A letting agent closed down by the Insolvency Service received five-star ratings on review site allAgents.
The last five-star rating was put up there in only May of this year.
Yet, extraordinarily, the man named in the allAgents rating, Darren Briggs, was adjudged bankrupt two years ago and shortly afterwards was banned from being a director for seven years.
Yesterday, the Insolvency Service confirmed to EYE that Briggs had simply broken the ban.
With grammar corrected, the last allAgents rating of three months ago reads: “Probably the most honest, reliable and direct agent I know. Recommended without hesitation. Approached Darren Briggs to rent my property, then read the reviews and was obviously horrified, met up for a coffee and he told me the whole situation: the police investigation and then released without charge, previous company liquidated, etc. We moved on from his history and I must say he has done a splendid job . . . just goes to show, don’t believe all you read.”
Another five-star review was posted last December, following a similarly glowing mention in November.
The excellent five-star reviews follow an almost unrelenting string of complaints making accusations about scams, theft, loss of deposits, and concerns that the company name had been changed.
Two posts even give the name and contact details of a police officer conducting an inquiry.
Last month, the High Court ordered into liquidation Morgan Fox (Lettings), formerly Anthony Morgan Lettings, which in 2012 took over assets of Anthony Morgan UK (in liquidation).
It also ordered another “successor” company, Morgan Fox Property, into liquidation.
The High Court said its action was in the public interest, following an investigation by the Insolvency Service.
The Insolvency Service this week released full details of the case, naming Darren Anthony Briggs as having been “the sole recorded director and secretary throughout” of the Essex-based companies.
It said that “serious failings” in the original Anthony Morgan UK company were being repeated in the successor companies.
Failings included repeatedly not protecting tenants’ deposits correctly, with landlords and tenants left out of pocket.
Chris Mayhew, company investigations supervisor at the Insolvency Service, said: “For this to happen once could be considered as unfortunate, but to occur again is carelessness or worse.
“Unethical agents who cause hardship and misery for tenants in this way harm the public’s trust in the rented sector, and the Insolvency Service will investigate and come down hard on companies if they are found, as here, to be operating against the public interest.
“The Official Receiver now appointed to wind up both companies’ affairs will be glad to receive details from any landlords or tenants who have dealt with either of these companies of any failure to repay deposits due by them.”
He said that “due to the inadequacy of the records and an intermingling of the companies’ affairs with a residential letting business operated by the director in his own name”, the overall number of properties under management was unclear. Morgan Fox Lettings looked to have some 64 properties and Morgan Fox Property around 42.
The affair once again raises the whole disturbing question of phoenix companies.
A particular feature of this case is that Briggs was adjudged bankrupt in August 2013 when he undertook not to be a director or be concerned in the management of a limited company for seven years.
According to the Insolvency Service, a disqualification undertaking was accepted by the Secretary of State in early September 2013 and commenced on September 26, 2013.
The Insolvency Service presented its petitions to wind up the latest companies in May this year. Grounds to do so included the fact that Briggs was an undischarged bankrupt subject to a disqualification undertaking.
Comments (10)
Any one still looking for Briggs, he resides at 86 Long Lane, Willingham, CB24 5LD, but hurry he is being evicted.
Oh, EYE – look what you’ve made me do – visit that chuffin’ ratings site again!
7x’5-Star’ ratings, 1x’4-Star’… and the remaining 11 score ‘1-Star’ – presumably because there is no facility to score ZERO!
YET, despite this – and the detail contained within the comments – the company are claimed by AllAgents to ‘rank’ as “2017 out of 14422 in the UK”.
Anyone wondering why I rate ALL ratings sites as chuffin’ useless – I present Exhibit #1, M’Lud… and I rest my case!
The worrying thing surely is that a banned agent can continue to practise. There are two agents operating on my patch who have both received banning orders but continue to practise and both have glowing reviews on AllAgents. Trading standards, the OFT and TPO have all been informed but do not have the will or desire to act! With regards to AllAgents, it is nothing but a sham!
It’s a disgrace. Government should be dealing with this nonsense using existing powers, instead of ignoring it whilst they rush out new laws without proper consultation.
And they’d do well to look into the likes of Allagents who cause harm to good agents whilst, no doubt, helping bad agents to flourish. Result: the public suffer, whilst Allagents try to hold us all to ransom with their dodgy business practices.
SORT IT OUT, GOVERNMENT!!!
This highlights the scam that is All Agents as far as I’m concerned.
If there was a review site for review sites they would be in deep trouble!! We have been hit on more than one occasion by outrageous made up posts that they then send me to suggest I should sign up. Whether they right them or its an attack by a rival agent I have no idea, but you can never, ever get hold of them for an explanation or evidence to prove they are not spoof posts. These then can get picked up by Google who you can also never reach and you end up with a real headache to delist slanderous, made up negativity toward your business.
Some of the worst agents in our area have incredible glowing references that would have to be self-penned and then I get the audacity of receiving emails telling me what my national and regional rankings are for a site that I have no control over being included on and for which I know the results are laughable.
I’d love something to be done about this company, but no idea how to go about it. They appear to be completely unaudited and beyond reproach, yet in a position to have huge influence on any one of our businesses. Happy to link up if others have the same experience. Mike Cole – Imagine
Good post coleface, I also find the “third party” agency review sites very poor. It is important that an agency website has its’ own review section on it’s own website with that landing page promoted via seo.
According to Allagents, an office that I closed over 3 years ago is currently rated 5th in the town! Doesn’t say much for the other agents that have offices open or for Allagents imho!
if you look carefully on these reviews on allagents you will see at the bottom it says from Darrens mum…..
What a farce. And how do we know the “glowing” references weren’t put on allAgents by the miscreant himself? Puts these so-called agent review sites into the bin in my opinion.
I think it depends on how the review business is run. Certainly allagents have never appeared to give a toss who posts what reviews…. so long as people are posting, they are happy.