Hallmark Finance

tim.charles_2

Has anyone used or heard of Hallmark Finance?

They are offering to remortgage my buy-to-let house in West Londony, worth £400k, mortgage £300k, at a 5 year fix rate of 4.4% or variable rate of 3.95%.

They want to charge 1% broker fee, but claim there will be no arrangement fee payable to the lender (other than usual valuation fee)

These deals sound to good to be true, which usually means they are!

Conrad

STOP!!!!!!!!

If it's the one with the number 0208 9061011 and that had a last known address in NW7.

These guys have been making me ridiculous fantasy promises. I smell a huge rat. Another broker tells me they are utter sharks that take fees up front but then tell people case was declined.

The firm is UNREGULATED so you have no FSA protection.

tim.charles_2

Yes that's the same phone number and address is Grenville Place, London, NW7 3SA - Hallmark finance.

Thanks for the warning. Yes they wanted £960.60 fee upfront!

They've written to me a few times, as I have my own Accountancy firm. They were offering me very high commissions to introduce my clients for loans and BTL mortgages. So thought I'd I first check to see what mortgages they could offer for my own personal investment.

As you can imagine when they offered 4.4% fixed for 5 years, i was very interested.

But as they say if it sounds to good to be true....it is!

thebroker_2

Dont touch this outfit... they used to trade as CADOGAN FINANCE years ago but same guys dealing ...and they promise very attractive deals and lending rates (without ever assessing the case and ask for upfront fees.. I suspect the surveyors arent real either... and just add to their fee earnnig capacity from each victim.
I have detailed knowledge of several cases where Hallmark have promised commercial terms and then tighten the 'requirement' (after survey has been paid of course) ...which then miraculously turns into a decline from their anonymous lenders.
Their terms of business promise a refund if they are not sucessful....try and get it back and they blame the client for the lack of success... and lo and behold ...no refund.. this process can take six to eigt weeks. I sent a file to the local DTI inspectors and I understand they found a smoke filled dingy office in London ...
This should really go to the serious Fraud Office as it has been going on for many years.....and they operate on the basis that honest people do not suspect ..

magpiecottage

I was asked to investigate Hallmark Finance by an IFA that I work for about a year ago.

First thing to note is that Hallmark Finance is NOT registered with the FSA. That is permissible because they only do B2Ls.

I will not tell you what I found out but I understand that following receipt of my report, I understand that my client decided it did not want to recommend Hallmark Finance to its customers.

rogerroach

Hi every one
what ever you do ,DO NOT AND I REPEAT DO NOT DO NOT AND I REAPEAT AGAIN DO NOT use this company they are a cone out fit who have taken £960 of my very hard earned money .
All they do is keep asking for more and more detail ,and can you send me this and can you send me that until you get feed up with them and there so called lenders who they never tell you who they are. My application went on for a year and still nothing. So lets get it right this is hall mark finance of grenvill place nw7. They are also in cahoots with first national finance the name of the person is lloyd green so beware.i have reported them to officials who the tell me are investigating them .please please do not use them you will loos you money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Jimbob_2_43

Hello, I went through hallmark finance as a small business in need of finance, I did a bit of research on the company and paid the £430 fee (having not seen this forum) like the above posts i keep getting told my information is incomplete or the lender wants just one more form, what seem odd is that they are always quick to reply and I did have a site inspection from someone at 8am a few weeks back representing the lender (allegedly) for a scam where they make £400ish pounds they have spent a lot of time on the phone/letters and with this visit in person considering im based in falmouth uk? Just to check am i definitely going to have no luck?

Conrad

Stop messing about people - take them to Trading Standards right now.

bosunracer

Hi, well I have to let you know that i have been scammed by this outfit, and every thing you have said is totally true, unfortunetly i found this site to late.
I will come back to this thread and post the full works.
this scam need to be stopped, I have just lost £1002.80
and nearly a hotel that i am trying to aquire.

will be back once collated all info, beforehand, DO NOT USE HALLMARK FINANCE.:(

McGoohan

Hi, just like several others I too found this thread to late. Was looking for a property development loan with these people, same story, paid the upfront fees, been strung along over two months with never ending requests for further information, updated cashflow forecasts, more bank statements, frivilous requests for other information totally unconnected to making a loan decision, etc etc, but never any formal loan decision. Will not provide proper details of who the 'lender' is, and I have just checked their Data Protection Act registration details with the ICO and they are void, they have no records for Hallmark in any form. However, obtaining personal data without a valid DPA registration is a criminal offence, this is the path I am now looking at. Anybody with anything new, please post.

McGoohan

Update 18 March,
Have finally got Hallmark to send me a copy of their DPA registration after the number on their letterhead being wrong and the second number emailed to me also wrong. Spoke to ICO, appears they are registered under the certificate emailed, but it expired on 8 March 2011 and this was why it did not show on search. Apparently they have 30 days to renew, so let's see. The guy Lloyd Green is better than any politician I have ever come across at not answering your questions. Gets personally abusive if you put him on the spot. Best advice remains 'NOT WITH a BARGEPOLE'.