EA wanting admin fee from buyer?

[juneybean]

I put an offer in on a property which although was listed as going to auction hadn't got that far.

I put the offer in two weeks ago and today the manager has rang me up asking for £3,600 deposit and a £650 +VAT admin fee because it's an auction property. This is the first I've heard anything about this. Do I have to pay this?

You do pay an admin fee to the auctioneer if you got it through an auction. But the fact you got it through the open market via a standard EA, I think they are trying it on.

You don't have to do anything, it's all up for negotiation.
Take advice from your solicitor.

Thanks for the replies, as am on good terms with the vendors I sought their advice and they paid half towards the admin fee. Still very annoying though.

Now my mortgage advisor is saying I should have held back from paying deposit until I had the mortgage underwritten (although I have a DiP?)

Sick of this game now!