Buyers + Sellers Stop using online solicitors!!!!! They are shambles!!

[Hihellogoodbye]

These solicitors are not cheap - they will charge you more throughout the transaction.

The case handlers are overworked - too many files for them to handle

they will ignore you - be prepared for numerous chases and continuous delays

complaints are not being taken seriously- believe me they do nothing about complaints

threats that you’ll go to the legal ombudsman are not going to help

all you will do by using them is delaying your own sale / purchase and inflicting damage due to stress on yourself and others involved

I work for an estate agent - nationwide estate agent - and believe me their services are shockingly bad

Then why do some estate agents recommend them? There must be something in it for them, otherwise they wouldn’t bother.

I agree that they’re rubbish. I think they’re conveyancers not solicitors. Communication is abysmal, delays commonplace, but I disagree that complaints will get you nowhere. Our complaint got us compensation. Not enough to properly compensate for the shocking lack of service, but in the end, it was the fact that the complaint was upheld that was important.

You are lucky then. Larger estate agents don’t have a choice due to the volume of work they offer. Small solicitors/conveyancers cannot cope -

Our buyers are using one! Our EA warned us that others who used them had run into difficulties.
So far everything is going OK but it’s a very short chain. Fingers crossed.

What do you mean you are lucky?

estate agents make the decision to try and force purchasers to use these firms. They attempt to limit the purchasers choice by only allowing viewings of those people who are using their recommended conveyancer.

it’s scandalous and the estate agents are reaping what they sow.

I meant that they are lucky to have their complaint was upheld-

I completely agree - i am 100% against recommending these solicitors however I have no say in the matter I just do a job

Ah ok - sorry that you find yourself peripherally involved.

I’m surprised it hasn’t been prohibited. It’s such sharp practice and really seems to target the cheap end of the market.

Suppose all vendors can do is tell estate agents that they will not list their property with them if they force conveyancers on prospective purchasers

I would reiterate the message. I have just complained to the Legal Ombudsman about a firm who bought our local solicitor part way through the transfer. I have had to go elsewhere to get the transfer completed.

Do not use Muve.

They are an absolute nightmare.

The positive reviews are fake. Filter reviews to read the one star reviews.

Many of them do not employ fully qualified solicitors, just legal clerks/ paralegals and have a qualified solicitor in charge of a large number of these conveyancers. So, in our case, when our fully qualified and experienced solicitor asked the quasi legal firm questions about something on a form for example, they were unable to answer even a simple query and had to seek advice from their distant manager - which took ages!

The sale only went through because our solicitor was a good friend and corrected them about massive mistakes in their paperwork, explained the law in some situations and rewrote some of the forms. He even went round to their office, a tiny room in the back of the estate agents, to show them some relevant case work. They were a group of dozens of such businesses in the NW owned by one guy and decent solicitor cringe when they know who they will be dealing with.

Yes, they are cheaper but do a very bad job and can cause you to have massive legal problems when you come to resell.