Mortgage Exit Fees successes and failures

wingates

Rang Yorkshire BS today. Paid my mortgage off in 2004 (HOORAY!). They promised to send me a cheque (after insisting on a letter). A mention of this site works wonders. They could not tell me how much, as they had to investigate. 20 minute phone call, theme from ET over and over again. Will report back on result. Thanks for this tip Martin. I owe you a a pint.

annie42

Have this week received £130 from Abbey regarding the mortgage we had on our home and £560 from Nat West in relation to four buy to let properties. Thanks Martin - you're a star!

derwent2

Once again Martin has dented the finance industry’s arrogant view that they can fleece a captive and submissive flock of customers at will and without dissent.

I followed Martin’s advice on exit fees charged by Birmingham Midshires Building Society on closing my mortgage account in Dec 2005. They had doubled the charge from £75 to £150 in less than 3 years.



Using the template on this web site I complained to them about the increase. I was surprised to receive a prompt and positive reply from them; whilst not accepting the complaint as valid, they have offered a good will gesture of £150 and assurance that no future action would be taken against them. They must have a few other skeletons that they are worried about surfacing as a result of Martin’s digging on and around their patch.



Thanks again and keep up the good campaigning work on behalf of us all.

derwent2

Redmikee

We have only just redeemed this mortgage (about a month ago) so there wouldn't be much interest.

Mike

isayoldchap wrote:

Well done for getting a quick reply from them.I must say that if a customer didn't pay a bill for a few years the banks would have added a charge plus intrest.

Whilst £126 is nice, wouldn't you have prefered £136 or £146 instead.

I would ask about the intrest and how it's been calculated.Don't let them get away with it.It's your money

Redmikee

0800 0320617

mandrews wrote:

What's the telephone number for Abbey? Thanks.

Whistling_Gypsy

I spent ages sorting out my paperwork, preparing the relevant letters using Martin's templates etc - then thought - oooh, I might as well give Halifax a ring first - find out what the crack is on this. (After reading posts here!!)

About 3 minutes on a freephone number to a very helpful chap at the Halifax (italicised 'cos I was so surprised how helpful, pleasant and polite he was. Shame we have to comment on this kind of behaviour - it should be the norm!) All I needed were my account numbers (moved mge to new house then remortgaged in the last 3 years). He warned me that it would take up to 28 days to look into the seperate accounts.

4 days later - 2 cheques recieved from Halifax!!

Cheers Martin - next round on me - what are you having??

coddie

After ringing on 27th feb about my leaving fees I have just received a letter from Bradford & Bingley agreeing that i overpaid on leaving them in 1999 after being with them for 10years.After stating the usual about having to increase there fees in line with their tariff of charges they are reducing my fee from £200 ( made up of sealing fee 140 and deeds release fee 60)to £50 which was their original fee so i have a refund on the way of £150.Yahoo thanks to Martin and everyone on here for giving me the push to do this.Cheers

littlehussy

I used your letter, sent it off last week asking for £170. My Halifax mortgage started in 1988 and I left them last year, exit fee £225. I am so excited as this morning I have received a letter offering me £175 as 'good will gesture'.
Thank you so much Martin.

Shaunyboy

Hi there,

I paid £115 Mortgage Exit Fee and £45 Deeds Despatch Fee in 2002.

I wrote to Halifax about a month ago and they offered me £75 goodwill payment.

I wasn't happy so wrote back saying I thought £20 was a reasonable charge, please send me £140.

You can imagine my surprise that in today's post there is a lovely little cheque for...wait for it....£150. How good is that and even more than I asked.

The motto is don't accept their first offer, push them for what is rightfully yours. Right just off banking my cheque and having a couple of sherbets as a little celebration. RESULT.

NCarson

MarkyMarkD wrote:

It does worry me that you've redeemed 6 mortgages! It's quite likely that you won't get anything back on at least some of them, as I presume you had the mortgages for relatively short periods during which the MEAF may not have increased.

No need to worry - I have 5 houses and held the mortgages for each of them for at least 2-3 years