more on on Bangkok landlords not refunding deposit and agents

[Frankly888]

I was a model tenant: etc condo signed off as being in excellent condition, photos etc, still have receipts and so name and shame it is:

xxxx and "agent' who is independent- xxxx. Agent keeps emailing me utterly absurd reason why she won't refund my deposit. Avoid these people and this agent like the plague. She has threatened me with 'the Thai government(!?)' if I post this-see what I am dealing with:) This is theft: plain and simple.

[Crossy]

Sorry Frankly, ThaiVisa do not permit name and shame threads.

[Asiantravel]

"

Avoid these people and this agent like the plague. She has threatened me with 'the Thai government(!?)'"

That is crazy and would definitely motivate me to tenaciously pursue this woman with all the energy I have because she (and other landlords like her) are just taking you for a fool.

You can tell her you are the one that is going to get the Thai government involved against her by lodging a complaint with the Office of Consumer Protection Board. This office is open at the moment but unfortunately because it's situated in the same building as the location of the Immigration Bureau at Chaeng Wattana Road it is surrounded by anti-government protesters which means you can't rely on third parties to deliver your form. But I would go take a trip there personally to submit your form because once they get it they will work on it.

Here is their website

http://www.ocpb.go.th/ewtadmin/ewt/ocpb_eng/main.php?filename=index___EN

p.s. I would submit 2 complaints on two different forms. One against the agent and the second one for the landlord

[Frankly888]

Thanks for the info. I hear so much of this happening to foreigners and people should be warned ! The woman is quite crazy I have learned...

[Pomthai]

Why not repaint the place for her in a new colour such as pink with yellow spots. Ensure its will cost exactly a deposits worth to put it back to how it was.

[Frankly888]

Thanks for making me laugh about it Pomthai!

But seriously we are better than that are we not-would not like to be like them:)

[Asiantravel]

Thanks for the info. I hear so much of this happening to foreigners and people should be warned ! The woman is quite crazy I have learned...

This happens very frequently I'm sure and it's nothing short of a con.

Don't give up frankly!

In fact, with all the numbers of foreigners renting here there is no excuse for a government department like the OCPB not to become involved from the very beginning and act as the financial stakeholders of all this money. Some countries have a rental Bond board system where you forfeit any interest on any monies deposited ( used to pay their running costs) but the landlord must prove their case very clearly before submitting a claim for any part of the bond money.

When the landlord holds the money its an open invitation for them to come up with an excuse not to pay you back

I have been quite lucky, except I have had just one “ try on “ . The varnish on the wooden floor had come off naturally in a few places (and maybe it hadn't even been put on very well in the first place) so my landlady also tried to suggest I should pay for the floor to be revarnished........... until I quickly pointed to the " fair wear and tear " clause in the contract and she instantly backed off.

[KittenKong]

Yes, anyone who has been ripped off by agents or landlords should file a complaint with the consumer protection people as mentioned. Also complain to the police, the Tourism authority and anyone else you can think of.

I would mention the sums involved to the revenue department also, as you can pretty well guarantee that neither the agent nor the landlord will have declared them properly.

[Frankly888]

Yes in my country the deposit is held in a government department to protect both landlord and tenant.

I asked about this, as many foreigners do, when I rented through this 'agent' and she said when I pay outstanding bills ( I did :I have receipts for these also) and everything is in good condition which it is...it would be refunded. Lies. It was signed off after inspection and I was thanked for leaving it in such good condition ...and I am a clean freak.

The 'agent' is keeping some of the money I am sure.

Actually her increasingly erratic and crazy answers to my polite requests ( at first) to pay me my money are quite entertaining reading...perhaps I should post them here if Thai Visa allows this?

[Frankly888]

Thanks Kitten Kong...will mention these departments to them also because as I said it hilarious as her replies get even more insane...threats, 'evidence' as to what was agreed, her infallible reputation amongst fictional people....

Sad part is I know the agent is filthy rich and I am not.

[Asiantravel]

Yes in my country the deposit is held in a government department to protect both landlord and tenant.

I asked about this, as many foreigners do, when I rented through this 'agent' and she said when I pay outstanding bills ( I did :I have receipts for these also) and everything is in good condition which it is...it would be refunded. Lies. It was signed off after inspection and I was thanked for leaving it in such good condition ...and I am a clean freak.

The 'agent' is keeping some of the money I am sure.

Actually her increasingly erratic and crazy answers to my polite requests ( at first) to pay me my money are quite entertaining reading...perhaps I should post them here if Thai Visa allows this?

Perhaps now that Thailand is going through shall we say an introspective phase……… it would be an opportune time to enlist the support of a journalist at the Bangkok Post or the Nation to write about this sham business practice and demand more protection from the government . Nothing will change unless there is public discussion.

I bet they run rings around the poor Japanese and Korean tenants who would be far too polite to pursue the matter.

And if you are leaving the country when you vacate the property then you don't have the time or the ability to do anything about it.

[Frankly888]

Exactly...it is a scam which is why I would love to be able to name and shame so as to warn others and this would certainly make these people think twice...anyway this condo is nth BKK, near MRT and large shopping complex and the agent's name begins with A...female. She is attached to a very large langauge tecahing institution which has several branches in BKK and she knows teachers have to find a place fast and begin work fast. See if I can get away with that on this site:) She writes the contracts which is all in the landladies' favour who pays her a lot of money for getting a tenant. They know too well that sometimes we have to jump on a plane or relocate to other jobs and will get to keep the money. A colleagaue had 3000 bhat deducted from the deposit for 'cleaning' ( nonsense) after waiting three months to get her deposit back. Rip OFF.

[Asiantravel]

Exactly...it is a scam which is why I would love to be able to name and shame so as to warn others and this would certainly make these people think twice...anyway this condo is nth BKK, near MRT and large shopping complex and the agent's name begins with A...female. She is attached to a very large langauge tecahing institution which has several branches in BKK and she knows teachers have to find a place fast and begin work fast. See if I can get away with that on this site:) She writes the contracts which is all in the landladies' favour who pays her a lot of money for getting a tenant. They know too well that sometimes we have to jump on a plane or relocate to other jobs and will get to keep the money. A colleagaue had 3000 bhat deducted from the deposit for 'cleaning' ( nonsense) after waiting three months to get her deposit back. Rip OFF.

By your prudent lack of details you are obviously already aware of the very strict defamation laws in this country, so it's not worth even worth thinking about doing anything yourself.

That is why its better to safely provide all the details to a government department and allow them to do their job.

And that is also why I suggested finding a journalist (there must be one out there who could make a story out of this and might possibly find other parties that they have similar stories to you) who would know what they are legally allowed write, and then generate responses through the media?

[Konini]

Hmmmm. Always two sides to a story, not often we get to see both.

Waiting now for Frankly/Maggi..............

[zoza]

this situation appears to be a bag of snakes,with both sides claiming the moral high ground,all i would say is i have changed places maybe 8 times and on six occasions i've had problems with the deposit.

scamming people for their deposit is practically a national sport in thailand from my experiences.

from telling me the owner was overseas, lucky enough i had the owners number and the manager was sacked two weeks later, to telling me i was not paying in advance and i still owed a months rent (the dated receipt for the rent and my entry stamp in my passport had her pulling in her horns pretty sharpish)the latest 4 weeks ago my wife asked for the deposit 4 times and was palmed off with excuse after excuse, in the end she was given an envelope at 5.30am our taxi was leaving at 6.30am nearly a third of the deposit was missing, and in the taxi we discovered we had been charged 5x our usual electricity bill and 3x our water bill. although in 18 months we always had the meter readings on this day they were left off the form.

as long as the deposits are left with the owners this problem will continue, it seems that holding the money is to much of a temptation for some people.

[Rooo]

I have deleted some posts revealing personal information. Please be aware of defamation laws in Thailand.

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