Jackson & Co Colchester reviews

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

STUDENTS AVOID - After viewing a property and paying the holding deposit (plus fees) on the same day, we were excited at the prospect of moving into our new flat. However, it wasn’t until 3 months later when the referencing was finally underway that we noticed the property number had been changed on our application from No.70 to No.58. It was only then we were then told that the property we signed and paid for was no longer available due to circumstances with the landlord (which now appear to have been a lie). We believe that if we had never flagged this up at this early stage in the process that we would have ended up receiving the keys on our moving in day for a property which we had never viewed. This bad experience with Jackson & Co prompted us to search online for similar cases and we are now aware that we were subject to a tactic used by some lettings agents commonly known as a ‘Bait and Switch’. After a long dispute process through The Property Ombudsman and about 11 months after our initial viewing, Jackson & Co returned our full deposit and fees plus compensation for the inconvenience they caused. If you want to avoid many months of poor service and being left in the dark about the property you have paid for then I would suggest looking at literally any other lettings agent in Colchester that wont take advantage of students and other potential buyers.NegativeQuality, Professionalism

Luke · 28 May 2020

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

“Thank you, Ms Sunni, for your incredible support with my property lending process. Your expertise, clear communication, and dedication made everything smooth and stress-free. I truly appreciate your professionalism and personalized guidance. Highly recommended!”

عبدالرحمن · 9 November 2024

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Jackson’s were amazing with what turned out to be a chain of problem after problem. They stuck with it till the end and kept us updated regularly. Thank you for all your help.

Melanie · 29 November 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Recently moved in to a two bedroom apartment from the Middle East ..had been coordinating with Ellie Cooper , thank you very much for the smooth transition.. keep up the good work !!

Vimal · 29 November 2022

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

As the last reviewer points out, Jackson & Co have attempted to hide all their reviews - these can now be found under Caelum Property - PLEASE READ. Back in July 2019, we took our complaint about Jackson & Co's unprofessional practices to The Property Ombudsman who have recently found in our favour, resulting in the return of our deposit in full plus a small amount of compensation. To cut a long story extremely short, two university students paid a deposit and fees to secure a rental property. Three months later they discovered that Jackson & Co had surreptitiously swapped the property that had been agreed upon for another property within the same block - one that they had neither expressed interest in nor ever viewed. Apparently, within the lettings trade this practice is known as ‘bait and switch’. When by pure chance the ruse was discovered (the different property address was on the referencing forms) they were told that the original property was no longer available because the landlord had withdrawn it due to his son having recently separated from his wife and needing somewhere to live. This was a LIE. The landlord's happily married son lives and works many miles away in the north of the country. The complaints procedure to get the holding deposit and fees returned took seven months from start to finish, was time consuming, stressful and certainly not something we would like to experience again. Although The Property Ombudsman handled the case courteously, the process is slow and arduous and in a best case scenario such as ours, results in the agent returning money that was never rightfully theirs in the first place. Probably wise not to put yourself in that potential situation. There are other property agents in Colchester. Avoid this one.

Cathy · 30 March 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

As the last reviewer points out, Jackson & Co have attempted to hide all their reviews - these can now be found under Caelum Property - PLEASE READ. Back in July 2019, we took our complaint about Jackson & Co's unprofessional practices to The Property Ombudsman who have recently found in our favour, resulting in the return of our deposit in full plus a small amount of compensation. To cut a long story extremely short, two university students paid a deposit and fees to secure a rental property. Three months later they discovered that Jackson & Co had surreptitiously swapped the property that had been agreed upon for another property within the same block - one that they had neither expressed interest in nor ever viewed. Apparently, within the lettings trade this practice is known as ‘bait and switch’. When by pure chance the ruse was discovered (the different property address was on the referencing forms) they were told that the original property was no longer available because the landlord had withdrawn it due to his son having recently separated from his wife and needing somewhere to live. This was a LIE. The landlord's happily married son lives and works many miles away in the north of the country. The complaints procedure to get the holding deposit and fees returned took seven months from start to finish, was time consuming, stressful and certainly not something we would like to experience again. Although The Property Ombudsman handled the case courteously, the process is slow and arduous and in a best case scenario such as ours, results in the agent returning money that was never rightfully theirs in the first place. Probably wise not to put yourself in that potential situation. There are other property agents in Colchester. Avoid this one.

Cathy · 26 February 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Look at all these awful 1* reviews - how proud they must be! PLEASE ALL STUDENTS heed the warnings you will read here and do not rent accommodation through Jackson & Co. Having heard horror stories about this company from Uni friends, I just felt the need to shout from the rooftops ‘BEWARE ALL STUDENTS, THIS COMPANY WILL DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH AND EMPTY YOUR WALLETS’. There are plenty of good lettings agents in Colchester, this is not one of them. Steer clear!

Amelia · 13 February 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Absolutely terrible, rude and incompetent people. We were renting a flat for a year and had all sorts of problems with them. Broken furniture and lights before us moving in. Bed replaced broke after 3 weeks. Had to go to the agency 4 times to get a working fob to get in the building. A couple of months before us moving out they realised they don't have a copy of our keys and cannot do an inspection, so asked to bring a copy and they would refund. Was lying that someone let them in previous inspections, though both of us would always be at work at those times. After bringing a copy of the keys they said that keys don't fit, and I can bring them back to Timpson's for refund. All ok, except they returned me a completely different set of keys that weren't event the same colour. They are just handing out the plant room key to whoever walks through their door and says that lives in a building. After moving out, it took 6 weeks for them to return our deposit and that is only after chasing over and over and over again. Not to talk about rudeness in the emails and random templates they send out without even thinking if they apply or not.

Ieva · 13 February 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Try to avoid this company at all costs. Probably one of the worst estate agents in the UK. They just take advantage of students without any support in return. I have been trying to claim my deposit back for the last three months but still haven't been able to talk to any of the agents. The DPS has also contacted them 3 times and haven't received a response. They try to avoid helping you by finding cheap excuses the whole time. Also during my tenancy the house did not have any blinds which is obviously the agency's responsibility to resolve. I reported the problem in October and kept calling on a weekly basis, i finally received the blinds mid-April. You might as well live on a bench rather than renting a house through them.

Andreas · 13 February 2020

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Absolutely terrible, rude and incompetent people. We were renting a flat for a year and had all sorts of problems with them. Broken furniture and lights before us moving in. Bed replaced broke after 3 weeks. Had to go to the agency 4 times to get a working fob to get in the building. A couple of months before us moving out they realised they don't have a copy of our keys and cannot do an inspection, so asked to bring a copy and they would refund. Was lying that someone let them in previous inspections, though both of us would always be at work at those times. After bringing a copy of the keys they said that keys don't fit, and I can bring them back to Timpson's for refund. All ok, except they returned me a completely different set of keys that weren't event the same colour. They are just handing out the plant room key to whoever walks through their door and says that lives in a building. After moving out, it took 6 weeks for them to return our deposit and that is only after chasing over and over and over again. Not to talk about rudeness in the emails and random templates they send out without even thinking if they apply or not.

Ieva · 4 December 2019

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Tom goes above and beyond what is required as an agent. Recommend Jackson and Co for buying and letting properties in Colchester and neighbouring areasPositiveResponsiveness, Professionalism

Caroline · 13 July 2021

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Unprofessional and impolite, stay away from them

Κωνσταντίνος · 20 September 2025

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

No rental deposit return nor written explanation as to why after 8 weeks of moving out. Unanswered emails, phone messages not returned. Can only think that students are being taken advantage off.

Wilma · 30 October 2022

★★★★★ 2/5

Google

I don't usually post negative reviews but felt that I should warn customers of Jackson & Co (Colchester) in advance that they WILL take a significant chunk of your deposit when you leave. We were charged more than £100 cleaning fee after leaving the place spotless and in better conditon than we found it. Be prepared to lose at least £100 of your deposit, and be prepared to not receive what is left of it for at least a couple of months!

Ryan · 5 June 2019

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Used this agency for renting a place and to say that the agency is very unprofessional is an understatement.One month on from moving in and fromthe experience I have had and continuing to have from them..its safe to say that this is not a rant but rather a very concerned client who is flabbergasted by the ignorant and totally unconcerned attitude the agency has been showing to its customers. The flat I moved into didnt even have a basic cleaning done and the shower drain was broken(it smelled of mould and stagnant!!).The house was unfit for occupation for more than a week and I had to find alternate place till it was sorted. ZThey don't respond to emails, extremely bad i communication. Brett from the agency is probably the only one who even listens to what you are saying (on that account difficult to get through as well🙄) .The plot twist is that the landlord was also shocked to see the way the flat was being maintained by them.Only now I have noticed all the reviews by distraught clients and can see how true they are about the agency.I am a doctor who works crazy hours and it was soo important for me to get all the issues resolved when I am available(had to take few days off work jus to see something was being done about the flat) and they really have been very unprofessional with me .I am more than happy to add the photos of the state I found my flat in and also the state it was given to me after the so called deep cleaning(which was also actually not true as I had to get professional cleaners to do it again immediately after and the agency folks are robotically programmed to answer in the defensive and deny any shortcomings when pointed out.More like a child who wants to believe something which is obviously not true!!).The only thing they are good at is making sure payments are made.I would sincerely advice people to really crosscheck before you do any business with them. P.S-watch this column for more updates .

Arshiya · 4 May 2019

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

AVOID AT ALL COSTS IF YOU ARE A TENANT. Please read if a current or prospective tenant as it will help protect you. This company are the embodiment of malpractice and devoid of professionalism. After 3 months of trying to get a deposit back, which they refused with no supporting evidence, I submitted a claim to Arbitration for it to be reviewed independently. They probably weren't expecting my arbitration submission to be an and in depth evidence based report highlighting gross negligence and evidence of fraud over a period of months. Once received, the normal hostile tone was dropped and a fake friendly team member phoned up and pretended nothing had happened and offered the deposit back on the grounds that we cancelled our arbitration case. They caved because they were wrong and they tried to bully us into giving up our deposit just they can make a quick buck. They are unethical. Log all your emails, take pictures of everything and don't be scared to take these unprofessional liars to arbitration. If you have the evidence, don't let them bully you.

Charles · 31 March 2019

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Used this agency for renting a place and to say that the agency is very unprofessional is an understatement.One month on from moving in and fromthe experience I have had and continuing to have from them..its safe to say that this is not a rant but rather a very concerned client who is flabbergasted by the ignorant and totally unconcerned attitude the agency has been showing to its customers. The flat I moved into didnt even have a basic cleaning done and the shower drain was broken(it smelled of mould and stagnant!!).The house was unfit for occupation for more than a week and I had to find alternate place till it was sorted. ZThey don't respond to emails, extremely bad i communication. Brett from the agency is probably the only one who even listens to what you are saying (on that account difficult to get through as well🙄) .The plot twist is that the landlord was also shocked to see the way the flat was being maintained by them.Only now I have noticed all the reviews by distraught clients and can see how true they are about the agency.I am a doctor who works crazy hours and it was soo important for me to get all the issues resolved when I am available(had to take few days off work jus to see something was being done about the flat) and they really have been very unprofessional with me .I am more than happy to add the photos of the state I found my flat in and also the state it was given to me after the so called deep cleaning(which was also actually not true as I had to get professional cleaners to do it again immediately after and the agency folks are robotically programmed to answer in the defensive and deny any shortcomings when pointed out.More like a child who wants to believe something which is obviously not true!!).The only thing they are good at is making sure payments are made.I would sincerely advice people to really crosscheck before you do any business with them. P.S-watch this column for more updates .

Arshiya · 31 March 2019

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

Changed review after moving in, they ask you to rate them 5 stars as soon as possible which is sketchy as is. Half the furniture in the flat is knackered and they've avoided all our emails, terrible service, unprofessional and do not care about tenants.

George · 20 March 2024

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

AVOID AT ALL COSTS IF YOU ARE A TENANT. Please read if a current or prospective tenant as it will help protect you. This company are the embodiment of malpractice and devoid of professionalism. After 3 months of trying to get a deposit back, which they refused with no supporting evidence, I submitted a claim to Arbitration for it to be reviewed independently. They probably weren't expecting my arbitration submission to be an and in depth evidence based report highlighting gross negligence and evidence of fraud over a period of months. Once received, the normal hostile tone was dropped and a fake friendly team member phoned up and pretended nothing had happened and offered the deposit back on the grounds that we cancelled our arbitration case. They caved because they were wrong and they tried to bully us into giving up our deposit just they can make a quick buck. They are unethical. Log all your emails, take pictures of everything and don't be scared to take these unprofessional liars to arbitration. If you have the evidence, don't let them bully you.

Charles · 13 February 2019

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

I would like to rate this agency as 0 stars. What a pathetic excuse for an estate agent. Approx 2 months after moving in, we get a phone call stating we were in rent arrears which was impossible as we had set up a direct debit, we go down to the office who demand that we pay the final months rent up front so that we're never in arrears, stating there was a mistake with our account....made no sense whatsoever but not wanting to rock the boat, we coughed up on the spot, £1250, no apology from them but we paid. No communication whatsoever throughout our stay, 3 months prior to moving out, I reminded them that we had already paid the final months rent, knowing theyd get confused, I get a call stating that they hadnt received our rent, they were arguing down the phone that we owed them rent, I spent the next hour writing a lengthy email attaching all receipts for rent we had paid, including the random one they demanded from us, I then hear nothing until before moving out date, no apology stating that our account was clear. They then proceed to slap on charges cleaning fee's etc despite the place being immaculate, luckily we got the landlord to drop the charges, he wasn't even informed we were moving out until 1 month before move out date! steer clear whatever you do.

Andreea · 13 February 2019

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX STUDENTS STAY AWAY FROM JACKSON & CO. The university should BLACKLIST them for how horribly they treat students. THE WORST ESTATE AGENTS IN COLCHESTER, filled with unprofessional people and LIARS- THEY WILL LIE TO YOU ABOUT WHAT PAYMENTS NEED TO BE MADE BEFORE MOVING IN. THE ACCOUNTS TEAM IS RUBBISH AND DO NOT COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER; They are completely unprofessional, not to mention names but certain people have harassed my housemates and I countless times. The accounts team has also managed to lose track of some of the money that was paid by us, not to mentioned some of the documents went missing too. THEY WILL SAY ANYTHING TO YOU TO CLOSE THE SALE AND DENY EVER SAYING IT. They will lie to landlords saying that you are not willing to pay rent even if you have made prior arrangements with them for late payment (as a uni student some circumstances are out of your control), they will HARASS you and TURN THE LANDLORD AGAINST YOU WITH THEIR LIES AND DECEITFUL BEHAVIOUR. Getting your deposit back is going to be difficult too. I wouldn't waste my time with them. I am going to make a formal complaint about their company for the lies and mis-selling that is taking place in their business.

Daisy · 13 February 2019

★★★★★ 2/5

Google

I don't usually post negative reviews but felt that I should warn customers of Jackson & Co (Colchester) in advance that they WILL take a significant chunk of your deposit when you leave. We were charged more than £100 cleaning fee after leaving the place spotless and in better conditon than we found it. Be prepared to lose at least £100 of your deposit, and be prepared to not receive what is left of it for at least a couple of months!

Ry · 29 November 2018

★★★★★ 1/5

Google

if i could give them minus stars i would.. we moved out in june and after months and months of attempting to get our deposit back, jacksons insisted we did not deserve it and pushed us to give in. We went through the DPS and eventually jacksons got to keep £30 out of £1300 for some light bulbs. Even if you have solid evidence they will try to ruin you for every little penny. If you are a student or care about your money at all do not bother using them. The staff are unprofessional and will continue to feed you lies until you give up.

Lauren · 14 July 2018

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

I have recently sold with Jackson & Co, Debbie, Emma & Kitty have been excellent throughout, they are always polite, helpful, cheerful and engaging.

PATRICK · 4 June 2021