Guernsey Press

‘Appalling’ estate agents leave woman £2k in debt

SARNIA ESTATE AGENTS have been accused of ‘appalling’ conduct after a client says she was left almost £2,000 out of pocket and unable to contact the firm.

Published
Lottie Barnes, who fears she has lost almost £2,000 in deposit and rent payments, outside Sarnia Estate Agents’ former offices in the High Street. The company said on social media it was moving from there on 25 July. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 22327842)

Over a period of time, Lottie Barnes sent Sarnia deposit and rent payments in advance, only to be left in the dark by the company on the day she was supposed to move into her new property.

The company was listed for strike off on the Guernsey Registry yesterday.

‘The agreement was I would make one more payment, so I paid them £275 yesterday [Tuesday],’ she said.

‘I then thought I need to collect the keys tomorrow and I didn’t know where their new address was.’

Sarnia posted on its Facebook page on 25 July that it was moving from its High Street office and hoped to be back in business as usual the week after. The post also gave contact details.

‘I phoned them and was told there was no forwarding number and straight away I thought that was a bit odd.

‘The numbers on their Facebook, both dead, I emailed my contact, it bounced back.

‘So I then Facebook messaged them and tweeted them and there was nothing.

‘I didn’t know where my new landlord was, I didn’t know what was going on.’

Not hearing from the company for the last four weeks, but with contracts signed, Miss Barnes was under the impression the estate agents’ lack of communication was due to them being in the process of moving, but that they were still operating as normal.

‘I know what it’s like when people are busy,’ said Miss Barnes.

‘I know I struggle to answer emails, but why for a second would I think that this was happening?

‘Call it naivety, but we are such a small community, I cannot be the only person in this situation.

‘Do people not talk, why haven’t people said anything?

‘There is nothing else I can do, they aren’t responding to me, I can’t contact them, this is not acceptable.

‘They knew I was making that payment yesterday, they knew the score, why did they not let me know?

‘I want to ask Sarnia to get in touch with me, but also to spare anyone else going through this.’

Miss Barnes was helped by estate agent Swoffers to locate her would-be new landlord, who had not heard from Sarnia in two weeks and had not received any of her payments.

Although willing to hold the property back for her, she now needs to repay the landlord the £1,850 she had paid to Sarnia.

‘It’s a ridiculous amount of money for me to suddenly have to find,’ she said.

‘If I wasn’t staying where I’m currently staying, today I would be homeless, that’s not even funny.

‘It’s not to do with losing nearly £2,000, I wouldn’t be in a position to pay for a hotel or anything and that to me is going to another level.

‘It’s not acceptable, they are appalling.

‘I’ve been really blessed as friends have lent me money, but I have no choice and I am now stepping into debt.’

Miss Barnes has contacted both Citizens Advice and Trading Standards to ask for help knowing where she stands.

‘They’ve both basically said there is nothing they can do,’ she said.

‘They can’t give me any legal advice but told me to ring all of Sarnia’s numbers, I’ve done that, their phones aren’t on.

‘The general advice I’ve been given is I’m probably not going to see my money again.

‘Nobody seems to want to talk about it or help.’

Trading Standards could not comment on the matter as they said they had not received any complaints regarding the company.

While Citizens Advice did not want to comment on a case where it is not known if the business is in liquidation.

The Guernsey Press has been unsuccessful with repeated attempts to contact Sarnia Estate Agents for comment.