The Cumberland Estate Agents has a formal complaints procedure, which is explained on this page.
As a Cumberland customer, you expect a first class service from us, and we aim to provide it. We have high standards, but if you believe we have made a mistake, please get in touch with us as soon as possible and we will do everything we can to put it right.
We are also subject to the rules of the Ombudsman for Estate Agents. In general terms this gives customers who are unable to resolve a complaint against us the right to have this reviewed by an independent person – the Ombudsman.
We hope that our complaints procedure will resolve any complaint without the need for you to contact the Ombudsman Service. Please note that the Ombudsman will not investigate your complaint before you have completed our complaints procedure, and received a letter from us giving our final response.
This page shows the steps in our complaints procedure. At every stage we promise to listen, to do everything we can to resolve your problem and to make sure you're happy with the way we do it.
...our complaints procedure
1. If you have a problem relating to Cumberland Estate Agents, please discuss this with one of our branch staff. Our aim is to deal with your problem sympathetically, fairly and quickly.
2. If you feel that the matter is not being resolved to your satisfaction, please ask to speak to the Manager of the Branch dealing with your enquiry. The Manager will try to resolve the matter on the day you raise your complaint, although whether this is possible will, of course, depend on the nature of the complaint.
3. If the response by our Branch Manager does not resolve the matter to your satisfaction, you can ask the Manager to refer the complaint to our Managing Director, alternatively you can write to him:
- Mr N Elgey, Managing Director, Cumberland Estate Agents Ltd, 40 Fisher Street, Carlisle, CA3 8RX.
A letter of acknowledgement will be sent to you within 3 working days. It will also:
- Set out our understanding of your complaint, and
- State when we will be able to reply in greater detail
You may also be asked for additional information if this is required to assist resolving the matter. A formal written outcome of this investigation will be sent to you within 21 days.
4. If your problem has still not been resolved by the Managing Director, please write to:
- Mr J Leveson, Chairman, Cumberland Estate Agents Ltd, Cumberland House, Castle Street, Carlisle, CA3 8RX.
Your letter should state why you are still dissatisfied and what further action you wish Cumberland Estate Agents to take to fully resolve your complaint. The Chairman will fully investigate your complaint as quickly as possible.
In all but exceptional cases, by the end of eight weeks following receipt of your complaint, Cumberland Estate Agents will have given you its final response by letter. This will be accompanied by the Ombudsman for Estate Agents Consumer Guide.
5. If you are still not satisfied with the steps taken by Cumberland Estate Agents, you can write to:
- Ombudsman for Estate Agents, Beckett House, 4 Bridge Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2LX (Telephone: (01722) 333306 or e-mail: admin@oea.co.uk).
6. The Ombudsman for Estate Agents will consider your complaint, taking in to account any points made by you and Cumberland Estate Agents. The Ombudsman may, however, refuse to investigate a complaint where your issue refers to something that happened more than 12 months before you complained in writing to the Member Agency, or you referred your complaint to the Ombudsman more than six months after you received the Member Agency’s final offer of settlement or answer.
7. The Ombudsman’s Office may try to settle the dispute by agreement between you and Cumberland Estate Agents. If this is unsuccessful, the Ombudsman will consider all the relevant factors and make a decision according to what he believes to be fair in all the circumstances.
8. The Ombudsman will send his decision to you and Cumberland Estate Agents. You can accept or reject his decision. If you reject the Ombudsman's decision, it will lapse and you are free to do as you wish. If you wish to take legal action, you can do so. Your legal rights will not have been affected by the Ombudsman's decision.
