This looks like War & Peace, but the below is a letter sent to head office in respect to my dealings at Martin & Co… I would like to express my upset after being spoken with so rudely and in fact nastily from a member of the Basingstoke branch on Thursday 09/12/2015. My initial involvement with the Basingstoke Martin & Co branch was in connection with a viewing in November. I placed an offer forward via phone having spoken with Andrew Sheldon the following morning. I was later informed the offer was never actually provided across (discovery after the property was re-listed). Accidents happen I appreciate that, but my real bug-bear is the insulting call. The reason for such was for a re-offer (having had a price agreed following relisting) due to the discovery of ground rent increasing in substantial increments, in excess of three thousands pounds a year. I have purchased many leasehold properties and never had anything resembling such figures. Andrew was rather obstructive with a re-offer going forward, questioning detailed reasoning to why and was not happy with my explanation. He said he needed everything in email form and to say precisely the increments. It kept repeatedly saying ‘what is it in ten years, what is it in ten years?’ He was sarcastic and at times continually talking over me. I had to say on at least three occasions ‘I do not wish to be drawn into an argument’ A call expecting to be straight forward was made incredible difficult. I indicated to Andrew I was finding his tone rather offensive and unprofessional. With the buy to let in mind with tenants currently being managed by the agent, he was not enticing me to stay with a fully Management Service and his reply was ‘oh good’. I reiterated the reason for my call however he was not willing to place across, but rather being obstructive even further, saying he would call the vendor to say I have withdrawn my offer. That of course was not my reason for the call or intention or per instruction. To try and diffuse the tension/ situation, I said I would ask the solicitor to carry out the job of what I would expect the estate agent would normally, and for him NOT to make the reoffer, as he would not be impartial. He obviously had a hostile attitude and actually makes me wonder if he has an invested interest in the property himself, with how highly strung he comes across, or if he is like this with every customer? As he pointed out, ‘he works for the seller not the buyer’. Since that time, Andrew actually ignored the fact the re-offer was going via the solicitor and he placed it across within a very short time period without my agreement or acknowledgement to do so. No update to me but rather, my solicitor updated myself with the response from the vendors solicitor to say, 'My client was somewhat bemused that this has already been communicated via the agent to your client'. This was of course not the case. Had the vendor turned down the offer, I would have liked to have come to some kind of negotiation/ agreement that I believed was only fair in the situation of the lease rather than to lose the property in it’s entirety. Of course I don’t know what’s gone on behind the scene with the vendor and Andrew in terms of communication, but how I was dealt with as a customer is far below what you would consider as standard. I have never had need to make a complaint, however I feel if everyone was spoken with in the same manner and dealt with in the same way, then there would not be a business in existence. The call was actually quite unbelievable and with the following, I feel Andrew needs to be spoken with, placed on an action plan or and attend some customer services classes, however I feel the basic qualities of being polite and courteous should be present without having to be placed on special measures. Next time I am looking to sell in Basingstoke, I will be making sure an Andrew Sheldon is not working for that particular agent.