| Attempting to contact them seems virtually | | | | hear back so I gave her a call to see if she had |
| impossible and when you do finally manage to reach | | | | heard anything from the owner. She told me that the |
| them they are very quick to brush you off and | | | | application had been forwarded to the owner and |
| make you feel like just another number. Unless your | | | | she was hoping to hear from him any day now. We |
| property is worth millions or you are looking to rent | | | | waited another two days and still no call from the |
| out thousands of square meters chances are that | | | | agent. At about this point we were really starting to |
| you are not going to receive the type of attention | | | | become very frustrated and impatient. I called her |
| you were initially promised. | | | | again only to be redirected to her voicemail, and upon |
| When me and my partner were looking to rent a | | | | leaving her a message I started to seriously doubt |
| commercial property for our internet cafe, little did | | | | whether she had submitted the application to the |
| we know how frustrating and time consuming the | | | | owner at all. She finally got back to me that evening |
| process would actually be. But the searching for the | | | | and said that she had spoken to the wife of the |
| right location would prove to be the least of our | | | | owner and was told that they were yet to make a |
| problems. There seemed to be no shortage of shops | | | | decision. |
| on the market that suited our budget at the time. | | | | Another couple of days passed and still no response |
| What made things extremely difficult was constantly | | | | so I decided to venture down to the premises and |
| trying to get in contact with the agent responsible | | | | see if I could somehow get in contact with the |
| for that particular property. We would have had a | | | | owner himself. The gentlemen that owned the |
| better chance at locating an extinct species than | | | | café next door was very eager to tell me that the |
| making contact with an estate agent. | | | | owner of the property had an office right above the |
| We found a property that was in our price range and | | | | shop and that I should go and speak to him directly. |
| in exactly the right location. I called the agent listed | | | | When I approached the owner and told him the |
| on the add and not surprisingly I was redirected to | | | | situation he looked at me in total disbelief because no |
| her voice mail. I left a brief message and it took | | | | one had given him any application for the shop |
| about two working days before we got a call back. | | | | downstairs. He then proceeded to ask his wife if she |
| We made an appointment to view the premises and | | | | had spoken to the real-estate agent and she too |
| once there we were made to wait for 15 minutes | | | | stood there with a very confused look on her face. |
| outside the shop. The worst part about this was the | | | | When the agent was asked why she hadn't advised |
| agency was directly across the road from where we | | | | the owner about the interest in his property she |
| were standing so it was not like like she had the | | | | denied everything and said that no application was |
| longest trip to make. She finally arrived and upon | | | | filled out for that particular premises. Even though my |
| inspecting the property we filled out an application | | | | email correspondence with her proved otherwise, she |
| form. | | | | still stood by her story. |
| Three days went by and we were still waiting to | | | | |