At the sort of prices Saga is quoting I do not think the average high street conveyancer should lose any sleep.

I just obtained a quote from Saga for a freehold sale at £150k and a freehold purchase at £250k – a typical, everyday transaction outside London and the south-east. To my amazement Saga quoted a fee of £625 plus VAT and disbursements for each job. This is considerably more than many high street firms would charge.

It worries me that people will pay a lot more than they need to simply through the strength of Saga’s brand – that because Saga is a trusted brand people will assume that the prices charged are fair and reasonable, and will not bother to shop around.

Incidentally, Saga also charges an ‘archive fee’ of £20 plus VAT on both the sale and the purchase, something high street solicitors do not normally charge.

Under the heading ‘disbursements’, there is a charge of £45 for a bank transfer fee. And there’s another charge of £65 for the ‘stamp duty land tax form’. The form does not cost anything.

Saga is charging VAT on both these items.

Michael Loveridge, Clitheroe