Right, this is a short and to the point blog post, it’s slightly off topic, granted, but I’ve had enough, as undoubtedly the vast majority of others who read this blog have, with fucking estate agents.
The only reason I can see for their existence is to make other people’s lives unhappy. From my experience in living in rented accommodation, for the last 8 years, I have never, not once, found a helpful estate agent. Even though I thought I had what I wanted, I didn't. I wanted a metal roof, but How much savings can a metal roof provide over its lifetime?.
I have lived, doing a quick finger count, in approximately 10 different rented apartments, flats and houses in the last 8 years, which has actually meant 8 different estate agents and a couple of private lets. Never once have I been treated with any form of respect, or politeness or even with a smile, by the estate agents, every single time the swine have tried to fuck me over in some capacity and having recently moved again, and having been treated with contempt once again, I’m blogging about it, I actually have been thinking to getting my own home, for not having this issue again I have seen online some burnaby homes for sale that doesn't look like a bad option for ownership, also having your own home give you a lot of advantages, since then you could do all the changes you want to do, for example if you're into saving the enviroment, you could easily install solar systems with different services you can find online.
In addition to having my own house or bachelor apartment, I would like to have a good roof, but a professional and above all safe one. Metal roofing panels are made from alloys of various metals like steel, iron, copper, zinc, and aluminum. With all this I believe that not even God throwing a lightning bolt can kill me, but I will surely make a scratch on it.
Not because I think blogging about Elkay Properties, in Old Street, London, that operate on a lot of lettings around the Hoxton area, will get back the £30 I was ripped off for an admin fee through no fault of my own, but because I hope, it’ll be a little lesson in social media and the power of word of mouth.
You see, as has probably become apparent in a few of my previous blog posts, I am a social media professional by day. This means I help everyone from brands to film studios engage with people, the sorts of people that talk a lot online, have opinions and like to voice them opinions through this great medium of social media.
I help them connect because they ask, because they are beginning to understand that if I, or anyone else who is miffed or generally pissed off about a product, or film, or brand, or customer service issue, can now publish content online, at zero cost, which ultimately, skipping out a few points, can affect the purchase decisions of others and cause big change. There are a lot of other reasons, but that’s one of the biggies.
Now, back to Elkay, essentially, I asked a number of times (count 4) what my deposit was on my new flat, they failed to let me know, over and over again, which resulted in me, their customer, having to fork out a £30 admin fee on my move in day, or ‘you don’t get your keys’. No, 'Sorry, our mistake, we'll sort it out, here, enjoy your move,' no, just a simple 'pay the fee, or you don't get your keys'.
Thanks a fucking bunch Elkay, your fuck-up cost me money and you made me feel like a cunt, now when people search your company name in Google, this blog post will come up, saying ‘ELKAY PROPERTIES FUCKING INCOMPETENT’.
Right, rant over, I will post on the positive side of social media, how it can help your creativity, how it can help raise awareness of what you’re doing, get you feedback and open doors sometime soon, I just needed to take 15 minutes to get that off my chest.
Here's some bunnies to help you calm down, but before you get too calm, rant about more estate agents in the comments section.
10 Comments
1 pissed off wrote:
Wow, when i typed in 'Bad' and 'Elkay' into Google I expected many more results than this one.
These guys are the worse - bar none!
2 Scott Walker wrote:
I just moved out of a property after 5 years. Untrustworthy and Ineffective doesn't even touch the sides of these clowns.
BE EXTREMITY CAREFUL WHEN DEALING WITH THEM!!! Record every conversation. Take photos of everything.
When I moved out, I court them red handed tiring to charge me £72 for cleaning that was never done.
When the Check out Clark Boris Borozan did the Check out Report I was present. Boris confirmed ALL the possible things in the flat that may be in question regarding my full return of bond. Any need of cleaning was not one of them. Luckily, I recorded the conversation on my iphone so have a record of what was said.
I then left the flat at 11.32 and the new Tenants arrived at noon.
The other lucky thing for me was that I knew the new Tenants that moved it. They confirmed that no cleaning was done even know it was on the report with a charge of £72.
I would love to talk to anyone else that has had similar problem.
I am now considering that I should contact the police in regards to this matter as I believe that someone at elkay has attempted a theft by attempting to dishonestly appropriate property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it; and “thief” and “steal” shall be construed accordingly.
With enough people together with similar issues we can go to the police and shut these guys down.
email me at scott@boxx.tv
3 jim wrote:
totally agree, Elkay ARE complete cunts. They have more hidden charges than any other Estate Agent I have ever encountered. £108 moving out fee. £60 renwing Tenancy Agreement. £120 Holding Fee, endless fucking admin fees.
The flat I moved into was infested with mice.
I was told it was quiet. It was, for about thirty minutes a day, the rest of the time there was/is a karaoke bar next door. Complete and utter fucking pricks. Never told the truth in the 18 months I lived in one of their properties. I could go on but I am looking at the bunnies BREATHE !!!
4 Jota wrote:
100% I agree with Richard, Elkay are a bunch of fucking cunts, I'm now living in on their properties and nothing is right. Mice and Ants infestations, water leaks everywhere, ineffective management, fuck sake for the price I pay I should get a monthly blowjob by those cunts!
Do not rent anything at 128 Hoxton Street, The printworks, Is not worth it!!
You have been warned
5 jimy wrote:
I last commented on the 4/10/11.
these thieves STILL have and are with holding my deposit despite me meeting every request regarding moving out. The flat is in a better condition now than it was before I moved in. They know this and I know this.
I cannot begin to describe just how appalling the service is and the general cuntiness of these scum. How they sleep at night is beyond me. I sincerely hope that they and everyone they love dies in a ball of fire at the bottom of a spiky pit........ and breathe and relax......
6 Debbie wrote:
God, I feel so bad that I am not the only one who HATES Elkay. About to leave them now and absolutely bricking it about getting my deposit back, even though I know the flat is in great condition I know they will do everything they can to make money off me (check out fee anyone?). Nevermind the fact that they have broken the contract by not ensuring repairs on the building have been carried out and their breaking of numerous health and safety laws. Never again.
7 WEN wrote:
128 the printworks on hoxton street was an absolute joke. never EVER EVER rent a flat there. or from elkay. but avoid the printworks like the plague. the guy who owns them also rents out unfinished student accomodation in bethnal green with no windows to vulnerable young mothers....evil.
and elkay properties are the worst estate agents I've ever dealt with. Lies every step of the way, leaving threatening messages when the residents of the printworks decided to question stuff etc. trying to get my deposit back now and it's going to be a nightmare I can tell!
8 Another Elkay victim wrote:
Hello,
Same experience with Elkay. I never had a pleasant time dealing with letting agents but Elkay is way beyond common market standards. I wanted to roll the contract: after trying to increase the rent by 10% they sent me a new contract. All possible costs/charges to the tenants have been doubled. They also changed their check in fee defition. In the previous contract, check in fee was to be paid by the tenant, check out by the landlord. Now they are reversed so that I should pay both... very nice trick! Beware if you are to deal with them
9 Elkay are shit. wrote:
After absolutely shocking service from Elkay properties I noticed that http://www.elkayproperties.com was up for sale. So for a bargin price of £2.99 I've purchased it and set it up as a review site of elkay. Please could anyone with an opinion of their shocking service write a short review of them at http://www.elkayproperties.com I'm hoping to make it appear higher on google than their own site! Thanks!
10 Rather be stabbed wrote:
Illness, impending divorce, and a quick move in date led me to Elkay. They are groomers and I'm the stupid kid with domestic problems that they have locked in a shed.
Get help!
They wanted cash instead of an official bank draft for move in costs. Are we in Cartagena? I don't give my kid thousands w/o a paper trail!
Got the keys after waiting 30 min for the agent to do walk through. The flat was filthy with mouse poo and used condoms stuck to wall in bathroom. To those who rent from HUMANS, you'll see why the used fun bags don't count as 'professionally cleaned' in my opinion.
The roof is falling on my surgery bandaged head. Tower Hamlets Housing and Environmental said to grab my stuff and run as they will house me because Elkay is renting a death trap.
When the council tells you that your private tenant shack is your private gateway to death (black mould, rats, leaks, damp, algae, snails, and barnacles)...when the council says: 'It's shite. The ceiling will come down on your head, the rats will bite you and your pets, there is a waterfall to rival Orinoco in the closet, and if I hated your guts I would house you over letting you die in this heap.'
Compassion. From a civil servant. That's how shite my flat is, even though I've replaced floors, painted, and generally made it the chicest lean-to on this side of the prairie.
AWESOME! Tower Hamlets have a heart, but that whole benefits thing isn't my style.
I think I'll stay until I can pay to move after paying for surgeries and a divorce. Can we get a little flash on the page? You've got to see my roof timbers drop nails every time the Highbury and Islington roars by! My terriers have returned to the craft of their elders, i.e. rat catching in the East End! It's 2am, rat party time in my kitchen and bath...
When you see the 'Crushed to Death in Own Bed' headlines please mosey on over and skip the flowers. Instead, please donate rat traps and Polyfilla to our brethren.
In hell, they will live in our flats...FOREVER!