Ahipp issues response to charges imposed by estate agents

The Association of Home Information Pack Providers (Ahipp) has issued a response to claims made in a Channel 4 News investigation that estate agents often issue hidden charges to home sellers.

Producers of the programme talked to one provider of Home Information Packs (Hips), who said he is regularly approached by estate agents who ask him for commissions if they recommend his firm to their clients.

This practice was criticised by Paul Marsh, president of the Law Society in England and Wales, who said secret payments are "quite wrong".

However, Ahipp has defended them, suggesting they are a normal aspect of business.

It said: "The implication that the retailer's price can never be higher than the cost of the goods supplied is to misunderstand the nature of commerce."

Ahipp added that consumers are free to shop around for the Hip that best suits them in terms of price and overall service.
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21/05/2009 15:04

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