Matter Type:
Residential Conveyancing
Mark
Collected on:
I felt obligied to leave this synopsis to outline the service received
I feel obliged to write a review to express my profound disappointment and frustration with the level of service we received from Bishopsgate Law during our conveyancing process during the period of August 2021 to February 2022 during the purchase of our property in London. Unfortunately, my experience with this firm has been nothing short of dismal, and I feel compelled to share my grievances. These have been acknowledged by the firm through a formal written complaint, at the point of writing this review the dialogue is still ongoing.
Firstly, communication was a significant issue throughout the entire process. We dealt with several members of the team which resulted in a break-down in communication, continuity, and diligence. I found it incredibly challenging to get in touch with my assigned conveyancer, and when I did manage to make contact, the responses were often vague and lacked the necessary detail; often this took a protracted period. It became evident that there was a severe lack of transparency in the way information was relayed to me, causing unnecessary stress and uncertainty. It was also apparent that vital documents and queries were never forwarded to us for review and resulted in a very protracted and stressful process.
Furthermore, the overall lack of organisation within the firm was painfully evident, and it was very confusing who we were dealing with at variable times during the process; we received correspondence from at least four team members during the process with uncertainty about the qualification or delegated job title during the process. It was also becoming evident by the 18th January that Important documents were frequently misplaced and had not been reviewed approximately three weeks before out proposed date for exchange of contracts; this meant the estate agent and sellers became frustrated, exasperated and started hounding us about our Conveyancing teams lack of diligence and meant we had to keep chancing up the issues rather than receiving guidance. This ultimately led to delays and an overall sense of frustration. It was disheartening to witness such a lackadaisical approach to handling crucial paperwork, especially in a field where precision and attention to detail are paramount.
The standard of professionalism displayed by your team was sorely lacking. I found the general demeanour of the staff to be indifferent, bordering on apathetic. It was disconcerting to feel like a mere number rather than a valued client who had entrusted your firm with a significant and personal transaction.
Another glaring issue was the frequent delays in the process. While I understand that unexpected complications can arise, the lack of proactivity and a failure to communicate these issues in a timely manner only exacerbated the situation. Again, this led to unnecessary setbacks and frustrations.
I then dealt with Ryan (Operations Executive) on 7th Feb 2022, at the 'final hour' as so to speak, to address an issue with our conveyancing and Compliance Team who said a review of our supporting finances had to be undertaken, immediately before the proposed exchange of contracts. All the vetting of funds and finances was originally undertaken back in August 2021, but the team then decided the initial review was incomplete and a further review was requested.... again, slowing down the process further. Ryan was great at resolving this issue and ensuring that the process moved swiftly at this point to ensure a timely
completion of the sale.
We officially submitted a written complaint with the company in March 2022, which was upheld, and a response received from the Customer relation team.
Unfortunately, further issues have arisen which further highlight the lack of diligence shown during the process and another important factor was overlooked, and essential documents relating to communal areas and fire safety were not shared with us; I have not had to approach Bishopsgate Law to discuss this matter further in Nov 2023.
In conclusion, I felt driven to provide a synopsis outlining our experiences with this conveyancing firm which had/has been thoroughly unsatisfactory. The combination of poor communication, organisational deficiencies, lack of professionalism, and chronic delays has left me with a deeply negative impression. I sincerely hope that this feedback is helpful for any prospective clients while demonstrating the inefficiencies of this firm which allows for feedback utilised for implementing improvements to ensure that future clients do not endure the same disappointing experience.
I do have to acknowledge how helpful Ryan and the senior legal team were when we raised the initial complaint, but this does not make up for the tremendously stressful process we experienced; we are now dealing with further consequences of the poorer service, and I hope this may be addressed in our more recent dialogue (dated 17th Oct 2023).
Was this review helpful?