A Letting Agent we certainly will not be seeing again.

Last Saturday both Anna-(Nickname-TBC)-Tidey and I contributed to our flat hunt with organising one showing each. Anna-(Nickname-TBC)-Tidey provided us with the perfect flat. I, on the other hand, provided us with an introduction to what we will soon learn to be the worst letting agent we have ever met. 

It started last Saturday with me finding my phone at half one on silent with 3 missed calls and 1 voicemail. I listened to the voicemail which was a letting agent we shall name (for reasons that I don't want to appear to be a bitch) Jeff. Jeff stated that he needed to hear from me before 1:00pm to confirm the (previously confirmed) showing for today's possible flat or else the tenant wasn't going to let us in. 

I rang Jeff and explained to him that I had only just picked up my messages but that I was still interested in viewing the flat. Jeff told me that the tenant was one of the most awkward tenants he had dealt with and that he was demanding that I confirmed my viewing. I felt sorry for Jeff at this point because he seemed stuck in the middle of a difficult situation. He told me that he would call the tenant back and let me know if it's still okay. 

Five minutes later I get another phone call from Jeff. He couldn't get through to the tenant so the showing had to be cancelled. However he had just had a new flat open up right in Enfield town in a block of flats that would give us a spacious balcony, climate control, our very own concierge and all of this situated above a gym. Naturally I agreed to see this as I saw it to be the perfect excuse to practice our "Daddy's little girl" game. 

He hung up again and went to organise a viewing for this one. Five minutes later he called and said that this wasn't going to be available for today but that he could do the showing after work on Tuesday. As I didn't get home from work until late, he offered to pick me up from the station so that we could get there before 7 as that was when the concierge went home. I agreed and went off to view the flat Anna-(Nickname-TBC)-Tidey had picked out for us. 

Whilst we were there Jeff called me again. This time he had managed to get in touch with the tenant for the original viewing and they had said we could come if we came now. I explained that we were looking at another place at the moment but we could be there in half an hour. He agreed and said he would meet us outside the flat. He asked if I knew the address, I said I didn't remember it so he said he would text me the details. 

We viewed the flat we were in and I waited patiently for my text to come through. Nothing did. We left the flat and got into the car. Still no text. I suddenly remembered that I had written the address down and put it in my bag earlier in the week so I dug the address out and we head to the next viewing. 

We sat outside the house for twenty minutes. No one came.

I rang the letting agents and spoke to Jeff's colleague "Bob." I asked Bob where Jeff was, Bob said he would ring Jeff to find out. 

We sat outside the house another ten minutes. No one came or rang. 

I rang Bob again and said that we needed to go as we had been waiting too long. Bob told me that he had tried ringing Jeff three times but hadn't got an answer because Jeff was apparently doing an assessment right then. He commented that he had seen in the book our viewing had been rescheduled to Tuesday night so we shouldn't be there at the moment. I explained to him (rather calmly I felt) the situation, to which he simply mumbled something about not being sure what was going on. I told him we had to leave and he became very apologetic and promised that he would get Jeff to ring me the moment he got back to apologise himself and confirm the viewing for Tuesday. 

Jeff never rang. 

Tuesday came about and I thought "better safe than sorry" so I called the letting agents to confirm that our showing that evening was still going ahead (considering I hadn't heard from them as promised I was, as you can imagine, just a little bit concerned). I spoke to Bob and I asked him to confirm our viewing. Bob checked the diary and confirmed we would be meeting at the location. I mentioned that Jeff had previously said he would pick me up from the station, Bob was adamant that the diary said "at the location" so that was where we were meant to meet. I didn't argue. I mean if it was in the diary then of course we mustn't dispute it. Who knows? the world might end.

I set off from work stupidly on time so as to ensure I could get to the location (as per the 'set in stone' arrangement) by quarter to 7 and snuggled in for my train journey home. 

At about 6pm I received a phone call from Jeff! I answered expecting to hear apologies and explanations for the no show on Saturday. However I received a rather scripted phone call where he asked me to confirm our showing today. I told him that we would be there, just as I had said a couple of hours ago when I I had run them. Jeff became quite gruffly (totally a word) at this point and demanded to know who I had spoken to as he had not got the message. I told him Bob and he replied with, "Okay, make sure you're at the address on time because otherwise we won't be allowed in." Thinking that my punctuality didn't seem to be the factor so far I sighed and said "okay" before hanging up. 

Anna-(Nickname-TBC)-Tidey, her boyfriend Karl and I met promptly at quarter to 7. 

We waited. No one showed. 

Five minutes later (after we had decided to wait inside instead) he turned up and showed us the place. He showed us around, once more without a single mention regarding the fact that he stood us up on Saturday. The flat was beautiful and "Daddy would have loved it darling." Although in reality it was a little out of our price range. 

Today I get a phone call. The number on my phone tells me it will either be Jeff or Bob. I prepare myself mentally and answer. 

Me: Hello?
Jeff: Hi, is that Miss Harries?
Me: Yup. 
Jeff: Are you still looking for a property in Enfield town Miss Harries?
Me: (Thinks to herself that surely that was a stupid question as he had only seen us 8 hours ago) Yep, still looking. 
Jeff: Well then you're in luck because we've just had a new property open itself up at a block of flats called Tower Point right next to Enfield Town. 
Me: ... You're kidding right?
Jeff: I'm sorry?
Me: You can't seriously be talking about the same flat that you showed us last night right?
Jeff: *And this is genuinely what he said.* Oh, have you already seen the flat then?
Me: Yes... With you... eight hours ago. 
Jeff: Oh! Was that you? Oh okay, well then we haven't had anything new but I'll be sure to let you know when you do. 
Me: You do that. hangs up the phone and rings Anna-(Nickname-TBC)-Tidey Annabel? Whatever we do we must make a pact now. We are never going to get a place from anyone named Jeff or Bob. 

And that is my loong version of events from my flat hunting. If you're still with me, well done! You get a sticker of your choice. 

Peace out my lovelies.