Because our lease is expiring soon, we have been looking for a new
condo for some time now. I have quite a busy job and need to schedule my time. My wife does most of the viewing.
Today (Sunday, 26th of April) we made an appointment to view together, a penthouse. The appointment was between 3 and 3.30PM, no mention was made about an earlier opportunity. Because of rain we were worried to be late so we took a taxi.
We contacted the agent, several times to make sure she knew we would be there. She never mentioned other viewers but because it was an "open house" I assumed that there were more interested parties and that there would be an opportunity to make a closed or open bid.
The agent was already present when we arrived at 3PM. There was one other party, a gentleman who seemed interested as well. I have no issue with that as is good for the owner because it ensures competition and the best price.
Since the penthouse fit our needs exactly I was ready to discuss our bid with my wife when the agent suddenly announced that the condo was taken and that the other gentleman made his bid. We had no opportunity to give our bid, even if it could have been higher. We were stunned. After all the trouble we had finding the apartment, taking time and cab fare we were denied even making a bid. She never mentioned this to my wife when they spoke on the phone or when we arrived at the condo.
When we were on our way back down I realized that this was apparently a set up. The "bidder" could be a friend or family making a low bid and the agent would keep other parties out. This way the condo can be sub-let, making a tidy profit. My suspicions were confirmed when I went back up and asked the agent for her id so I could lodge a complaint. Just to see her reaction and asked her how much "extra" the bidder paid and that I would give her 50% more. That made the bidder very uncomfortable. He suddenly jumped in and started verbally attacking me and making threatening gestures. Then he started making racial slurs and told me to "get back to my own country". All the while the agent stood idle by.
My wife, who speaks Chinese, overheard the agent and the bidder later arguing that he paid $9000 "key money".