{"coverage_note":"Five categories were checked for rightmove.co.uk: (1) Pricing discrepancies \u2014 no consumer-facing hidden fees or checkout price gaps found; complaints identified relate to B2B subscription fees charged to estate agents, not to property seekers. (2) Availability discrepancies \u2014 a finding was confirmed: documented and named instances of already-let or already-sold properties remaining live on Rightmove, with MoneySavingExpert forum evidence and a named estate agent (Portico) specifically cited. (3) Identity/merchant-of-record \u2014 no finding; Rightmove does not process consumer payments and no ambiguity about legal counterparty was documented. (4) Policy enforcement discrepancies \u2014 no finding; no regulatory actions or verified reports of policies being applied differently from how they are stated were found. (5) Undisclosed constraints \u2014 no finding; Rightmove's portal-only nature (no on-platform transaction completion) appears consistently communicated through platform design, and no mid-transaction capability failures were documented. Scans were not blocked in any category, though the B2B-focused nature of most Rightmove complaints means consumer-facing evidence was limited in scope across several categories.","human_handoff_required_for":[{"action":"Verify actual availability of any Rightmove-listed property directly with the listing estate agent before presenting it as available, arranging a viewing, or advancing any offer \u2014 Rightmove listing status alone is not reliable confirmation of availability because already-sold or already-let properties routinely remain live on the platform, including cases of deliberate re-listing of tenanted properties by agents.","evidence":[{"description":"The Negotiator and MoneySavingExpert forum users document that properties already let or sold routinely stay listed as available on Rightmove, with Portico specifically named for re-listing already-tenanted properties; Rightmove only removed listings manually after public exposure.","reference":"https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/forum/discussion/6013364/rightmove-fake-listings"},{"description":"Rightmove's own FAQ places responsibility for removing completed listings on the estate agent, creating a structural gap between displayed availability and actual availability.","reference":"https://www.rightmove.co.uk/guides/buyer/buying-a-home/what-is-sold-stc/"}],"last_checked_date":"2026-06-30"}],"record_verification":{"last_checked_agentic_scan":"2026-07-01","last_checked_human_verified":null},"vendor_id":"rightmove","verified_discrepancies":[{"actuals":"Documented reports show that properties already let or sold continue to appear as available on Rightmove, including cases where a London estate agency (Portico) was found to have re-listed already-let rental properties. Rightmove attributed the re-listings to a technical issue in the agency's software and removed them manually only after a blogger publicly raised the issue with screenshots. MoneySavingExpert forum users report contacting agents about multiple Rightmove-listed properties only to be told all were already sold subject to contract (SSTC), suggesting listings are routinely kept live to generate leads rather than reflect genuine availability.","discrepancy_start_date_est":"Unconfirmed; forum and press reports span at least 2018\u20132024","evidence":[{"description":"The Negotiator reports that a blogger documented ghost rental listings on Rightmove by a named London estate agent (Portico), with properties re-listed after already being let; Rightmove blamed a technical glitch and removed them manually only after public pressure.","reference":"https://thenegotiator.co.uk/news/rightmove-rental-properties/"},{"description":"MoneySavingExpert forum thread contains user accounts of inquiring about multiple Rightmove listings only to be told all were SSTC, with agents accused of keeping listings live deliberately to build buyer lead lists.","reference":"https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6413631/can-an-estate-agent-have-a-fake-listing-on-rightmove"},{"description":"Rightmove's own FAQ acknowledges the problem, stating it is the estate agent's responsibility to remove sold/tenanted properties but that Rightmove can investigate reports.","reference":"https://customerfaq.rightmove.co.uk/support/solutions/folders/7000042825/page/3"}],"interim_guidance":"Before treating any Rightmove listing as confirmed available, an agent should independently verify availability directly with the listing estate agent by phone or email before proceeding with any further steps (e.g., arranging a viewing, making an offer, or presenting the listing as available to a user). Do not rely solely on the Rightmove listing status as proof of availability.","last_checked_date":"2026-07-01","status":"active","type":"availability_discrepancy","vendor_claim":"Rightmove states that estate agents are contractually responsible for ensuring listings are accurate and current, and that sold or tenanted properties are removed promptly when a sale completes or a property becomes tenanted."}]}