Surveyor chasing me for payment - I didn't request his services

[Eastie77]

A couple of weeks ago I went on the compare the market website to conduct an initial search for a surveyor (currently purchasing a property). I submitted property details and received emails from a few surveyors requesting further information. I replied with the additional info and asked each surveyor to confirm costs for.

An issue then arose with the property and I was not sure I would be able to buy it so I stopped corresponding with the surveyors.

Yesterday one of the surveyors sent me an email out of the blue with his bank details stating he had visited the property, carried out a full survey and I now need to pay him. Obviously I refused and told him I had not instructed him to proceed as I was not even sure I would be going ahead with the purchase.

He has now sent me an aggressive email repeating that he wants payment (almost £1000), adding "as far as I'm concerned you are buying the property" He actually sounds a bit unhinged.

He is apparently a RICS certified surveyor, I am not sure if I should contact them to make a complaint? I've also tried to block his email address but that hasn't worked. I'm wondering if threatening to go to the police is going too far?

Wow, he's an idiot, isn't he? Why on earth would he do the job without getting authorisation from you? If he is threatening in his emails, I would contact the police.

He is stating the fact that I filled in the questionnaire was authorisation for him to proceed. On Trustpilot he has 80 reviews. Every single one rates him 5/5 which I think is slightly suspect!

Post the wording of your emails. Without that it would be difficult to comment.

Complain to the website that directed you to him! You need to find out what contract he thinks you agreed to. Why on earth would he carry out the work without any payment? All the surveyors we’ve used you have to pay in advance or a hefty deposit.

Did you sign any terms and conditions/terms of business? If not then point this out to him & then ignore. Sounds like a scam!

DH is a chartered surveyor. Not residential. If the surveyor wasn't instructed she shouldn't pay him. Ask him for his complaints procedure - all members of the RICS need to have one.

I’m a surveyor and you can check on the RICS website if he is legitimate or not. As a PP said, he shouldn’t have done the work unless you’d seen/signed terms and conditions. Good luck!

Does he have your current postal address? If not then there is not much he can do about it.

Very unusual to carry out a survey without payment upfront plus you’ve not signed terms of business 🤨

I've always had to pay a survey up front, this sounds really dodgy

I’m surprised the vendor let him in.

Sounds scammy. Maybe report to Action Fraud.

Complete bollocks. I’m a chartered surveyor and unless you’ve agreed terms, he’s very much chancing his arm. How did he get access to do a “full survey”?

How did he get access to the property to do this survey he claims to have done?

I didn't sign any documents or Terms and Conditions. My only correspondence with him was in response to his initial email in which I provided basic information about the property and asked him about costs.

His email signature states he is RICS registered and he is listed on their website.
I don't understand why a legitimate certified surveyor would behave like this. If I receive one more email I'll certainly report him.

I assume my vendor's Estate Agent let him into the house. They are awful to deal with and haven't even responded to any of my emails explaining the situation and asking if he actually attended the property.