managed 23rd June 2016 when it flooded. In 25th July 2021 Acorn managed it when it flooded again. As amateurs we managed the 10 month process to the satisfaction of all affected freeholders. In 2021 the first thing our insurers did was to classify the incident as a flood and not as storm as they did in 2016. The excess for storm damage is £100, for flood potentially £23,000. During a zoom meeting 27th August @ 2pm we asked our account manager what Acorn's expert advice/strategic response to our insurers would be."Well obviously we need to discuss how you are going to raise the £23,000", and that was it. I emailed Sun 29th Aug 14:44pm sacking Acorn from all flood related issues and handled it ourselves. We held our insurers to the wording of our contract. Within days they admitted they had, "misread the ambiguity of their contract and the liability due was indeed £100 not £23k. Masters of diaster.
September 2021 Acorn served notice our account was no longer financially viable for them. The same account they'd given multiple fruitless assurances to secure 19 month earlier.
Acorn needs to assess how they add value when we've repeatedly proved we achieved much greater results without their involvement. They need to understand the difference between a fee and a donation. From small Acorns huge plon*ers grow. Andrew, that's your cue.
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Latest Reviews
8th Nov 2021
reviewed by 'Matthew Blaize'
Opening Hours
Address
Acorn Group Estate Agents
13 High Street
Chislehurst
Bromley
Greater London
BR7 5AB
020 8295 4900
Performance statistics
| Services | Valuation Accuracy | Fees Satisfaction | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lettings | 0% | 99% | £0 | £0 |
Review statistics
| From Landlords | From Tenants | From Vendors | From Buyers | Other | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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Nov 08,2021
Nov 08,2021
0
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Acorn Property Management's Andrew Roberts, my name's Matthew Blaize, The Prince Of Orange SE16. Where necessary I'll use time/date stamped references. Prospective Acorn customer feel free to Gmail me for a totally unfettered testimonial.
2 formal complaint procedures in 15 months. When freeholders have to explain ...
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Dec 04,2013
Dec 04,2013
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We rented a property via Langford Russell, Chislehurst Office (and subsequently dealt with Acorn Group, Lewisham on the property management side) and what appeared to be a nice property in a lovely location with great neighbors was completely ruined by the fact that the landlord ...
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