Darlows Pontypridd reviews

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

Special thanks

The appallingly stressful Lettrak system would have put us off Darlows forever if it hadn't been for kind, patient and efficient Emma Wilson of Lettings holding our hands through the process. After moving into our rental property, we experienced a period of frustration with a seemingly inaccessible Property Management team. Then Sophie Peake appeared on our horizon and things looked up at once. She was helpful, efficient and reliable; such a relief. Just recently we have been in the kind and very capable hands of Lauren Kierle who not only sorts out any problems efficiently and, importantly, follows up promptly but also goes above and beyond. For example, our Landlord recently had work done on this property. Even though this wasn't within the scope of Darlows' management, Lauren was extremely helpful in liaising with our Landlord when we had concerns during the process. Her cheerful and willing assistance really helped to ease our anxieties at a difficult time. We are really grateful to her and congratulate the Albany Road staff for being a five star team.

Mike · 29 September 2022

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Worst Service

My entire process for a rental property in Cardiff was done in early August and we were waiting to sign the contract and get the keys for our move on the 29th of September. Got a call from so called manager to tell us that the landlord will not move out from the property till November and asked us to check another property which we did apparently our move-in date did not suit the landlord and Darlow's Albany branch did not even update or negotiate with us on that. Well, I am chasing them for more than a week now to get my holding deposit back. They want us to pay the holding deposit soon to secure the property and now if the property is not for us then not ready to return it back. It is either the call gets transferred to other branches or other departments and the concerned people are not contacting me. I would rather give the star in minus if there was an option.

Preethi · 10 September 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

My wife & myself viewed a house in the Pontypridd area with Jennifer Roberts Very friendly, knowledgeable and overall great experience…put an offer in on the house which wasn’t to be but from the moment of the viewing the communication back and forth from Jennifer was top class! Credit to Darlows and wouldn’t hesitate to use Darlows in the future

Rhys · 17 March 2024

★★★★★ 4/5

Google

I viewed the property at Mountain Ash Road Abercynon today 12th Oct 2021. Charlotte met us at the property. Previously she had called to confirm the viewing was going ahead. We were able to take our time in the property. This assisted me as I needed to assess the dimensions of each room. As the furniture had been left in the property, it made it easier to assess " space awareness". Charlotte allowed us time to walk through including the paved area at rear of property. She was well prepared, took notes as I raised certain points. I requested she find out answers from the vendor to certain questions I had. Charlotte was able to call me by late afternoon with those responses. Again very efficient & professioanl. This is the 2nd property Charlotte has shown me. She is a credit to her employer.PositiveResponsiveness, Professionalism, Value

Joel · 27 August 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Jackie Morgan was fantastic she kept in touch with us through the whole process of buying our new home. She Helped us with the things we needed to do to buy the house. Charlotte shaddick was lovely she showed us around a few houses was very patient and kind we brought the kids with us also to have a look around and she was very nice to the them too answered any questions they had as well. Highly recommended.PositiveResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism

Emma · 27 August 2022

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Be Advised….

Obviously, I am in the minority category here with my 1* review, but I would like to share my experience with some of the staff based in the Pontypridd branch and Darlows/Spicerhaart as a whole. Although lengthy, please take the time to read it.If my negative experience helps just one person, my time is not wasted.All started very well when I marketed my property with Darlows, the valuation etc was carried out by Diane Rumble. Shortly after this, I was asked to submit a review, naturally, I gave a 5* review, as up to this point all was in order.Diane was very personable putting me at ease, having never sold a property before, it can be a little daunting. Most of the information I needed was provided with exception of their fees. Subsequently, I emailed the branch for this information and was told 1.25% there was no mention that vat was to be added.I proceeded on this basis.When Diane attended on the second occasion to take photographs, at my request, she brought literature with her as I had mislaid what had been previously sent to me.I needed to show evidence of my identity by way of a driving licence, household bills etc. This was duly noted on the paperwork which Diane had brought. I was then asked to confirm these documents with my signature.Whilst this was partially true, what I was actually signing was the contract/agreement. I duly signed where indicated in the belief that I was confirming the validity of the documents because, that is what I was told!I fully accept this was my mistake but Diane had gained my trust and I believed what she told me. Had she told me I was signing a contract, I would have taken time to read it throughly. It was all about the wording she had used that caused my confusion.I cannot categorically say she misled me, however, she was not clear.Having signed this contract/agreement, what followed next was out of my control and the actual crux of the matter in relation to this review.I only had 1 viewing of my property which I left in the hands of Gayle Chapman, and upon my return approximately 20 minutes later, the viewing had concluded.There were 3 males present, 2 of which walked back to their vehicle. The remaining male was stood in my front garden whilst Gayle was stood at the gate entrance. He didn’t appear to be in any particular rush to leave, consequently, I offered my thanks to Gayle and closed my front door in the hope he would leave.I was in the process of removing my outside footwear when I heard a loud rattling sound. I was outside within seconds to find the male violently shaking my drainpipe. He told me it was broke and could get it fixed for me, I found this very strange.Unfortunately, due to child care commitments I had to rush off, however, I emailed Gayle approximately 30 minutes later to complain that she had watched this happen.Long story short, this individual alleged that he was trying to fix my pipe which was damaged.Not only do I dispute this allegation as I had not experienced any visible leakage of water from this pipe, even if what he says was true, he had absolutely no authority to attempt any repairs without my consent. Furthermore, the viewing agent made no attempt to stop him!The cost of this repair was £40 which I requested was reimbursed by Darlows.After many weeks of emailing Senior Staff at Spicerhaart, and issuing a small claims in Court, this is my warning.Contained in the small print of their agreement is a clause which states that - Darlows are not liable for the actions of any persons they bring to your property! Therefore, if anything is broken or damaged they are absolved of any and all responsibility!Furthermore, expect them to close ranks and in my case, “prepare to go on record” that they told you something they definitely did not.For example, had I been told the true costs of their fees in my home why on earth would I need to email for this information as explained earlier.In addition, although the viewing agent was stood a few feet away, she denies hearing the conversation between myself and the male, who I allege, either caused or made a minor fault far worse.I could have evidenced everything I have stated in this review as all emails were retained. Unfortunately, Courts deal in facts, and the fact of the matter is, I signed this agreement all be it, that was my bad judgement.It must be remembered, estate agents are salespeople at the end of the day, they can appear to be friendly, trustworthy, and have your best interests at heart…Sorry not in my case, they caused me stress, upset, and left me with a financial loss.What I cannot tolerate is lies, I know they lied and they know they lied!Ongoing case with the Property Ombudsman so 🤞I can get some redress.

Jan · 18 August 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

We had the most welcoming and accommodating experience as potential buyers with Jennifer. We travelled up to the area from Birmingham and even though we were running (very) late, Jennifer still made sure to do our appt as planned, share her expertise and knowledge of the area. Jennifer followed up with our queries to the vendor really promptly. Thank you for a really welcoming experience. If Carlsberg made estate agents….

Alexander · 16 June 2023

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Beyond disappointing from start to finish (and afterwards)

My experience with Darlows Albany Road has been anything but good. My property was listed with them for around 12 months. They failed to give feedback on any viewings that took place at my property, and when asked about said feedback, I was told that the folder on my property was empty. Staff left my front door unlocked on 3 occasions, and when challenged on this, I was told that this wasn't the case. Tim, the branch Manager, is unable to use the 'Reply All' function on emails it seems, that is if he is capable of replying to an email at all. I was incredibly patient with the sale of my property, having had sales fall through twice, and when the sale was finally ready to go through, information on exchange and completion dates was not shared with me, leading to months of waiting, and financial outlays that I could barely afford.I would not recommend Darlows to anyone, and their 'after care' once I had made a formal complaint has been laughable.

Richard · 17 September 2024

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Gail telephoned me this morning with a number of properties to view what I liked was Gail was really friendly so made you feel at ease as looking for properties to purchase is very stressful especially at this time with the market so good Gail was very easy to talk to and she understood what I was looking for so well done Gail here hoping more estate agents are like you friendly and helpful when you need it thank you suePositiveResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism

Susan · 16 June 2022

★★★★★ 4/5

Google

We've dealt with Kayleigh from the beginning of our new home journey. Kayleigh has always been quick to respond and book in viewings for us. We asked for multiple viewings on the property which were promptly arranged. Kayleigh even took the time to arrange a meeting at the property with the vendor as she knew I was interested in purchasing some of the furniture. We can't wait to see the rest of the process through and get the keys to our dream home.

Emily · 16 June 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

I dealt with Kayleigh when viewing houses, and she was really informative of all the properties and gave good honest advice on each of them. She listened to what I needed, and then managed to get a viewing on a property I hadn't viewed online. We got there, and it was perfect. I'm now buying that property after Kayleigh took the time to check if a viewing was available that afternoon as I'd travelled up to view houses. Couldn't ask for better service and people. Really great experience.PositiveResponsiveness, Quality, Professionalism

Lawrence · 16 June 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Jennifer was a charming young lady who carried out her duties both professionally, with dignity and empathy. From the start she disarmed any anxieties we had and gave us assurance that all would go well. She was always on site at least 15 minutes previous to the viewing to chat about any issues which may have arisen since we last saw her. Her notes that she worked from were both accurate and enlightening and she never baulked from approaching us if there was any query she didn't have the answer to. Throughout we felt confident of a sale in her hands. I would also like tomention that she was well supported by Diane.

Glyn · 16 June 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Gayle has been with me for over a year searching for houses and coming to house viewings. Because of COVID it was more difficult for me to find a house in my price range so I had to increase my deposit and the house price I was looking at. Gayle would keep in touch sending me houses and calling me until one day we found it. Gayle has been very easy to talk too and uses her honesty to ensure I am up to date with everything. Since buying the property from you she has been in contact and the rest of the team have to ensure I am fully in the loop. I pick my keys up Monday to my dream home and this is the fresh start I need on my own as I have recently split up from partner and lost my dog of 11 years. So this is truly a dream come true. Thank you Gayle.

Amy · 16 June 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

I am a first time house buyer and Darlows have made the entire experience a breeze. Diane Rumble was my initial contact who was extremely friendly and helpful in setting up property viewings and putting me in touch with their Mortgage Adviser Joe at Just Mortgages who has also been extremely helpful and who's advise got the process rolling immediately and without confusion. Upon viewing our desired property we met Gayle Chapman who was again extremely friendly, informative and let us view the property without distraction or salesman-like tactics. When we put in the offer she immediately contacted the seller and got our offer approved. Since then I have had contact and updates on where the process stands at all times from Jacqueline Morgan, who has always kept me in the loop and been there to help the process move forward swiftly. My experience with Darlows and their staff has been great and I'd recommend them to anyone thinking of buying or selling their house. Chris

Chris · 16 June 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Myself and my partner have just started the process of buying our first home together with Darlows and our experience so far has been great. Jennifer Roberts carried out our first viewing on the property we are purchasing and was very polite and friendly and was a great help in giving us information on the property and the surrounding area which we were not 100% familiar with at the time. All correspondence with Jennifer so far have been efficient, well mannered and friendly which just really puts us at ease when going through the house buying process for the first time and it all being very new to us. Our overall experience with Darlows so far has been very good and look forward completing the process with Jennifer and the team and the Pontypridd branch.

Vicki · 16 June 2022

★★★★★ 4/5

Trustpilot

Decent Experience

Rented in Cardiff. Viewings were professional and support was great. Didn't have any problems during tenancy. However, after almost a year, we were informed that the landlord wished to stop renting out the property and we would have to vacate by the end of tenancy. Enough notice was given so this was fine. We were then informed that we could go into a rolling contract so there wasn't much rush to move out, this was good news. Later on, we were told we had to vacate by end of tenancy, very back and forth now and pressure to find somewhere was higher. I believe the issue was down to lack of communication within Darlows.Thankfully we found a place by the end of tenancy and vacated, only to be told the rolling contract was still an option... Overall, decent experience, just wasn't great to be told different things at the end. Unnecessary stress!

Sam · 14 June 2022

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

As a First Time Buyer i had heard of many nightmares of the buying process so was apprehensive. I have to say that Darlows Pontypridd, and in particular Jackie Morgan, have been great. Jackie called regularly to keep me up to date and kept me calm at a point when the seller was thinking of backing out. I will definitely use them again given the chance to do so.

Steve · 16 June 2023

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

A great experience selling with Jackie. Jackie helped explain certain things I struggled to understand and was very good at communicating what stages we were at and what was next to expect / come regarding the sale. Would highly recommend Darlows and would recommend Jackie personally from my experiences.

Lee · 12 August 2024

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

Getting a viewing was really simple, they were able to accommodate my working hours, and we're very understanding. Also, the buying process so far has been smooth. Jennifer has been a star throughout the process, fair play.

Amy · 16 January 2025

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

I would highly recommend using Darlows for the selling of a property. The whole team were extremely professional from the beginning. Answering calls, returning calls and dealing with other queries and aspects of the selling and purchasing process. A very big thanks to Miss J Roberts. She has been a very dependable and knowledgeable source with matters, and has made the process very quick and stress free.

Christopher · 16 June 2023

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Absolutely terrible service

Absolutely terrible service. My wife and i were living in a flat for a year so happy to get out. Very sneaky tactics were used by them. The first was trying to say we stole the a sofa. That they'd had put in storage. The second was we complained about noise constantly banging from above screaming arguing. Up drinking at all hours. Again nothing done. Then they accused us of having the locks changed. Also done by them and and when we left they tried saying we left it dirty. All of that I could easily prove wrong. As I have all the evidence I keep emails texts and videos from when I first got there and when we left. Avoid at all costs.

Peter · 11 February 2026

★★★★★ 5/5

Google

My brother and I first used Darlows back in 2018 to deal with the sale of my fathers house after he passed away and more recently I asked for a current market valuation on my present home. On both occasions I have dealt with Diane Rumble and found her to be extremely helpful and professional. Although I am not currently planning on selling my current home, when the time comes it will most certainly be through Darlows.

Steven · 16 June 2022

★★★★★ 1/5

Trustpilot

Stay Away from Darlows!!! Worst experience ever.

I have lived in private rentals managed by agents and without doubt Darlows is the worst of them all, especially the Rumney branch. I wish I read other people’s reviews before letting from them. Customer service is so poor I had to deal directly with the landlord most times. They never answer their calls nor respond to emails. I had a 6-month tenancy and agreed to renew at the end as it was in the middle of the pandemic. They increased the tenancy to 12 months without asking me and I signed the documents in good faith as they kept bombarding me with reminders (that’s the only time they get in touch, when they need something off you). I asked for an internal review of this as I never requested a 12-month extension but this was a waste of time as I could tell they did absolutely nothing. I had to leave the property before 12 months and they are charging me £270 for reletting and the rent for the months till they get a new tenant. I dealt with Kate Benjamin for my end of my tenancy, it takes her weeks to reply to an email even after followup emails and calls; and when she does, her response shows she has no recollection of your last correspondence.It’s no surprise the amount of negative feedback from customers on their page. Whoever owns this business, it needs an entire restructuring before you loose any credibility left in the business name; the quality of service they offer is a joke. Most of the reviews over the past year consistently complain of poor communication and it appears nothing has been done about this. This is appalling for a business, it feels like no one is in control and customers are not listened to. Stay away from Darlows and Spicerhaart; it’s not worth the trouble at all.

Groove · 31 December 2021

★★★★★ 5/5

Trustpilot

I fully endorse Kelly

I must say Kelly has been very responsive to all our requests. She also follows up on all issues until they are fully resolved. I give five over five.

Ademola · 21 April 2025