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Original poster

Difficult Buyers

82 replies

micci124 · 30/10/2024 20:29

Good evening all.

We are in the process of selling our house, accepted an offer on our already reduced house. Things were progressing nicely until an error was spotted on the purchase price, nobody is sure what is going on for sure, but our buyers are maintaing they offered 5k less than what the estate agent offered to me over the phone. They were understandably angry and shocked, however despite being sent a memorandum of sale with the purchase price 30 days, only just actioning this now. We are at the top of borrowing for the next house and cannot afford the extra 5k. Even though, this isnt our fault we offered 1.2k extra. This was flatly refused. There seems to be no empathy for us by them and they seem to be going beyond the realm of politeness. I think there is foul play here,and I'm tempted to tell them to shove it. Any advice? Thanks

OP posts:
HundredMilesAnHour · 30/10/2024 20:30

Pull out. Tell them they pay the price the agent offered you or you go back on the market.

rainingsnoring · 30/10/2024 20:32

If they will only pay the price they apparently offered and you won't accept that price, you will need to put it back on the market. It sounds as if this is your agent's fault, rather than the buyers so it's understandable that they are annoyed.

Original poster
micci124 · 30/10/2024 20:36

I understand they are shocked annoyed absolutely, but they are showing zero empathy towards us, this isnt our faukt either.. at least we tried to fix it a little. Im so upset as we will lose the house we're buying if the sale falls through.

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rainingsnoring · 30/10/2024 20:43

I don't understand why you seem to be blaming the buyers for not showing you empathy rather than blaming your own estate agent that you have employed to sell your house. It's not for the buyers to show empathy. You have a particular price which you can't go below and they probably have a maximum price they are willing to pay. Perhaps the agent should be reducing their fee for messing this up!

CamillaCanterbaum · 30/10/2024 20:46

There has clearly been a massive misunderstanding/error however they have offered what they wanted to offer and it's got messed up somewhere

Either accept their offer or go back on market

Original poster
micci124 · 30/10/2024 20:47

We cannot afford to to reduce 5k

OP posts:
twomanyfrogsinabox · 30/10/2024 20:49

Tell the EA to fork up the difference?

Reallybadidea · 30/10/2024 20:51

Do you even believe them? I'd be suspicious. How did they even apply for a mortgage with the wrong figure? Isn't the memorandum of sale part of the mortgage application paperwork?

Original poster
micci124 · 30/10/2024 20:51

Not blaming the buyers , but they seem not to understand that we too have been massively affected by this mistake. We tried to resolve by offering 1.2k extra which we didn't have to do. I think the Estate Agent should lump.up the additional 5k for the screw up, and not charge us sellets fees. If the sake falls through I'm goimg to lodge a complaint

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SauviGone · 30/10/2024 20:52

I also don’t understand why you’ve seen your arse with the buyers, rather than your estate agents, who are being paid a large sum of money to deal with the sale of your house and get these finer details right.

Perhaps the agents should waive their fee to cover the shortfall. It’s their fuck-up after all.

Original poster
micci124 · 30/10/2024 20:53

Yep, they had the memorandum for 30 days! Before querying it..

OP posts:
SatansBobbleheadedDashboardOrnament · 30/10/2024 20:53

If it is your estate agent's fault, you need to get on the phone tomorrow morning and renegotiate their fee based on the error. If you can't afford to drop 5k and you're subsequently going to miss out on your new house, you either pull out now or try to find a compromise - you've got no other options. How much can you afford to drop? Can you meet them in the middle?

Original poster
micci124 · 30/10/2024 20:55

We tried to offer 1.2k extra (all we can afford) and they ascertained they want the full 5k, which is making me feel there is foul play here.

OP posts:
SatansBobbleheadedDashboardOrnament · 30/10/2024 20:55

micci124 · 30/10/2024 20:51

Not blaming the buyers , but they seem not to understand that we too have been massively affected by this mistake. We tried to resolve by offering 1.2k extra which we didn't have to do. I think the Estate Agent should lump.up the additional 5k for the screw up, and not charge us sellets fees. If the sake falls through I'm goimg to lodge a complaint

Your buyers don't give a toss. They only care about what affects them. While you're saying you can't afford the 5k drop, they'll equally be saying they can't afford the 5k hike.

Farting · 30/10/2024 20:56

micci124 · 30/10/2024 20:55

We tried to offer 1.2k extra (all we can afford) and they ascertained they want the full 5k, which is making me feel there is foul play here.

i don’t know what % £5k is but they should she read the memo of sale.

i think they’re chancing it

Original poster
micci124 · 30/10/2024 20:56

Yes that is a factor. It's an absolute mess.

OP posts:
JC03745 · 30/10/2024 20:58

You keep banging on about the buyers having empathy, but they might be saying the same about you!!! Maybe they too can't afford more!
Sounds like the EA made the cock up, so tell THEM to have empathy!

rainingsnoring · 30/10/2024 20:59

micci124 · 30/10/2024 20:55

We tried to offer 1.2k extra (all we can afford) and they ascertained they want the full 5k, which is making me feel there is foul play here.

What foul play do you suspect? You think the buyers are making this up?
Sadly, if they can't or don't want to pay the extra 5K you will need to re-market your house.

SauviGone · 30/10/2024 20:59

There’s no foul play, behave.

It probably looks to them like you’re pulling a fast one and trying to extract more money out of them.

Crikeyalmighty · 30/10/2024 21:00

I'm not buying it- that memo of sale would surely have been queried the very 1st day if the price was incorrect

MathsAnxiety · 30/10/2024 21:00

If you want the sale to proceed I would move heaven and earth to find half (£2.5k) and that would be my final offer.

Then I would deal with the estate agent afterwards. Although if the buyers have had the paperwork for a month and only now checked it, I think the onus is on them.

TheRoseTurtle · 30/10/2024 21:00

Well, from what the OP says it's not clear that an error has been made - what does the EA say? Did they email their offer, so it can be established beyond doubt what it was? Perhaps the buyers are pulling a fast one, perhaps the EA screwed up, who knows? But if the Memo of Sale was sent out 30 days before they noticed it I'd be a bit suspicious of them. Whatever the rights and wrongs here, if you can't take the £5K hit then you can't.

Original poster
micci124 · 30/10/2024 21:02

But they didnt query it, 30 days ago..which makes me wonder..apparently it did have the higher offer on it. I checked.

OP posts:
Reallybadidea · 30/10/2024 21:02

How does an EA get an offer wrong by £5k? Presumably it was an offer made over the phone so how do they mishear a £5k price difference. £10k maybe.

And the buyers also misread the MoS. What a coincidence.

I think they're trying to gazunder by stealth. In practice I'm not sure how much difference it makes - if you can't drop the price, they'll either continue with the sale or they won't.

Original poster
micci124 · 30/10/2024 21:03

No absolutely not. EA checked phone records and the recording showed the higher offer being given to me.

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