You get what you pay for

As a firm, we are opposed to fixed-fee conveyancing on the basis that we believe that our clients should receive what they pay for and only pay for the services rendered.The advantage to us is quite clear - we are paid for the work we do, which can be carried out properly.

The advantage to clients is that if their transactions are more straightforward than anticipated, they pay a little bit less.

We give a general quote at the beginning of the transaction so the client has some idea of the budget.In a recent transaction, with a fixed-fee conveyancing firm which was charging well below the local average conveyancing rate, we asked the conveyancing solicitors to draft a statutory declaration as to the existence of a conservatory and extension to the property to satisfy any future planning enquiries.

We offered to supply a precedent statutory declaration.

There was firstly resistance to a statutory declaration being necessary at all, and secondly we were told that this was a service in excess of the firm's fixed charge and it would be charging its client 40 plus VAT.

The firm later told us that its client agreed to the statutory declaration but as we required it, our client should pay the 40 plus VAT.

Where is this going to end? Is it going to reach the point where purchasers will be charged for the vendor's replies to additional enquires? Why should purchasers start paying the fees of the vendors to carry out the job properly?Joanna S Pellman, Pellmans, Oxford