[Carpet Dawg]

I have done about 7 jobs for one of Edinburgh's biggest letting agents/estate agents between July and a couple in August.

I have been so busy recently that paperwork and sending out invoices took a back step. So I sent them all in a oner a week a go.

I am no starting to get paid but its minus their FEE!! which seems to be 10% plus VAT!!  so pee'd off! They say in their payment receipt "commission as agreed", it was never friggin agreed! no one mentioned a fee.

I email the mong at accounts to ask if all my invoice are subject to this un-agreed commission and she just replayed yes!

So annoyed with myself for not sending the invoices sooner, as i could have just put an extra 10% on each bill, too late now.

What a shower of shytes though. Done quite a bit of work for letting agents never been ripped off like that. I hope they call me to do another one!

 

[John Kelly]

If you don't want to work for them again then I would wait until they pay all your invoices then send them an invioce for the full commision amount. Enclose a covering letter explaining that this commision did not form part of the contract and had not previously been discussed or agreed. They won't have a leg to stand on.

[Steve Gunn]

I've had this before don't do work for them anymore. I sent invoices every week adding 10% on for late payment as I said payment was agreed within 7 days they said this was not agreed to in writing I asked to see where I had agreed in writing to fee for doing their work for them they soon dropped the charges and refunded them.

[elliott cleaning]

You've always got to remember that the letting agency industry's sole income is based on 'fees'. Therefore it is alien to them to think that they can't get a fee off you.
Would advise any new cc and wanting to get into doing work for letting agencies to make quite clear what your terms are - and definitely in writing

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Yes I've had this in the past, if it's agreed then I add extra on but if they want 30 plus plus (yes I did write that twice) then it's not my terms so I ask up front when I'm going to get paid.

You live and learn.

Shaun

[adrian marsh]

Technically speaking, as the agent is providing a service for their client, they are required to charge VAT. The agents I work with provide the name and address of the client and I invoice them directly. We, the agents and I, explain to the client that this saves them paying an additional 20% in VAT. Never had anyone object to that.

[Carpet Dawg]

Nah its best to deal with the agents direct. All the template invoices are made out to them etc. Makes invoicing a doddle and quick. Plus very unlikely the agency will run away,  a lot of landlords live abroad, slow payers etc. The agents hold the purse strings i.e. the rent and deposits.

Would have been happy to add 10% on the jobs but I don't like the sneaky way of adding the fee without telling me then their cheeky email reply. So will be sending an invoice for outstanding monies, its over £100 of my money.

[adrian marsh]

Agree Carpet Dawg that the agents fee was sneaky, and I'd agree with invoicing them for the return of your money. Again, it's actually not the agent we're working for, it's the end user (tenant or landlord) who's buying the service. Ultimately it's they who are paying us.

I'm aware there is a widely held belief that the agent is responsible for payment, but they only pass on monies paid by the tenant or landlord.

I have been messed about by other agents far more than any tenant or landlord which is why I now only work through two agents. Ok I get the very occasional landlord who try's to pull a fast one, but they go on the do not work for again list. Yet to have a problem with any tenant (famous last words ) as they normally pay on completion.

[Shaun_Ashmore]

Agents are greedy they get a fee from the landlord for managing the property in the first place.

Shaun

[Scott Blaney]

I have done about 7 jobs for one of Edinburgh's biggest letting agents/estate agents between July and a couple in August.

I have been so busy recently that paperwork and sending out invoices took a back step. So I sent them all in a oner a week a go.

I am no starting to get paid but its minus their FEE!! which seems to be 10% plus VAT!!  so pee'd off! They say in their payment receipt "commission as agreed", it was never friggin agreed! no one mentioned a fee.

I email the numpty at accounts to ask if all my invoice are subject to this un-agreed commission and she just replayed yes!

So annoyed with myself for not sending the invoices sooner, as i could have just put an extra 10% on each bill, too late now.

What a shower of shytes though. Done quite a bit of work for letting agents never been ripped off like that. I hope they call me to do another one!

 

Its pretty standard with most of them as its an extra (and easy) way for them to make money.  The should have told you this at the start though, so it was a bit pish of them just bumping it.

Did you get paid in the end? 

[Carpet Dawg]

I got another job off them since typing this up. I added £100 onto the £150 job that they gave me. They never asked a price. And its been paid in full without the commission this time. It came from one of their other offices in the city.

So technically I'm only out of pocket by 10ish quid in the end.

Still if i get any other jobs off them it'll be an extra 20% to cover any short comings.

[Paul Moss]

I got another job off them since typing this up. I added £100 onto the £150 job that they gave me. They never asked a price. And its been paid in full without the commission this time. It came from one of their other offices in the city.

So technically I'm only out of pocket by 10ish quid in the end.

Still if i get any other jobs off them it'll be an extra 20% to cover any short comings.

Shows you how much you can increase your price to with them 

[Scott Blaney]

I got another job off them since typing this up. I added £100 onto the £150 job that they gave me. They never asked a price. And its been paid in full without the commission this time. It came from one of their other offices in the city.

So technically I'm only out of pocket by 10ish quid in the end.

Still if i get any other jobs off them it'll be an extra 20% to cover any short comings.

Good stuff.  I would 100% add on extra, that way if they do take commission then you aint short... and if they don't , hell, thats an extra wedge in your pocket at the end of the day.

Is your email address on your profile correct?  - Just to give a heads up about a big agency.