We had a traumatic experience recently with conveyancing and an equity release mortgage which could easily qualify for a ‘no stars’ rating.
Although Sparlings will no doubt respond to this review by saying that they agreed compensation – this both admits their failings and can never make up for the months of stress and hassle we experienced. The fact that at a second solicitor at the firm completed our sale/purchase only highlighted the negligence of the first one.
Documents were misplaced, procedures not followed and we had to try and deal with so much of the chasing, seeking explanations, following up phone calls etc. When we decided to explore taking our case to the Legal Ombudsman, we could see it was clear from their guidelines that Sparlings were at fault. However, even the complaints procedure demonstrated poor communication and obstinate delays on their part, eventually pushing us to accept a lower settlement figure.
As professionals ourselves, we are able to compare this woeful lack of care and service provided to other professional bodies. We would be embarrassed and held to account if something similar occurred in our situation.
Our advice – never use Sparlings for conveyancing – you deserve so much better.