Vendors agent charging for ID checks

[BluLagoon]

Please help out a we first time buyer and tell me if this is the norm/compulsory?

Vendors agent wants us to use a company to check our ID and charge us for the privilege of doing so. Surely this is what our solicitor is for?

The fee isn’t too outrageous but I’ve never heard of this.Can I say no - see my solicitor/mortgage advisor?

Some do and some don’t, I think it’s down to if they’re outsourced or not. We were charged and our agent (Purplebricks) also charge I think, but when we changed the property we were buying and are now buying through a different agent we haven’t been charged 🤷‍♀️

As I understand it, the agent's and solicitor's checks have to be separate, but agree it's really cheeky for the agent to ask for payment from the buyer. It's a moneyspinner for a referred service that would normally cost them a few quid to do themselves and you also have to be careful that the company they're using (e.g, Lifetime Legal is a common one I think) doesn't sneakily sign you up to a monthly subscription. Unless it's a v competitive market, I would politely push back on it. If it's around the £60 mark it's totally unjustified. Would it be possible for them to do it another way? Could you come into their office, for example? You don't have to just accept it.

To add based on @valadon68 post, I wish we’d pushed back so please do! Lifetime legal also tried to spin me yarn and made it seem like I HAD to sign up, sneaky business!

yes it is with the same company. The email is carefully worded to make it sound compulsory but the attached information is then giving discounts for making wills, making it sounds like an service they are selling.

will push back thanks

I also had lifetime legal. £45 to do the financial checks. Promises of all extras forv3 months which I will never use. Then it goes on to a monthly payment so be warned if you do need to do that, then make sure you cancel the subscription before it kicks in.

I can't use those services as I have a squint and the facial recognition software does not work when I take my glasses off and ofc you have to take your glasses off, embarrassing but hey ho). I have always gone into branches with ID as has my husband and ID checks have been done in person without an issue. This is both EA and solicitors. I would push for just going into the office if you can!

We had an offer accepted and the agent wanted £80 for ID checks with lifetime legal. They wouldn't issue memorandum of sale until this was done. As it turns out we didn't proceed but it put me right off the agent - it wasn't specified anywhere on the property listing either.

Must admit I was quite surprised as a 'seller' to be charged by the EA who is marketing my house for ID checks. They used a third party and was £30 admin fee - for the ID checks + portal which stores all the key documents.

Effectively what the agent is doing is pushing costs onto the buyer so that they can charge a more competitive fee to their client. I’d try saying “yeah the vendor can pay for this if they want the sale” and see what they come back with.