Refused entry to open - for not giving details

[Alabex]

i have refused plenty of people entry for not providing their name and number. exactly what everyone else has said -security, follow up etc.

If you dont want to give your real details, just make it up. Plenty of people do, i would get at least a few disconnected numbers each week. There are also plenty of people who give their name and number and ask not to be contacted or added to a database... which is fine.

 

[verukins]

Hi all,
I went to an open inspection yesterday, and, upon entry was asked for my personal details - to which i politely refused (as always) and was subquently refused entry.

This is the first time this has ever happened to me, and i was a bit surprised. I realise that agents would be taking the "security" angle, but i dont believe there is any valid reason for requiring my personal details - and i dont trust agents at all (and never will)

Anyhoo - anyone else ever heard of this happening? is it common practice now that ive just not run into before?

 

[troyhunt]

I would assume they would follow this up. Perhaps I am wrong, but this would be fairly basic follow up in a case where an open house had just been held I would have thought?

From past experience, burglary seems to rate very low on the police priority list. I just can't see them proactively doing anything with a list of possibly hundreds of names and numbers.

Re showing ID, I assume the agent is also required to record license number and or address, not just name? How does this work logistically during a busy open house?

 

[BoatBoy]

Hi all,
I realise that agents would be taking the "security" angle, but i dont believe there is any valid reason for requiring my personal details - and i dont trust agents at all (and never will)

But you expect the agent to trust you?

You are going into someones house, sometimes objects go missing and it would be nice if they (police) knew where to start looking.

If a seller, I would want the agent to have names for call back purposes and would consider those that didn't collect names and numbers to be not doing their job.

Dave

 

[The Y-man]

As per boat boy's reply


Cheers,

The Y-man

 

[Perp]

I agree with Dave. I'm surprised that you've been allowed into other opens without providing details; if I were the vendors of those properties I'd be annoyed that the agent wasn't adequately protecting my property.

Yes, I know that a committed thief wouldn't provide the right info anyway, and that IDs aren't checked, etc, but at least if you have the contact info of the honest people who were there, if something has gone wrong, you have witnesses who may be able to help find the dishonest person.

 

[Propertunity]

Yes, as the others have said. Security for vendors at OFI's is a concern. I have no issues with how the REA handled it.

You are entitled legal access to the front door only - like any utilities person - but that's as far as it goes without you abiding by the rules of the homeowner or their agent.

 

[eternit]

I dont think the personal details is to protect the vendor's/tenant's belonging from going missing.

Whether it be over the phone or during inspection, the first thing they ask is your personal details and I thought the reason for taking down personal details was so if vendor in the future decides to sell the property privately to one of these people who have inspected the property then the REA would be entitled to his/her commission?

 

[Perp]

I thought the reason for taking down personal details was so if vendor in the future decides to sell the property privately to one of these people who have inspected the property then the REA would be entitled to his/her commission?

That could be one of the reasons, as could marketing. Whatever the reason, so what? The point is that nobody has the right to be admitted for an inspection unless they agree to abide by the conditions placed on them by the agent, who acts for the vendor.

 

[evand]

The security angle is a crock. Its for marketing purposes only. How are they to sell their house without letting anyone inside.

 

[sparky23]

Its not crock its part of the reason for getting their details and anyway I also ask whether people mind if I give them a call later to see how they are getting on with their house hunting, most people don't mind.

 

[troyhunt]

If you're worried about your privacy, just fabricate a name and number. Easy.

 

[Collector]

The reason why agents take your details:

1. To have a list of all person that enter the property - would be required if something was to happen at the property - thieft or injury - would be required/requested by Vendors insurance Company, agents insurance company and police. (If the agent was not to take your details and something was to happen then the agent may be liable for any damage etc)

2. To contact you after the inspection to obtain feed back for the vendor and to see if you are interested. Also being able to market other properties that may suite your needs better.

3. To build their database


Privacy laws now prevent the agent from simply calling you after the inspection with out first telling you why the infomation was collected. A lot of agents now get the persons entering the property to fill in the infomation themselves with clauses on the doucuments such as:

> It is a condition of entry that you provide your details;
> We collect your details in order to obtain feedback from you;
> To market similar property to you;
> As a security precaution.


If the agent says to you (like you said) for security reasons and then at a later date calls you for feedback and to promote other properties then they would be concedered in breach of the Privacy Act as they are using your information for purposes other that it was meant to be used.

 

[Pushka]

My house was broken into the week after it was auctioned. The burglar knew the layout of the house exactly - he was in there for no longer than five minutes (we have an audible alarm) and entered five different rooms (one is a bit difficult to find) and stole all the computer equipment, (the hard drive was under a desk and difficult to spot) jewellery, cameras, stereo and hifi. Tell me that that person hadnt been through my open inspections? When we sell we will insist on full details.

And Troy, those details will come from proper ID. Might put some buyers off but at least we wont be broken into.

 

[wylie]

I also would be wanting ID for people coming through my house. The most I have ever been asked is my name and phone number. As mentioned, I could make it up and I really believe proper ID should be the "norm", especially given the insurance implications of "inviting" people into your house.

 

[troyhunt]

And Troy, those details will come from proper ID. Might put some buyers off but at least we wont be broken into.

That's very unfortunate Pushka, but assuming you had details of each entrant, what next? The police are unlikely to follow up with each person who inspected the property. As for showing valid ID, as a perspective buyer I would be very taken aback by this. Certainly I have never been asked for this and I suspect agents would advise against any unusual practices which put potential buyers in this situation.

 

[Pushka]

That's very unfortunate Pushka, but assuming you had details of each entrant, what next? The police are unlikely to follow up with each person who inspected the property. As for showing valid ID, as a perspective buyer I would be very taken aback by this. Certainly I have never been asked for this and I suspect agents would advise against any unusual practices which put potential buyers in this situation.

No, but the Insurance company would! Showing ID is now quite common practice now in Adelaide. But the point is that a would be burglar would move on to the next inspection and not bother with yours.

 

[wylie]

The police are unlikely to follow up with each person who inspected the property.

I would assume they would follow this up. Perhaps I am wrong, but this would be fairly basic follow up in a case where an open house had just been held I would have thought?

I think if I was selling, I would probably avoid open houses and have qualified buyers through. Let's face it, plenty of tyre kickers and sticky beaks at opens. Not saying none of them end up buying, but a real risk of having someone "case the joint".

 

[twobobsworth]

This is why you shouldn't do opens

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-neWG58Itgk

&

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXeS2TeXcm8

 

[poppy]

Anyone who thinks that the RE agent's list of names at an open for inspection will be followed up by the police in the event of a burglary is living in a fairy land and/or has not many burglaries. Police do not investigate burglaries, they give police report numbers for your insurance.

Further, the vast majority of insurers won't cover theft when the criminal was invited into the home. It doesn't matter if you can give the insurer the name, DOB, address, photograph, passport number and fingerprints of the offender. Even in the extremely unlikely chance that the thief/burglar was caught and convicted (you would be better off betting money on the horses), you aren't going to get any of your property or money back from the criminal, and they probably won't go to jail, so taking details is completely pointless unless you are going to get 100 points of ID and do a police check.

If an agent insists on taking people's details at an open inspection it is for their own reasons, and nothing to do with the home owner's interests (though they might be presenting it in this way to the home owner). If someone wants to protect their home from criminals then do not have opens and have the agent screen each buyer to ensure (as much as reasonably possible) that they are legitimate. At the very least, criminals at a private inspection will know that the RE agent may remember them after they have pulled off the same stunt a few times, and send them packing.