L Ward
1

As a young first-time buyer, I had no choice but to use Shipways. The entire process was highly stressful and completely unsupported. The irony is that when our offer was accepted, they were incredibly strict about enforcing a 28-day exchange of contracts. We did everything right—secured our mortgage offer and got completely ready—only for the process to stall because my solicitor was waiting on Shipways for an amended contract!Despite their strict demands on us, I was constantly chasing them via email, receiving minimal responses or mere acknowledgements rather than actual guidance. If I hadn't sought external support, I don’t know how I would have managed. Be prepared to do 99% of the chasing yourself.On completion day, funds were released and we had confirmation hours prior. Despite this, the agent’s response was simply, 'I haven't been made aware,' acting as if assisting us was a massive chore. She was incredibly curt and short with us, causing immense panic while removal vans were waiting.To top it off, I couldn't collect the keys in person, so I sent someone else. Shipways handed the keys over blindly, asking for absolutely no ID or confirmation of identity. For contrast, the property was multi-agency, and when we dealt with the other agents (AP Morgan), they were a completely different league. They required proof of ID and proper forms, highlighting just how poor and lax Shipways' security and customer service truly was. Use them with extreme caution.... Read more
26th May 2026 (23 days ago)