Ast Assistance Omdömen 

Very helpful from start to finish.
All my quieres and questions where answered and where I felt nervous about the process I was put at ease.
Would highly recommend.

Friendly & helpful team- would recommend.

Great service, exceptional support

I first received contact from AST in December 2023, just four days before Christmas, when I received a letter stating they were acting on behalf of my former landlord and demanding £4,862. Naturally, I panicked and began seeking legal advice.

I initially spoke to Sophie at AST, who was polite and reassuring, telling me the matter would be handled fairly and professionally. Sadly, this couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Shortly after Christmas, I received a late-night call from an unknown number. It was Gary Coker, who immediately launched into an aggressive rant about an email I had never received. He was confrontational, spoke over me, and frankly sounded intoxicated. He called me well outside working hours from his personal mobile phone, which already raises serious GDPR concerns.

I calmly explained that I’m a single parent and neurodiverse and requested some understanding. He showed no empathy whatsoever and continued with what I can only describe as bullying tactics. I asked for a breakdown of the alleged charges before considering any payment - a fair request given the amount involved - but he couldn't provide any detail.

I later followed up via email, and two weeks later, he finally responded with a vague and unsubstantiated breakdown - no dates, no evidence, nothing credible.

At this point, I submitted a Subject Access Request (SAR), which they are legally required to respond to within one calendar month. They failed to meet the deadline, and I had to chase again. When they eventually did respond (on 5th March), they breached GDPR again by sharing my former landlord’s personal details, including their home address.

I submitted a formal counterclaim, which I had backed by a two-year log of photos, videos, and email records, documenting:

Severe disrepair (water leaks from ceiling)

Fire hazards

Rat infestations

Repeated tenancy breaches

Despite this, AST repeatedly asked me to supply evidence they should have obtained from their client, refusing to take responsibility or do proper due diligence. Meanwhile, I received misdirected emails from Gary, containing other clients’ personal data and he repeatedly addressed me by the wrong name. Completely unprofessional.

Early on, they tried to pressure and intimidate me into paying without investigating the facts. When I stood my ground and asked for proof, they threatened me with court action, and then had the nerve to ask me for the evidence. I told them to get it from the managing agent - I’m not doing their job for them.

After months of chasing for updates on my counterclaim, they simply stopped responding. Then, over a year later, I received the exact same letter I’d received in 2023 - word for word - from a different solicitor based next door to AST. I’ve again had no reply from this new firm.

To be clear, if Mark Dawson (AST) responds to this review saying that I am “not a client,” it’s only because his firm recently advised that they are no longer instructed on this matter, surprise, surprise - and I have since formally requested that all my personal data be deleted. This is a matter of record. Based on other reviews I’ve seen, it appears Mr. Dawson often avoids accountability by deflecting blame and misrepresenting facts to protect his own position rather than admit his firm’s mistakes.

This entire process has been an absolute farce. Unless you’re a landlord paying them a hefty fee, expect to be treated with disrespect, incompetence, and carelessness. Their handling of sensitive data is negligent, their communication is shambolic, and their behaviour is, in my view, entirely unprofessional.

My parents are landlords - and I would never recommend AST to them or anyone else. You don’t need to be a legal expert to see how flawed this operation is. In my experience, they are unethical, unreliable, and unfit to act in any professional capacity.

I have serious concerns about how AST Assistance handles personal data. After receiving correspondence from them, I requested information about their legal basis for processing my data and formally objected under Article 21 of UK GDPR. Despite multiple attempts to resolve this directly with them, they refused to provide required documentation and dismissed my concerns with "We consider this matter closed." I've filed a formal complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Other tenants should be aware of their data protection rights when dealing with this company.