Saint Andrews Bureau Reviews 65

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.3

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Reviewers had a great experience with this company. Customers consistently praise the staff for their helpfulness, professionalism, and positive attitude, making interactions pleasant and productive. Many people highlight the exceptional service, noting the company's efficiency and ease in handling property management and lettings. Reviewers are particularly impressed with the quick response times and the smooth resolution of issues, often without needing to chase for updates. However, some customers also noted dissatisfaction with the service, mentioning prolonged waits for repairs and a lack of responsiveness regarding deposit returns after vacating a property. A few other people also felt that the company did not meet basic standards of support and professionalism as tenants.

What people talk about most

Service

Customers consistently note positive experiences with service. Many reviewers praise the prompt responses to... See more

Staff

Clients share positive opinions on staff, consistently praising their helpfulness, professionalism, and... See more

Response time

Reviewers highlight positive aspects of response time. Customers consistently praise the quick and helpful... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We moved to SAB for two properties after working with a different agency in the same area. The difference has been an astounding improvement. The focus at SAB is on a top quality end-to-end process. W... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

SAB have fully managed my properties for almost 20 years. I appreciate having a single point of contact. Initially working with Colin, more recently with Claire both have been excellent always respon... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

SAB are an excellent property agent, we have been letting our houses in Cambridge with them for many years, and the service is first class. They deal with tenants in a very fair and supportive manner... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

we are pleased with the services of SAB in our first property by: i. Providing prompt response to all our queries ii. Ensuring our inetrests are protected during the transaction iii. Securing te... See more


Company details

  1. Money & Insurance

Written by the company

Saint Andrews Bureau Are the Leading Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Suffolk And London Property Specialists Since 1959.


Contact info

4.3

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

65 reviews

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1-star

Replied to 100% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 2 weeks

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Do not use this company

Do not use this company!
Horrible staff!
Rude letters demanding money!
Work not done!
Etc.
Beware! Avoid at all costs!
I am not using my real name and I certainly regrettably used your services!

September 7, 2021
Unprompted review
Saint Andrews Bureau logo

Reply from Saint Andrews Bureau

We have searched our database and can not find this name linked to our company. We would welcome the opportunity to deal with any complaint and request this is sent to us directly to investigate.

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

If there was a minus I would give it! Horrible SAB!!

If there was a minus I would give it.
The director is unreliable and misses AGM's
The lady in accounts is Liar and spreads rubbish.
They just take money for management and do nothing in return.
Promises broken.
Meetings missed
Work not done.
They really are the worst of the worst!
In short I do not recommend these guys! AVOID.

After seeing this reply below I can assure you this was not the case, I have lived at this abode for 23 years, and everyone complained about Sab but never voiced it to them directly hence I was the whipping boy!
As for turning up for every meeting, that is untrue and we still have accounts of when they didn't.The work they done was minimal and singling me out is slanderous and farcical.There were at least 2 others that also refused to pay up arrears on time due to them being a bad management company and to reiterate every one in the 9 flats moaned about SAB's services.
We are now with another managing company who has gone through our accounts and said SAB were unprofessional and did not manage our accounts properly and let us in a bad state on purpose when we parted company!
These guys are well known over Cambridgeshire for being a bad company and treating clients badly.
I will hold my hands up to verbal abuse to them as I was very unwell with mental health at the time but it was also justified to some extent with abusive and rude letters from them...the last thing this company will do is also admit they were also to blame for bad relations.
Why would I make up stuff? O have better things to do then lie!
As regards to protecting people identity?? Eh? They have already lied due to replying to and old client! Me!and my name is there for all to see....point proven lololololol..
The member of staff mentioned is 1 of the 3 directors...it's to show he can't be trusted to tu n up to meetings and AGMs....they also threatened us with saying who are we going to find cheaper for the price they manage for!? We were in the process of finding a better property management so ironic it is due to we were trying to get rid of them...we challenged them on matters and have used me as a Scapegoat...
They also gave out private and confidential information about my account arrears to other members of the flats which again SAB say they don't do! and they also said I was the only one that had fallen behind with my payments and they also said I refused to pay! Lol....the reason I found this funny is because there were 2 other flats that were behind with paying money but I know for fact at least 1 flat did actually refuse to pay due to lack of work done by SAB.
When ever they done the accounts, it was minimal and it was sparse and very unprofessional.
I have removed the members of staff names...aka director and accountant but I feel that SAB has broken confidential rules by basically implying me...yet again something they say they don't do lol..
Point proven!
All of the reviews seem to echo the same same theme about these Muppets.
Most of the replies start off the same old lies and BS from SAB lol..funny that...tbh, if people could be bothered there would be more negative reviews.
SAB also have a high turn over of staff...again, funny that...

September 6, 2021
Unprompted review
Saint Andrews Bureau logo

Reply from Saint Andrews Bureau

We take all reviews seriously and we accept responsibility when we fail to deliver, and we will always apologise where apologies are due. We can only reply to this review in a way that protects the privacy of all parties including the complainant which limits what we are able to say. Our Estate Management department managed a building related to this review and after receiving verbal abuse from one lease holder on a consistent basis we made the decision to cease our management. Our staff deserve to be treated with respect and should not be subjected to the abuse received. We received no complaints from other lease holders for this Estate, we attended every AGM that was arranged (at which other lease holders were present but the complainant in this case did not attend any). We went over and above what is required of a managing agent in that we continued to manage the building including necessary maintenance and health and safety matters leaving us with invoices from third party contractors we had instructed but often had no funds to pay these as a lease holder was in arrears. We deal with many buildings and many leaseholders of whom we have good relations. We accept we are not perfect, but we do uphold high standards. This reviewer does not recommend our services which we find ironic as it was our decision to cease managing the property which is something we do not take lightly as we do feel a duty of care to the other lease holders who treated us in a professional manner. We feel this is an unfair review not just of our company but extremely unfair to personally name members of staff in this way.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

All the poor reviews are exactly right!

All the poor reviews are exactly right!

Any tenant should steer well clear of this agency. My initial rent was reasonable, but then they aggressively increased rent every year.
The last rent increase was £225 per month which was negotiated down!

I was paying significant monthly rent and yet the furniture was of such poor quality, it broke very quickly. Looking up the exact make and model I could see the furniture was extremely, extremely cheap and clearly of a very poor quality. The poor quality furniture caused some superficial damage to the property which then SAB are now trying to charge us for in the exit inventory. We had to replace our bed because it broke and was unusable and we've been charged for this also.

Disgusting tenancy experience. They will try and charge as much as rent as they can possibly get away, then try and take your entire deposit.

August 27, 2021
Unprompted review
Saint Andrews Bureau logo

Reply from Saint Andrews Bureau

Firstly, we are always saddened and sorry to see a poor review. In this instance we would just like to remind everyone of our role as the agent. It is not our decision on a rental amount. We are instructed by our client; the landlord and we submit documents to tenants accordingly. A Section 13 notice is issued for a rent increase and this states the options available to a tenant should they not find the increase acceptable. These options include third party organisations who could advise and assist in what is considered to be an unfair rent increase situation. A landlord also chooses the furniture, or at least the funds to spend on furniture, and therefore the standard or quality is not our responsibility as an agent. If we fully manage a property, we will report any breakages to the landlord who will instruct us regarding repair or replacements. Following a checkout of a property at the end of the tenancy we provide a report to the landlord and any proposed charges a landlord wishes to make; we then propose to the tenants. We act as the agents in between in negotiations and should the tenant and landlord ultimately not agree on the deposit deductions, the tenants deposit is protected by legislation requiring it to be registered and protected therefore ensuring a third party adjudicator makes the final decisions. All deposit deductions go to the landlord or costs associated with the property and at no time are payments made to SAB as the agent. As agents we deal with rectification works, cleaning arrangements and deposit disputes which are time consuming and we receive no direct payment or recompense for our time so such situations are to our detriment, not our gain. Therefore, whilst we appreciate the frustration in this situation, we can assure everyone that we follow legislation and best practise guidance and this in turn provides tenants with protection from landlords who may be deemed to act unfairly. We hope this provides some clarification to our position as the agent.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10 years’ excellent service

We rented our house through SAB for 10 years before selling. Excellent service throughout. They used reliable, reasonable trades people for jobs needed. Property was almost never empty for over a week between tenants. Took a balanced view with tenants’ requests.

September 2, 2020
Unprompted review
Saint Andrews Bureau logo

Reply from Saint Andrews Bureau

We are glad to hear you were happy with the service provided over many years.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Pushed to complete early, left me homeless at Christmas, did not care

Initial experience of booking to view a let was good, then the dealing with the paperwork there were a few mistakes but dealt with well. It all fell apart just 4 days before handing over the keys, when I received an email informing me that my let had been cancelled because the previous client had not returned the keys. This email was sent at the end of the working day so I could not phone them back to ask what my options were, and left me essentially homeless as I had handed notice in on my current let as is normal. This is also the week before Christmas. I spent that night stressing out about how I was going to cope with the situation. My house move was all booked, utlities ready to be moved, standing orders for existing property cancelled and end of tenancy clean booked. A lot of this I had had to pay for up front as it is so close to Christmas.
The next day I was waiting at the office to speak to someone as to what I could do. The total lack of empathy was shocking, they did not care at all and didn't even offer to help me find something else. They even had the gall to point out that legally they did not have to do anything. So Happy Christmas to me, homeless through no fault of my own.
I have never had a problem renting before, I have never defaulted on a payment and never lost a penny off a deposit. Moving at Christmas is stressful enough and SAB pushed me to move before the end of my current tenancy, which given they must have known they had a problem with their existing client (she had gone none contact and the house was empty except for rubbish when I viewed it 5 weeks ago), to think they could turn it around in 4 days was unrealistic on their part.

December 18, 2019
Unprompted review
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