“Awful, like all the other posts.
I have no issue with my actual conveyancer as I don't think the company are even keeping them informed.
Disaster Recovery and Return to Normality Policies seem to have been overlooked.
When I have spoken to Customer Services they made out this was much wider affecting more firms than the 5 or so represented by Simplify.
I like other would prefer to move conveyancing company. I feel for their staff. Not a good company”
“Absolute awful company, was recommended by estate agents to use them. Whatever you do don't fall in the same trap, after months and months of trying to sell and buy they are just not doing their job, hard to contact and when in contact are clueless and rude, l now they have had problems recently but now claim they are up and running which is a complete lie.”
“We are currently at the top of our chain which has taken forever to get to the point of ready to Exchange, we had a date,19th Nov, but this had not been confirmed so we aren't a priority as I understand it. The buyer at the bottom of the chain is with PPL!!! I search for more information everyday as we are packed and ready to go but they aren't issuing regular statements. Where is your PR Executive???? Please just give us regular, honest updates, if you treat us with some respect you will have it returned. Your radio silence and blanket statements are an insult to our intelligence. We NEED your transparency in this matter, people are thinking of breaking chains as we can see no end in sight and Christmas is looming. Be honest, will we be moved for the Holidays, if not I will unpack and get this house ready. You are just adding extra frustrations to an already dire situation.”
“AWFUL. JUST. AWFUL.
Initially chose them as my conveyancer (recommended by estate agents) but changed to another conveyancer when literally nothing had been done after a month.
The vendors stuck with them and what should have been a simple, no chain sale has dragged on for months. Since last month, I've been waiting for exchange & completion dates, with my solicitor chasing once a week. Discovered today after chasing the estate agent that all their systems are down. Apparently their IT systems were compromised and they clearly have no disaster recovery in place.
Given that they had copies of my passport, driving licence, bank statements, tax documents etc. I'm now wondering whether these are now in the hands of criminals. None of the (unapologetic) communications from PPL address whether or not customer data was breached.
If I hadn't already spent over a thousand on surveys, searches etc. I would walk away now. Avoid, avoid, avoid.”
“We are at the top of our chain and the buyers at the very bottom of the chain are using PPL. The whole chain is awaiting PPL's systems going back on line so that we can exchange and complete. This process started in early July and the saga continues. We are living out of boxes with no idea when this situation can be resolved. Appalling. I would not entertain a buyer or a chain involved with this group ever again. Someone is bound to pull out if this continues! Sleepless nights!!”
“ZERO STARS!! This is the WORST company i have ever had the displeasure of being associated with. I agree with all of the other reviews. I'm absolutely appalled and disgusted by the service that this company provides. Absolutely shambolic from the start. We started this journey in June and we still have not exchanged or completed. All of our paperwork has been submitted but still we wait. I even had to obtain the last piece of paperwork myself- Mind boggling! I have done more work than my conveyancer. I have never even spoken to my conveyancer on the phone despite a million phone calls for updates and feedback. We had to break our chain on our house to avoid the sale being lost so now my family including an 18 month old baby and 3 year old little girl are all homeless. We've been living out of suitcases for the past 8 weeks- PPL do not care whatsoever. They keep telling me that they understand my frustrations but they DO NOT. I called one day and they said my conveyancer was in a meeting then my partner called a few hours later and they said he was off sick- blatant lies from start to finish! If things could not get any worse i am then proven wrong with this 'cyber attack'. This is peoples livelihoods and they could not give a damn. I am paying nearly £200 each month just to store my goods in a container as we have no home. The anxiety this company have caused me and my family will never be forgotten and i urge you all to use another company who have some compassion and work ethic. I could sit here and write pages and pages of things that have been unsatisfactory with this company. I'm a teacher and if i was that bad at my job i'd be sacked within an instant!”
“I wish I had read the reviews before I agreed to use PPL I would never in a million years have gone with them. When I sold my property in June to a Lady who was renting and the property I was buying was empty so no chain I thought great no problem how wrong was I . I have been chasing by phone and text no one returns or even acknowledge’s my enquiries which I think is very rude in this day and age an answer only takes minutes. My oldest son died last December and I decided to move nearer my other son , hoped to be Moved before the anniversary of his death now it looks as if I will still be here . I had hoped to be moved by Christmas (don’t think so ) . If I had known I would definitely have gone with a local lawyers and if anyone asks I would tell them to steer well clear of PPL.”
“Who the heck gave these monkeys a license to practice house law they have held us up completing adding great cost to buying our first house the stress it has caused is terrible , I will sue them and report this to the law society”
“Awful at replying to emails or returning phone calls. 2 weeks to get an answer to a simple question seems to be the norm. If you want a huge headache, then feel free to use them. I will make sure I talk all around me to NOT use them. My case has been going on since 5th May and now their system is down, no one is replying to you although I am supposed to exchange in 5 days (already moved back one completion day from last month as solicitor wasn’t ready , most likely will also push back that second one looking at the way it is going ) slow service. Coming up to 7 months soon. If I don’t hear back this week to any of my last emails or if I don’t complete next Friday as planned on the e-way app, I will be starting a formal complaint.”
“Shambolic service even before the cyber attack. My 85 year old mother is having panic attacks because of the situation Premier Property have put her in. She will be facing penalties and damages as she was due to move on Friday last and couldnt because of the cyber attack. They have said that everyone due for completion has been dealt with. That is a blatant lie. I dont know how they are still in business to be honest even before this they were impossible to get hold of, kept giving us dates and the dates came and went and no communication. It is like getting on a bus and you are hurtling down the motorway and you suddenly realise the driver cant drive. Incompetent? They are not even that good. I am appalled”
“I am not actually a client, but as my Mum is purchasing, and using another of the Simplify Groups Lawyers, and I am selling and my buyer is using this company, my whole family including 2 small children are going to be affected - in fact my grandchildren will be homeless on 1st December if this doesn't progress. PPL keep coming on these reviews with their 'wooly apologies', my buyer has completed the 'form' 3 times now and has had no response! They don't seem to give a toss about the impact they are having on a lot of peoples' lives? Where are my family going to live unless my purchase goes through? We don't have money to burn, my sale is for financial reasons in the first place! I am unwell and disabled and feel as though I am going to have a nervous breakdown with all this stress - the updates say nothing, we need timeframes! I can't book anyone to move me without a date, as it is I need someone who can do everything as for medical reasons I am unable to lift or move anything, the chap that was going to do it has been awaiting a date from me since the middle of September, and then this happens!!
PPL tell us something useful instead of this!!
"Reply from Premier Property Lawyers
4 hours ago
We recognise how frustrating the recent security incident is and hope that you understand that we are doing all we can as fast as we can to get back to normal. We continue to prioritise contact with customers who are due to exchange and complete in the coming days. If you are waiting for contact, please contact us through the form here *****. Almost all contracted transactions with a fixed completion date are up to date.
For the sake of clarity, we want to reassure you that all client monies are secure and that we are not currently aware of any personal data connected to you being involved. We recognise how frustrating this is for customers and hope that you understand that we are doing all we can as fast as we can to get back to normal.
Premier Property Lawyers."”
“Hi it's Claire unsworth I'm very disgusted at this now as the management pack was received by my lawyer on the 8 th of this month and then I find out there is a problem with the internet it's beyond belief if we don't complete before the 2 ND of December then we loose our sale and purchase seen as we are so close to the end this just isn't fair sury they can review the document if it was posted on Thurs don't get it if we are not in our new home before our offer expires on the 2 ND then all the people in the chain will be very unhappy unbelievable we will try to get compensation if this does happen
As we really need the sale and purchase to go through as the buyer far our house wants to buy our house”
“Without doubt, the WORST company I have ever ever had the displeasure of dealing with.
Unresponsive, useless, poorly run.
It took me 4 months to complete on the most simple of purchases (No chain, no searches, first time buyer). The conveyancer simply could not be bothered to open my file. I had my conveyancer changed without notice or formal hand over. I missed the stamp duty deadline for no good reason. I had incorrect amounts added to my bill. Its 3 months since my completion and they still owe me retention amounts. I have called and called and emailed and emailed and they are so UNRESPONSIVE and INADEQUATE, they seem to be allergic to picking up the phone. Their excuse for not releasing my retention amount for 3 months is a "system failure" for one week in November?! Will be reporting to the legal ombudsman for gross lack of professionalism and complete inability to operate in a field of law.”
“My chain is about to break because of their incompetence, who in this day and age doesn’t have a disaster recovery plan???? Why was their website insecure??? We should all sue as one, the buyers at the bottom of my chain are using them I’m at the top so we will all lose our properties & thousands of pounds”
“Very poor service, no contact received from them. I found more updates on the current IT situation and whether we can complete through a local Facebook group, who are all in the same situation as us.
Wake up PPL we are your customers, YOU WORK FOR US, so do some work”
“DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY PLEASE. MY CONVEYANCER SAID HE NEEDED DOCUMENTS THAT MY ESTATE FOUND AND IS STILL HOLDING UP OUR MOVE AS HE HASNT GOT THEM. DISGUSTING, DISGRACEFUL, AND I HOPE WE ALL BAND TOGETHER AND SUE THEM. THEY HAVE A CASE TO ANSWER, NO BACK UP WHAT!!
ALL SINGING AND DANCING CLAP TRAP.”
“Sold my house 6/4/2021 and still no nearer moving. This company is a disgrace and how they are allowed to operate is beyond me. Do not go near this company, use a solicitor local who you can actually see face to face. If you sell with Purple Bricks, honestly get your own solicitor or you will seriously regret it. Biggest mistake I ever made getting involved with these cowboys. Communication and trying to get hold of anyone is almost impossible.”
“I’m absolutely appalled by this latest situation I’ve been living in boxes now for far to long there’s no communication with their customers totally feel let down will not be recommending moving home is stressful enough without finding system has gone down it’s now been over a week and nowhere forward not a happy customer at all”
“To be fair up to now they had been OK but they have not been set up to deal with this cyber security breach. Absolutely shocking customer service and communication. Avoid at all costs.”
