foxtons group plc is a british estate agency company dealing with both lettings and sales .

it is listed on the london stock exchange .

foxtons

every person who works at foxtons makes a difference . hear what they have to say about working at foxtons .
michael brown joined foxtons in september 2002 as chief operating officer of foxtons and chief executive officer of alexander hall .
uk estate agent foxtons makes $ 1 . 2 billion stock market debut | reuters
foxtons produces a dedicated lettings magazine for londoners and opens its sixth office in putney .
foxtons … coming to a neighbourhood near you . photograph : dan kitwood / getty images
foxtons hired credit suisse , numis securities and canaccord genuity to handle the ipo in june .
foxtons chief executive nic budden blamed “unprecedented economic and political uncertainty” for the fall in profits .
1991 marks a change in branding for foxtons with the introduction of the first roundel logo design .
1996 sees foxtons move into north london with offices in st john ' s wood and hampstead .
a foxtons estate agent sign is seen outside a branch in north london september 3 , 2013 .
a foxtons car passes a branch of the estate agents in chelsea west london september 4 , 2013 .
foxtons : london estate agents , uk . properties for sale , london rentals , short lettings and new homes
foxtons helped me to sell my home of many years . they understood the emotional attachment , as well the practical reasons for selling . even after a couple of setbacks everyone at foxtons stayed enthusiastic and interested .
foxtons said it was well placed to
benefit from any future recovery in the residential property sales market
.
foxtons open offices in dulwich and pinner , bringing the total number of offices to 23 . both offices launch with foxtons ' trademark 0 % commission offer . urltoken wins more prestigious awards , including best estate agency website in the uk .
in early 2001 foxtons opened its state - of - the - art headquarters in chiswick , west london . at foxtons hq , hundreds of business professionals provide a vital support service enabling our front offices to focus on what they do best : selling and letting property . 2001 also sees the first branded foxtons minis zipping around the capital , prompting many imitations .
thank you to the foxtons agent who found me a great apartment . i needed to find an apartment in 2 weeks and foxtons found me a home just like i wanted . very efficient service , great communication and excellent customer experience .
profits at london - focused estate agent foxtons have plunged by 64 % , hurt by slowing demand and increased economic uncertainty .
foxtons chief executive michael brown stands to pocket 52 . 3 million pounds from reducing his stake to 8 . 1 percent .
foxtons ' s american operation started as the independent company urltoken and was later bought by mr . hunt ' s business .
foxtons ' executive directors , who are reported to have own as 20pc of the equity , will also be able to sell shares .
foxtons opens a new office in camden and relaunches their successful website , scooping more awards in the process . space mini was launched !
foxtons saw profits recover to £16 . 7 million in 2009 after the slumping housing market pushed it into the red the previous year .
the company was part of foxtons ltd . until earlier this year , when the london - based parent accepted a buyout offer from the british firm , bc partners ltd . foxtons ' s british founder , jon hunt , retained the american branches as part of the transaction .
foxtons paid real estate agents a salary and a 3 % commission rather than the traditional 6 % , according to its web site . the idea failed to catch on because agents from other companies , who worked solely on commission , were reluctant to show homes listed by foxtons .
we regret what has happened . we regret that tim ' s friends at foxtons can ' t really speak to him any more . we regret we have upset foxtons , and regret the costs on our side . it is going to be damaging financially to the company .
in 2009 , the office for fair trading successfully sued foxtons for extracting
unfair
charges from landlords . no matter how the latest lettings dispute concludes , it is a reminder that foxtons is more vulnerable than it looks . for foxtons , as for many british companies founded in the thatcher era , new ways of doing things and a measure of ruthlessness have brought success ; but of a volatile sort - and at a cost .
foxtons’ pre - tax profits in the first half dropped to £3 . 8m from £10 . 5m in 2016 . photograph : alicia canter for the guardian
foxtons’ offering , which was oversubscribed , raised 335 million pounds for selling shareholders , including majority owner private equity group bc partners , and company employees .
in july , draker allegedly emailed at least 31 landlords on the database , announcing the new company in competition with foxtons and touting for their business .
foxtons , known for its distinctive fleet of branded mini coopers , is floating at a time when data points towards an revival in the uk housing market .
foxtons is suing a former senior director and his partner amid claims they stole the property giant ' s secret client list to set up a rival agency .
foxtons is suing mr hassell , mr andrew and draked for alleged infringements , including breach of contract and confidence , procurement , conspiracy and breach of copyright .
a spokesman for foxtons said :
because we are in the legal process at the moment it is not appropriate to comment until it is concluded .
he was appointed as chief executive officer of the group in 2007 when bc european capital acquired a majority interest in the foxtons business . michael started his career as a solicitor at slaughter and may . prior to joining foxtons , michael spent 6 years at enron europe as general counsel and latterly as chief operating officer .
crumbs . i guess a lot of people just want a piece of that foxtons magic . yes . or a pile of cash . traders clearly expect the london property market to continue on its recent trend of rapid growth , and foxtons plan to take advantage by opening loads of more branches over the next five years .
foxtons was founded with a single branch in notting hill in 1981 by entrepreneur jon hunt and quickly became one of the most recognised high - street estate agents .
a revival in foxtons ' fortunes recently has reportedly prompted the company to buy back around £20 million of debt in the firm it lost control of last year .
i joined foxtons in 2011 , just after my a - levels . my sister , who was an intern at the time , introduced me to the company and although i had a small amount of sales experience from part time retail roles , it wasn ' t essential as foxtons invest training in you from day one . more
bc partners , which oversees a €5 . 8bn ( £5 . 2bn ) fund , lost control of foxtons after creditors reorganized the real estate broker’s debt last month .
the opening of new offices continued into 2011 with blackheath , marylebone and stratford . foxtons awarded best lettings agency of the year at the prestigious sunday times property awards .
revolutionising the rental industry , my foxtons is upgraded to offer tenants and landlords the option of setting up their new tenancies online , vastly speeding up the rental process .
since david cameron became prime minister in 2010 , foxtons has almost doubled its number of branches , and more than trebled its annual profits , to £42m . when foxtons became a public company in 2013 , it was initially valued at £650m ; within six months , demand for its shares had swelled that value to £1 . 1bn .
working at foxtons is energetic , sociable and rewarding . we reward hard work , providing the opportunity for talented and enthusiastic individuals to thrive in an incentive driven environment .
foxtons was founded in notting hill gate , london , as a two - person estate agency determined to make its mark on the local property scene by doing things differently .
foxtons creates an innovative , animated 3d property search which lets you ' fly ' between properties , adds google street view to properties on urltoken and wins more prestigious awards .
both have seen their shares rise more than 50 percent since going public , but some investors said last week foxtons was late to the party and too exposed to london .
foxtons ' approach was really professional and effective . i appreciated your endeavours in finding me a suitable place to live in . unfortunately a better value / money option arose elsewhere .
he set up a second branch in fulham and hired rollings . by this time the hunt / foxtons philosophy was already well ingrained : work longer , sell harder , do whatever it takes to get the business and then sell the property . foxtons ' internal motto was already in place :
our clients want us to go to war for them
.
this month a larger threat to the company emerged . chris townley , a former landlord of a property managed by foxtons , became the first claimant in a c lass action against the estate agent . it alleges that foxtons has overcharged landlords for repairs and maintenance , by deliberately hiring expensive contractors , and then adding to their bills an undeclared commission of up to a third . townley ' s solicitors , leigh day , claim that foxtons could face a cumulative legal bill of up to £42m - the equivalent of its entire 2014 annual profit .
the opening of new offices continued into 2013 with brixton , barnet , enfield , hackney , west end , twickenham and crystal palace . foxtons also had a successful ipo in september .
right . and of foxtons in particular ? apart from their fouling of london with smug shops and tacky minis , their history of overvaluing houses and faking signatures , as exposed by the bbc in 2006 , and recent allegations they lock rental clients into exorbitant utilities contracts from which foxtons themselves take commission ( bbc again ) , i ' ve got no problem with them .
foxtons , the upmarket estate agent , has formally announced its intention to float and raise £55m from the sale of new shares as it looks to take advantage of the recovering housing sector .
in the longer term , while recent political events have produced uncertainty for buyers and sellers , foxtons said it expected london to remain a highly attractive property market for both sales and lettings .
a discount realtor that brokered home sales for a 3 % commission , foxtons , shut its american operations and may file for bankruptcy amid the slowing housing market . the company laid off 350 of 380 employees , west long branch , new jersey - based foxtons said thursday in an e - mailed statement . it had realty offices in new york , new jersey and connecticut .
by january last year , foxtons had breached its loan covenants . bank of america and mizuho financial group arranged £270m of leveraged loans to fund the buyout , according to data compiled by bloomberg .
we recently sold our house though foxtons . i was impressed with the marketing of our house across london and the amount of interest that was quickly generated . a very good service .
once known for its pioneering coffee shop - style outlets and fleet of mini cars , foxtons floated in 2013 ahead of a market peak and has since failed more than once to meet market expectations .
we are recognised for being highly motivated , ambitious and hard - working . every person who works at foxtons makes a difference to our company . do you have what it takes to join us ?
mark joined foxtons as chief financial officer in november 2016 . prior to joining foxtons , mark held a number of positions at ftse 250 recruitment business hays plc . after early roles in internal audit and as head of m & a , mark became european finance director in 2006 , in which he was responsible for businesses across 15 countries . in 2011 mark was appointed as group financial controller , a position in which he acted as deputy group finance director and held until joining foxtons . mark has extensive international experience across many areas of finance and over ten years ' experience working in an agency business .
nowadays , foxtons sometimes presents itself as an ethical business . a recent advertisement for a
graduate property consultant
says that
a clearly defined moral compass is a must
, and that the company is
an environment where we compete … but support each other
. yet foxtons ' approach to outside scrutiny makes such claims hard to judge .
we don ' t do interviews ,
nicky chute , the company ' s head of communications , told me when i contacted her . foxtons ' current ceo , nic budden , she went on ,
is a fairly private person
.
dealing with foxtons was a pleasure throughout the process of selling my flat in putney . excellent in proving regular updates and following up on all open items with the solicitors and with the buyers .
daniel bellau , head of corporate at law firm hamlins , said :
foxtons ' ipo may be taken as an indicator of renewed confidence in the uk residential market , especially as it comes just months after rival estate agency countrywide’s return to the stock exchange . yet foxtons is a london - based agency and this ipo may well say more about the london real estate market than the wider national market .
the offer price valued foxtons at around 18 times next year’s forecast earnings , compared with 17 times for countrywide and a median of around 12 . 3 times for uk housebuilders , according to thomson reuters data .
the brixton anti - foxtons campaign has continued to escalate regardless . in july 2013 , protesters managed to get into the branch and unfurl a
yuppies out
banner . this april , the branch was briefly occupied again by demonstrators holding placards that read
social housing not social cleansing
. a few weeks later , during a generally peaceful anti - gentrification march on 25 april , half the frontage of foxtons was smashed in .
) enjoyed a strong stock market debut on friday , seeing its stock rise well above its offer price in what could be seen as a vote of confidence in the housing market particularly in london where foxtons is focused .
whilst studying my geography degree at bristol university i had become very interested in many aspects of the uk property market . i was recommended by friends and family to apply for a summer internship at foxtons . . . more
foxtons said pre - tax profits in the first half of this year dropped to £3 . 8m from £10 . 5m in the same period of 2016 . group revenue fell 15 % to £58 . 5m in the period .
bc , which ceded control of foxtons to its lenders in 2010 before taking majority ownership again last year , is on track to make a return of close to three times its investment , a person familiar with matter said .
mr andrew , 37 , described in court papers as mr hassell ' s
husband and business partner
, would have known the information was confidential and conspired to use it steal foxtons ' business , the papers state .
my recent experience of selling a property with foxtons was a very positive one . understandably selling a property is a stressful period , therefore having a professional and a proactive agent is a must . thank you very much !
now foxtons is demanding a minimum of £300 , 000 in damages from mr hassell and mr andrew , a co - director and shareholder of the new firm , who is also the chief executive of a boutique wealth management company .
he said the couple are now in the final stages of negotiations with foxtons to reach an out - of - court settlement .
we are trying to settle so it does not have to go to court ,
he said .
before joining foxtons i worked for a large , well known , international agency where i worked my way up to being an associate of the firm . although i was happy in my previous company i wanted something more challenging . . . more
foxtons claims mr hassell has so far admitted obtaining the business of one its landlords , a mr l neumann , to the value of nearly £2 , 000 , and it believes draker has many more
poached
clients on its books .
the opening of new offices continued into 2012 with london bridge , crouch end , pimlico & westminster , earlsfield and shepherds bush . foxtons launched a new service which introduces the ability for landlords and tenants to conduct their rental deals completely over the web .
before foxtons i was working in the affordable housing sector in scotland where i was born and raised . in 2004 i graduated from queen margaret uni in edinburgh where i specialised in housing studies and developed a passion for the property market . . . more
the 32 - year - old was an operations director and lettings manager with 12 years at foxtons but resigned in january and started a rival business with his partner , christopher andrew . the business specialised in rental properties in chelsea , belgravia and kensington .
it focuses on property sales of between £200 , 000 and £1 . 4m - a price range that made up 78pc of london sales in 2012 - and operates 40 foxtons branches in london , two in surrey , and one alexander hall office in london .
i ' m so pleased i chose foxtons ! my property was given a great valuation - and sold quickly , the perfect outcome . you were fantastic throughout - giving great advice , keeping me fully informed and acting efficiently and with great professionalism .
a general view of foxtons estate agent on brixton high street on august 14 , 2013 in london , england . according to figures released yesterday by the office for national statistics , londons house prices are rising at an 8 . 1 per cent annual rate .
previous revelations about foxtons ' s illegal fly - boarding and other dubious business practices have done nothing to hinder its inexorable growth . the simple practice of overvaluing properties continues to pull in clients , even if those high prices are not then achieved at sale .
a similar surface orderliness - with its implication that foxtons will bring order to the messy property market - marks the company ' s carefully choreographed initial dealings with clients . if you phone a branch as a new customer , you will quickly be redirected to the in - house call centre at headquarters in chiswick . there , a
new business consultant
, always polite , usually well - spoken and slightly caffeinated - sounding - red bull is popular with foxtons staff - will try to extract personal details from you .
i graduated from loughborough university with a degree in printed textiles . that summer , i applied for a role as a tenancy manager with foxtons . my only previous office experience was a two month summer placement working in marketing for a wholesale company . . . more
a few months later , in 2008 , for the first time in a decade and a half , london property prices began to drop . for the next three years , foxtons suffered collapsing sales and staff culls . there were hasty and acrimonious shifts of ownership between bc partners and the banks that had lent it the money to buy the company . at bc partners , senior people began referring to foxtons as
the f word
. there were predictions in the press - sometimes thinly disguised hopes - that it would go bust .
after building up the company for 26 years , employing 1 , 600 people in london and 500 in the us , hunt sold foxtons in 2007 for £370 million to private equity firm bc partners , just weeks before the credit crunch hit and the property market slumped .
“our strengths and future potential lie behind the capital reorganisation , and we are delighted we will continue to have the support of bc partners and our banks going forward , ” foxtons chief executive officer michael brown said in a statement posted on bc partners’ website on dec 31 .
in july foxtons opened a new office in the business heart of docklands at 20 canada square in canary wharf . further offices opened in kingston , guildford and woking marking the start of an expansion into surrey . 2006 also saw the punk mini hit the streets of london .
foxtons has a more individualistic culture than its rivals , who generally pay higher basic salaries and sometimes hand out commission on a team basis . at foxtons branches , the negotiators ' telephones are arranged facing each other , in gladiatorial rows . despite this , or perhaps because of it , the young men in suits are always ducking outside to make calls . in 2006 , anna adams , an undercover reporter for the bbc1 series whistleblower , filmed a friday meeting where , when individuals ' sales or lettings figures were announced under - performers were heckled .
foxtons , which last year earned more than half its revenue from its lettings business , is focused on expansion within london , home to 40 of its 42 branches , and has said it is aiming for five to 10 new branch openings a year between 2014 and 2018 .
“we remain the largest shareholder , but decisions will require the input of all parties , ” andrew newington , a partner at bc partners in london , told bloomberg on friday . bc partners has “no overall control” over foxtons , he added . he declined to give further details .
sales revenue crashed 29 % to £22 . 2m in the period , with foxtons saying the performance was set against a surge in the first quarter last year , when transactions were brought forward ahead of the stamp duty surcharge on buy - to - let investments and second homes .
in early 2010 foxtons launched its new ' x - ray mini ' which was created in collaboration with one of the uk ' s most exciting contemporary artists , nick veasey . new offices were also opened in north finchley , temple fortune , streatham , willesden green and clerkenwell .
as a result of my hard work , i have been lucky enough to go to top restaurants in london , drive amazing super cars and visit several international destinations . most importantly though , i have learnt invaluable skills at foxtons and am still looking forward to new challenges ahead .
there was already a foxtons in nearby beckenham . what if , i asked , a property came on the market midway between the two branches ? which one would deal with the seller and any buyers ? she instantly turned deadpan :
it depends on who they call first .
in the 469 - acre gardens once landscaped by capability brown , hunt is recreating more than a mile of the original lakes , a bridge , boathouses and a new garden of fanned grass terraces . it was at heveningham that steve hewitt , who has convictions for theft and violence and had allegedly been hired by foxtons to tear down rival agents ' for sale boards , suffered a serious accident while riding quad bikes with hunt . he then sued hunt , but the foxtons boss was cleared of any blame for the accident after his lawyers accused hewitt of blackmailing him .
after graduating from university with a 2 : 1 in forensic biology i was unsure what to do next . i went for my interview at the foxtons headquarters and as soon as the lift doors opened i knew that this was the company i wanted to work for . . . more
in papers filed at the high court , foxtons accuses the couple of stealing
large amounts
of information relating to 2 , 500 clients , including the addresses of properties , landlords ' bank and contact details , rental figures , fees charged and start and end dates for tenancies .
the float marks a milestone for bc , which has had a chequered history with foxtons since first buying it for about 360 million pounds in 2007 . the agency came to epitomize the woes of the private equity industry as plummeting sales pushed it into breach of the terms on its debt .
prior to joining foxtons , nic had an international career in business development , operations , marketing , strategy and finance , having held positions at bt group plc ( 1990 to 1997 ) , cable & wireless group ( 1997 to 2002 ) and severn trent group ( 2003 to 2005 ) .
foxtons recruits constantly and unfussily for its junior positions .
sales experience is beneficial but not essential ,
says a recent ad for a
trainee property negotiator
. burgess remembered her fellow interviewees as
from all over the country , from scotland , from wales , from tiny villages . quite well - educated people , and people who had dropped out of uni . foxtons said to us , ' we ' ll give you a car and a phone . you ' ll get to know london like the back of your hand . ' and it gave you a friendship group .
bc partners acquired foxtons , known for its fleet of green mini coopers used by employees to show houses and apartments , in may 2007 for £390m , in one of private equity ' s most ill - timed deals – just as the london housing market slumped , slowing the number of home sales .
i graduated in 2005 from kingston university with a degree in sociology and began my foxtons career as an office co - ordinator in the putney office . one of the best things about the role was that i was part of a fantastic office , helping to make it run smoothly . . . more
very impressed with the service - our flat was let to a high calibre tenant within 4 working days of us instructing - before it was even photographed and advertised online . foxtons were extremely helpful , courteous and very quick to respond to calls and emails , which was great for us as first time landlords .
i have been helped by klaudia to find a place in shoreditch / hoxton area . i just wanted to highlight that she has been amazing during the whole process . very helpful and full of knowledge . even though i have found a place with foxtons stoke newington i would like to give a feedback about how amazing she was .
really professional and friendly service throughout ! joshua has been wonderful in helping me find my first home and supporting me through the sometimes - stressful process . he ' s been approachable , knowledgeable and quick in dealing with my queries and meeting my needs . i am completely satisfied with how everything has turned out thanks to josh and foxtons !
foxtons seems to have two modes : either overconfident expansion or panicky retrenchment . since 2011 , as the london house price bubble has reinflated , the business has resumed its upward path . but now it is a public company , with a fickle share price , and more of the detail of the estate agent ' s performance is publicly available
burgess ' s workplace still took some adjusting to .
it was so clean . in a foxtons branch , you will not find a piece of paper anywhere . you ' re not allowed to leave anything on your desk - everything gets cleared away every night . and you move desks every few weeks . you never feel you can relax .
right from my first contact with foxtons to the sale of our house the service was first class and we cannot praise natalie and ben enough they were extremely professional and very helpful too . natalie and ben kept us informed every step of the way and this made such a difference to the whole experience making it far less stressful than it could have been .
the company declined to comment
on the specifics of this case
; but went on to say that
our fees are clearly laid out within our terms and conditions
; and that work on properties let through foxtons was carried out by
carefully vetted and trusted contractors
who offered
competitive value
. the case may end up in court next year .
foxtons even advised tony and cherie on the purchase of their £3 . 65m property in connaught square , and then won the job of letting it , presumably claiming they could get the eye - popping £15 , 000 a month . predictably , and embarrassingly for the blairs , this was later reduced to £8 , 000 to get shot of it after a dearth of takers .
i graduated from leeds university with an economics and philosophy joint honours degree in 2004 . after travelling for a month , i returned to london and started researching job opportunities . the graduate recruitment advertisement described foxtons as an innovative , young and highly driven sales company . this , coupled with the opportunity to earn a very competitive salary - at 21 years of age - meant i was sold !
i got at least three or four phone calls today ,
an attorney in the queens borough of new york city who represented sellers listing property with foxtons , richard lovell , said .
they were all very concerned . it ' s going to make the logistics more complicated . the attorneys and buyers and sellers are going to have to jump in and do a little more work .
this rigid singlemindedness saw him lose his long - time right - hand man , last year - managing director peter rollings . foxtons ' seemingly softer public face and fixer used to deal with the all too regular complaints and is no doubt sorely missed at the moment as dirty secrets such as the doctoring of landlord agreements , lying to customers , and inflating values are caught on camera for the first time .
eight months after the broadcast , and after threatening the bbc with lawsuits , hunt admitted to the guardian that there were
several things we had done in [ the documentary ] that were wrong
. but he went on ,
i don ' t think [ they ] were pervasive … and we straightened those out .
he dismissed the allegation that foxtons and alexander hall illegally shared information as
total nonsense
.
but even the briefest of conversations with him quickly demonstrates that behind the white - tooth smiles , there is an inner steeliness that has made him top dog in the world ' s most vibrant residential property market . as the head of one rival agency , ivor dickinson at douglas & gordon , has observed , fellow estate agents are
very scared
of criticising foxtons .
it ' s like being rude about the kray twins .
a single big sale in nearby knightsbridge kept foxtons afloat . in 1982 , with the economy finally growing again , as the thatcher government ' s heavy - handed move away from manufacturing towards property and service industries belatedly began to yield results , the one - year - old estate agent opened a second office , in nearby fulham : like notting hill an inner - city area that was part of the emergent , glossier london . hunt also hired a lieutenant , peter rollings .
but then foxtons ' owner and chairman , jon hunt , who last year moved into
billionaires ' row
in kensington palace gardens and promptly restyled himself jonathan , is not a man to be embarrassed by his employees . not unless they start to affect business , that is . and in the past few days staff say there have , astonishingly , been no signs of that .
far from it ,
says one employee ,
it ' s as if the publicity has helped us .
so , although last week ' s docu - mentary caught some of foxton ' s less admirable practices on film , it may not spell disaster for the agency at all . those who use foxtons probably even expect their estate agent to be less than perfectly honest - so long as it negotiates the best price . as one admirer of hunt ' s puts it :
he has a way of doing business that doesn ' t appeal to everyone but certainly works . he doesn ' t need to be liked to succeed .
in 2005 , hunt ' s lieutenant peter rollings left to set up a competitor , marsh & parsons . by 2007 even hunt had had enough .
i was working 14 hours a day … i was in my 50s and it ' s a young man ' s game ,
he told business life later . he sold his creation to a private equity firm , bc partners , and shifted his energies to renovating heveningham hall , a country estate in suffolk , successfully investing his foxtons fortune in london property and , as if awarding himself a final
car target
, collecting ferraris .
overall last year , foxtons earned £60m in commission , and even after hunt paid himself a £4m dividend ( plus a £302 , 171 salary ) it made £1 . 78m in profits . now said to be worth £350m , at first sight the reclusive 52 - year - old does not cut an imposing figure . slightly built , obsessively neat , with understated suits and ties , he is rarely photographed and has gone to great lengths to keep his name , and especially his wife and their four children , out of the press . so it is not unknown for him to be mistaken by visitors for a junior employee .
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urltoken
private equity firm bc partners loses control of london estate agent , less than three years after buying it for £390m .
the london - focused company , majority owned by private equity firm bc partners , said the offer would comprise new shares as well as a partial share sale by a bc partners - controlled unit , adnams bbpm holdings .
proceeds from the initial public offering will be used to pay down all the estate agent ' s outstanding debt , the company said in stock market statement .
earlier this month , two of the private equity backers of countrywide – which floated in march – tapped into investor appetite for housing - related shares by selling down part of their stakes in the estate agency earlier than agreed .
countrywide shares have performed strongly since the initial public offering . they were sold at 350p but closed at 586½p on friday , a jump of 68pc .
housebuilder crest nicholson also floated in february and achieved a top of the range valuation of £550m . like countrywide , its shares have also performed well since the ipo and have surged 50pc
first - half revenue at the group rose 10 . 5pc to £62 . 6m , while adjusted earnings before interest , tax , depreciation and amortization rose 14 . 3pc to £19 . 4m .
the business has already made a fortune for its founder jon hunt , who set up the company in 1981 in notting hill gate and sold the business on to bc partners for about £375m , a matter of months before the housing market crashed .
the buy - out group later lost control of the company after it breached the terms of its debt , but bought back a majority stake last year .
the move is being read as another sign of improving activity in the housing market , after a slew of data has in recent months pointed to rising prices and .
our purchaser had a slightly complicated background and you managed the process extremely well and were relentless in keeping contact with both myself and the buyer to push the transaction along , critical to holding the chain together .
we are a voluntary member of the key governing bodies , abiding by the strictest codes of practice .
we also believe in fee transparency , helping you make informed decisions with no last minute surprises .
we understand that getting an update on your property ' s value or rental potential can help you make better informed long - term decisions .
we are a voluntary member of the key governing bodies , abiding by the strictest codes of practice .
our purchaser had a slightly complicated background and you were relentless in keeping contact with both myself and the buyer to push the transaction along , critical to holding the chain together .
excellent communication throughout the transaction . kept me informed and liaised really well with all parties to conclude my sale at its earliest opportunity .
antoniya was helpful in finding us a rental apartment . she responded quickly to our enquiries , whether by phone or email and was practical in setting up the viewings and finalising the offer and contract .
searching for my new place within 2 weeks time , which is obviously too short , and having visited about 40 flats - having had many contact with other agencies as well , i want to highlight that the service that you have provided was exceptional . many thanks especially to antoniya , who filtered properties perfectly , showed many good options and was in general very supportive and most professional . her management and communication skills are absolutely outstanding . looking forward to the next flat search with you guys , the effort is absolutely appreciated .
gavie was enthusiastic and helpful throughout the process and it would have been a lot slower without him .
matthew showed myself and my boyfriend around several properties and couldn ' t do enough to make the whole process easy for us ! he had a great attitude ( even when we were indecisive and changing our minds about things ) and went out of his way to find us other suitable properties and offer advice . thanks for all your help !
matthew was excellent . he did everything within his power to make the booking work , was available at all hours ( including sunday ) , was extremely flexible with viewings and worked extremely hard to fit my criteria . he is a brilliant employee and i hope he gets recognition for this !
estate agents often get a bad press but my dealings with ashraf in the shoreditch office reassured me that there are some great agents out there . ashraf was very helpful throughout the purchasing process and went out his way to make sure the transaction was as smooth as possible .
eleonora from the shoreditch branch was the best agent we have had . found exactly what we were looking for , arranged great viewings and was extremely kind .
eleonora was an excellent agent . would recommend her specifically to friends . she did a fantastic job .
service was excellent . alex was always available to update me during the whole sale process , making everything run nicely and smoothly , from flat viewings to completion .
eleanora was a fantastic , warm , caring and honest person who went out of her way to help me . exceptional person and excellent service from the get go .
helen found us a property that most closely match our criteria . it was indeed close to what we were looking for , we just ended up choosing something we felt was more value for money . still helen , did not push us in any way and in any step of the process - always calling to check in but with no pressure . also , helen was kind enough to drive us home after the viewing . very , very nice overall
we had a great experience looking for a new home . eleonora took care of all our needs and questions and understood clearly what we are looking for . we were very happy to have her as a lettings agent and we ' d happily contact her if we were to look for new apartment again . thank you .
the best estate agent i have worked with so far . very professional . brilliant with communication . shelley sold our house and at the time of the viewings i had a baby only a few weeks old and she made sure she always did viewings around feeding and nap times . natalie has been great in keeping us updated and our buyers happy . thank you all .
thank you so much for your efforts . communication between natalie and her team and myself was brilliant . always called back when they said they would . natalie and her team were very professional . i wish natalie and her team all the best for the future .
shelley has been brilliant throughout the whole process and is a genuinely nice person and easy to do business with . natalie has been super and kept us informed all the way through .
the company has been warning since 2014 that double - digit price rises and strong demand in london were cooling , hitting its profits .
budden said in march that the london market was “severely impacted” by the brexit vote , which he claimed had led to a “substantial reduction in property sales transactions” .
the numbers come after official figures showed annual house price growth cooled down further in may .
britain’s housing market has slowed sharply since last june’s vote to leave the eu , when prices were growing by almost 10 % a year .
the uk’s third - largest housebuilder , taylor wimpey , said earlier that it believed the risk of material impact on the market from the eu referendum in the short term has significantly reduced .
revenue from lettings , a strong area for the firm that could be hit as the government introduces a ban on one - off tenant fees , fell by 2 % to £32 . 1m .
the letting fees , which are to cover the cost of conducting viewings , verifying references and drawing up contracts , have become an increasingly important money - earner for the industry , averaging £337 .
“as the lettings market grows , it is becoming more complex too , with significant new regulation , legislation and tax changes introduced in recent years , ” the company said in a statement .
© 2018 guardian news and media limited or its affiliated companies . all rights reserved .
the estate agent has more haters than followers on twitter . now sales are falling , can it get a positive message across ?
estate agent’s pre - tax profit fell to £10 . 5m in the first six months of year from £18 . 1m a year earlier , with brexit uncertainty blamed
estate agent reported 28 . 5 % rise in property sales in first quarter amid rush to complete deals before deadline but brexit fears weigh down expectations
the flag - ship park lane office is opened to serve central london and a new office is also opened in islington .
the first café - style offices are launched in ealing , richmond , balham and wimbledon marking a turning point in the estate agency industry . in addition the hot rod mini was launched .
further café - style offices are opened in sloane square , muswell hill and shoreditch during 2004 . in addition the hippy mini was launched .
the 2005 camo mini was inspired by contemporary london street fashion . urltoken is awarded many high profile awards , recognising innovation , quality and ease of use .
early 2014 saw the launch of our iconic ' anniversary edition ' mini design , plus new offices in beckenham , greenwich , earls court , harrow , stoke newington , tooting & wapping .
early 2015 saw the launch of new offices in barnes , walthamstow , west hampstead , ruislip and bromley . later in the year we opened offices in surbiton and croydon .
early 2016 saw the launch of new offices in loughton , sutton , new malden , fulham bishops park , maida vale , peckham & vauxhall .
* copyright © 2018 insider inc . all rights reserved . registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our
a house is seen on january 23 , 2015 in an affluent area of west london , england .
jon hunt . he is a lean , reined - in man with a strong jaw , a drawling , slightly distant voice , and impatient , whirling hand gestures .
my old man was extremely tough ,
he told the website business life
.
he was irish and came to london when he was 13 . he was a runner for a legal firm … then he got into the army .
hunt junior , born in 1953 , soon learned to be just as adaptable and self - contained : while his father took up a succession of end - of - empire foreign postings , hunt was sent to millfield boarding school in somerset from the age of seven . he loved millfield ' s emphasis on sport , but left the school at 16 . he briefly joined his father ' s regiment , the royal artillery , then moved on restlessly again , to work on building sites in france , and then back to england , to a job at a small estate agent in woking .
he was 18 . it was the early 70s , the brief boomtime of edward heath ' s doomed tory government , and one of britain ' s periodic property bubbles was inflating . woking , wealthy in parts , full of lush properties , but with a london satellite town ' s transient population , was a good place to learn the trade . hunt has a cautious side -
i will sit outside a property for six hours watching the traffic flow before i decide [ to buy it ] ,
he told the mail in 2009 - and he stayed in woking through the property collapse of the mid - 70s . he came to realise that the final stages of such downturns , when prices were low but had stopped falling , was a good time to buy and sell houses -
when there ' s blood on the street but it ' s drying
, as he put it in the mail .
burgess went to chiswick for an interview in 2011 .
the head office is so vibey when you ' re 18 or 19 ,
she remembered .
there ' s music playing . it ' s colourful inside - bright green . everyone ' s good - looking , everyone ' s smartly dressed , everyone ' s so happy ! there ' s buzzers going , people are collecting chocolates for making sales . you think , ' this is a whole world i want to be part of . '
a row of houses are seen in london , britain june 3 , 2015 . british house prices rose at their slowest annual rate in nearly two years in may , as growth continued to moderate after double - digit increases in the middle of 2014 , figures from mortgage lender nationwide showed on wednesday .
in its latest annual report , a small graph at the bottom of page 19 shows that since 2010 , as the company has opened branches faster than ever , its average revenue has dropped year by year , and by more than a fifth overall .
gain a global perspective on the us and go beyond with curated news and analysis from 600 journalists in 50 + countries covering politics , business , innovation , trends and more .


gameduell is a cross-platform games community headquartered in berlin , germany .

it operates over 70 games in seven languages with over 130 million users .

the company produces and distributes digital card and board games , action arcade games , as well as puzzle games for the web and social and mobile platforms .

some of the company 's games include fluffy birds , maya pyramid , bubble speed , jungle jewels , grand gin rummy and belote .

gameduell

glassdoor has 20 gameduell reviews submitted anonymously by gameduell employees . read employee reviews and ratings on glassdoor to decide if gameduell is right for you .
gameduell offers online gaming services . gameduell is a private company . kai bolik is the co - founder & ceo of gameduell and has an approval rating of 57 from owler members . gameduell has received a total of $ 17 . 5m in funding . gameduell ' s top competitor is glu mobile , led by nick earl , who is their president & ceo . gameduell has 12 followers on owler .
owler has collected 17 screenshots of gameduell ' s website since oct 2012 . the latest gameduell website design screenshot was captured in jul 2018 .
gameduell ' s latest funding round in july 2008 was reported to be $ 17 m . in total , gameduell has raised $ 17 m
gameduell is not liable for errors in data entry , transmission , and / or scores , as gameduell has no influence over these problems .
gameduell ' s co - founder & ceo , kai bolik , currently has an approval rating of 57 % . gameduell ' s primary competitors are
gameduell offers online gaming services . gameduell was founded in 01 / 2003 . gameduell ' s headquarters is located in san francisco , california , usa 94103 . it has raised 17 . 5m in 2 rounds . the latest round was in jul 2008 . gameduell ' s primary investor is . . .
gameduell was founded in 2003 by kai bolik , michael kalkowski , and boris wasmuth gameduell . it is based in san francisco , c . a .
since gameduell was founded in 01 / 2003 , it has participated in 2 rounds of funding . in total gameduell has raised $ 17 . 5m . gameduell ' s last funding round was on jul 2008 for a total of $ 17 . 5m
gameduell currently has 1 , 636 followers on twitter . as of july 2013 gameduell had 1 , 148 followers . that ' s a 42 percent increase in 4 years
gameduell currently has 194 , 615 fans on facebook . as of july 2013 gameduell had 164 , 639 fans . that ' s a 18 percent increase in 4 years
employees and staff members of gameduell and their associate companies are not eligible to participate in contests offered on gameduell . they may , however , participate in games for testing purposes , but without the intent to achieve any personal gain or profit for gameduell .
fördern durch spielmittel e . v . receives gameduell christmas donation to support the toy library
gameduell is not liable for any damages of any kind that are caused due to a member ' s misuse of gameduell services , which include all resulting losses by any third parties .
abusive behavior on gameduell is prohibited . abuse behavior includes , but is not limited to :
javascript elements must be activated for you to play at gameduell . instructions can be found here .
german casual gaming outfit gameduell is currently advertising for five positions in its berlin offic . . .
gameduell posted a video
berlin 2 . 0 - digital pioneers and visionaries !
on youtube
all declarations that are conducted within the context of the gameduell license agreement must be made in written form or via e - mail . the gameduell e - mail address is terms @ urltoken .
if a player aborts a game , either purposefully or due to technical problems that cannot be attributed to gameduell , then the score that was last transmitted to gameduell will be counted as the result .
gameduell is granted the unlimited right of usage in terms of space and time for all posts submitted on the gameduell user forum , or other information submitted to gameduell using the provided mechanisms for such including photographs , game comments , suggestions , etc . the user is not entitled to compensation for such .
industry veteran howard phillips has joined casual game company gameduell as its head of game design . . .
from its head office near gendarmenmarkt in berlin - mitte gameduell caters to an audience of millions of players .
the heart of our office is the fabulous gameduell lounge , our assembly hall with an open kitchen where we stage many internal and external events like the gameduell techtalk with internationally renowned experts in digital technologies . check out
german outlet gameduell is to depart from the business of casual development in order to capitalise o . . .
there , walking down the street toward me was michael kalkowski , one of the co - founders of gameduell .
german skill - games site gameduell has raised $ 17 million in a second round of funding from wellington partners .
in a surprise move , berlin - based developer gameduell has pivoted its business . previously focused on . . .
gameduell only offers its services in the countries that are selectable during registration . in the event that a player enters false information regarding his residence , then gameduell may exercise its right of avoidance with regard to the user contract .
if gameduell is forced to close a duel ( as hereafter defined ) prematurely , then the participating members can have their entry fees refunded and credited to their player accounts . gameduell is not liable for any collateral or consequential damages .
you’re viewing a free company profile from the pitchbook platform . to explore gameduell’s full profile , request a free trial .
gameduell boasts 125 million registered players for its casual games , which include animal maze , lame duck and captain click .
gameduell reserves the right to retroactively amend obvious errors in the specification of entry fees , prices , quotes , etc .
i remember my first exposure to gameduell ; they were a platinum sponsor of casual connect europe . they had a really fun setup with very colorful cube chairs , a projector , big banners labeled “gameduell is cool” and very eccentric people . if you are lucky enough to visit their office , you will probably agree with me that gameduell is definitely very cool .
glu mobile is the top competitor of gameduell . glu mobile is a public company that was founded in san francisco , california in 2001 . glu mobile operates in the internet software industry . glu mobile has 322 more employees vs . gameduell .
it was our pleasure to have urltoken cto dr . werner vogels as a speaker at the gameduell techtalk in late 2010 .
gameduell has employees and is the fifth highest among it ' s top 10 competitors . the top 10 competitors average 228 .
berlin based gameduell has snapped up veteran mobile exec erik t ' sas to be its new lead of live game operations .
the following document is the gameduell gmbh ( in the following referred to as “gameduell” ) terms and conditions . these terms and conditions shall regulate the contractual relationship between gameduell and individuals ( in the following referred to as “member” or “player” ) who use the telecommunication services provided by gameduell . these terms and conditions shall also govern all content sent and uploaded by members within the scope of the services at urltoken ( “the website” ) including e - mails , forum and guestbook entries or chat messages .
gameduell is not liable for lost winnings or potential winnings , not even in the case of prematurely closed duels or tournaments .
gameduell is not liable for loss , damage , or injury caused by access , use , or attempted access or use of the website . gameduell is also not liable for any loss , damage or injury caused by downloading any data from the website or for information obtained in any other way from gameduell unless the problems can be attributed to wanton neglect or purposeful breach of duty on the part of gameduell . gameduell shall only be held liable for its vicarious agents and / or legal representatives who have acted with wanton negligence or purposeful breach of duty and as long as no material contractual obligations have been violated by gameduell , its vicarious agents and / or legal representatives . damage resulting from injury to life , body or health shall not be affected .
zynga is perceived as one of gameduell ' s biggest rivals . zynga was founded in 2007 , and is headquartered in san francisco , california . zynga competes in the application software field . zynga generates $ 872 . 5m more revenue vs . gameduell .
in his new position at gameduell , phillips will oversee and direct all of the company ' s teams and game design projects .
at gameduell we have around 150 team members from 30 different countries . we believe in quality and therefore foster high performance teams .
following our coverage of gameduell ' s open positions , we got in touch with head of hr rüdiger von he . . .
gameduell is a cross - platform games community , developing games for its website as well as for social networks and mobile devices .
gameduell users are solely responsible to ensure that their hardware , software , and internet connections are current and meet necessary system requirements .
under normal circumstances , gameduell has the right to terminate a user ' s license agreement in the fortnight period before the end of the current month . in lieu of this , gameduell shall retain the right to terminate and deactivate user accounts for substantial reasons .
if a third party gains access to the account of a user who is in violation of these security guidelines and plays games or withdraws funds , then the user shall bear any and all expenses incurred and gameduell will not issue any form of compensation . gameduell will not give your password to any third parties unless we are required to do so by law . gameduell will never ask members for their passwords via telephone or e - mail . gameduell can only use the password request form on the login page to request a password .
funds , entry fees , and processing fees are considered to have been paid once they have been irrevocably credited to the gameduell bank account and deducted from the member ' s player account . the note to the payee in the bank transfer form should include only the reason of transfer specified by gameduell . gameduell takes care to ensure that all deposits are credited to the appropriate accounts as soon as possible . gameduell is revocably authorized , though not required , to allow users to participate in duels and tournaments before we have received payment .
ten years is worth celebrating in style and german casual and mobile outfit gameduell has taken the opportunity to tidy up its corporate image .
gameduell offers community games for web , facebook and mobile . our vision is bringing people together to have a good time with games .
gameduell currently operates a number of casual games online and on mobile devices and its most popular titles include bubble speed and maya pyramid .
king is seen as one of gameduell ' s biggest rivals . king was founded in st julian ' s , saint julian ' s } in 2003 . king is in the internet software field . compared to gameduell , king generates $ 1 . 6b more revenue .
gameduell maintains a player account in g£ ( gd currency ) . it is opened free of charge the moment gameduell has received payment and the user has completed a money player registration which has been accepted by gameduell . the initial deposit and all subsequent deposits will be exchanged for g£ ( gd currency ) in accordance with the most up - to - date exchange rate ( gameduell exchange rate from real money in the local currency for g£ ( gd currency ) ) and will be displayed as such on the players ' account . gameduell manages players ' prize money and losses on this non - interest bearing player account . deposited funds can be used exclusively to play games at gameduell , and to cover gameduell fees and commission . deposited funds can be withdrawn in accordance with sections 4 . 3 . 2 and 4 . 3 . 3 as well as 3 . 2 . 4 , 3 . 2 . 5 and 3 . 2 . 6 .
funds , entry fees , and processing fees are considered to have been paid once they have been irrevocably credited to the gameduell bank account and deducted from the member ' s player account in accordance with the current gd currency exchange rate . the note to payee in the bank transfer form should include only the reason of transfer specified by gameduell . gameduell takes care to ensure that all deposits are credited to the appropriate accounts as soon as possible . gameduell at its sole discretion can revocably authorize users to participate in duels before we have received payment .
gameduell is too inflexible when it comes to pay rises . also , career development is an issue at gameduell that needs to be addressed by the management . there are possiblities to develop a carreer at gameduell , but one has to fight for it on one ' s own . i also wish work times and home office days wold be flexible . core work times are 10 : 30 - 17 : 00 .
as a tech - driven enterprise gameduell offers inspiring insights into pioneering technological fields of interest in the course of its techtalk series hosted since 2010 . the gameduell tech talk is a themed presentation and workshop series especially intended for people with an interest in web , developing and technological innovations . during the past years , gameduell has already hosted more than 15 techtalks in their headquarters in berlin , germany . each gameduell techtalk focuses on a presentation of a technical innovation or conceptual development that did already , or will , help to solve a complex real world problem .
gameduell ' s revenue is the fourth highest among it ' s top 10 competitors . the top 10 competitors average $ 31 . 2m .
the first - ever game conference day , organized by the game bundesverband and hosted by gameduell , took place on november 17th , 2016 .
multiple registrations , as well as the setting up and operation of multiple accounts at gameduell are prohibited . player accounts are non - transferable .
gameduell maintains a player account with gaming money , which is fictitious money , for practice players . practice players are not entitled to the withdrawal of gaming money . gaming money can be used exclusively for entering duels ( as hereafter defined ) within the practice player area of gameduell .
gameduell is revocably authorized , but not obligated , to accept payments via credit card , direct debit , and other forms of payment . along with each direct debit that is set up , the user authorizes gameduell to deduct the specified funds from the submitted bank account . the user irrevocably agrees that gameduell may inform the user ' s financial institution ( or any agency that is commissioned by gameduell to collect any outstanding funds ) of the user ' s complete name , date of birth , and address if the user ' s direct debit cannot be honored . furthermore , the user agrees that his financial institution ( or any agency that is commissioned by gameduell to collect any outstanding funds ) may be transferred gameduell ' s information , which may also be saved for the purpose of processing the direct debit until the claim has been met .
gameduell , a san francisco and berlin - based casual gaming site , has closed a $ 17 . 45 million second round of funding from wellington partners , paidcontent reports . gameduell , which claims 9 million users , will use the money to expand internationally and double its employee count .
the techtalk is a free event presented by leading casual and social games company gameduell and hosts tech pioneers to present their game - changing concepts .
with his extensive background in casual games production todd was the ideal fit to reinforce our management team ,
added gameduell ceo kai bolik .
gameduell reserves the right to revise these terms and conditions at any time without reason . in such an event , gameduell will send an email containing the revised terms and conditions , or a notification containing a link to where they can be viewed on the website , a fortnight before they come into effect . gameduell may also send notice of the revisions using the gameduell messaging service . if a player does not expressly object to the validity of the new terms and conditions via e - mail within this fortnight , then the newly revised terms and conditions will be considered agreed upon . if a player rejects the newly revised terms and conditions , then gameduell may terminate his license agreement in accordance with section 1 . 8 . 3 .
gameduell received a first round of funding from holtzbrinck ventures and burda digital ventures in 2004 . wellington just added linkedin cofounder eric ly as a partner .
/ view / news / 246951 / casual _ game _ maker _ gameduell _ snaps _ up _ nintendo _ icon _ howard _ phillips . php
in accordance with section 3 . 5 . 2 . , gameduell reserves the right to block or delete user accounts , and release information to legal courts and government agencies in the event of abusive content , statements , etc . furthermore , gameduell reserves the right to file a report with the police .
we finished the tour in the lounge , which is also the event location where gameduell hosts team events and lectures . these lectures , such as the gameduell techtalk series , have included industry experts ed burns of oracle , werner vogels of amazon , greg luck of hazelcast and emil eifrem of neo technology .
as a java developer at gameduell , you will find a high - traffic internet platform with more than 500 million monthly page views . the it architecture of gameduell is based on java ee and allows on the one hand horizontal scaling and on the other , a high availability and robust experience for customers .
gameduell administration and membership fees : gameduell receives an administrative fee for the creation of games , as well as for maintaining member and player accounts . the possible prize money displayed after selecting a duel and the entry fee reflect the net winnings after deduction of these administrative fees . if a member plays less than 30 money duels within 6 months , then gameduell may deduct a one - time inactivity fee of 4 £ from the player account for managing it . gameduell receives a general processing fee of 1 . 50 £ for each withdrawal from a player account . furthermore , the individual who is to receive the withdrawn funds shall pay any additional bank processing fees for foreign bank transfers in full . gameduell receives a general processing fee of 2 £ for terminating a player account .
at gameduell we focus on a superior customer experience . thus , gameduell team members should bring the ambition for excellence in all aspects of their work . they should have a passion for games and contribute to a positive team spirit . we are not only a games company , but we are a technology company .
the berlin - based developer gameduell has hired howard phillips , one of the industry ' s most storied veterans , as its head of game design and user experience .
we actively share knowledge and experience at gameduell in regular product reviews , communities of practice , trainings and workshops . we want to learn and get better every day .
members may use the games that gameduell offers on the website . the use of gameduell or certain features offered therein may , however , be dependant upon certain conditions such as type of membership ( practice player , fun player , or money player ) , age , proof of payment , amount of completed games , specific game rules .
gameduell shall be accountable for the content that it makes available . gameduell cannot be held accountable for offers from third - parties for which we only offer access ( such as via links ) . we expressly call to your attention that we cannot be held liable for any content on third - party websites for which we offer links .
upon registration as a practice player , gameduell will credit your player account with gaming money . the amount of gaming money you will receive and the time frame within which you may use it to enter duels will depend upon the method you use to register at gameduell . your gaming money will expire at the latest six months after registration .
gameduell has 1 . 75k number of twitter followers . the number of followers has grown 0 . 1 % month over month and grown 0 . 8 % quarter over quarter
gameduell welcomes another prominent games industry veteran within its management circle . in mid april erik t’ sas took over the lead of gameduell’s live game operations . in this role he will be responsible for driving the business with all released web , social and mobile games and the company’s popular community platform urltoken . bringing in many years of game development and management experience he will be responsible for boosting gameduell’s profitable games operations further . “with his wide - ranging experience in management and live operations erik t’ sas complements our management team ideally . having him on board we are perfectly set to lift our games business to the next level” , comments kai bolik , ceo of gameduell , on the hiring .
these special provisions govern the use of the gameduell services for all players permanently residing outside of the eurozone and are valid in addition to the special rules for money players .
gameduell reserves the right to withhold prize money amounting to more than 100 , 000 g£ ( gd currency ) until it can be personally handed over in our business office or an alternate location . this includes money won through any special event . in such events , gameduell reserves the right to withhold the money until a live test has been successfully completed .
gameduell reserves the right to withhold prize money amounting to more than 100 , 000 g£ ( gd currency ) until it can be personally handed over in our business office or some other place . this also includes money won through any special event . in such events , gameduell reserves the right to withhold the money until a live test has been successfully completed .
all problems encountered during the use of our services , including those with regard to games , player accounts , etc . , can be reported to gameduell of when the problem is encountered . gameduell deletes usage data after use , and after 90 days in accordance with data protection regulations . because of this , problems and errors can then no longer be reviewed .
gameduell members are solely responsible for following all applicable laws in their country and / or state . in the event that a member acts illegally by using the website despite local legislation limits on or prohibition of such use , then no user contract shall take effect . if you are unsure of whether gameduell ' s services are legally permitted in your area , then seek legal advice before registration . gameduell cannot be held accountable for legal matters arising from laws in your area , and will cooperate with local government agencies of the area if necessary .
we care for our players here at gameduell . since 2003 our community team answered approximately 2 , 500 , 000 requests via e - mail and phone to make our players happy .
my visit started in an unexpected and very friendly way . right after i got off the u - bahn , i started scanning the buildings and street to get my bearings and find the gameduell building . there , walking down the street toward me was michael kalkowski , one of the co - founders of gameduell . it was one of those situations of genuine surprise .
payments made via domestic bank transfer should be transferred to the bank account specified by gameduell . the particular player can only participate in duels and tournaments once the funds have been received . along with payment , the player submits a collateral security deposit via the depositing of funds of which gameduell has a right to a commission , reimbursement of expenses , and compensation for damages .
gameduell withholds an administrative fee for the creation of games and maintaining member and player accounts . the potential prize money displayed after selecting which type of duel and the entry fee reflect the net winnings after deduction of these administrative fees . if a member plays less than 30 money duels within 6 months , then gameduell may deduct a one - time inactivity fee of 600 g£ ( gd currency ) from the player account for managing it . gameduell receives a general processing fee of £1 . 50 for each withdrawal from a player account . furthermore , any individual who withdraws funds shall pay any additional bank processing fees for foreign bank transfers in full . gameduell receives a general processing fee of 300 g£ ( gd currency ) for terminating a player account .
germany ' s gameduell announced today the appointment of ian j . bowden as art director . the berlin company said it ' s
another prominent reinforcement for their ongoing move into social and mobile games .
bowden , a co - founder and former art director of rockstar leeds , is tasked with helping the gameduell teams with the visual style for its social mobile titles .
gameduell is the world ' s leading cross - platform community . on our new corporate website you have the chance to take a look behind the curtain and get to know us better .
gameduell was founded in 2003 and went live with its games platform urltoken and its first web games in spring time 2004 . meanwhile the company offers around 70 games mostly developed in - house .
the personal information that gameduell requests upon registration is to be fully and accurately completed , including a valid e - mail address , username , password , first and last name , date of birth , address , bank information ( when applicable ) , mobile phone number and home telephone number ( if available ) , as well as data from your id or passport ( when applicable ) . no user is entitled to a particular password or username . age verification can be automatically carried out upon completion of registration based on the information entered . please take note of the following privacy policy ; gameduell reserves the right to appeal the contractual agreement , end a player ' s membership on gameduell , and withhold any prize money or cancel any account withdrawal in the event that false data is entered . if a user does not inform gameduell of changes in his personal information , then gameduell will continue to use the latest information available and the user will bear any problems arising therefrom .
the use of the telecommunication services provided by the website requires member registration . member registration is free of charge for practice players and fun players , as well as for money players . there is no registration fee . no player is entitled to registration at gameduell . furthermore , gameduell reserves the right to reject practice player , fun players and money player registrations without specifying any reason for rejection .
gameduell is authorized to close and / or delete player accounts and end this contractual agreement without notice in cases of abusive behavior or the suspicion of abuse , especially those detailed in section 3 . 5 . 1 and 3 . 5 . 2 . if this occurs , then games which have already begun will be aborted and the results will not be evaluated . the applicable player must then compensate gameduell for problems arising therefrom . furthermore , if the player account is blocked or terminated then the player is obligated to pay a contract penalty to gameduell . the contract penalty shall be the average turnover profit that the player generated per month for the last three months before the contract penalty . if the contractual relationship has existed for less than three months , then the average will be taken from the full duration of contract . gameduell reserves the right to demand an increased compensation for damages , though the player may refute this claim and prove he should be obligated to pay less or no compensation for damages . gameduell reserves the right to withhold funds from the abusive player ' s account in compensation for damages to gameduell or third - parties , as well as to pay for contract penalty .
gameduell maintains for money players registered outside of the eurozone a player account with the gd currency “g£” ( where “the eurozone” is the member states of the european union that have the euro as their legal currency and the “g£ ( gd currency ) ” is an artificial currency specifically created by gameduell and in which it claims all rights ) . the player account is opened free of charge the moment that gameduell has received payment and the user has completed a money player registration . for money players registered outside the eurozone , the initial deposit , and all subsequent deposits will be exchanged into g£ ( gd currency ) in accordance with the most up - to - date exchange rate ( exchanging from real money in the local currency into g£ ( gd currency ) ) and will be displayed as such on the player account . gameduell manages players ' prize money and losses on this non - interest bearing player account . deposited funds , and their equivalents in g£ ( gd currency ) , can be used exclusively to play games at gameduell , and to cover gameduell fees and commission . deposited funds can be withdrawn in accordance with sections 3 . 2 . 2 through 3 . 2 . 6 .
gameduell is constantly looking for experienced developers and it experts , game designers , artists , project managers and analysts to join its team of 215 in berlin . all job offers are available on urltoken .
if a member ' s personal data changes after registration , then he must immediately update , change , or notify gameduell of the changes . e - mails may be sent to terms @ urltoken .
rüdiger von hennig : gameduell is a developer of casual web , social and mobile games based in berlin . our vision is bringing people together to have a good time with games - wherever , whenever .
please direct all complaints , problems , and comments in written form to gameduell gmbh , taubenstraße 24 - 25 , d - 10117 berlin , germany or send us an e - mail at terms @ urltoken .
following our coverage of gameduell ' s open positions , we got in touch with head of hr rüdiger von hennig to find out more about the company and what it ' s looking for in a future employees .
set up as a casual online portal offering a variety of multiplayer games , events , rankings and tournaments - all underpinned by a sophisticated skill matching system - gameduell has been cautiously moving into mobile games in recent years .
( by registering for the gameduell techtalk you acknowledge to transfer copyrights for pictures and video recordings to the hosting organization . gameduell is allowed to take pictures and videos of the event and to use them for documentation , publication and marketing purposes . we will be happy to add your e - mail address to our invitation list for the event series . you can opt - out any time by just informing us via techtalk @ urltoken ) .
at gameduell , we regard technical knowledge as a significant competitive advantage . we promote berlin as a location for online businesses and great technology and therefore also make an effort actively learn about and share the latest know - how .
since that time , online games have become a diversified form of entertainment on the internet that you should definitely not miss out on . whether you like to play free browser games online , are a fan of card games , prefer to solve brain teasers or love frantic action games , the right online games are waiting for you at gameduell . plenty of background information on the most popular onlinegames can now be found in gameduell ' s glossary of games .
at gameduell we are working right in the centre of the technological shift from conventional online games to social and mobile games . our aim is to drive the dynamic trend to social and mobile games further with our cross - platform approach .
when martina cepek , gameduell’s event manager , came for our meeting we skipped the usual conference room agenda and , instead , she gave me the full studio tour . the gameduell office was originally a tv studio which the company has redesigned to meet their needs . the office is much like a typical tech office with a very open floor plan and glass conference rooms , making it easy to share thoughts , ideas and enthusiasm , and definitely complementing the collaborative spirit of the company .
we are incredibly excited to have ian onboard . his creativity and inspirational leadership will enable us to deliver the next generation of world - class somo games ,
commented todd english , head of studio social and mobile games at gameduell .
ever wonder what it’s like to move from one continent to another to come work at gameduell in berlin ? then this “meet our team members” post might be of some assistance . hear from leonardo , who came all the way from brazil to come work with us here at gameduell . “how was it moving ? what help did you get ? ” : these are just some of the questions you might want to ask him , and to which he answers in this short interview .
gameduell utilizes the latest technology and web standards to provide you with the best gaming experience possible . to fully enjoy our games , we recommend using one of these popular and free browsers : google chrome , mozilla firefox or internet explorer version 11 .
after 10 years , we are still feeling fresh and vibrant ! it was in late 2003 that our three founders kai bolik , boris wasmuth and michael kalkowski founded gameduell . after an intensive preparation time within the initial core team our first web game “tausch rausch” and the popular gameduell games platform launched in spring time 2004 . so we thought it’s about time to draw a résumé and collected 10 fun facts about the company and our team here . have fun and enjoy ! full infographic here .
money player accounts will be deleted at our sole discretion and without any notification of reason once a period of 2 years has passed since the last login or when the contract is terminated . the gameduell service agreement shall be severed along with the deletion of the player account . if the member replies with bank account information that does not deviate from what was previously submitted , then funds on the account in question , if any , will be transferred to the last bank account that was associated with that member ' s player account . if a player account is deleted due to substantial reasons , then gameduell shall reserve the right to withhold funds for the purpose of compensation for gameduell or third - parties , or as punishment for a breach of contract .
game industry veteran howard phillips , best known for his time spent as a key figure of nintendo ' s north american operations in the 1980s , has joined gameduell to serve as the german casual game company ' s head of game design and user experience .
we always loved this aspect of the internet to connect people independent of their physical location . back in 2003 our core idea of gameduell was to bring people together to compete in casual games on the internet and to offer them a central community and tournament platform .
besides our exciting tech and game projects , gameduell promotes a 21st century work approach with small , independent scrum teams , an agile project management style throughout the company , flexible work hours , regular company meetings and retrospectives , and many team events and joint activities .
regarding our team , we also collected some interesting facts . the average age of the gameduell team members is 32 with 35 percent female team members and 65 percent male . so we are still a young team with a relative high share of female team members for a games company . and we are becoming more and more international . at the moment there are 26 nationalities represented in our team and we have had 42 since 2003 . for that reason , since the formation of gameduell , our company language has been english .
if a withdrawal is not possible , then gameduell shall deposit the funds onto a non - interest bearing collective account where they will remain for a period of three years . the entitlement to withdrawal will become invalid after three years . that limitation of claim will begin at the end of the year in which the player account is deleted . gameduell regularly contributes to charities when funds cannot be withdrawn because the statute of limitation is exceeded , when funds are surrendered because they cannot be withdrawn , or when contract punishments are incurred .
today gameduell is one of the global market leaders in competitive multiplayer card and board games . we strive to expand this position further by adding more popular games of this kind to our portfolio , by conquering new markets and expanding the features of our games platform further .
gameduell is germany ` s largest game site and compares itself to the best game sites in the world . in order to meet these high standards , it is not only extremely important to implement new features , but it is also necessary to continuously optimize the platform .
a member ' s entitlement to use of the website and the features that are offered therein are solely dependant upon the current technical status at gameduell . temporary disturbances may be experienced due to the interruption of telecommunications , power outages , hardware and software failures , etc .
all teams of gameduell are organized with an agile project management approach – including the management . to relax from work and get together we offer free gymnastics and yoga courses , beach volleyball hours , cooking and game evenings , regular team parties and barbecues on our rooftop terrace .
the top 10 competitors in gameduell ' s competitive set are glu mobile , king , zynga , kabam , digital chocolate , gameloft , goodgame studios , electronic arts , tinyco and rovio . together they have raised over 2 . 1b between their estimated 20 . 7k employees .
gameduell offers a broad portfolio of over 70 casual online games , mostly developed in - house , such as fluffy , maya pyramid , bubble speed , jungle jewels , and game classics like hearts , solitaire , and pool . it has a team of 210 experienced members .
money players are granted the right to withdraw their account balance , or any portion of it , twice a month as long as the amount to be withdrawn is at least 1 , 000 g£ ( gd currency ) and the first withdrawal as a money player was executed at least six weeks prior to the current withdrawal . the requested withdrawal amount will be processed by gameduell and then transferred to paypal , thus discharging gameduell ' s corresponding debt . in order for the money to be credited to a bank account , customers are required to register with paypal . any incurred fees will be paid by the member . gameduell is not obligated to verify the authorization of the account holder . the withdrawal shall be carried out at the earliest a fortnight after the request is processed . bonuses ( such as first - deposit bonuses ) , payments deposited exclusively for use as entry fees , and other specialty payment methods ( such as ' paypal ' ) that gameduell provides cannot be withdrawn . in cases such as these , the user will be notified that the corresponding funds cannot be withdrawn and can be used exclusively to pay entry fees .
if the total amount of winnings accumulated on a money player account exceeds the sum of 100 , 000 g£ ( gd currency ) then gameduell will immediately transfer the funds that are over this limit onto one of the bank accounts specified by the member upon registration . these funds shall be transferred in full satisfaction of this debt . gameduell reserves the right to raise or lower this limit at any time and without giving a reason . the withdrawal is carried out in accordance with the conditions listed in sections 3 . 2 . 2 and 3 . 3 . 4 .
gameduell said it has more than 200 media partners and is germany’s third - largest online advertiser . it has 80 employees and plans to double its workforce in the coming months . founded in 2003 , the company is run by bolik and fellow internet entrepreneurs michael kalkowski and boris wasmuth .
gameduell is a cross - platform games community , developing games for its website as well as for social networks and mobile devices . with more than 125 million registered players across all platforms , the berlin - based company counts among the casual and social games providers in the western markets .
the european commission is introducing a platform for the resolution of online disputes . the participation in such online dispute resolution is voluntary and gameduell does not participate therein . however , our customer service team will gladly assist : customerservice @ urltoken . the platform can be found here : urltoken .
i recently went to berlin to prepare for the upcoming casual connect show there in 2017 . while there i spent several days visiting a few game studios and other companies in the industry , and i would have to say my visit to gameduell was one of the highlights of my trip .
for security reasons , gameduell is authorized to withhold funds until proof of identity can be confirmed . in cases such as these , the user shall be obligated to send a copy his personal id or passport , along with a written request to withdraw the funds , including his bank information .
we came to the it area first , and my attention was immediately drawn to the wall where status monitors were mounted showing the current state of their systems . this impressive scene is necessary to handle the massive traffic load generated by the millions of games played on gameduell’s platforms as well as on facebook and on mobile every day . to handle all this , gameduell operates a modular infrastructure based on jee for the web and has developed a scalable backend that includes their own data centers and external cloud services . they have also developed their own dedicated cross - platform game server solution .
on friday the 13th . . . umm . . . friday the 28th of october , we had our annual gameduell halloween party and what a night it was ! spooky ghosts ? check ! devilishly good food ? check ! even some real celebrities like hannibal lecter were in attendance ! ; )
in order to take full advantage of technological progress , gameduell emphasizes the importance of continuously inspiring our team members through appropriate workshops and coaching . since we want to share knowledge , we simply opened up those workshops – the techtalks – to the public . everyone is invited to join , for free .
we sat at one of the tables for our meeting , talking about the game culture and discussing how gameduell is succeeding in business by focusing on the same great casual games that got them started with community card and board games . from that start in 2003 , they have grown to offer a broad portfolio of casual and social games . their current plan is to continue developing these games for mobile , facebook and web , using the cross - platform technology and infrastructure they have created and expanded over the past two years . they will expand their popular games and community web platform , gameduell . com .
for 10 years , gameduell has entertained players all over the world with fun and exciting casual and community games . in spring 2004 , the berlin based games company launched its community platform and its first games . since then , all signs pointed to growth and after just nine months the company was profitable . gameduell currently offers some 65 different games in seven languages on their website . a number of these games are also available on social network sites , like facebook , as well as on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets . more than 210 team members from 26 countries are working on the international success , a good half of the team is employed in the product area , game development and technology . for the company’s 10th anniversary the team compiled a series of interesting numbers and facts about gameduell in their company blog . according to the fun facts infographic , over 2 billion multiplayer rounds have been played on the games platform since 2004 . for this , the development team wrote over 1 . 3 million lines of programming code . moreover , gameduell has gathered events from the company history in an interactive timeline , and on the company website there is also a company history graph available to celebrate the company anniversary .
we are so honoured having howard phillips join our team as another inspiring lead figure ,
said todd english , the head of gameduell ' s game production studio , in a statement .
he will boost the production of our new generation of social and mobile games to a new level .
upon participation in a particular duel or tournament ( “duel” ) , the player simultaneously and irrevocably authorizes gameduell to deduct a fixed entry fee that is declared upon creation of the particular duel , as well as any additional fees incurred that are described in section 3 . 4 . 7 ( “duel entry fee” or “entry fee” ) from his player account . furthermore , gameduell is also given authorization to accept commission generated for the particular duel in accordance with section 3 . 4 . 7 , as well as to pay out the winnings to the player who won , or rather to accept the net profit from the loser , and to credit it to the winner ' s player account . the entry fee is due upon participation . the entry fee is real money . no entry fee is incurred for training duels in the money player section of gameduell . entry fees vary and are displayed before participation in a duel . upon beginning a duel , the entry fee is deducted from the particular member ' s player account . if sufficient funds are not available , then the member cannot take part in the particular duel . gameduell reserves the right to limit entry fees including processing fees per duel , either on an individual basis or for all .
only contractually capable , natural persons are allowed to register as money players . persons under the age of 18 are not permitted to participate in the games of skill on the website in which you have the chance to win money . in order to comply with youth protection regulations , gameduell reserves the right to execute a verification of age . age verification can be automatically carried out upon completion of registration , based on the information entered . if the registering individual is not in possession of a valid id that was issued by the federal republic of germany , then gameduell will do its best to determine another equally valid form of age verification .
since 2003 our developers have written 1 . 3 million lines of codes for our games platform and our web games so our players can rejoice on our community features and play with their friends . when it comes to competition , more than 2 billion duels have been played in the entire history of gameduell on our games platform .
in the event that you have registered with gameduell via a media partner , then we will regularly ask for your consent to allow us to pass your personal data on to the applicable partner for the purposes of billing and advertising . if you would like to revoke your consent , please send an e - mail to terms @ urltoken .