A quick home-buying company has agreed to remove the claim from its website that “the amount we offer is the amount you get”.
The claim made by www.housebuyfast.co.uk was reported to the Advertising Standards Authority.
The complainant said that an offer to buy their home was reduced at a latter stage in the transaction process.
They challenged whether the website misleadingly suggested that the offer on a property would never fall in price.
Because the firm agreed to withdraw the claim, the complaint was considered informally resolved.
The Property Ombudsman rejected a complaint from the challenger earlier this year.
Ombudsman Katrine Sporle told us: “TPO considered a specific consumer complaint and reached an evidence based decision consistent with the Code of Practice for Residential Property Buying Agents under paragraphs 3h and 4c of the Code.
“The complaint to the ASA was a different complaint and was informally resolved.
“TPO concurs with the implicit ASA ruling that agents should not make misleading claims in their advertising material and agrees with the actions of the agent in changing their approach.”
Comments (3)
The TPO had all the facts also the transcript of their claims but still did not find against this firm .
I wonder why? They can now see the ASAs report.
Is it possible to read the ASA’s report?
Shows the TPO code of practice for these companies is not worth the paper it’s written on. Embarrassing for all involved?