Code of Practice for Agents who subscribe to LonRes

1. Our Subscribers
LonRes understands that customer satisfaction and service delivery are the most important part of its business. Our company values are based on this, which is why our team strives to ensure that you get what you want, when you want it. We will do our best to meet your requirements to your satisfaction. LonRes values its subscribers and aims for the highest standards of account management and customer service. By investing in our people and in systems to support our customer care activity and by continually developing our services, we aim to deliver the best in customer care.

2. Purpose Of Our Code Of Practice
This Code of Practice aims to give you, the subscriber, a clear statement of how we conduct our business and to describe the relationship between you and us in all matters concerning the use and supply of services and information from us. This Code of Practice provides a statement of the services available from LonRes to its subscribers and those interested in finding out more about LonRes. It explains how we provide these services and the key support services and company policies that underpin them. It describes your relationship with us and how you can and should contact us when you need help or want to change the services you have and how we will respond. It also describes what you should do in the unlikely event of something going wrong. If you are unable to comply with the terms of this Code, then it is unlikely you or your firm will be permitted to subscribe to the service, but in any case you must inform us.

3. Resolution Of Complaints: What To Do If You Are Not Happy With Our Service
If you are unhappy with our service please contact us and let us know. It is through your feedback that we are able to review and improve the overall service we provide. If you have a complaint, our formal internal complaints procedure is outlined below. We are fully committed to addressing all complaints, fully and fairly, and in a reasonable time frame. We do try and resolve complaints by telephone. Should you wish to receive a response in writing then please ask.

In the first instance, if you are unhappy we need to know about it as quickly as possible. To avoid delay please contact us by telephoning us on 020 7924 6622. A member of staff will generally be able to assist you. In most cases we will resolve the issue satisfactorily. If you wish to write then please direct your complaint to us at our office address or by email to complaints@lonres.com. To avoid any delay, please do not send correspondence to individual representatives' email addresses. Your email will be acknowledged and dealt with promptly, and an acknowledgement will be sent to you within two working hours of this receipt.

If you remain dissatisfied: If a complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction you can ask to escalate the issue to a company director. Please leave direct telephone numbers so that they may call you back.

4. Complaints Against A Subscriber
If you have an issue with another subscriber or you believe that they have not behaved in accordance with the guidelines set down in this Code Of Practice, then you must write to us outlining the details of what has happened. We are unable and will not investigate any allegation made verbally. LonRes reserves the right to terminate a subscriber's access to the site if they are unable to abide by the guidelines set down in this Code.

5. Posting Up Instructions On The Site
LonRes will not accept any instruction from a subscriber where they would be unable to prove that they have not been directly instructed by the Landlord/vendor. This means that we will not accept instructions from an agent who has been sub-instructed by another firm.

6. Eligibility
Any agent may apply to subscribe to use the services of LonRes. The criteria involved in admittance takes into account some or all of the following: the location of that agent, the length of time that they have been in practice, their local reputation, any professional qualification or affiliation to a recognised body. LonRes reserves the right to refuse any application without giving any reason.

7. Subscription Charges
Our subscribers may elect to pay our fees by Standing Order or by cheque, payable quarterly in advance. We expect our clients to: pay their bills promptly, inform us of any significant changes to their circumstances, and be straightforward with us when providing information. If a subscriber experiences problems in paying their subscription charges, LonRes has a consistent policy designed to help minimise debt, avoid suspension of service, protect both LonRes and our subscribers in general, and promote good customer service.
If an account remains unpaid for more than one calendar month, and despite the best endeavours of LonRes to contact the subscriber, we reserve the right to disconnect that subscriber without further recourse.

8. Termination Period
We do not ask our subscribers to sign up to a lengthy contract or commit to a minimum period but, should you feel that we are not providing you with the information you require, then we do require that you provide us with one quarter's notice of your intention to leave.

9. Relocation Agents
Relocation Agents have access only to the part of the site that offers property to let. They do not have access to the archive section. LonRes may elect to design and implement a separate section dedicated to provide these agents with limited information based on the information contained in the lettings section.

10. Commissions
As part of our service, we provide subscribers with a choice relating to whether they wish to display commissions to other users. A subscriber may choose not to display commissions, in which case we will insert "call for fees" against their name.
The commission that is offered by one agent to another is only a guide. This means that, even where such a commission is offered, payment of the offered amount remains purely at the discretion of the originating agent. A sub-agent should check directly with the originating before offering a property to their applicant.

11. Support
We provide full training and support as often as is necessary and without additional charge either in groups or on a one to one basis. Any technical queries can be dealt with by telephoning us between the hours of 0900hrs and 1730hrs Monday to Friday. There is also limited support available out of hours and during Bank Holidays. You may contact a member of the technical staff by emailing sales@lonres.com or lettings@lonres.com (leaving your contact details), whereupon a member of staff will contact you before the end of the day.

12. Touting
It is a fact of residential agency that the practice of soliciting instructions by canvassing landlords/vendors directly or other agent's instructions is widespread. At LonRes we will not tolerate any subscriber endeavouring to obtain an instruction as a direct consequence of using the Service except where the landlord/vendor is known to that agent (we cannot stop this practice from occurring on other public sites) and if we discover that this has occurred, then service to that subscriber will be terminated forthwith by reference to the procedure described in Clause 4. 

13. Confidentiality
LonRes respects our subscribers' rights to privacy and confidentiality. We neither release information about any of our subscribers to any third party nor details of any transactions with which they may be associated.

14. Landlords Instructions
At no time will LonRes post up instructions from any landlord to facilitate a letting or vendor to facilitate a sale, nor will they be permitted to subscribe. All instructions regarding a property can only be posted up by a subscriber who has a direct instruction (see also Clause 5).

15. Viewing Arrangements
Where a sub-agent makes an appointment to inspect a property on behalf of or with a named applicant through a directly instructed agent, then that sub-agent must continue to view that property through the agent with whom the appointment has been made. It is understood that the name of the applicant is registered prior to inspection. A sub-agent may not view the property through another directly instructed agent with the same registered applicant because, say, that agent has offered a higher commission. However, that sub-agent may elect to make subsequent inspections through another agent with a different applicant.

16. Access To The Service
Use of LonRes is accessed by a unique user name and password, which is user specific. LonRes does not expect its subscribers to loan out such passwords to individuals outside their organisation or non-approved users, or create a second user name fraudulently. If, during the course of normal security maintenance, in which we act in the best interest of our subscribers, it is discovered that such protocols have or are being breached, then LonRes shall reserve the right to terminate use of the service immediately to that individual and, in their discretion, to the entire organisation.

17. Compliance
Subscribers who are directly instructed to sell any property, or let property worth over €10,000 per calendar month must be able to supply documentation (if asked) that they comply with all aspects of the latest Money Laundering Regulations.

2020