Check your HIP logo consumers and agents advised

The Property Codes Compliance Board (PCCB) has today published new advice to property professionals to ensure that industry due diligence procedures do not impose unnecessary costs to consumers. The advice comes amid concerns that consumers are being forced to pay for unnecessary double checks on HIPs and their contents. There is growing evidence that conveyancers are routinely charging consumers up to £50 extra to check HIPs which have already been commissioned or requiring new HIPs to be prepared through providers they determine. The PCCB is reminding conveyancers, estate agents and consumers that the HIP and Search Code logo is their guarantee of quality and standards. Chairman of the PCCB, Richard Footitt said: “As the main standards body for the property sector, the PCCB is concerned to ensure that consumers do not suffer any down-sides from the practices of registered firms and those commissioning their products. This is a hidden and unnecessary extra cost, as well as restricting customer choice. We want consumers and estate agents to be free to choose their providers. More importantly, we want them to have faith in the documents they receive.” In its advice note, the PCCB acknowledges that estate agents have a responsibility to check HIPs but reminds them that they can and should rely on packs which carry the HIP code logo. Footitt went on: “The Code logo is the guarantee of quality and shows that the HIP and all documents it contains are provided by authorised and reliable sources. Checking whether the pack carries a Code logo is the only due diligence agents and conveyancers need to undertake. They should save the compliance checks for non code subscribers.” - Ends -