How to cancel estate agents

[DONNA1458]

I have my house for sale and decided last week to change agents. The new agents come round and they are more expensive charging a fixed fee of 2700+vat but said with that we get a boosted marketing package. I found out the day after from a phone call from them that it is an up front fee of £699+vat non refundable so rang estate agents who said that was fine not to use but selling fee of 2700+vat is the same and only pay that if house sells so came round with amended contract to sign and also said that they offer the legal people for £500+ vat pay non refundable £70 and they fast track everything and you pay the £500+vat when you sell. Sounds good so paid the £70. Gets paperwork from legal side with all bolt ons comes out to £997 inc vat.

Fair to say I have no trust in this company I am still contracted with my old agents for 3 more weeks. The new agents have been out and taken pictures this is all in the space of a week.

I am not the owner of the house my boyfriend who has not signed the document yet the new estate agents know this and took my signature and are waiting for him to go in and sign.

Can I ring them up and cancel or because I have signed the contract will they say I can't?

Thanks

[bednobs]

Hi you post is confusing and i can't really follow it - who are you aggrieved with, the new co or the old one?
dont you usually have to give notice to the old one (of more than a week)? You dont usually have to pay ANYTHING unless they sell it. what have you paid 70 quid for?

[DONNA1458]

The old agents are ok but after five months house not sold. They needed 28 days notice which I gave them on 17/2/12

The new agents are the one I have had trouble with and suggested I go with their legal people and which I have paid the £70 to

Thanks

[Mary1973]

If you are not the owner of the house, then legally you can not sale the house, meaning that anything you have signed is not legally binding, which means they shouldnt have accepted a signature from you.
I have just sold my house, within 2 weeks of going on the market. I have not had to pay any up front fees. The £70 you have paid, sounds like the fast track fee, although I would have thought you only pay that once a sale is going through.
I am with a national agent, Bairstow Eves, who have been very fair, professional and honest.
Goodluck, hope it all works out

[rockyracoon]

When I sold my house a couple of years ago the estate agent wouldn't put the house in the market until both me and my husband signed the forms.

[bamberger]

What do you mean fast track everything ?
If I contract to buy the house from you , the sale will proceed at my pace no matter how pushy your estate agents or solicitors are. So that's £70 down the drain.
If I want things to move quickly , I expect you to appoint a solicitor who can act fast , not someone who requires £70 to get himself out of bed.
In case the house isn't yours to sell so ask for your back .

[Mary1973]

I agree with bamberger, on the fast track. I also was offered that options, and they wanted me to pay it up front! I considered it but could not see the point as there is no chain on my side, no chain on the buyers side and we are all with the same group of solicitors, which is allowed as long as all parties agree. I do not get how the fast track options works, in my opinon I think it is another way for them to grab as much money from you as possible!