Cooke and Co Estate Agents - www.cookeandco.com

I have had very unpleasant dealings with the owner of this company and one of the female members of staff in Margate.

I've never come across more unpleasant and unprofessional people in my life. Not to be trusted. I am really surprised they have been open for as long as they have but I suspect underhand tactics have played a large part in this, preying on vulnerable low income tenants in my experience.

They have recently started trying to improve their reviews by getting all the employees friends and family to give them good reviews.

Avoid at all cost or you may well regret it as I certainly did.

Twice I have politely left a voicemail asking if they would remove a lettings board from a property which was rented over 8 weeks ago. It's still there, even though the first message was 3 weeks ago. Had previous dealings with the business regarding a property and it was okay, but we won't be dealing with them again. Shame, but if you can't get the simple things right...

I went into Cooke & Co to see what properties were avialble to rent and they were all very helpful and friendly towards me, there seemed to be a very good office atmosphere and were accomodating when wanting to view. Thumbs up to cooke & co...one of the better agents in northdown road.

I have recently had the pleasure of dealing with Cooke & Co in Cliftonville. The owner Damien Cooke valued my property and was understanding and seemed to really care about us . This is only the second time we have moved and we are moving away to be close to family. His value was in the middle of the two other agents but the fee they wanted to charge was cheaper and we would not have to pay for photos like one agent wanted us to. We had three agents out but Mr Cooke's approach was so much better, no hard sell. We signed up with them and they sold out home in 4 weeks. In that time I dealt with both Paul, Vicki and Damien and all were honest and told us what was happening. We have now moved so thank you for a job well done. I would certainly recommend them to friends.

I am looking for an investment property as a cash buyer resulting in my first contact with this company, it is, I hope, definitely the last. I emailed our interest in a property for sale but after no response, called two days later. They were "just about to deal with it" when I rang. I was told that they need to give the tenants 48 hours notice of a viewing and they would telephone as soon as they could arrange an appointment. I was asked if I would like details sending out and confirmed that I did as lease details etc are not on their website.

A week later with no contact, I telephoned to ask if we were any nearer to viewing to be told that they didn't have any contact details for me, the girl entered them into their system then checked the diary for the property and told me that there was already a viewing arranged for another interested party later in the week. She couldn't explain why we had not been contacted while other customers had. I told her that I could not view the property on that day as I had a funeral to attend. I wasn't happy about the lack of communication and asked to speak to the manager, the girl was reluctant to put me through, said that the manager was on the phone, asking what did I expect her to do? Then said that she was the lettings manager and couldn't deal with me. While I was waiting she said she would try to contact the tenants but if she couldn't arrange anything sooner would I like to view with the other people. When I asked her if she had even listened to my reason for not viewing that day she told me not to speak to her like that and not to ask her to do something impossible! When I explained I was merely asking for her to do her job and provide me with an acceptable level of service she said that she would get Mr Cooke to call me and hung up!

The delightful Damien Cooke did phone, interrupted me constantly and when his aggressive behaviour failed to intimidate me he told me that they obviously couldn't match my high level of expectation of their company so they didn't want to sell me anything!

So, if your expectations are that a member of staff will contact you as arranged, post or email something to you as promised, remain polite during a telephone conversation when you are complaining about their lack of customer service then you will be sadly disappointed. I can only feel sorry for the vendors who are paying for an inadequate service, especially in the current economic climate.

Seems a familiar pattern: the reviews talk of both rude and aggressive manner from Damien Cooke and the terrible service and Damien Cooke replies (paraphrasing I admit) 'It's your fault'. I have had experience of this also and it is far too long to go into here bvut I am sure Damien Cooke will reply that we all have an axe to grind. And we do. We have received apalling service from someone in the service industery. Yes, I too have been on the end of that 'bullying' and 'agressive' attitude but I have it on letter and email. If Damien Cooke disputes it, perhaps I should publish it here and let the audiance decide?

Damien Cooke's two defenses are 'we've been in business twenty years' and 'we are a member of these governing bodies'.

One: the website says '17 years, and Damien is 39. If it was 20 years or 'over 20 years' as a recent ad said, Damien started early. And 20 years of doing it wrong is still 20 years.

Two: 'the governing bodies'. If people don't report him, they don't know. If you have or have had trouble with Cooke & Co. report it.

Damien Cooke asks where these review come from. If he looks to the right of the screen he will se other agents have had great reviews. They all come from the same place: people.

I'm not going to enter into a flame war with Damien Cooke but I have the proof if anyone needs it. Just go elsewhere. You will be better served.

I am so pleased to have found Cooke & Co Letting Agents. The staff are both professional and hard working having looked after 40 of my properties in the Thanet area for over 10 years in a very challenging location. Tenants often do not want to pay rent even though my properties are in excellent order but through their use of guarentors and rent guarentee they secure the rent for me. Also their inventories are thorough and this prevents tenants leaving the property in bad order. Well done Cooke & Co this is the best money I could have spent.

I don't have much to say except for this: these people are the last that you want to deal with. Let's say a 'friend' is staying at a property of theirs, they have in my opinion overpriced the rent by around £75-100, but the point here the problems start is when you try to speak to them. This friend spoke to them to discuss a renewal of the tenancy, my friend went to discuss a cheque that had been passed to one of their agents and ended up in a heated argument with non other than what claimed to be the boss of this particular branch telling my friend they did not take cheques and refused to discuss the cheque in question (even though he as not the agent my friend as speaking to at the time!) and even after admitting they could take them at the agents discretion, refused to admit he was wrong and remained adamant they don't take cheques! To cut it short, the argument ended well for my friend as they refused to back down, regardless of this agents attempt to bully them into admitting something that as simply untrue (was it a poer trip that caused this agent to start this in the first place?, i digress). My advise to anyone regarding this company; Do Not get involved ith them, if already involved don't allow them to bully or confuse you, you are customer and more importantly a human being the same as anyone, its time this company got to grips and started doing their job properly! Thanks for reading.

I submitted an offer on a property with Cook and Co Estate Agents on 12/09/06. According to the Ombudsman's rules they're supposed to pass it on to the vendor ASAP, like, within 2 hours.

Cooke didn't get back to me until 2 days later (14/09/06). And even then it was just to refuse to put my offer forward UNTIL I disclosed my financial arrangements to them! The sheer cheek of it!

Not good!