Complaints Procedure

We are committed to providing a professional service to all our clients and customers.  When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it.  This will help us to improve our standards.  As part of our membership to The Property Ombudsman, we are required to provide a full Formal Complaints Procedure.

Starkings & Watson operate a rigorous and transparent complaints procedure to ensure the highest of standards in all property transactions.

We will where appropriate, make reasonable adjustments for consumers who might be disadvantaged because of factors such as their age, infirmity, disability, lack of knowledge, lack of linguistic or numeracy ability, economic circumstances, bereavement or do not speak English as a first language.

If you have a complaint, please put it in writing, including as much detail as possible.  We will then respond in line with the timeframes set out below (if you feel we have not sought to address your complaints within eight weeks, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Property Ombudsman to consider without our final viewpoint on the matter).

What will happen next?

• We will send you written acknowledgment of the receipt of your complaint within three working days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
• We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally be dealt with by the Sales or Lettings manager who will review your file and speak to the member of staff who dealt with you.  A formal written outcome of our investigation will be sent to you within 15 working days of receipt of the original complaint.
• If, at this stage, you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for a separate review to take place by a senior member of staff – our Managing Director.
• We will write to you within 15 working days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final viewpoint on the matter.
• If you are still not satisfied with our final viewpoint (or more than 8 weeks has elapsed since the complaint was first made) you can request an independent review from The Property Ombudsman without charge.

The Property Ombudsman Service
Milford House,
43-55 Milford Street,
Salisbury,
Wiltshire SP1 2BP
T 01722 333306
W www.tpos.co.uk

Our membership numbers:
S&W Sales Ltd T09903
S&W Lettings Ltd T09896

Please note the following:

You will need to submit your complaint to The Property Ombudsman within 12 months of receiving our final viewpoint letter, including any evidence to support your case.

The Property Ombudsman requires that all complaints are addressed through this in-house complaints procedure, before being submitted for an independent review.

We are members of Propertymark.

If you feel your complaint has not been satisfactorily dealt with by ourselves and the redress scheme, you can send your complaint to Propertymark. Go to the Propertymark website to download a complaint form. Propertymark investigate complaints against their members where there is evidence an agent has breached their Conduct and Membership Rules. Examples of this include, but are not limited to, misuse of client money, failure to uphold high standards of ethical and professional practice, and failure to answer correspondence.

01926 496 791 | compliance@propertymark.co.uk
propertymark.co.uk/professional-standards/complaints