Phoenix Business Agents Ltd Scam Artists- If you are selling your business please be aware of their scam. They will cold call you and pretend to come and value your business, but unkownly to you force you into a sole agent contract Oxford, Internet
If you are looking to sell your business in this difficult financial environment, please be aware of this company: Phoenix Business Agents Ltd 7200 The Quorum, Oxford Business Park North Oxford OX4 2JZ.They are praying on vunerable business owners and have shoddy business practise.
Our business came into financial difficult as a result of the recession and we decided to put it up for sale. We advertised our business on the website "Business For Sale", however we were cold called by Phoenix Busines Agents saying that they had been sent details of our business by the said website "Business For Sale" and were offering to help us sale the business.
After speaking with them, we were a little suspicious of their intensions because it all sounds too good to be true, however after three months and our business had not sold we decided to ask them to come and value the business for us with a view to potenitally retaining them as an agent if we agree with their terms and conditions.
My husband works in the business full-time, he does not speak or understand English probably, hence all matters regarding the business is dealt with by me. He was the one that they met when they came to supposedly value the business on the 14th September 2010. Unkowlingly to him and myself, Phoenix agent got him to sign a sole agent contract, which demanded that we pay up front a fee of 1,000 excluding VAT for marketing and an additional 6,000 excluding VAT in agent fees.
Phoenix made him to believe that he was signing something else, when the appointment was arranged, we specified that it was only for a valuation, we wanted to have the choice to choose which agent to go with, however Phoenix decided to take that choice away from us.
Phoenix agent did not leave a copy of the agreement on the day of the valuation, I later found out what had taken place and became very concern, since that day we have been trying to get a copy of the agreement from Phoenix Business agents with no sucess. In the meantime, they sent us what they titled to be "a business plan" which was riddled with inaccuracy about our business, we believe what they had simply done is copy another document and inserted our business names in the document.
The other concern that we had was about the valuation of the business, which they put at 125,000 this appears unrealistic as we had a previous valuation of 55,000 for the business not so long back.
On numerious occasions we telpehoned and send emails asking for their terms and conditions to be sent to us and also an explanation of what their valuation was based on, we were sent a copy of the agreement that my husband had signed but minus Phoenix terms and conditions, so we were left in the dark as to what had been signed, what they were going to charge us and what exactly they were going to be doing on our behalf.
This week we received an invoice for 1,000 excluding VAT from Phoenix business agents and we were alarmed by this. We rang to speak to someone in the offices of Phoenix this week after several emails unsuccessfully trying to get them to explain what this 1,000 was for, we were put through to their office manager, who without any justification became ignorant and subsequently accused us of being rude and slammed the phone down our ears when I question her on this invoice and that they delibrately failed to leave a copy of their terms and conditions and failed to explain to to my husband what he was signing as well as not sending us a copy of the agreement for almost 3 weeks.
On two separate occasions we rang back and the phone was put down on us. Phoenix then rang my husband and began threatening him over the telephone saying that he had signed the agreement and was liable to pay the fees and referring him to clause 4 and 9 on their terms and condition, again she slammed the phone down on him.
We later sent an email to Pheonix in which we stated that we found their business practise very shoddy and suspious and wanted nothing further to do with them.
Two days later Phoenix Business Agents sent us an invoice for 8,225.00 threatening breach of contract and that if we do not pay by the 14th Ocotber that they were going to call in their debt collectors. We have a failing business which is the reason why we have put the business up for sale, this is an additional problem which we do not need in our lives at the moment, this company is dispicable and people should think twice before signing anything with them.
We are being threatened for no reason and we feel this is probably not the first time that this company has done this sort of thing.
It is our belive that Phoenix purposely did not leave a copy of the agreement that their forced my husband to sign; Send a copy of the agreement to us; Value the business at an unrealistic price in order to extort money from us.
Company like this should not be allowed to get away with such shoddy business practise, as well as trying to make people aware of them, we have also filed a complaint with Trading Standard as well as Consumer Direct Via the OFT webit.
Please be aware of this company and don't let them side step you as they have done us.
11 Updates & Rebuttals
m.h
Dudley,Alabama,
United Kingdom
I am also ripped off by this company
#12General Comment
Tue, April 28, 2015
I approached by the manager of this company called Hamed and I signed a contract paid £600 and after six months I cancelled the contract.
They sent me a letter to pay £3000 for breaching the contract. I refuded to pay the ammount as I sent the contract in the presence of the person who forward the contrat to me and he did not inform me about the cancellation fees on the case I cancel the contract.
They sent me several letters via their debit collecters I refused asked them to take me to the court. I wrote to my bank and I got the £600 I paid to them. I wrote to the solicitor who adviced my to pay the amount and I paid £120 and get a refund.
I got this from a book I bought it from the Library 10p which I claimed that I am not held to my signature" If a person signs a document containing a term his to have agreed to the term even if he had not read the document.But this is not so if the party who puts forward the document for signature gives a misleading explaination of the term's legal effect"
Regards
baran85
london,Internet,
United Kingdom
same here
#12Consumer Comment
Tue, November 20, 2012
i have sign a contract with phoenix in July to sell business after month got a letter saying 1 of their client told them that he is been to my business address and business was closed and no machines or equipment when i read it i was shock because my business was open all the time and never moved any equipment at all i have call them up i said this is incorrect my business was open all the times send someone to check it i have all the receipt of cash and carry invoices and end of the day banking report of card machine but they did not send anyone now i got a letter from solicitors i need to pay 8000 because i have breach the contract because i have closed the business if i dont pay it they will take me to court this is ripoff they only called me few time made a appointment to buyers view the shop but only 1 of them came and the others never turn up.
i need some help please
delboy
Internet,United Kingdom
We have been ripped off by phoenix too
#12Consumer Comment
Fri, November 16, 2012
we have recieved an invoice for 7000 from phoenix for "agency fees" as they say we are in breach of contract, we were told by their agent there was a one off administration fee and then a commission fee of 3000 when we sold the business, which the administration fee would be deducted from. we were told that it was a contract for 6 months after that we could cancell at any time and there would be nothing else to pay. They have never contacted us at all in the last 10 months with any one remotley interested in our bussiness, they say they vet any enquiries to see if they are genuine but obviously they dont do anything, as i asked them to send anyone that enquired but nothing.
Everyone who has signed up with this company needs to get together as one.
Alias
United KingdomPhoenix ripoff
#12General Comment
Mon, September 17, 2012
Please help! We are having problems with Phoenix too. Should go to court with them any time soon. How we can get in touch with someone???HELP!
anon42
United KingdomAction
#12Consumer Comment
Thu, August 30, 2012
I have set up a website to warn against this company and to gather evidence against them to use in any future court cases. Just Google "PhoenixComplaints" it's a uk site.
Anon21
United States of AmericaAlso ripped off
#12Consumer Comment
Mon, August 06, 2012
Can't believe the company had the cheek to post what they have above! You only have to search online to see the number of unhappy customers. I only wish I'd used Google before signing up with them.
Their salesman completely conned me into signing a contract. He said it was a no risk contract, and after 6 months I could opt out and receive the marketing fee back. He even made a big show of writing that on the contract. I wasn't given the chance to read the contract before being pressured into signing it.
It was only later that I discovered that if you want to leave the contract you have to pay 3000. No mention of any fees being subject to VAT. Shocking service and company - AVOID AVOID AVOID!!! I've reported them to Trading Standards and the OFT and will be seeing a solicitor in the next week.
murali
radstock,Internet,
United Kingdom
phoenix bussiness agent
#12Consumer Comment
Tue, January 31, 2012
any one Ripoff this agent Ple let me know all of them We will have to go to court .07574275497
john gotley
twickenham,Other,
United Kingdom
phoenix mis sold to me
#12Consumer Comment
Sun, March 27, 2011
Phoenix as a company make it a nightmare to deal with as all they are after is to make you pay fines for nothing . i called up 10 other companys on the listings page of phonix web site and all them had no idea of the hidden scam charge , also the people sent down to view the busines all sounded like the same people , very strange indeed , this company must be taken to court and stopped and closed down .
anon39
lton,United Kingdom
We have also been ripped off in the same way
#12Consumer Comment
Sat, February 26, 2011
My family business has also been ripped off in the same way. Is there a way we can all band together to make sure Phoenix doesn't get away with this?
anonymous
Shoreham by Sea,Other,
United Kingdom
Don't pay these scam merchants a penny
#12Consumer Suggestion
Sun, December 12, 2010
Please don't substitute this for professional legal advice, but from what you've said, it sounds a court would set aside your contract. Any decent lawyer specialising in contract law ought to be able to help you.
I'm currently in the process of gathering evidence for a possible criminal case against Phoenix. Your story would be really useful. If you'd like to help, or if you just want more information as to resolving your problem, please get in touch with me.
Call me on(((Redacted))) and leave a message. I'll get back to you as quickly as possible.
CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.Anonymous
Oxford,Internet,
United Kingdom
Malicious report
#12REBUTTAL Owner of company
Fri, November 12, 2010
This report is malicious. The lady who filed it had no direct dealings with us or any knowledge of our clients dealings with us. Her report is in short defamatory.To give both our client and ourselves the opportunity of establishing the true facts we are considering issuing proceedings against him to recover the money he owes us.
We are a reputable and successful business sales agent with many satisfied clients for whom we have helped find buyers. If you think we can help you sell your business please contact us on 0844 567 5016.