Every review we hold for the Durham office, from every platform, shown as written. First names only.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI would absolutely recommend Ben Charles to anyone. I am new to the area and needed to have a property secured in a fairly short time frame. Other estate agents wasted my time showing me around properties that were unsuitable and informed me there was 'no way' I could move in on my desired date. Ben Charles however took it in their stride, found me a wonderful property in a lovely area and turned around inventory checks, house cleans, a gardener and oven clean all in time for me to collect my keys! They have a wonderful team who are quick to respond to all queries and worries. Having met Ben in person it is clear he takes a real pride in his work and will go the extra mile to ensure you are in a property that is suitable. Thank you to the whole team!
Anna · 11 June 2020
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleBen Waldram has the skill and experience to perfectly match a property to their client. ‘I think we have something you might like’ were his words, and he was absolutely correct. Once my decision was made, Emma and her office team ensured that the whole process proceeded quickly and efficiently, whilst providing me with professional guidance in a straightforward manner, along the way. I am so happy in my new home - and could not recommend Ben Charles more highly.
Gary · 11 June 2020
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI can't speak highly enough of Ben Charles. I have let with them for the last four years and they have been a pleasure to work with. From my first contact with Ben when he came to look round my property to my regular dealings with Nigel, Gill and Allyson in the office, everyone has been friendly and super helpful. There have been a couple of tricky moments over the years (absolutely not their fault), but Ben and the team have remained calm and patient and have sorted things out to my total satisfaction. They were recommended to me by a happy customer and I have recommended them to a friend, who is now also using them. If you are looking to let in the Durham area, to my mind you really could not do better than Ben Charles and I would use them again in a heartbeat.
Jan · 11 June 2020
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleRenters beware! Ben Charles will attempt to deduct money from your deposit when you leave!
Ben Charles attempted to charge me for 13 hours cleaning and a broken table but just so happened to pick the wrong guy to scam!
I spent the day on my hands and knees cleaning the apartment and luckily took many photos on vacating to prove I left the place in an immaculately clean condition. However, you can imagine my dismay when I was told there were cleaning issues! It took a month to dispute dust in the corners of skirting and on door panels, I have attached a photo to show you the level of scrutiny you will encounter. The property was vacant for a month after I moved out before the report was done! Yes, dust will naturally settle in a vacant property over a month...
More intriguing was the broken table. Left in perfect condition on vacating. A month later in the check out it was found broken. As the cleaning was done after the check out report, the only person to visit the property was most likely the Ben Charles agent... a bit fishy! Fortunately I had a photo of this too to prove it wasn't me!
The agent could not justify any of the cleaning costs with receipts nor was the check out report a reliable comparison to the check in report.
If you're due to vacate, make sure you take photos of absolutely everything and ask for receipts against any expenses they claim! Ensure your check in report itemises cleanliness and condition as two separate things and be prepared to open a formal dispute. If you cover yourself you will get all your money back like I did. Good luck!!
Gareth · 12 June 2019
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleHad Ben for a viewing today. Was told ‘I’m not a surveyor’ and ‘I work for the client (seller)’ when I flagged up issues with the property including obvious damp. I’m no surveyor either but I’m also no idiot and when I see clear issues with a property like any lay person would, I expect the people selling the property to know about them and be honest about them. Buyers are not idiots. But then you do only work for the seller or so it seems.
AM · 12 June 2019
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleMy girlfriend and I live in Berkshire, and we are looking to relocate to Durham as I have been offered a position in the area. We viewed several houses in a short space of time to safe making multiple trips, and by far the stand out agent we met was the lovely Emma at Ben Charles. She was enthusiastic, honest, and very forthcoming with information about the local area. Her advice w.r.t the area was eye opening, and helped us focus our attention to the properties we were really interested in. Based on my experience, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her services to anybody looking to move to Durham.
James · 12 June 2019
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleI actually wish I could review with no stars but it won't allow me to do it.rent a house through Ben Charles THINK TWICE.they love to rent you a house and take the bond money all nicey nicey and when you give them notice that you won't be renewing your lease at the end of your agreement they think they can just show potential new tenants around the property while all of your personal belongings are in the property still regardless of wether you are in or not because they have keys.you would have more privacy renting a hotel room than renting a house through Ben charles.the return of your bond money is also a sore point because it could take up to two weeks for them to return your bond money and sort out any issues that need doing yet they can move new tenants in two days after your contract has ceased and the final inspection was done??? Work that one out.the house was left 100% cleaner than it was when the contract started.disgusted is an understatement.male staff very arrogant especially with young tenants who they probably think they can intimidate but unfortunately these young tenants wouldnt be intimidated.
Wendy · 12 June 2018
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleAbsolutely lovely rental property but staggered by the unprofessional service we received from this company nearing the end of our tenancy. Ben Charles employees entered our rental property twice outside of the final 28 days of our tenancy, without us knowing and without giving us the legal 24 hours notice. They then sent their final rental invoice to the wrong email address, (we had been renting from them for 12 months!) and also returned our deposit, before checking we had paid the amount owing on the final rental invoice! A massive lack of communication from staff in general with emails not being replied to and emails being sent to us as the 'prospective tenants' after our tenancy had ended.
H · 12 June 2018
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleWhat's not to like? Excellent professional and friendly service provided by the whole Ben Charles team. We purchased a flat through Ben Charles eight years ago which was a very smooth stress free process managed by Emma with Rachael and Ben providing excellent financial services. Nigel, Gill and Alison on the letting side have efficiently found tenants for our properties on a number of occasions each time the process has been smooth and slick. Rachael has arranged Mortgages and renewed mortgage deals and arranged house insurance many times to our complete delight. They also make great coffee. We wouldn't go anywhere else for property services.
Les · 12 June 2018
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleVery pleasant staff who seem to know what they're doing.
Sue · 14 April 2024
Agent replied · 11 June 2024
Hi Sue, thank you for the positive review and comment. It is great to hear that we have delivered an excellent level of service. Regards, Ben.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleThe biggest rip off ever they just Rob you of your money for nothing in return approach with caution not to be trusted...
Dale · 11 June 2023
Agent replied · 11 June 2024
Good Morning Dale, I have reviewed our records from the previous 5 years and I cannot find any records of having interacted with you as a client. Is it possible that you may have been involved as a third party or registered under a different name? Please can you contact me directly (01913830011) so that we can discuss and hopefully resolve any issue you may have. I look forward to hearing from you. Ben Waldram
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleThe team have always been very professional and quick to respond to any emails. Ben is incredibly knowledgeable and has been a huge help over the years; brilliant service and very professional!
Kristian · 11 June 2022
Agent replied · 11 June 2024
Hi Kristian. Really appreciate the positive review. I look forward to working with you over the coming months and years!! Regards Ben.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleGreat service from start to finish. All the staff have been very helpful and very informative. Would highly recommend.
Simon · 15 August 2023
Agent replied · 11 June 2024
Hi Simon. Thank you for taking the time to leave such a positive review, very much appreciate the feedback. Enjoy your new home! Ben.
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleI experienced a worst service from them..
Gowtham · 2 May 2024
Agent replied · 11 June 2024
Dear Sir, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. I have revisited our records from August 2023 and note that you applied for a rental property that we were advertising. Unfortunately the referencing process uncovered that you had … More
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI found Ben Charles to be an excellent letting agent, very professional. I haven't one single grumble over the 5 years in which I rented my house from them. Lovely and very helpful staff and any odd repairs were done in a timely manner. After the final inspection, I had my deposit returned to me within a week. I would whole heartedly recommend them. I was very sorry to leave the house and Ben Charles.
Helen · 12 June 2019
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleWe used Ben Charles as both tenants and landlords, they were always very professional, fair and friendly!
Alex · 11 June 2023
Agent replied · 11 June 2024
Hi Alex - Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review. I will pass your positive comments on to the lettings team.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleA great estate agent, an extremely efficient service from a dedicated and friendly staff team.
Scott · 11 June 2023
Agent replied · 11 June 2024
Hi Scott, Thank you for the 5* review and testimonial. I will pass on your positive comments to the team. Very best of luck with the great work you do at Addictions NE. Ben.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI currently work for a lettings agent in Birmingham and Ben Charles have been our local partner agent for the last couple of years looking after several developments for us. The whole team are extremely helpful and professional and always go out of their way to help. Our main contacts are Ben, Nigel and Emma and they are amazing and offer a 1st class service consistently.
Darren · 12 June 2019
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleI agree, I assumed it was from when google asked me it was from our interactions in 2019 where you showed us round a number of houses.
Daniel · 11 June 2021
Agent replied · 11 June 2024
Hi Daniel. Thank you for taking the time to post a review. I note from our records that we have not interacted in person for quite some time. If you get five spare minutes please could you call us on 01913830011 to get some feedback as to how we could improve to a 5* rating. I look forward to hopefully hearing from you shortly. Best wishes, Ben.
★★★★★ 4/5
GoogleUsed Ben Charles to rent for around 3 years as a tenant and found them to be professional and easy to work with particularly keen to express that both pippa, Emma and Ben have on occasion gone above and beyond to make sure things are done e.g works etc
I have now left Ben Charles but I will definitely consider using them again
Rebecca · 11 June 2020
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleAll the staff at Ben Charles estate agents are extremely professional. They ensure all queries are dealt with quickly and efficiently. I would highly recommend them.
Alex · 11 June 2021
Agent replied · 11 June 2024
Hi Mr Oliver - Thanks for the positive comments. We look forward to working with you for many years to come! Ben.
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleHad the pleasure of dealing with Ben and his colleagues whilst renting a house, unfortunately it came to an end when I could no longer afford it due to personal reasons, they explained to me the route we would take and guided me through it the whole way, they were amazing until the very end. Would recommend them to anyone.
Katie · 11 June 2020
★★★★★ 5/5
GoogleWe had a great experience with BenCharles and I'd happily recommend them for both our house sale and our purchase, which was a complicated affair requiring a lot of expertise and patience. Thankfully these guys were on hand to walk us through. I've not had this level of service from any other agent, and i've used a few of them in my time.
Rod · 12 June 2018
★★★★★ 1/5
GoogleDisappointing experience.
Shahzad · 15 August 2023
Agent replied · 11 June 2024
Hi Dr Azam - It is disappointing that you have chosen to leave a negative review. We conducted multiple viewings on the rental property in question on Saturday 29th July (pm) and received notifications of interest from four interested parties. The details of each interested party were immediately submitted to the landlords for a final decision. The landlords provided us with their decision on Monday 31st July (pm). Unfortunately you were not the preferred applicant. We advised you / your housemate on a number of occasions how the process works, including the next steps, and that we were awaiting the landlords final decision prior to being able to notify all parties. We notified all parties immediately we had a response. The timescale from viewing to decision is absolutely reasonable in this instance. I have reviewed the records and would say that Emma and Alison have both acted extremely efficiently throughout this process and we certainly do not accept that your negative review is reflective of the service you have received. You were not successful on this occasion BUT the process was carried out efficiently. I am sure that you experience unreasonable expectations within your chosen field of employment and can therefore fully understand the need for me to provide a detailed and considered response to your review.
Best Regards. Ben.
Where the same review appears twice we show it once. We leave out reviews that name another agent or another of the brand's offices.
