Fees paid to a letting agent

[alison123]

Wonder if someone can help here, i paid a letting agent £175 for a credit check when applying to rent an apartment. I advised them that i wasnt working but would be wishing to pay 6 months rent upfront. I was told that wouldnt be a problem, they went ahead and told me i had passed the credit check and that i would hear from the people owning the property (i presume the landlord). To cut a long story short i have heard from them who wanted proof of earnings (already told the letting agent i didnt work) or to provide saving account details etc. I replied to them and was told that as the property i applied for was rent with a view to buy (even though they wernt wishing people to buy them) that i didnt apply because of no income. They said they get grants off the government to buy such properties and would be in trouble if it were found that i couldnt actually afford to buy one. I am now out of pocket by £175 because of this and this is something the actual letting agent themselves say they didnt know anything about. Am i entitled to this fee back due to being misinformed, i have done nothing wrong and was totally upfront about my situation.

[sandyRoe]

I would have thought it was the letting agent who had the say who would get a tenancy. Why else should the landlord employ them?
Get in contact with the CAB. And what kind of a credit check costs so much?

[alison123]

Well that is what i thought, why would you pay them if the prospective landlord would then turn round and say no. That fee is one of the cheaper one, one agent was going to charge £250 but if unsuccessful then at least it was refundable whereas this one is non refundable. Im so mad about this because i paid this fee 3 weeks ago and could have been looking at other properties. Surely aswel with me paying 6 months rent upfront is a better risk :-(