Rules and your rights
This is a demonstration app
Sodafom is published as a demonstration app, built to show what it can do. It is free to use for everyone. Sodafom accepts no legal responsibility for anything arranged through it.
Sodafom stores nothing and holds no personal details
Sodafom does not save, store or upload your photos, your video, your description, your address, your name, your telephone number or any other personal detail. Everything you type or take on the app stays on your own device. When you tap share, your own phone passes your advert to Facebook or whichever app you choose, and you post it on your own page yourself. Because Sodafom holds no personal data, Sodafom is not the data controller of your advert and accepts no responsibility for data protection. Anything you post publicly on social media is your own content, posted by you, under the terms of that platform, and it is your responsibility to decide what personal information you are willing to show.
You decide your own price
Sodafom does not advise what your home is worth or what you should sell it for, and it does not advise a buyer what to pay. Any figure shown comes from public sold-price data and is only background information. Setting your asking price, and deciding whether to accept a bid, is entirely your own decision based on your own research. Take professional advice, such as a RICS valuation, if you want a formal opinion.
We are not responsible for information shared
Sodafom only gives you the tools. It is for the user of the app to decide what they post on Facebook and other social media platforms in order to sell their home, and the user is responsible for that content. Sodafom does not check, approve or take responsibility for anything shared.
Sodafom is a private-sale noticeboard
Sodafom lets home owners advertise their own home and lets buyers say what they would pay, directly. Sodafom does not act as an estate agent, does not negotiate on your behalf, does not give financial or legal advice and does not hold any money for a sale. Buyers and sellers deal directly with each other, on their own backs and at their own risk.
Honest descriptions are the law
Anyone listing a home must describe it truthfully. Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations, misleading actions or leaving out important information about a property is an offence. Tell buyers about anything that would affect their decision, such as flooding, disputes, short leases or structural problems.
Estate agency rules
The Estate Agents Act 1979 and its regulations apply to businesses that carry out estate agency work. Because Sodafom only provides advertising space between private sellers and buyers, it is a property advertising platform. If a listing is placed by a business acting for someone else, that business must follow the Estate Agents Act, redress scheme membership and money-laundering rules.
Price estimates
Every value shown on Sodafom is an estimate produced from public sold-price information. It is not a survey, a valuation or a mortgage lender's opinion. Get a RICS survey or a professional valuation before you commit.
Mortgages and insurance
Sodafom lists mortgage lenders and insurers so you can visit their own websites. Sodafom does not arrange, advise on or sell regulated financial products, and is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. Always check the provider's own terms and speak to a qualified adviser.
Solicitors and conveyancers
Solicitor listings link to firms and to the Law Society's find-a-solicitor service. Check that any firm is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or the Council for Licensed Conveyancers before sending money.
Honest descriptions are your warranty
The user of the app must guarantee that the description of their home is 100% accurate. An inaccurate description is false advertising and against the law. Sodafom takes no responsibility whatsoever for false advertising by a user.
Your information
We only store what you choose to put in a listing or a bid, and we use it to pass your bid to the other person. Sodafom does not store your photos or videos — those stay on your own phone and your own social media. You can ask us to delete your listing and your details at any time. Never share bank details through the app.
Staying safe
Meet in daylight, take someone with you to viewings, and never transfer money without confirming bank details by telephone with your solicitor.