0% lettings valuation accuracy
0% lettings fee satisfaction
Mar 20,2014
Mar 20,2014
0
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Avoid this company at all costs, having lived in a property managed by Ashley Charles for many years their approach to customer service continues to astound me.
The core issue has always been around inspections, which happen quarterly without fail despite me being a long term tenant at the property. They have treated me like a second rate citizen from the day I moved in, making completely unreasonable demands during inspections such as 'don't leave clothes out (neatly folded I might add) in a bedroom'. Naturally they are always happy to invoice me £75+VAT to reinspect. This has caused me so much anxiety over the years that I've taken to using up four days of annual leave a year to be here in person for the inspections. Surprisingly enough there's never anything to complain about when I'm here to escort the inspector around the property..
Whenever I attempt to strike up a dialogue to discuss the issues I'm told in no uncertain terms that I'm in the wrong, in a rude and abrupt fashion. Honestly this is the worst customer service experience I've ever had in the UK and I look forward to the day I never have to speak with this truly awful outfit again. Avoid at all costs, terrible isn't a low enough rating.
This may sound like a rant, and quite clearly it is. All I can say is I know plenty of people who rent property without any of the problems I've experienced from other letting agents in the area.
The core issue has always been around inspections, which happen quarterly without fail despite me being a long term tenant at the property. They have treated me like a second rate citizen from the day I moved in, making completely unreasonable demands during inspections such as 'don't leave clothes out (neatly folded I might add) in a bedroom'. Naturally they are always happy to invoice me £75+VAT to reinspect. This has caused me so much anxiety over the years that I've taken to using up four days of annual leave a year to be here in person for the inspections. Surprisingly enough there's never anything to complain about when I'm here to escort the inspector around the property..
Whenever I attempt to strike up a dialogue to discuss the issues I'm told in no uncertain terms that I'm in the wrong, in a rude and abrupt fashion. Honestly this is the worst customer service experience I've ever had in the UK and I look forward to the day I never have to speak with this truly awful outfit again. Avoid at all costs, terrible isn't a low enough rating.
This may sound like a rant, and quite clearly it is. All I can say is I know plenty of people who rent property without any of the problems I've experienced from other letting agents in the area.
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Latest Reviews
22nd Nov 2014
reviewed by 'Sarah'
20th Mar 2014
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28th Jan 2014
reviewed by 'Wet'
8th Oct 2013
reviewed by 'frogs'
23rd Apr 2013
reviewed by 'Tom'
Opening Hours
Address
Ashley Charles Estate Agents
The Lodge72 Edinburgh Road
Reading
Berkshire
RG30 2UB
0845 056 0268
Performance statistics
| Services | Valuation Accuracy | Fees Satisfaction | Min Price of property reviewed | Max Price of property reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lettings | 0% | 0% | £0 | £0 |
Review statistics
| From Landlords | From Tenants | From Vendors | From Buyers | Other | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Areas covered
Services offered
- Sales
- Lettings
- Block Management
- Surveys
- Conveyancing
- Mortgage Advice
- Home Builder
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Nov 22,2014
Nov 22,2014
4
people found
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After renting for the past 18 years across the UK I have never encountered a more absurd estate agent as Ashley Charles. From beginning to end the experience was horrific....
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Mar 20,2014
Mar 20,2014
0
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Avoid this company at all costs, having lived in a property managed by Ashley Charles for many years their approach to customer service continues to astound me.
The core issue has always been around inspections, which happen quarterly without fail despite me being a long ...
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Mar 27, 2014
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Please see below comments from the landlord re this issue
Hi Robert,
I currently have no time to be spending on this, and this is why I said to AJ I would have to leave this up to him. I did state that although I got on with you when I met you, and believe you to be an honest person, I could not allow that to affect the end result of renting out the property, with respect to the current state of the house.
Having seen the pictures there was nothing there that made me believe that AJ ...
Jan 28,2014
Jan 28,2014
1
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Advoid Advoid Advoid!!!!!!!!!! I wish I read the reviews first before dealing with Ashley Charles. Got hardly any of my deposit back after paying over £30,000 in rent. We had a burst water main in the court yard garden which took 12 WEEKS to sort out!! The ...
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Oct 08,2013
Oct 08,2013
1
people found
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Very rude and slow service, no respect shown to us as tenants. Took months to do work that was needed in the house, one of the maintanence guys they got was a bit pervish and was exceptionaly incapable of doing the job, even a simple ...
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May 11,2013
May 11,2013
1
people found
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Ashley Charles are a disgrace. Right from the beginning when I was searching for a rental property, they were impossible to get in contact with. I had to hound them in order to get a viewing. Lettings agents should be making it easy for prospective ...
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Apr 23,2013
Apr 23,2013
1
people found
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this helpful
Terrible Estate Agents - AJ was very pleasant at the beginning, but became increasingly aloof and rude as the tenancy went on. Ridiculous standards for house inspections - we were pulled up over an unmade bed. We were offered just 1% of our deposit back at ...
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Apr 11,2013
Apr 11,2013
1
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Beware! Truly a terrible service from start to finish. From threats to reinspect at a cost of £75 because we hadn't washed up the bowls from our breakfast before leaving for work (which is none of their business, but AJ fails to understand what an inspection ...
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What agent could do to change your mind?
Being honest and actually discussing issues, and avoiding the bad attitude.Attached Filesnbsp;
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Jan 28,2013
Jan 28,2013
0
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One of the worst estate agents I have ever had the misfortune to deal with.
Useless at maintaining a property - we had to carry out all works ourself.
Intrusive inspections with ridiculous standards (they expect the property to be in better order than when ...
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Mar 20, 2014
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I too can vouch for the outrageous inspection standards and slow response on maintenance issues. ...
Apr 19,2012
Apr 19,2012
2
people found
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Ashley Charles is by far the worst letting agent I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with. When I first viewed the house AJ informed me that there was work to be carried out to fix issues, such as damp, decoration and non-functioning fixtures ...
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Jun 28, 2012
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This tallies with my experience of Ashley Charles. They will go out of their way to screw you out of every penny they can and have the audacity to call their daylight robbery 'admin charges'. ...
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Hi Robert,
I currently have no time to be spending on this, and this is why I said to AJ I would have to leave this up to him. I did state that although I got on with you when I met you, and believe you to be an honest person, I could not allow that to affect the end result of renting out the property, with respect to the current state of the house.
Having seen the pictures there was nothing there that made me believe that AJ was being unreasonable about the state of the house, and I feel that I would have been (perhaps) willing to consider some sort of seperate dialogue had the house been in order. I was particularly shocked by the state of the garden.
I do not want you to be forced out, and am happy for you to stay in the property, but it is important that the contract is followed, particularly regarding inspections.
I am sorry it has come to this, and sorry that I cannot help you in the way that you want.
I would hope that you can repair the relationship with AJ and continue living in the house, as we will continue using Ashley Charles as our agents, and it is important you work within the boundaries they set.
Please coninue any dialogue you have with AJ.
Ollie