Saga launches ground-breaking conveyancing service
Saga is this week launching a ground-breaking new conveyancing service in response to customer feedback about the dissatisfaction they have experienced when using solicitors in the past. Around 500,000 over 50s buy and sell houses each year and they have strong ideas about how they would like to see conveyancing services change for the better. Some 81% of over 50s say they would like to see fixed pricing at the outset and 60% are unhappy with the poor service provided by traditional providers.
Conveyancing fees are traditionally calculated based on the value of the property being bought or sold, yet selling a house worth a million pounds generally involves the same amount of legal work as selling one worth £100,000 so why should conveyancers, such as those employed by large estate agencies, cream off more in fees? This fee structure explains why, according to Saga's research one of the key concerns people have had with conveyancing in the past is to do with the cost, a fifth said they were unclear of the costs until afterwards or that it cost more than they had expected it to.
Another problem the 10,203 over 50s surveyed by Saga said they had with the legal help received for conveyancing was around the service provided. 27% complained that the process was slow, 16% were unhappy they had to constantly chase for updates and 7% said their solicitor was not available when they needed them.
Roger Ramsden, chief executive, Saga Services, commented: "The conveyancing market is long overdue for a shake-up, people are simply not happy with the value for money or service provided, as illustrated by a recent BBC survey that conveyancing charges are among those consumers find most confusing . We have looked at the issues reported by consumers and have designed a new service with the customer in mind. People want certainty of price, with no hidden extras and access to their conveyancer when they need them."
What does the Saga Conveyancing Service offer?
A flat fee of £750 (including VAT) for conveyancing, whether customers are buying or selling a property making it fair for all and giving customers the peace of mind that they know in advance how much it is going to cost. This is very different from the rest of the market who quote without VAT and whose fees are riddled with hidden extras.
Price drops by 20% for those with a Saga Legal Essentials policy
In addition Saga will not levy a fee to deal with mortgage providers, which could typically save people around £150.
The Saga Conveyancing Service is available seven days a week, unlike traditional providers.
Customers using the Saga Conveyancing Service will also have the benefit of its Mover Protection offer, which means they may be able to claim back mortgage, legal, survey or marketing costs if their house sale or purchase falls through due to no fault of their own - one in four house sales or purchases fails each year.
Saga's Conveyancing Service is committed to using plain English when dealing with customers and will proactively contact customers to advise them of progress. The service is available via telephone, email and online and customers will also have access to unlimited legal advice 24 hours a day.