Halifax woes/stiffed for £500

CeeJayBear

Anyone had a bad experience with Halifax? I feel that I've been taken for a £500 ride by them:

I started a mortgage application over the 'phone and was rewarded by a very friendly response and phrases such as "you have a brilliant credit score" and "the amount you require is so tiny in relation to the value of your property that it will not be a problem" (£25k against my £350000 home)

The telephone operator then told me there would be a "mortgage promise" coming to me in the post and if I found it satisfactory to get back in touch with a £500 valuation fee, which I duly did

My property was then valued with no problems........I thought! Three weeks then elapsed and NOTHING was heard from Halifax despite calling them three or more times.

I then contacted the so-called customer services dept. of Halifax still no response of any sense, so I wrote in with a formal complaint. Needles to say Halifax called me VERY quickly but only to absolve themselves of any wrongdoing then followed it up with a letter saying they were investigating my complaint.

Eight weeks elapsed and a very short but unpleasant letter arrived from Halifax laying the blame for me not getting a mortgage squarely at my feet and I quote for "having a bad credit score" and going on to inform me the £500 they had demanded on the premise of a guaranteed morgage would NOT be returned and that was it case closed

Is it me or have I had the bums rush from halifax? I was a customer of them some years ago with a £40k mortgage which I paid off in full

SOMEONE HELP!!!!!!

Noz

What is the truth regarding your credit rating?

CeeJayBear

I have just got my Experian report: no defaults, no ccj's, no late payments nothing to be wary of, and I used the credit score thingy on this site earlier and it came out average/good. all of which really makes me wonder why I got treated so bad by halifax??????

turbobob

If you don't agree with their final response take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Perhaps put it to them before you do that either they refund you the fee or you'll go to FOS. A FOS referral will cost them £400 regardless of whether they find in your favour or not.

CeeJayBear

You know, thats a good idea! I didn't realise it would cost them £400. I think the £500 loss hurt me more than not borrowing the £25k. what's on my mind is there's without a doubt people out there that have also lost a significant amount of hard earned to Halifax and others that can ill afford it

CeeJayBear

:hello: Advice taken, F.O.S form DONE and sent!

nil carborundum illegitimi

Shytalker

You have my sympathy but I can beat it. I had a worse experience with Halifax mortgages than you did. Sorry this goes on a bit...

In the summer of 2007, I realised I could pay off my mortgage, only 15 years into a 25-year mortgage and I was over the moon.

Being naive (I don't off a mortgage very often!) I called them to see how to do it. Their man said - "send us a cheque". This I did, then the trouble started.

A couple of weeks passed and no acknowledgement of the cheque so I called them to ask for some sort of comfirmation of receipt and they sent a photocopy of the cheque.

Next I had demands for missed payments and was told to ignore them as the system was slow to catch up. Another demand came in and I called at the Huddersfield branch to sort it. A certain Susan was very helpful and called all the right people but there was an anomaly of some sort. I showed her the photocopy and she noticed changed details which made no sense to me.

A Halifax employee at the Leeds-based mortgage office had altered the cheque and paid it into a private account!

Cut a long story short - weeks of anguish and dealing with their almost helpful fraud office (all at my time and expense) getting letters referring to the 'disputed use of my cheque book' (!) and the matter was resolved - probably because I wanted to call the police.

Mortgage account was closed, deeds were sent and all finished but never an apology and never an offer to compensate. I was too proud to go grovelling for it but they should have treated me better than this.

It is now about a year later and my delight is to tell anyone who will listen about my bad experience with the Halifax. Their cutomer 'service' stinks (except at Huddersfield branch - which was good).

JB of Penistone.