Sensational Realty, Inc.

Ridicoulus prices and Not upfront with services. Needs to be more detail oriented about what they can offer to their clients. So I have been trying to get a home in the Raleigh area and with my credit not being awesome I am quite aware that I have to pay a large sum of money to relocate to a new home but not $4, 500. So I did let the company know up front how much money I had put to the side and how my credit was. My point is that if you can't help me, don't take my case. Charging $4, 500 to move someone in is ridiculous. That's not even including the rent I have to pay. I could put a down payment on a house for that price. I was only trying to rent an apartment. This is a sad case. The staff was quite pleasurable especially after I paid my$30 fee. I could live in a hotel months on end for cheaper.Desired SettlementPlease be up front with your potential clients and explain to them that services for people with bad credit will run as much as a down payment for a house especially when they described their entire financial situation before you charged them to run their credit. I think my credit has been run enough. Business Response Contact Name and Title: [redacted] Office ManageContact Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXXContact Email: [redacted]@sensationalrealty.comSensational Realty Property Management Company has had a standards of practice for credit checks and criminal background checks in place for over 10 years that is reviewed with all potential tenants during inquiries, while showing the property and before their application is processed. The potential applicants are advised that their credit score determines what they may need for additional pre-paid rent in advance. The potential applicant has the choice of whether to continue with the application process (if they are willing and able to meet our standards) or they may decline to proceed. In this case, Ms. [redacted]' very low credit score determined she would need to pre-pay three months' rent when she moved in due to her past history of not keeping her financial promises and commitments. Our job is to protect our Landlords with tenants that will keep their financial commitments. In Ms. [redacted]' case, the funds required to rent the property in question were her security deposit, first and three month's of pre-paid rent due to her poor and risky credit history. We always make sure that every potential tenant is aware of our credit check and criminal background check policies, and Ms. [redacted] was no exception. Consumer Response The judgement was also based on whether I had prior evictions on my credit which I do not. If 3 months of rent is 2,550 there is no way that I should have been asked to pay 4, 500. I was up front about my credit score and situation before I even asked about receiving sservices. Yet you still ran my credit and are trying to charge what sounds closer to 5 months of rent.Final Business Response The tenant applicant is confused, This was discussed clearly on the phone up front that there would be an additional 3 months prepaid rent. It was quoted as 5 months of rent total because of the poor credit, they are as follows.....1. First Months Rent, 2. Security Deposit 3. Last three months of rent were required for this rental applicant by the Landlord due to the very poor credit risk in keep their financial promises in past history (explained up front). We pride ourselves on protecting our Landlord Owners from tenant risk in our property management services and make no apologies for doing so. These are our standard of practice for the past 10 years with anyone applying for a rental from Sensational Realty Property Management homes.

Fraudulent Use of Realtor Access to Vacant PropertiesOn Nov 24, 2015, I met [redacted] at a rental property in Knightdale, NC posing as the agent for the property. I liked the property and he asked me to fill out the application in my car and pay the app fee to get the process started. He said a money order wasn't necessary and he could take cash for the app fee of $30. I didn't have cash and offered a check, but he said he'd be glad to follow me to the ATM, which he did. I didn't have change, the machine dispersed $40. He wrote me a receipt and said that he'd deduct the $10 from my other fees or refund it if I didn't get the property. After Thanksgiving, I wasn't able to get him to return my calls, but I did speak to the Office Manager, [redacted] who told me she was just about to call me and everything went through. She had to talk to the owner and she'd get back to me. She said she was driving and couldn't give me any details. Well, one month later and they won't return my calls, answer emails or texts and I am in a pinch to find another property before my lease expires in 2 weeks. My initial phone call to [redacted] I remember I told him I was on his website and he said, "Oh, those are other agent's rentals and probably out of date. This is the last one I have actually, so we'd better move fast." There were so many listed on the site that I couldn't get through all of them in an hour, but thought it was a good resource to search on addresses later. But, it lead me to believe that he was using his real estate credentials to show properties, influence the potential renter to give him cash for the app fee, then disappear. My credit report doesn't show where they made any inquiry. The property I was looking at was [redacted] I paid a $40 app fee which should have been $30 and never heard back. I emailed [redacted] at [redacted]@sensationalrealty.com, called her at XXX-XXX-XXXX. I called and texted [redacted] at XXX-XXX-XXXX.Desired SettlementI don't anticipate a refund, but I did want someone to verify that they aren't baiting innocent renters to properties they don't have the legal grounds/rights to rent, but they get their personal information and application fees anyway. I am going to notify my Identity Theft company representatives because I don't know how far this scam may go.Consumer: The agent finally contacted me as I made one final attempt last evening. I no longer believe they are operating under fraudulent circumstances, but poor customer service and business management. The claim can be withdrawn if that is possible at this point.Thank you,Business: Sensational Realty is the managing agent for this property, The agent was right to collect an application fee and provided a receipt for the cash given. It is a shame that the potential tenant did not have correct change, but did not want to hold up the application for them. This tenant was not chosen by the Landlord and so $10 is due back to her, we have tried to make contact to return the $10 and will continue to make contact until her $10 is refunded. We charge 1/2 the application fee up front unlike other companies that charge 100% of the fee, so that the tenant that does not get the property is not out an entire application fee, this allows us to pay for the services of pulling credit and criminal background services which was completed for this potential tenant. We have the reports which were gone over with the Landlord. We believe we treated this potential tenant fairly and ethically.