"Instead, he found himself mixed up in a saga where he eventually had to prove his identity to others. A South Dublin house owner was left bewildered when he discovered an Englishman named "Steve" had posed as the owner of his property, without his knowledge. The incident was later traced back to a well-known estate agency which said it had been part of a "mystery shopping" exercise designed to assess competitors' valuations."
"The firm apologised to the house owner, acknowledging that the exercise should not have taken place without his consent. But the case has sparked wider questions about how "mystery shopping" is used in Ireland's property market, how far is too far, and whether the practice is properly regulated. Today on The Indo Daily Fionnan Sheahan is joined by Amy Molloy Social Affairs Correspondent with the Irish Independent to tell the story of a property deal that took a surreal turn,"
A homeowner in South County Dublin engaged Mullery O'Gara to sell his house in Terenure. An Englishman named "Steve" subsequently posed as the owner of the property without the homeowner's knowledge, forcing the homeowner to prove his identity to other parties. The incident was traced to a well-known estate agency, which said the interaction formed part of a "mystery shopping" exercise to assess competitors' valuations. The firm apologised and acknowledged that the exercise should not have taken place without the homeowner's consent. The incident raised questions about how "mystery shopping" is used in Ireland's property market and whether the practice is properly regulated.
Read at Irish Independent
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