FRIENDS LIFE - AVOID AVOID AVOID !!!i

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daithestag
daithestag Posts: 31 Forumite
in Pensions, annuities & retirement planning
I have had a personal pension with wintherthur since I left the forces in 1990 - 2 years ago wintherthur was taken over by friends life - since the take over I had never had a statement - 2 months ago I had made arrangements with my local HSBC bank to have a pension review ( I also have a small pension with HSBC ) so I contacted friends life for a statement, I was told it will take a few days but will arrive in the post, after a month and my pension review getting ever closer I called again to ask what the problem again they said they would send one as the first one was never sent - they also promised to email a statement to me again I never received either - I called them again 2 days before my review - I must be honest I did KICK OFF with the girl on the phone and wanted to lodge a formal complaint - my statement arrived 3 days later - to late for my pension review which I had to cancel - yesterday I received £25:00 as an apology but I feel this is does not even cover the cost of my phone calls let alone wasting my time cancelling 2 hours work for the pension review which I never had - anyone else had problems with friendslife ( friends life ) surely almost 2 months to send a statement is crazy ??? Never ever had a problem wit wintherthur !!!!!
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  • dunstonh
    dunstonh Posts: 116,379 Forumite
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    anyone else had problems with friendslife ( friends life )

    No. They are normally very quick and reliable on the Friends Provident and AXA Sun Life side.

    AXA retained the Winterthur brand and didnt sell it to Friends. It was just old legacy products that were sold. Servicing on those would likely be done by the old Winterthur team and not at the Friends Life offices. Old policies like this are becoming known as heritage plans or legacy plans and the servicing on heritage plans is often slow.

    I wouldnt say avoid Friends Life as your issue has nothing to do with the new business side of Friends Life. It would be unfair to all those with current business FL plans when yours is an ex Winterthur servicing issue. Most providers with legacy books seem to suffer servicing issues on those. Not at all ideal or desirable but FL are not alone.

    On the plus side, you managed to avoid using the bank which is good and you got £25. Now you can see an IFA instead and the IFA will get the information and do any chasing.
    I am an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). The comments I make are just my opinion and are for discussion purposes only. They are not financial advice and you should not treat them as such. If you feel an area discussed may be relevant to you, then please seek advice from an Independent Financial Adviser local to you.
  • gadgetmind
    gadgetmind Posts: 11,130 Forumite
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    daithestag wrote: »
    anyone else had problems with friendslife ( friends life )

    Yes. They do everything at the speed of a striking slug and need nagging on a regular basis or they let things drop.

    Over a year ago, I enquired about starting a new scheme so that my input period was tax year aligned. It took months for them to agree to do it, months to make it all happen, and months later I still don't have online access to the new scheme.

    So saying, what I was doing was unusual, which getting a statement certainly isn't, so I'd have thought that they could get that right!
    I am not a financial adviser and neither do I play one on television. I might occasionally give bad advice but at least it's free.

    Like all religions, the Faith of the Invisible Pink Unicorns is based upon both logic and faith. We have faith that they are pink; we logically know that they are invisible because we can't see them.
  • daithestag
    daithestag Posts: 31 Forumite
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    Yes slugs pace says it all - that's all I wanted was my annual statement - I have had no correspondence since they took over from wintherthur - I gave them 7 yes seven weeks notice for them to send me a statement - after several phone calls they guaranteed I would receive the statement within 2 days again it failed to turn up - only when I kicked off and told them I was in Bristol later in the month and would be calling in to see the CEO did I then receive my statement !
    I am self employed but if I treated my customers like they treated me I would have NO business as I said before - avoid AVOID A V O I D friends life
  • dunstonh
    dunstonh Posts: 116,379 Forumite
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    avoid AVOID A V O I D friends life

    Do not avoid friends life if it is the best option for you. Ex winterthur heritage policies has nothing to do with Friends Life new business. If everyone avoided companies because one person has an issue then no company would be in business.

    Friends service on "own" business is fine. It is weak on inherited/merged business but that is the same across the board with most insurers.
    I am an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). The comments I make are just my opinion and are for discussion purposes only. They are not financial advice and you should not treat them as such. If you feel an area discussed may be relevant to you, then please seek advice from an Independent Financial Adviser local to you.
  • daithestag
    daithestag Posts: 31 Forumite
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    Seven weeks - 7 WEEKS ! To send a statement that I should have received months ago - a truly rubbish service - they even told me it was on its way and GUARANTEED i would receive it by end of week - "FAIL"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please note this is my personal opinion of this shambles of a company
  • McKneff
    McKneff Posts: 38,825 Forumite
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    You really need to calm down, you;ll give your self an ulcer or a heart attack.....
    make the most of it, we are only here for the weekend.
    and we will never, ever return.
  • dunstonh
    dunstonh Posts: 116,379 Forumite
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    daithestag wrote: »
    Seven weeks - 7 WEEKS ! To send a statement that I should have received months ago - a truly rubbish service - they even told me it was on its way and GUARANTEED i would receive it by end of week - "FAIL"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please note this is my personal opinion of this shambles of a company

    And who would you use instead then? List them and watch people report failings on all of them. Mistakes happen. Sometimes they can be easily resolved. Sometimes they are frustrating. Sometimes they dont get resolved.

    You were making a mistake going to HSBC but you dont see us going all crazy on it.
    I am an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). The comments I make are just my opinion and are for discussion purposes only. They are not financial advice and you should not treat them as such. If you feel an area discussed may be relevant to you, then please seek advice from an Independent Financial Adviser local to you.
  • mania112
    mania112 Posts: 1,981 Forumite
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    I have had this same discussion with a client, about a different provider.

    You may be !!!!ed off at their admin, but if using that provider results in the best chance of a higher retirement income, that's all that matters, surely?

    It's cash that matters, not pieces of paper.
  • daithestag
    daithestag Posts: 31 Forumite
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    Its cash that matters not pieces of paper ??????? Exactly !!!!!! - I did not know what my pension was worth so I simply asked for a simple statement - was that to much to ask - I gave the idiots 7 weeks - I made at least 5 phone calls - I was on hold for at least 30 mins and still no result - such a poor POOR service
  • starnac
    starnac Posts: 5,917 Forumite
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    I have an employee pension with friends life and have never had issues with them. They have been helpful when I have rung to query anything and I get my annual statements no problem.

    I agree that your experience was unacceptable but that's not a reason for people to avoid them. I'm sure there are many other people who are happy with their service like me.
    Goals for September
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    Money Made £56.52/£200
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