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Barclays/Woolwich customer service

Currently in the middle of a mortgage application with Barclays and they are bordering on incompetent. They have been trying unsuccessfully for over a week to send out mortgage papers for me to sign (wrong address/letter not actually posted/admin error etc).

Has anyone had any poor experiences or have any advice on how to expedite things?

I am about 4 weeks behind the rest of my chain so want to get things moving in a timely manner.

I currently bank with Barclays and have my current mortgage with them so they should understand my value as a customer.

Any advice gratefully received.

Thanks.
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Comments

  • noxon
    noxon Posts: 66 Forumite
    Did you do the new mortgage application over the phone? Do you have a direct number and a named person to speak to? Just keep on calling them, every shift they're working if nothing has happened, give them a ring.

    I went through the same problems with Woolwich earlier in the year (also a Barclays bank customer and also an existing mortgage customer) and ended up calling the person I dealt with every day, sometimes more than once, until things happened. She was really great and bent over backwards to help but their processes and information transfer between departments did seem to be absolutely inept. The surveyor panel they used (E-surv) were no better either which also caused us no end of grief.
  • djd68
    djd68 Posts: 39 Forumite
    Thanks for the advice.

    Yes, I did the application over the phone. I have got a named contact but she can be a bit difficult to get hold of.

    It just amazes me that these big companies can be so inefficient. I can understand it with their general customer service but with one of their major sales channels it doesn't make sense.

    I'm just concerned that if it takes 9 working days to send out the mortgage forms for signature, how long will the rest of the application take?

    Does anyone know how much commission an agent would earn on a £500k mortgage?
  • Wakey2008
    Wakey2008 Posts: 149 Forumite
    djd68 wrote: »
    Thanks for the advice.

    Does anyone know how much commission an agent would earn on a £500k mortgage?

    Through direct channels on the mortgage alone? Probably none.

    These days the big banks only really pay commission on insurances.

    Sounds to me you used Barclays Direct Mortgages (BDM) and went through a non-qualified "mortgage specialist" on a non advised basis.

    Too late now but you'd have been better using a proper mortgage adviser who has passed their papers and has their reputation at stake. These so called "mortgage specialists" are not specialist at all and BDM generally gets rid of them and sets new upstarts on every few months.
    I am a Mortgage Adviser and Freelance Journalist
    You should note that this site doesn't check my status as a Mortgage Adviser, so you need to take my word for it. This signature is here as I follow MSE's Mortgage Adviser Code of Conduct. Any posts on here are for information and discussion purposes only and shouldn't be seen as financial advice.
  • MarkyMarkD
    MarkyMarkD Posts: 9,912 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Funnily enough, I've just sent a long complaint to Barclays.

    My mortgage was handled through an intermediary and it was no better.

    Barclays have written to us 12 times at the property we sold just before the offer was issued, but after the intermediary had told them we'd moved. And the old mortgage was with Barclays, so they could have put two and two together.
  • mathsmaster
    mathsmaster Posts: 57 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10 Posts Combo Breaker
    edited 22 July 2009 at 8:18PM
    I found them to be the worst company I have ever dealt with by far. I regularly spoke to my 'named contact' but he seemed unable to do anything at all. Everthing had to go through their processing centre in India. Long story short, a simple remortgage took over 5 months - ended up going into my local branch who were stunned at the incompetence.
    Even their complaints team gave up and suggested I went to the ombudsman, which I did. Got £600 for the extra interest I paid - never mind I must have wasted 30 hours on the phone/writing letters.
    Got my fingers crossed for you.
    "You're never beaten until you admit it."
  • djd68
    djd68 Posts: 39 Forumite
    Thanks for the replies.

    I am porting my existing mortgage (0.4% tracker) so I have to use Barclays. The top up was their 4.39% 3 yr fixed so I was pretty clear what products I needed.

    Would I be better getting the case transferred to my local branch?
  • noxon
    noxon Posts: 66 Forumite
    "Sounds to me you used Barclays Direct Mortgages (BDM) and went through a non-qualified "mortgage specialist" on a non advised basis.

    Too late now but you'd have been better using a proper mortgage adviser who has passed their papers and has their reputation at stake."

    I was in the same position as the OP, knowing exactly what i wanted to apply for, and I wasn't in need of any advice so why would I involve a mortgage broker? Surely that's just another link in the chain of people to chase.
  • MarkyMarkD
    MarkyMarkD Posts: 9,912 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    You can look at it both ways. I was also porting a lifetime tracker - but with no topup in my case - so I obviously knew what I wanted. From my perspective, I sat down for an hour with the intermediary at no cost tomyself and they then chased Barclays for me.
  • Wakey2008
    Wakey2008 Posts: 149 Forumite
    edited 23 July 2009 at 4:15PM
    noxon wrote: »
    "Sounds to me you used Barclays Direct Mortgages (BDM) and went through a non-qualified "mortgage specialist" on a non advised basis.

    Too late now but you'd have been better using a proper mortgage adviser who has passed their papers and has their reputation at stake."

    I was in the same position as the OP, knowing exactly what i wanted to apply for, and I wasn't in need of any advice so why would I involve a mortgage broker? Surely that's just another link in the chain of people to chase.

    Not necessarily a broker. Use a proper adviser in one of the Barclays branches. They are qualified and not just a phone monkey like the ones at Barclays Direct Mortgages.

    Not only this but even if you go non-advised in a branch you can ensure that the person dealing with it is better trained and will do the paperwork there and then and not three weeks later because you didn't take insurances from them and they can't be bothered.

    I used to work for Barclays before moving to my current employer and I can assure you this; if you can't do it in person at a branch then you are just going to create heartache for yourself. Obviously not the OPs fault as they were probably not aware of the type of department they were dealing with when applying.
    I am a Mortgage Adviser and Freelance Journalist
    You should note that this site doesn't check my status as a Mortgage Adviser, so you need to take my word for it. This signature is here as I follow MSE's Mortgage Adviser Code of Conduct. Any posts on here are for information and discussion purposes only and shouldn't be seen as financial advice.
  • LeeSouthEast
    LeeSouthEast Posts: 3,822 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker Debt-free and Proud!
    Popped into the branch today in fact to do some personal banking bits. After it was done the mortgage advisor was between clients so I had a 5 minute chat with him. Seems really efficient, knew his stuff and made me an appointment for a longer chat when we were both available for a longer period.

    It seems "in branch" might be a better option :)
    Starting Debt: ~£20,000 01/01/2009. DFD: 20/11/2009 :j
    Do something amazing. GIVE BLOOD.
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