Dutch Auctions

Just lost a rental property i had offered full asking price on and had been told landlord had accepted the offer. Call today informing me i was now in an auction and "what was i prepared to offer to secure the place". i offered more, improved length of contract i would sign for but lost out to a "couple" (read friend of Foxton's employee) who were offering less money. i had set in motion a chain of events which affected at least 4 other people when i thought the place was secure which is the kind of human collateral damage these "people" are immune to. Their lack of a rental reservation policy ensures that gazumping and blind auctioning can take place and transparency and good old fashioned "my word is my bond" agreements can go out the window . DO NOT TRUST THEM. My only hope is that the credit crunch ruins the bastards - as it has in the US - and makes the lot of them homeless.