These reviews are straight from Trustpilot - and give a clear indication of how bad rics are. There are hundreds more like this..
Absolutely shocking QC. Two surveys of the same property only a short period apart but two completely different Reports.
One fair, clear, positive, factual and well written the other nit picking, negative, factually incorrect information, flimsy evidence base for significant problems, rushed (50 minutes at the property), no feedback or consultation with owner, always further investigations needed and use of ubiquitous damp meter tool used completely incorrectly causing needless worry for both buyer and seller.
Overall would give no stars, because this kind of evidence points to real standardisation issues within the organisation. In my view about time this money making machine was stopped and something more professional, helpful and accurate put in its place. The whole edifice of this scam on the Public needs overhauling. I am certain there must be thousands of people who have had a bad experience with this flawed and callous organisation purporting to uphold both prestige and high standards.
If you are not a member of them, you quickly realize how unsupported you are and how very limited their support is.
Their communication, or lack of it is a disgrace and the website that even they themselves have no clue how to use it or where to direct you. In essence they are a chocolate fireguard for anyone other than the members that they serve.
Would give a zero star
Unable to provide criteria on how they discipline surveyors or what the minimum threshold is.
If they don't share this how can the process be deemed to be transparent and fair ?
Will not confirm if they've deleted my data as requested under GDPR GUIDELINES
Their surveyor undervalued by 40k was too arrogant to absorb the evidence we offered via actual sold prices in the last 6 months.
And stick to the line its his opinion that counts and not scientific evidence from the UK land registry!! Unbelievable
A total farce and waste of time.
2020: financial and governance scandal exposed by Sunday Times. RICS covered up, denied, delayed, suppressed, then obstructed reviewer Peter Oldham QC (who resigned), then obstructed and delayed Alison Levitt QC, who issued a damning report 9/9/21. But chapter 5 “naming the wrongdoers” was redacted and the Jan ’22 Kinglsey Napley report on it is still suppressed. Meanwhile the same insiders created and captured another review by Lord Bichard 21/6/22, which ensured that nothing real changed for members or Public to counter the gravy train and internal and external vested interests.
Sunday Times: “In 2017-19, CEO Tompkins received more than £1.1m, including £372,500 in bonuses. In 2018, he received £42,000 discretionary bonus even though he missed his targets. RICS lost money in both years.
In 2019/20 senior staff RECEIVED BONUSES while RICS used HMRC JRT grants to furlough 200 staff. 140 were then made redundant in 2020.”
Captured for over ten years by overpaid “managers” (who can not manage: see Glassdoor) teamed with “governance” (which fails to represent members or govern and is also captured by a property clique), with an unjustifiably huge 600 staff, constantly failing IT, delivering tiny value to the 110,000 members, as evidenced by near-zero take up of everything RICS offers (at vast overhead expense).
Combines the worst features of an old boys’ club, a Soviet-era civil service bureaucracy, and a rapacious mis-selling, subscription-trapping, self-serving. money-grabbing double-glazing/insurance etc sales style rip-off. The antithesis of a genuine public interest driven, forward facing, professional and regulatory body.
“Find a Surveyor” members’ directory is created as an arms race between members to pay RICS, but fails as a public or member service.
Sustained by a huge non-fact-based PR/marketing operation, claiming ESG and "values": Integrity, Transparency, Inclusion, Collaboration, Advocacy, Passion (whether it does them or not), rides on a Royal Charter brand "to serve Public Advantage and professional standards" (but seems to marginalise both in practice).
RICS seems to be all about itself: and mainly about extracting money from members, and blocking change for vested interests in the captured status quo.
Nothing justifies the £539 pa subs and even less justifies Fellows paying an extra £119 pa. Nov ’21 CEO Collins promised a review as part of the Bichard process, to can-kick past renewals on 1/1/22. Nothing was in the Bichard review when revealed (and adopted before members had seen it) on 21/6/22. 1/1/23 renewals passed with no change. Nearly 10% of members did not renew.
1/1/24 approaches and RICS has changed nothing real. Completely out of touch with (mostly highly specialised) member needs, especially the 70% UK members, many in micro-businesses and who will never work abroad.
Delays and simplifies its opaque accounts (see how thin and late they are at Companies House) to unethically and unsustainably spend £7m per month concealing from members the incompetence, waste, vanity projects and cushy manager roles. Public advantage, ESG and member interests marginalised.
A tragedy. Many members are good though and genuinely do the values and service for the public which RICS fails at.
Dishonest and unprofessional. We spend all our savings on an house that had an issue with the boundary wall without knowing that. The only thing in the report regarding the boundary wall was "further repair may be identified on closer inspection". After two weeks of living there the wall collapsed into the neighbours propriety. To fix it we had been quoted feom 35K to 50K!! When we call Albert Wellington to question his inspection and contribute towards the repairing of the wall, he told us that his company did their deuty of care.
The organisation as a whole is awful. It's an awful representation of their members. They treat members and staff like trash and management is a shambles.
Do not work with or for RICS. Do not mistake a RICS membership as some kind of accolade.
Absolutely awful company with little to no care and values.
Scandal after scandal and can't sort themselves out.
It is a complete myth, in my experience and opinion, that RICS upholds any values or standards. They are only interested in member subscriptions, approx £500/yr per member and more if you’re also a registered valuer. Without their members, they have no income.
The public is brainwashed and even educational establishments lead students to falsely believe RICS qualifications are the “gold” standard and a sign of integrity. No, that’s just what RICS state, it’s a sales pitch, it has no authority.
I have seen that when RICS is presented with widespread fraud by member firms they simply do everything they can to find excuses and avoid holding anyone accountable. If they close down a firm, they lose thousands in membership fees etc.
If you’re a student, don’t bother qualifying, your two years of APC is a waste of time and here’s why…
If you were to lie and pretend to be RICS qualified for years without anyone questioning you - and believe me there are many who do - there is actually nothing RICS can do to hold you accountable. You can do as many fake valuations etc as you like and the worst that will happen is RICS May send you a letter asking you to cease.
Most people just see the “Royal Institution” and think it has some authority. Nope. Diddly squat. There’s more authority in your little finger.
So why not make hay, call yourself a chartered surveyor and fear the letter, if it ever arrives… I’m sure it must be frightening.
We had a survey from an RICS chartered organisation. The surveyor photographed the property but failed to survey 25% of it.
The Principal Surveyor revisited and admitted failings but refused to take responsibility. They said our only option was to arbitrate.
RICS were unhelpful. It felt like their existence is only to protect the membership and reputation.
One example: I used an RICS-published article as evidence to prove my case. RICS contacted me to say that this 'was no longer their opinion' and took the article offline immediately.
When buying a property, you'd be better off using a camera and measuring tape, paying for a damp survey, electrical certificate, roofing inspection and demanding the heating is serviced.
I have encountered people who are "RICS qualified" with this orgnasationon a number of occasions in relation to different building projects that i have been involved with. Each time "RICS" is written across the "report" in bold ink, and each time I read the report at the end- I am dissapointed.
Thier undertsanding of buildings is not much more than my 9 year old daughter and thier ability to write even a summry report is close to worth-less.
From comments elsewhere, the RICS organsation should be banned. My advice - Use a qualified Civil Engineer to do the report instead.
A pointless organisation full of snowflakes.
They issued a fake surveyor, someone who had been pretending to be RICS qualified for over 25 years, with a cease and desist but, they refused to make this public knowledge.
Can you imagine how many people have been cheated by this fake surveyor and how much fraud must have gone on and all RICS do is send the guy a letter.
They should have reported him and the firm involved to the Police!
Wretched organisation in every way conceivable. They treat their members like dirt and see them only as cash cows. They also bully anyone that says anything negative about their unforgivable behaviour. Membership is a complete rip-off. I would strongly recommend going elsewhere (anywhere). Zero value for money and leaves you with a very bitter taste in your mouth. Also their “regulation” department do absolutely nothing even when their members are patently committing fraud - they don’t even bother responding to you! Hideous institution that should be abolished completely. The “qualification” is next to worthless due to years of falling standards. Think VERY carefully before joining.
Report of malpractice ignored by RICS
I contacted the RICS after a surveyor wrote a report for a client that was fabricated and with no back up evidence in the report to justify the claims made. We contacted the Surveyor first to ask him to please explain his findings as there was no evidence provided in the report for these findings. He refused to converse as we were not his "Clients" we then contacted the RICS to ask them to investigate the matter as we felt the surveyor was basicaly writing what ever his client wanted without any factual evidence to support the report . The RICs responded saying they couldnt act as we were not the "Clients" ?surely they have a responsibilty to govern their members conduct? or are they happy to just take the annual fee and let the Surveyors govern themselves? It would seem so, the worst so called professional organisation I,ve ever dealt with in a lifetime of work in the Construction Industry. We are third Generation builders established in 1930 so we do speak from some experience. The RICS need to have a good look at themselves and start to monitor what their members do and write, how else can anyone have any faith in this organisation if they just turn a blind eye all the time. An absolute disgrace they should hold their heads in shame.
In brief and in my experience the RICS are a woefully incompetent and negligent organisation who do little to hold crooked members to account.
I complained about a member firm and provided pages and pages of evidence detailing their falsified and non-compliant valuation reports and other documents used in court proceedings.
The first RICS complaint handler took 3 months to review and dismissed the complaint despite the evidence. They had no understanding of the basic RICS rules to which a member must adhere.
An investigation by a manager into how this RICS employee handled my complaint and the evidence confirmed the RICS employee required further training and had failed to do their job properly.
Things then got much worse.
My complaint about the regulated member led to an investigation by a “Lead Investigator” who then took the word of the regulated member over and above the written evidence. By way of just one example, none of the valuation reports by the regulated member were signed by an RICS member and yet the regulated member told the RICS they were countersigned. The RICS ignored the physical copies of the reports proving there was no counter signature and simply took the word of the regulated member. By doing so, the RICS dismissed my complaint.
The matter remains “live” and I am pressing for a through internal investigation into how not one but, two RICS employees have failed to do their job and currently allowed a regulated member to tell them bare faced lies!
I also hope the Estates Gazette and press will take notice.
Being a member of the RICS evidently means very little when their own regulator does not understand their own rules and takes no action against regulated firms abusing their status, a status the members of the public who pay their fees should be able to trust.
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