50% lettings valuation accuracy
0% lettings fee satisfaction
Nov 01,2013
Nov 01,2013
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Like other posters on this site, my wife and I have had poor experiences with Dwell. Our experience started with registering with them to look at a property they were listing on findaproperty.com
After being told that that property was already gone and that they deliberately leave them up to encourage customers, we were taken to view another property which seemed to suit our needs. We left to have a think about it, then called and asked to see it again. On this visit we were then shown ALL the features (a dishwasher which we hadn't been shown before. A neat trick, but still a trick! We liked the property enough to go back to the office to do some paperwork and pay holding fees etc. Later that evening we were called about another 'even better' property and arranged to view it the following day.
The next day we viewed this second property which was still occupied. It was at this point that the bare-faced lies started. We liked the property enough, but of course it's difficult to look at a place when it's got other people and their belongings in it. We were enthusiastic about the larger size compared to the first property, and when the agent told us they would be spending around £20,000 on new carpets, new paint, fixing anything that wasn't perfect etc this clinched the deal for us.
We checked with him more than once that this was indeed the case, and he confirmed that yes, they would definitely be overhauling every room in the property. As you can imagine, this was a very attractive prospect and was definitely a significant deciding factor in us renting the property. The agent even went as far as driving us to another property that had just had 'the landlord's renovation treatment' so we could get an idea of what our new flat would be like when we moved in. At this point we returned to Dwell's office to do the paperwork.
A few days later we were advised that the references, credit checks etc had all been completed and that we should visit the landlord's representative in their local office. We were discussing various minor issues with the lady and in the course of the conversation we mentioned that we quite liked the bathroom decoration and would like it left 'as-is'. She had no idea what we meant and when we explained that the agent at Dwell had made grandiose promises on the landlord's behalf, she had to explain to us that no, they would not be renovating the flat, that it was in perfectly good condition and even that they would not provide the fridge-freezer we had been promised by the agent. We were astonished, angry and incredibly embarrassed (as was she).
In the end we did take the property, and since then we have been trying to get a refund of the fees we paid to Dwell. Similarly to other reviewers here, our experience has been fraught with lies, obstruction and delays. We submitted a complaint to the branch manager, which was essentially ignored. After chasing multiple times we informed them that we intended to bring our case to the attention of the Property Ombudsman. This finally raised a response from Sam (the manager) who agreed to refund the contract fees. He has assured us repeatedly that 'your money will be in your account on Monday/Tuesday/tomorrow/this evening'. Needless to say we are still waiting nearly two months later.
For an estate agent to promise prospective tenants something that doesn't exist is highly unprofessional. We handed over money based on information that was completely incorrect, and even if it was an honest mistake on the agent's part he should be checking that vital information such as this is 100% accurate so tenants can be confident of making decisions based on facts. Ignoring our requests for a refund for so long, never getting back to us despite repeated and regular attempts to get hold of Sam via telephone and email, and then lying repeatedly about when we could expect the money to be paid to us is the final straw.
Dwell are unprofessional and dishonest and we would advise all prospective tenants to steer well clear of them. We have never dealt with a 'professional' company who have such a lack of respect and regard for their clients. Unfortunately we are still having to deal with them to try and arrange our refund, and we cannot wait until this final stage is complete so we can cut ties with such a useless, rude, good-for-nothing bunch of cowboys.
After being told that that property was already gone and that they deliberately leave them up to encourage customers, we were taken to view another property which seemed to suit our needs. We left to have a think about it, then called and asked to see it again. On this visit we were then shown ALL the features (a dishwasher which we hadn't been shown before. A neat trick, but still a trick! We liked the property enough to go back to the office to do some paperwork and pay holding fees etc. Later that evening we were called about another 'even better' property and arranged to view it the following day.
The next day we viewed this second property which was still occupied. It was at this point that the bare-faced lies started. We liked the property enough, but of course it's difficult to look at a place when it's got other people and their belongings in it. We were enthusiastic about the larger size compared to the first property, and when the agent told us they would be spending around £20,000 on new carpets, new paint, fixing anything that wasn't perfect etc this clinched the deal for us.
We checked with him more than once that this was indeed the case, and he confirmed that yes, they would definitely be overhauling every room in the property. As you can imagine, this was a very attractive prospect and was definitely a significant deciding factor in us renting the property. The agent even went as far as driving us to another property that had just had 'the landlord's renovation treatment' so we could get an idea of what our new flat would be like when we moved in. At this point we returned to Dwell's office to do the paperwork.
A few days later we were advised that the references, credit checks etc had all been completed and that we should visit the landlord's representative in their local office. We were discussing various minor issues with the lady and in the course of the conversation we mentioned that we quite liked the bathroom decoration and would like it left 'as-is'. She had no idea what we meant and when we explained that the agent at Dwell had made grandiose promises on the landlord's behalf, she had to explain to us that no, they would not be renovating the flat, that it was in perfectly good condition and even that they would not provide the fridge-freezer we had been promised by the agent. We were astonished, angry and incredibly embarrassed (as was she).
In the end we did take the property, and since then we have been trying to get a refund of the fees we paid to Dwell. Similarly to other reviewers here, our experience has been fraught with lies, obstruction and delays. We submitted a complaint to the branch manager, which was essentially ignored. After chasing multiple times we informed them that we intended to bring our case to the attention of the Property Ombudsman. This finally raised a response from Sam (the manager) who agreed to refund the contract fees. He has assured us repeatedly that 'your money will be in your account on Monday/Tuesday/tomorrow/this evening'. Needless to say we are still waiting nearly two months later.
For an estate agent to promise prospective tenants something that doesn't exist is highly unprofessional. We handed over money based on information that was completely incorrect, and even if it was an honest mistake on the agent's part he should be checking that vital information such as this is 100% accurate so tenants can be confident of making decisions based on facts. Ignoring our requests for a refund for so long, never getting back to us despite repeated and regular attempts to get hold of Sam via telephone and email, and then lying repeatedly about when we could expect the money to be paid to us is the final straw.
Dwell are unprofessional and dishonest and we would advise all prospective tenants to steer well clear of them. We have never dealt with a 'professional' company who have such a lack of respect and regard for their clients. Unfortunately we are still having to deal with them to try and arrange our refund, and we cannot wait until this final stage is complete so we can cut ties with such a useless, rude, good-for-nothing bunch of cowboys.
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Opening Hours
Address
Dwell Estate Agents
262 Hoe Street
Walthamstow,London
Greater London
E17 3AX
020 8521 4207
Performance statistics
| Services | Valuation Accuracy | Fees Satisfaction | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lettings | 50% | 0% | £0 | £0 |
Review statistics
| From Landlords | From Tenants | From Vendors | From Buyers | Other | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Areas covered
Services offered
- Sales
- Lettings
- Block Management
- Surveys
- Conveyancing
- Mortgage Advice
- Home Builder
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Feb 16,2016
Feb 16,2016
0
people found
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Very bad service to tenants and landlords. They left a tenant without a place to stay, telling him only the day before he was going to move that he could not move because the property had structural problems, when in fact they had agreed with ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
Bad, as no work is done but full commission takenAttached Filesnbsp;
Comment on agent fees
Bad, as no work is done but full commission taken
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Sep 19,2014
Sep 19,2014
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
These guys are an out-and-out bunch of crooks. Do not go NEAR them. A court has awarded a judgement in my favour for failure to return a deposit which Daniel Hanks has consistently dodged by pretending to no longer work there. He is in contempt ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
The best thing that could happen to these agents is for them to be struck off.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Apr 29,2014
Apr 29,2014
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
This lettings agents did not send the contract to me after repeated requests. They haven't protected my deposit. They are no repairing what they say they will repair even before I moved. They are not answering my emails. The definition of DODGINESS....
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Feb 26,2014
Feb 26,2014
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Myself and my housemate rented a property through Dwell Estate Agents and I would like to let everybody know what a terrible experience we had dealing with them.
I must admit that everything went fairly smoothly with the move in process (around 2 and a half ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
Improve communication skills Keeping appointments that have been made Returning deposit in good timeAttached Filesnbsp;
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Feb 24,2014
Feb 24,2014
0
people found
this helpful
this helpful
The service recieved was excellent from start to finish. Everything was dealt with professionally and quickly. All of the staff were very helpful and went out of their way to help....
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Feb 14,2014
Feb 14,2014
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Dwell estates have managed my properties for the last 3 years they have been very professional in every aspect ,I have been treated in a kind and welcoming manner when ever I have dealings with them .Dwell staff at all levels are well trained and have ...
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Feb 02,2014
Feb 02,2014
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Initially the service was relatively ok with responses to enquiries typically answered within 48 hours. However after first 9months customer service is practically non-existence with emails going unanswered even after several chases and follow up calls.
The service is far from satisfactory both from my perspective ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
Better customer service - at the moment and for the past 6/9months this has been non existent.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Dec 28,2013
Dec 28,2013
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Worst estate agents ever run by boys. Approached them to manage my property as I did not have the time to do so myself. The first month was fine, after that I found myself chasing them continuously to find out when payment was going to ...
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Nov 27,2013
Nov 27,2013
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Dwell have managed my three properties for over two years now and i have always received a very smooth and efficient service from them. They keep me up to date with the condition of my properties and how my tenants are getting on. They respond ...
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Nov 22,2013
Nov 22,2013
3
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Instructing Dwell to "manage" my property was the worst mistake I've made in a long time. Unprofessional, unhelpful, and full of broken promises (see Lulu's comment below for what sounds like a similar experience). Dwell failed to find a tenant who met my basic requirements ...
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Nov 21,2013
Nov 21,2013
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
My experience with using Dwel estate agents is was one to remember. I am a very happy tenant because of the professionalism shown by both Syed and Sam. I have recommended their service to friends and family....
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Nov 18,2013
Nov 18,2013
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
My husband and I rented a propert from Dwell for two years. The first process of paying holding deposit and moving into the property was good. However, for the two years we lived in the property Dwell rung twice to arrange an inspection, which surprisingly ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
Act and deal professionally with tenants. Stick to the terms and conditions laid out in the lease agreement.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Nov 15,2013
Nov 15,2013
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I used Dwell to let my property for me rather than manage due to bad experience in the past, with competitors of the agents coming round and giving me ridiculous quotes on the potential rental yields of my property, Two young Lads Syed and Tom ...
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Nov 15,2013
Nov 15,2013
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I am very satisfied with the service that was given from Dwell. Syed and Sam was very kind and their professionalism was shown throughout the whole process. I have already recommended Dwell to my friends and family and will always use them in the future....
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Nov 01,2013
Nov 01,2013
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Like other posters on this site, my wife and I have had poor experiences with Dwell. Our experience started with registering with them to look at a property they were listing on findaproperty.com
After being told that that property was already gone and that ...
read full review
read full review
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Oct 24,2013
Oct 24,2013
3
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Just a few words to strongly recommend Dwell Estates Agents in Walthamstow. After weeks lost with other agencies that were able only to waste my time, Tom at Dwell Estates was able to find the perfect place for me immediately (even pet-friendly..almost a miracle ...
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Oct 20,2013
Oct 20,2013
3
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Dwell Estate Agents have made my property search so relaxing. Tom and Syed always called me every two days with new updated properties that may be of interest to me. Syed deliberately showed me a property i would dislike just so he could know what ...
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Aug 31,2013
Aug 31,2013
4
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Dwell estates are the worst agency I have ever had the unfortunate experience of having to deal with. From the outset the lettings team were quick to bend the truth and all the agents we met used the same catch phrase (see below.) We went ...
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Aug 08,2013
Aug 08,2013
1
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I can't believe this company has got any good reviews! My boyfriend and I had a terrible experience with Dwell Estates. Despite initially finding a nice property and putting down a £500 "holding fee" and being told that Sam would contact us by 12pm the following ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
Communicated with us!!Attached Filesnbsp;
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Jun 18,2013
Jun 18,2013
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I was asked by Daniel at Dwell Estates to put an honest review on this website of my experiences over the past 12 months and am more than happy to do so.
I was recommended to Dwell by a friend who had a great experience when ...
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Jun 08,2013
Jun 08,2013
2
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I was asked by Daniel at Dwell Estates to put an honest review on this website of my experiences over the past 12 months and am more than happy to do so.
I was recommended to Dwell by a friend who had a great experience when ...
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May 25,2013
May 25,2013
5
people found
this helpful
this helpful
Charlie, Sam and the agency went above and beyond what they had to do to help me settle into my new home which I was very surprised about - they handled all niggling problems with the property within the first few weeks of my moving ...
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Apr 23,2013
Apr 23,2013
7
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I do not normally leave reviews but in this instance I feel like I have too, I cannot thank Dwell enough for the quick turnaround, professional approach and great communication I received during this transaction. I had my property marketed with another agent who had ...
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Mar 24,2013
Mar 24,2013
8
people found
this helpful
this helpful
I have been renting my property out through Dwell for the past 2 years and both times they have found me perfect tenants, they provided me with full references for all the tenants and made me feel very comfortable. They are always at the other end ...
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