Beaumont Legal - what's your experience

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We are purchasing a property and using Beaumont Legal, so far I found them to be awful.They wont answer emails and when questioned they pointed out teeny bit in their contract saying they will reply in two working days,they will also only work on any documentation received from seller's solicitor's 5 working days after receiving them, they don't update anything in the online account they created.I'm annoyed but can't do much in the middle of the purchase,has any one else had better experience with them?

Tut Jenny Wilson! Any relation to Daniel Wilson who works for Beaumont Legal by any chance?

Hi all, I have just appointed BL and then found this forum.

BLPaul, it would be great if could say something to reassure me or to explain the negative feedback as, right now, I feel a bit silly for not listening to my property agent, who insisted I switched to a different firm.

Andrea

Hi Andrea,

Buying a home can be stressful for all involved. If you've not done it before it's a process that's different to anything else you'll have been through and this understandably makes people nervous, so they often go online and find things like this which can make them more nervous. If you look, you can find a Mumsnet thread that would make you nervous about many conveyancing firms.

I can honestly say that the people here at Beaumont Legal take a lot of pride in what they do and making customers happy; I've seen it myself and it's part of why I joined the firm. The firm's Partners get involved when issues crop up, which is why the [email protected] address goes to all of them - if you ever have any issues that can't be solved by your conveyancer, you can send a mail to that address for it to get resolved.

That's what happened in the case of the person who started this thread. They weren't happy with their solicitor, they e-mailed the feedback address and, after looking into it, we swapped them to another conveyancer (as a large firm we can do this when needed). This second conveyancer says she did nothing different to the first but the client was much happier and after reaching completion they sent the individual conveyancer a lovely, glowing piece of feedback, as well as posting on this thread.

The nature of legal work is that some individual solicitors are more formal, while others have a more bubbly, friendly manner. It can be difficult to get that balance right - some of our customers believe that solicitors should still be very formal, while others really want a friendly person they can chat to. Sometimes this match doesn't work and the more customers you have, the more likely it is that an unhappy one will come to a place like this. I'm sorry if this has put you off our service.

If anyone has any other questions, please feel free to contact me through [email protected] - that's monitored by myself as well as several other senior people in the firm.

Paul

I am buying a house and they asked me for so many papers to prove ID and source of fund. It has been now more than 3 month and my purchase was cancelled and the house is offered on the market again. I got them verified ID from a UK lawyer but they still don't agree. and now they ask for 1,200 sterling to do More checks on my ID and source of funds. despite I have already sent them official document from the bank that I got inheritance with almost double the price of the house since 2007. I don't know what to do... very disappointing.

Just sacked them! They might be cheap but the process is so long winded prove this prove that, documents not suitable because they don't contain there words its just ridiculous. Phoned another solicitor, asked if she needed the same proof, answer NO as long as the bank statement shows the money is in our account. All is required is a copy of that and certified copies of ID which are no problem.
Would not use Beaumont-legal again for anything, be warned they make life hard and you deal with so many people its not worth it at all. How they won any awards beats us, they just cause stress, speak very abruptly to you not welcoming at all. Be warned folks tread carefully before appointing then getting in to the process to deep to pull out.

Gosh where do I start with BL! Their service is horrific; and having read this thread 8 months into my conveyencing I'm a little worried about how long it will take to get done.

• File never updated unless I call and ask for it to be updated
• Currently the total fees I stand to pay are 5x!! more than what they quoted. They come up with all sorts of excuses when I question them and despite their terms & conditions not actually describing any of the documents that they charge extra for (it only states the document name and a £price), they're still reluctant to progress the file until the fees are paid
• They're very slow!!! (they said they'd submitted the searches after happily taking payment, and 1 month later they told me they were submitting the searches). Still haven't heard anything from them. Also called them 5 times in the last week to check on the status of a document that they're 'working on', and keep getting told I'll get an update when the conveyencer 'commences work on the file'.

All in all, not at all pleased with the professionalism on display or the timeliness of anything. Hoping to just complete the sale at this rate; don't care about ending it on a good or bad note..

Tip to others - find a local solicitor that you can go to in person and who doesn't hide behind a phone or email all day!

Beaumont Legal stay well away they will drive you mad asking for the smallest details and the customer service is the worst ever experienced. Ended up sacking them, no one even bothered to ask us why so that tells you the senior management don't care about clients or reputation! You have been warned friends.

Beaumont Legal nearly drove me to a nervous breakdown. I am a solicitor with my own small firm and was acting for a buyer in a conveyancing transaction. HSBC insisted they had to be represented by Beaumont Legal. Normally I recommend to conveyancing clients that they use a firm I know to be efficient to represent their lender. Beaumont Legal insisted on my clients completing superfluous questionnaire/documentation, never replied to calls, were very slow and we nearly lost the purchase and the sale as the two had to be simultaneous. Then, final horror, Beaumont failed to register the change of ownership within the correct time limit which may have resulted in a negligence claim against Beaumont and me!!!

Beaumont told me after 3 months that they can't complete the transaction because they can't very my ID !!!
the deal was almost lost after I spend a lot of money.
they are sure not a good choice if you are non UK resident.

Hi readers, sorry I'm not an actual mumsnet reader, however, I found this particular thread after trying to find reviews on Beaumont Legal Solicitors due to the fact that their awful conveyancing service has really tested my patience and pushed me off the edge today and I was just about to write my complaint to them until I came across this page.

I am 5 days away from my completion date for a house purchase and they have sent me an incorrect balance which has been calculated wrong. That's right all the numbers are there yet the total is wrong! Can you believe it a company that cannot do basic maths! Not only that but they managed to sneak a few discreet increases as well at the last minute for the mining search. Now despite informing them to rectify this error 2 days ago they have still not done so and yet they want me to ensure it's paid before completion.

I can't believe this company is so utterly stupid to adhere to it's hidden 'allow 2 days for email response' policy at the final stage of conveyancing where only 5 working days remain - now only 3 days remain! How pathetic are these people! Do they not have any sense of urgency at this point or the common sense to prioritise emails when a client is expecting their keys within the next few days!!!!

Disgraceful - I'm now sending them my complaint as well as a copy to Tesco Bank my lender who have them on their panel.

I have just used Beaumont legal for a conveyance. Please don't use them, my conveyance took approximately 5 months which cost me a fortune. They don't know what they are doing, they don't respond to your inquiries and you cant get past the trainee telephone operator to speak to your personal, allocated solicitor. I did all the work myself by tracking down the previous vendor, his solicitors from 10 years prior and even purchasing a title plan from the land registry. A very frustrating and poor service.

Used Beaumont Legal for my recent sale and purchase. Never again - could never get hold of the person dealing with the case, calls not returned, online tracker not updated. When the caseworker went off sick the case was dealt with by several different people who did not appear to liaise with each other. I was frequently contacted by the other parties' estate agents and solicitors as they could not get through to BL. Good music to listen to when on hold!

EVERYONE SHARE THIS COMPANY, AVOID AT ALL COSTS. I bought my house using them in September last year and now I can't sell it at full market value because they didn't look in to the deeds I have lost an awful lot because of them. This isn't the first bad review I have seen but everyone should be aware they don't do there job properly, they ignore your phone calls and emails and even the partners and directors as useless and don't talk to you even though you have paid them. They are based in Wakefield.

Slow. Unresponsive. Never again!

disgraceful and unprofessional

Please stay away from them. This is a polite caution.

I am currently using this firm at the recommendation of my broker...gosh what was he thinking! They are suppose to be representing me for my purchase / conveyancing and what was meant take a maximum of 8 weeks has now drag on to 4 months and still not completed.

Issues that should have be dealt with from the onset of my instruction are now being tackled all because they couldn't care less about my file from the word go.

I am now worried that the vendor may pull out or the solicitor will turn around and say they will not be able to complete for a reason I don't know but I can't avoid thinking the worse. Bank Statement were issued to them in August 2015 and I have been told they are only now going to check them not that I am worried but I think their timing is just appalling only two words to describe them "complete joke"

I may have to take them to them ombudsman. Please avoid them by all means unless you are addicted to stress and like being treated as a peace of wood who has no emotion because all they do is stir up emotions in a negative fashion

Forgot to mention. You will end up doing the work yourself if you appoint them. Yes you heard me...you will do the work yourself from chasing the local council for searches to everything you can think off. I appointed in the begging of August, paid money for the searches but they did not start the searches until 1st week of September.......This is just one of the so many blunders.

They may even help you in getting your mortgage offer withdraw because of incompetence. I just hope mine don't get to that. I decided to change them yesterday but the broker and few trustworthy people around me advised against that as we are HOPEFULLY at the final stage of what can only be describe as battle. The only good that may come of this experience is that my broker share my pain and regrets his recommendation so lessons has been learnt with reassurance that mine is the last business he will be doing with them. This will save a lot of people going through what am going through. It's just after 4 am and have been awake since 1 am. This just one of the many sleepless night am getting from BL for the past month.

Jumped into conclusion BL acted in my best interest and the previous post is subjected.
On reflection they had my interest at heart being a first time buyer didn't help or make things easy for me. I take everything in the previous post back. I am extremely satisfy with how things have turn out. Though not yet completed but will have no qualms whatever the end results is.

The emotions expressed in the previous post will be experienced by most 1st time buyers but my advice is exercise patience because they are in the job to support you and gain nothing by making your life miserable.

Highly recommended.

Thank Beaumont legal for assisting me in purchasing my first home.

Staff there have been very professional with the application of attention to details. I was actually blaming them for someone else's mistake which they had knowledge and expertise to rectify.

Everything they have done was to guarantee my peace of mind. They are certainly not cowboys but individuals who strive to preserve clients sanity. Yes they can chose to take the easy route by not doing the right things / follow process just to keep you smiling and leave you to face the consequences when the can of worm eventually gets open but Beaumont refused to take that route. Not matter how much pressure one apply. Their attitude is "you have instructed me to do what is right by you and that is what you going get it may take longer and some sleepless nights for both of us but we will get there and after getting you will realise it was worth the wait"

This is exactly what Maria M did for me and I thank her very much.

I will by all means recommend Beaumont Legal to my associates and will definitely use them again

This testimony is a lived experience and a rectification of previous impressions. It's unfortunate am not able to remove my provision negative post but anyone that sees the previous post should reflect on this post as it outweigh the previous one.

erm thats quite a turnaround! .... have the threatened to sue you or something??

This online company is a complete joke. Nine months after paying for their services they turned round to state to get another company that deals face to face as we can't complete the verification section of what the sellers solicitors asked for. They never answer the phone once you get past reception, never reply to voice mail or emails, completely forget who they are dealing with and get everything wrong. We paid for their services in November 2016 with a completion date of the beginning of February 2017. It's now the beginning of July 2017 and after myself making constant phone calls to the company as you never hear off them they told me today, we received instructions from the sellers solicitors NEARLY two weeks ago and that we cannot finalise so you need to find a high street solicitors. Two weeks ago? If they had told me I could of got the ball rolling but this shows exactly what KIND of company they are as they had no intentions of contacting myself or my wife to tell us this, I had to harass them with calls to get through. It all seemed fine with the signing of documents at first but this is where it stops, we are fortunate enough to not have a mortgage, but every time we were asked for mortgage details and this was the only contact. It's a complete joke, Jordon Knowles and Lauren Taylor have no idea what they are doing or what is involved and you are constantly strung along for a ride. It has cost us £3,600 in rent so far due to this company for us now having to find another solicitor in the high street that knows what they are doing and now more rent. The arrogant team leader turned round and said " well we can send your searches through to your new solicitor so that will save you some money " WTF, is the man trying to wind me up. I would stay well clear of this company or any online company to be honest that don't deal face to face, all this as I thought I could save a few hundred pounds, biggest mistake of my life. Just had to tell the wife on the phone at work and had to listen to her crying as we now have to start this all over again. Oh yeah, they sent an email stating they owe us £91 for not being able to finish the verification part, what about all the rent you cost us is more to the point and the nine months you cost.... I'm going to see who I can complain to about this company as it's a complete and utter joke. .. Stay well clear of this company they haven't got a clue, go to the high street and be face to face as it's not worth the hassle, believe me......

very bad unprofessional experience, the worst think that happened with us ever, we had so much stress with this company and they didn't even care even manager was indifferent ignorant didn't manage anything at all his name is Matthew Dickinson, he and our conveyancer Luke Battensby were buddies and didn't care about our complains, no replies or answered equations. we had to change the conveyancer and loose a lot of time after 3 months of doing nothing with them , we had to start all over again, almost lost our house, and had to move from rented accommodation before buying our house, it was a nightmare. DO NOT EVER get this compony to work for you.

Beaumont Legal are horrendous! Don't return calls, don't reply to emails. Please avoid at all cost!
The staff would be better trained in the veterinary sector as their attitude stinks.

How sad. We used Beaumont’s for our only 2 ever house purchases, and they were very good indeed. On the second house, our solicitor Philip. ??? went above abc beyond several times. Last purchase was 14 years ago, when they were just local high street solicitors attached to our estate agent.

Joined Mumsnet just to add to this thread. This is one of the worst companies I've ever come across. It astounds me they're still in business.

It has taken 5 months so far to complete the sale of my house. And we’re still not done.

Beaumont Legal has shown ineptitude, indifference and incompetence. They've miss emails, ignored emails and failed to follow up on matters at every turn. Everything needs to be chased up by phone and it takes forty minutes to get through to anybody.

Not only has this process dragged on painfully for 5 months, causing me to lose thousands of pounds in lost interest and investment opportunities but we even missed our agreed completion date because Beaumont Legal failed to inform the buyers (their client) there was a shortfall in moneys until the day we were meant to complete. This should have been done a week beforehand, when he sent the redemption certificate.

They also failed to asked for proof of source of funds until the day we were meant to complete. Again, this should have been requested at the outset of the transaction. The buyers are being gifted some of the funds from their parents so they needed written approval from their mortgage provider. This stupid error has so far delayed the agreed completion date by a week and with Easter coming up that is going to mean another month.

I’ve had some pretty bad experiences with various companies in my life, but this one takes the cake. I see the reviews on Trustpilot are being stacked by their marketing department, which is obviously far better funded than their legal team. The unofficial Facebook page is more accurate. Fifty-three 1-star reviews, including many complaining about the same thing as me. This company just shouldn’t be in business.
www.facebook.com/pages/Beaumont-Legal/510213349150690

I’ll just say this. We should have exchanged yesterday and we have heard nothing from them. No replies to emails, nothing. My wife just tried to speak with the person handling our house move and she refused to take the call.