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Ashtons Estate Agency - Harpenden

A selection of reviews/testimonials by highest rating
(in some cases, not all reviews/testimonials will be displayed)
4.00 /5

I worked with Neil Facer in the Harpenden office to sell a 2-bed apartment during 2006-2007. It took about a year from start to finish - not because of Neil but the post-Brexit lull and the glut of apartments on the market. We had several viewings but didn't always get feedback on each one, which would have been helpful. Neil did have a couple of tough and candid conversations with me concerning the real property picture and realistic property valuations. Tough to hear, but acting on the advice and reducing the price did lead to a sale. If you want an estate agent to show you the facts and tell you the truth, then Neil is your man. He didn't give up.

Reply from agent

Thank you Donald for taking the time to leave good, honest feedback.

2.00 /5

Customer service of some staff was very good however the focus is so much on landlord not the tenant

Reply from agent

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback Victor. Regarding your application, we want to clarify that the landlord ultimately made the decision not to proceed, which was beyond our control, however, we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this caused. We want to assure you that we did our utmost to assist you, including spending significant time trying to find another suitable property for you. While our role often requires balancing the needs of both landlords and tenants, we strive to provide excellent service to all parties involved. Thank you again for your comments and if there’s anything further we can do to assist you, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Wishing you all the best, the Ashtons team.

2.00 /5

Put up a 'For Sale' board in my garden instead of my neighbours!!!🙃 …

Reply from agent

We’re really sorry for any inconvenience caused by our board contractors. I understand they rectified the issue quickly afterwards and they pass on their apologies. Best wishes from the team at Ashtons

2.00 /5

They felt different to start, but by the end I felt they were taking us over the coals for more money without any evidence of changes to the other offers. Have since heard some very rough reviews about them from other buyers.

Reply from agent

We're sorry to hear your experience with Ashtons was disappointing, we would like to discuss this with you in more detail, please get in touch at your nearest convenience on 01582 461166.

1.00 /5

So, I am a Tennent at a property Ashtons are selling. I overheard the Viewing guide tell the buyer in not so many words that the neighbour will be happy when I move out. His reply was that it was the buyer who said this, even though you can hear the viewing guide saying it. I complained to the Branch Manager Joe Wilkes, this is the reply I received. " I am sorry for any distress caused but as my mother used to say, ‘sticks and stones may break our bones but words can never hurt me.’ I hope that you are able to get over this quickly." If Mr. Wilkes watched or even listened to the news, he should realise that name calling does more than break bones.

Reply from agent

Naturally we are disappointed to read your review and comments and are very sorry if any upset has been caused. We understand the situation has now been looked into and John Ingram, Director, has been in touch with you to resolve the issue. If there is anything further you feel we can do, please do not hesitate to get in touch with John Ingram

1.00 /5

My experience with Ashtons was far from positive, and unless significant changes are made, I won't be using their services again. The agents I dealt with were unprofessional and disinterested during both the move-in and move-out processes. Even simple tasks, like getting my name correct in emails, proved to be a challenge. The move-in process was needlessly stressful. Communication during the application process was consistently poor, with long delays before receiving updates or actions from Ashtons. I often had to follow up via email. Documents were frequently not sent or sent to the wrong email, causing confusion and further delays. On move-in day, things didn't improve. Ashtons failed to provide the keypad combination for the front door when handing over the keys. The apartment was still being cleaned during the move-in, forcing the removals team to work around it. The check-in inventory was taken at the same time, rendering many photos useless as surfaces were covered in cleaning products. I never received a copy of this inventory. Communication issues extended to interactions between Ashtons and the landlord, leading to conflicting information on initial payments. This created a rocky start between myself and the landlord over 'missing' payments. The lack of communication persisted, resulting in my deposit not being properly protected during my tenancy. Ashtons showed a shocking level of disregard for this issue, placing full responsibility on the landlord and refusing to address it. I was stunned that a professional lettings company had no checks in place for the legal requirements of their landlords. As a tenant of Ashtons, it's unsettling to know that you're not guaranteed protection by them. When I raised the deposit issue with Ashtons, their stance was clear – they prioritize landlords over tenants. They downplayed the significance of the unprotected deposit and the landlord's threats of unlawful deductions. They continued working with the landlord despite this. Seeking advice from Ashtons proved futile; they discouraged pursuing legal action for compensation, falsely claiming tenants don't win against landlords. Their attempts to manipulate me into feeling wrong for challenging the landlord were particularly disheartening. The move-out process lacked proper communication from the team. However, I appreciated Ashtons' effort to minimize disruption during viewings for the next tenant by organizing them all on one day. Ashtons must reevaluate their approach to tenants and acknowledge the serious matters they need to take responsibility for. At the very least, improved communication is essential. Tenants should be kept informed about Ashtons' role in the tenancy, rather than having their name in all communications and contracts, only to disappear when issues arise.

Reply from agent

We are very sorry that you received a less than acceptable service with your tenancy that ended over 9 months ago. Ashtons always aim to offer our clients our managed services where we have much greater control over the communication, management of deposits, rents, and property maintenance. In your instance, the landlord self-managed the tenancy, controlling most of these aspects and you paid the landlord the deposit directly. Ashtons did complete all the appropriate tenancy checks and complied with the relevant legislation in setting up the tenancy. We communicated the service level and payment arrangements with you at the start of the tenancy and if your landlord believes there is good reason to withhold your deposit, that would be for you and your landlord to agree a conclusion. However, if there is any support we can provide at this late stage, please contact our Asset Management department for further assistance. Our systems and processes have been enhanced since 2021 following our customers feedback which we take seriously.

1.00 /5

We were shown around a rental property and put an offer in the next day. Then was told that we probably wouldn’t be suitable for the landlord due to length of time before we can move in and because we have a cat although they had our details. The most disappointing thing is that we were told we would get a call back in 5 minutes after putting our offer to the landlord but never had a call back and now the property has the let agreed. Good customer service should be to all who deal with the estate agents not just successful applicants. I’m response to your comments below. You did not inform us of preferences before hand and calling back Monday was not good enough as you said you would call back in 5 minutes on the Thursday. It would be more respected if just acknowledge when you have made a mistake rather than wording a reply to make it look good on this review page. Please don’t call us.

Reply from agent

Hi James we are very sorry to hear the comments in your review. The landlord of the property you enquired on had informed us their preference for a long term tenant without pets, this was mentioned to you and Tamara when you requested a viewing. Nevertheless as you requested, we put forward your offer to the landlord for their consideration. There were several offers made on the property both with and without pets and on this occasion, the landlord chose to go with another applicant’s offer. We called Tamara on Monday to let you know the landlord’s decision but were unable to reach you. We would welcome the opportunity to clarify the points you raise and with that in mind, have tried to contact you. We also wanted to discuss other potential properties we have that may be of interest to you. We would love to help with your search and if you would allow us to please do contact the Harpenden Lettings team.

1.00 /5

Most inaccurate company moto out there - ‘changing the perception of estate agency’ - you are the polar opposite, you are the epitome of why people don’t trust estate agents from my very own experience. Constant lies to try and pressure well - why not just allow for an honest transaction to take a place without spoiling it with lying ladies in the office (who are really poor liars too).... You are the very reason estate agency needs regulating.

1.00 /5
Reply from agent

Hi Edward, I'm sorry to hear about these issues regarding your tenancy. Our Lettings team have advised me that this property is a landlord self-managed property, meaning your landlord completes all their own maintenance and collections, and these are completely out of Ashtons control. Please do direct any issues to your landlord directly who should be able to help. If we can assist in any way, please feel free to contact Nicola Park, Senior Lettings Associate, on 01582 463900 - she'd be happy to advise further. Thank you, the Ashtons team.

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01582 461166

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Address

10 High Street, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2TB, South East, UK, AL5

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