Letting agent complaint

Letting Agents

Dear All,

I have a little issue with my agent and would need some help deciding what to do next. I will start by telling you the sequence of events.

I have rented a property with an agent in oxford. the property has been on the market for 3 days and taken out because some people viewed it and left an holding deposit. I started having calls with the agent every 2 weeks. After the first 2 weeks from keeping the holding deposit the agent say the checks are slow for covid 19. After 4 weeks still the same answer. After 6 weeks I complaint that the house should go back on the market but the agent says the checks are coming and everything would be sorted in few days. This process will continue for 2.5 months at the end. The checks come back and I am not entirely happy but because it took so long to get them I accept the tenants and get the contract signed.

At the same time I asked the agent to provide the reports (the reference and financial check report) and I can see that one of the checks for one of the tenants started 4 weeks after taking the holding deposit. I understand that the tenants didn't disclose documents promptly enough but the agent didn't mention that the checks weren't started. I mean the agent said the checks were slow not that the checks were not started because documents were not provided

At the end the letting progress and the tenants sign the contract.

Now my complaints is about 2 points:
1) The agent lied to me. They said the checks started but the checks for one of the tenants didn't start straight away and they were deferred 4 weeks. I don't know why.

2) the agent didn't mention to me that the holding deposit effectively lock the property for 2 weeks and after that the property could go back on the market. I raised this explicitly as an issue to the agent but I was not aware of my rights (I am a new landlord). Now I would have understood the situation with covid 19 but I would have not been waiting 2.5 months.

I made a complaint for their service and they acknowledge the lengthy process but they say they acted responsibly given the situation. They offered a unsatisfactory compensation fee and ask me to file this complaint with the Property Ombudsman if I want to push this further.

Now my question to you is the following.

1) Is the Ombudsman process a lengthy and expensive one? I am talking about 2000 £ max in refund should they return all the money back to me.

2) how likely am I to win this case. At the end to me the problem is about honesty. Agents should not lie and advise on my rights. At the end I am their customer, I pay and I feel betrayed by their behaviour.

Any comment or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks
Max