Central Business Sales reviews and complaints
The good, the bad, and the ugly - discover what customers are saying about Central Business Sales
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On this page, you'll find a comprehensive collection of reviews and complaints from real customers who have used Central Business Sales's products or services. Our reviews are authentic and unbiased, providing you with a complete picture of the company, its products or services, and their customer service.
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sold my business
Central Business Sales where fantastic. They where very professional and dealt with the sale in a great manner. My mum is very elderly and needed a lot of advice and help. They even done the viewings for her.
I can highly recommend them if you want a company you can trust.
I would also mention that the fees they charge are brilliant considering what they do,
Carol Taylor
Edinburgh Hair and Betty
Stolen Fee
We approached Central Business Sales to sell two of our businesses. We had an existing relationship with another part of the business and felt that we could be sure of a good level of customer service – how wrong we were!
At first everything was good. Stephen Aitchison (Director) came to see us and made all the right noises. We discussed the strategy of the sales, that he would include three adverts for the business. Two individual adverts and one joint listing as the businesses were run in conjunction with each other. We hold copies of all correspondence confirming this and all other matters.
Communication was good. We were really busy, so it took us a while to get the businesses and the information required prepared, ready for sale.
Then we paid our upfront fee and it all started to go wrong badly.
The advertisements prepared by Central Business Sales were promised to us by then ‘end of the week’ on Tuesday 2nd September 2014. A week later on Tuesday 9th September, we were emailing to chase as we had heard nothing. We then received links to the adverts and they were such a disappointment. Different sized text, text copied and pasted from our site and from information given. They were cobbled together and rushed. An advert written well is crucial when you are selling a business, it is what everyone sees first and should summarise/sell the opportunity. We were told that the adverts had been emailed on time but they were having problems with their email.
We responded to Stephen directly in relation to these adverts on 18th September. We couldn’t email prior to this as we were so utterly disappointed at the lies about emails and the fact that the adverts he had tried to pass off were so poor. In the email we explained how disappointed we were and explained it would appear that we would have to write them ourselves despite not having the time to do so. We fully expected an apology and an effort to improve the adverts and re-write them. No chance, we were about to learn that isn’t the approach Central Business Sales takes! They are never in the wrong.
The response from Central was one of surprise, they had had so many enquiries to the ads. Then a back track about the third advert, apparently the third advert was to be added later. This is the only time in our whole dealings with Central, they have told us how many enquiries they have supposedly had.
We had to re-write both our adverts and submit them to Central. Then we had to chase to get them amended and uploaded. Two emails sent regarding pricing the businesses and the matters went unanswered for over a week. This prompted another telephone call, we were promised a call back that never happened. A response to these emails hasn’t been provided to date.
Our businesses were advertised on a confidential basis. We received a phone call from Stephen one morning telling us that an interested party wanted to meet. We agreed to meet them later that day. Fully expecting Stephen had a completed confidentiality agreement and details of the individual. It transpires Stephen sent someone to our offices to discuss our business without taking even basic details. When asked for a copy of the details and signed confidentiality agreement as we were about to meet again to discuss accounts, we were told they didn’t have anything.
From this point in September to Monday 3rd November, we had no contact with Central Business Sales whatsoever.
What they didn’t know is that we placed our own sales adverts on national sites to gauge response levels and made enquiries to them posing as purchasers. We were swamped with enquiries from our adverts on the same sites that Central were also advertising the same listing. Our enquiries directly to Central Business Sales were responded to after three days had passed and with a standard response. These enquiries have not been followed up to date.
When we telephoned Stephen to challenge him on the issues faced, he basically lied on several points. He never once apologised, he waffled, back tracked and lied. He even pretended he had tried to call twice in the last week but had received no answer, another lie.
We asked them to remove our adverts and we are now in negotiations with several people from our own adverts.
The bottom line is we feel very let down by the time and money wasted on this service. Save yourself the sheer frustration you will face dealing with this firm. They are not honest in their dealings in our experience. We have had one enquiry from them in 3 months and that is from the individual who knows all about our business now & we know nothing about them!
We requested a refund, that was promised & then quickly backtracked.
Central Business Sales have a Court Order against them
Trading as Central Business Sales (CBS) with virtual offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow which have no staff in them, they currently have a Court Degree against them for not returning £4000 deposit which is meant to be in a Trust Account. Courts, Sheriff Officers and Solicitors are in agreement that CBS is in the wrong. But they refuse to pay.
You pay a deposit with CBS into a trust account to enter into negotiations with the seller (two solicitors). Both solicitors could not come to an agreement so request the deposit back. Over a year later with the courts on our side and still no return.
This could happen to any of you out there. We now have the police investigating. We will eventually track down the director Stephen Aitchison. Criminals.
Trading as Central Business Sales (CBS) with virtual offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow which have no staff in them, they currently have a Court Decree against them for not returning £4000 deposit which is meant to be in a Trust Account, but gone also unlawful. Courts, Sheriff Officers and Solicitors are in agreement that CBS is in the wrong. But they refuse to pay.
You pay a deposit with CBS into a trust account to enter into negotiations with the seller. Both solicitors (either side) could not come to an agreement so we requested the deposit back. Now over a year later with the courts on our side and still no return.
This could happen to any of you out there. We now have the police investigating. We will eventually track down the director Stephen Aitchison. Criminals.
If you do business with CBS and it goes wrong the courts won’t help you as they already have Court Action against them.
Same experience here.
Absolutely atrocious 'service' from this company.
We put an offer in on one of the businesses they were selling and were pushed into giving them £5000 deposit - to discover at the first exchange of e-mails between our solicitors that the company was not sold as seen, in-fact had multiple land-lords, leases and subleases - to name only a few of the issues we encountered.
We withdrew our offer immediately (just 2 days after starting proceedings) and it took this company a further TWO WEEKS to finally return our £5, 000 deposit in full.
They initially ignored us, and then when they finally responded they wanted to keep '£150 admin fee' which was ludicrous given they constantly fobbed us off on our calls with 'we will be in touch later' and 'it will be sent this afternoon' and over 15 ignored e-mails. Further to this, when we paid the deposit they sent us terms saying it was refundable 'if there was an omission by the seller'.
When I rang them daily, Stephen, the company director was rude and obnoxious. A total bully - he claimed I was harassing him. I think ANYONE who is constantly ignored by a company who has kept £5000 of their money has the right to ask them when it will be returned.
I will never deal with this company again, and I strongly recommend you avoid them at all costs. Absolute charlatans. Property was not sold as seen, and Stephen is the most horrid 'businessman' I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with.
This guy is a fraud. I paid to sell my business through central business sales. 4 weeks later we had no viewing but on central business sales website my business had a notice next to it saying sold. Try Clyde business sales in Glasgow and ask for a guy named Jindy. I have had an offer on a business through Jindy in 2 days after 3 viewings. Steer well clear of Stephen and central business sales. He is a thief
We do not have any trace of anyone called Amjadz on our system. Also Clyde business sales do not exist. This is just a fake review that has been posted. 4 weeks is a very short time in the process of selling a business and with over 25 years experience in selling business I would be amazed that a business sold in 2 days with 3 viewings that is not realistic.
Central Business Sales have tried for the last 3 years to confirm that the main complaint is genuine as it states procedures that we do not use. We have never had a business of this type with the 2 adverts as discussed in the complaint. It has since come to our attention that this was a malicious complaint left by at the time a rival company called the Business Partnership and its director Alan Kinghorn who has since been made bankrupt.
We have tried to contact him on several occasions but he refuses to return our calls and emails. We have also contacted the complaints board who have refused to remove the text even when we have proved to them that is was left by a rival company. Mr Kinghorn left the review on 5 other websites who have all removed the text.
We have sold hundreds of businesses over the last 10 years and have an excellent reputation and would be happy to discuss this with any potential business owner who wants to sell their business.
I would ask that you look at our genuine reviews on google to get an idea of what type of company we are .
Many thanks
Stephen Aitchison
Director
Central Business Sales
Your a crook. You have a court order against you!
I totally disagree. I found them to be very professional and dealt with a very difficult sale for me and my mum, They even done the viewings for us.
All round great service I would highly recommend.
Thanks for all your help especially Catherine who was great.
Carol
The same case here. Mr Aitchison initially very keen to help selling the business. The payment was paid as agreed £250 (for interest in this matter I suppose) and everything was quite good organised up until one interested in party, that sale has suddenly fallen down. With no reason just like that, where initially all paperwork should be completed very shortly according to Mr. Stephen Aitchison and it was just a matter of signatures. As it turned out they weren't at all. We did exactly the same as the person above, we sent a couple of emails position us as a potentially interested in buying the business people. We didn't hear anything from Mr, Aitchison about those 'phantom clients'. Instead, I was being pulled the wool over one's eyes with an alleged interest of initial people. That they changed their minds again. Fortunately, when first (and the last one at all) viewing was organised I was able to take contact details of these people, so I contacted them if that is the truth about changing their minds. They didn't confirm that at all. Left this without comment.
I didn't want to speak to him over the phone, just communicated in texts, as wanted to have a proof. And so I've had few. On asked simple questions - total ignorance of his client. With no response at all. Eventually withdrawn my offer and decided to sell the business by myself.
An interesting fact is that the advertised by myself business have had several people interested in buying, whereas advertised via Central Business Sales just one. The business successfully sold without being lied and stress.
I do not recommend this Company, and if you want to SUCCESSFULLY and FAST sell your own business, do not involve the Central Business Sales for participating in sale. Waste of money and time.
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