To explain the story breifly, KBS Overseas Property contacted me about potentially buying property in Portugal. They enticed me to go on an 'inspection trip' to view some properties with a subsidised flight, 3 nights five star accommodation and transfers.
Upon landing, we were checked in at the hotel. Since the room was not ready, we were taken by the sales rep, Louise, to view six properties arouond the Algarve. We were promised 8-12% price increases and guaranteed mortgages. At the end of the sixth property, we were given a highly pressurised sales pitch.
We were told that we had to make a decision to buy one of the six properties, either a 'yes' or a 'no'. He said to us that we were not to say 'i will think about it' or 'I will let them know' because they wouldn't accept that as an answer.
After half an hour of being asked again and again to make a decision, and it was quite intimidating, we eventually said that we would think about it.
The sales rep became very aggressive and said that the business trip was now over and that he was taking us back to the hotel and cancelling our hotel room and would not re-imburse our flight money because they thought that we were not serious buyers and we were just there for a cheap holiday.
We were actually serious buyers and had full intention to spend four whole days viewing properties with them. I feel that because we did not commit to buy by the end of the first day, they abandoned us at the hotel with no accommodation. We found ourselves standing there with our bags and then had to find ourselves our own accommodation for the rest of the trip.
I believe KBS Overseas Property is a scam company who just entice potential buyers under false pretenses to go to Portugal and then give them a highly pressurised sales pitch to get them to buy on the first day. If they do not, they simply abandon them and walk away.
We were not reimbursed the flilght trip as they promised in their letter and they did not pay for the hotel accommodation as they promised.
They have done this before as you will see from the blogs below (found by researchig the internet after we returned).
Http://www.forum. Carvoeiro.com/viewtopic.php? F=2&t=19175
Http://expatsportugal.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php? P=113006
I recommend to not have any communications with this cowboy outfit. They are con artists with high pressure sales techniques. If you have been conned into one of these so-called 'inspection visits' please do what I did and send an email complaint to their advertising partners or telephone them, Rightmove.co.uk, findaproperty.co.uk, primelocation.com plus many others. You can at least get them to stop advertising their services conning other people like me. If they get more complaints they may stop them from advertising.
Http://www.findaproperty.com/press. Aspx
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/rightmoveplc/rightmove-contacts.html/svr/3106
http://www.primelocation.com/contact-us
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