HIPs: Abolish First Day Marketing (FDM)

Anti-HIP campaigners launch next crusade

Submitted by: MikeC (Admin) on 28-Jan-08 06:50:15 PM

SPLINTA (Sellers' Pack Law is not the Answer) and former president of National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA), Trevor Kent, are seemingly rolling out more artillery in an attempt to knock Home Information Packs (HIPs) off-course.

Today, they have both leaned on their media-buddies to tell the world of their latest Downing Street petition to abolish the First Day Marketing (FDM) requirement of HIPs, tabled to become law on June 1st 2008.

[5500 sign petition in 5 days (and HIP industry remains silent!)]

Nick Salmon (SPLINTA) told the beeb:

There is no sustainable argument in favour of ending first day marketing, and the strength of feeling about this is making itself shown in the rapidly escalating number of signatures on the petition

BBC NEWS | Business | Call to continue Hips concession

Trevor Kent has also (apparently) even sent letters to homeowners imploring them to stand up against this "infringement of liberty".

Anyone received this?

I have to say, this is now starting to appear very desperate. It's almost as if - in the case of SPLINTA in particular - it's an attempt to justify remaining in existence.

However, I will concede to a lingering theory in the back of my mind that the CLG could perform a u-turn on this; particularly given the current economic forecasts for the year ahead.

Anyway, expect to hear more about this in the coming weeks and months, I guess.

Posts: 2

First Day Marketing
Reply #1 on : Mon January 28, 2008, 22:51:27

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Fot the first time perhaps, I'm not really 'knocking HIPs', just pointing out that it's a pretty tough call for an estate agent to have to look a desperate seller in the eye and say 'sorry, I can't offer your home for sale for two weeks whilst I wait for a HIP'. My feeling is that DEAs and HI's should actually support the call for the continuation of First Day Marketing, because I think you'll get more work that way.

admin
Posts: 1

Re: Anti-HIP campaigners launch next crusade
Reply #2 on : Tue January 29, 2008, 12:06:12

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Well Trevor, I have to say, impressive start.

Just took a peek at the petition; over 3,500 signatories.

I think it took the HIP industry around two months to get near that figure on the last petition in the run-up to the full roll-out announcement.

I somehow don't think you'll have many DEAs/HIs queuing up to sign however.

I'm sure you're aware of the suffering and ongoing hardships currently being endured by thousands. They are understandably keen to have the career they were sold.

I do empathise with the situation you illustrate, though; have done from the start.

A few days ago I blogged of a lady's struggle to find a DEA to conduct an EPC on her house... even after calling 10 numbers, she got nowhere.

That is a worry.

Then again, this is supposed to be a transitional period to smooth-out such anomalies; hopefully this will be achieved.

Posts: 2

HIPs
Reply #3 on : Wed March 26, 2008, 17:43:26

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please dont bleat about the hardships of a few thousand DEAs/HIs. Do any of those people care about the damage this pointless and clandestine legislation has predictably caused to an already faultering property market. Dont blame Splinta and Trevor Kent for rightly trying to get this ill conceived and unwanted legislation revoked. IT DOESNT WORK AND NOBODY WANTS IT! and this has been proven by Which but obviously they are wrong as well?? You want to blame someone for our poor DEAs blame the Government for lying about inflated earnings. DEAs? HIs? My heart bleeds.