Countrywide Conveyancing/HSBC - avoid like the plague if you want to complete

jonas123

seagul-kev - totally agree with you.

It's been about a month now since I first submitted documents to Countrywide and only today have I finally got any movement - and I've phoned HSBC 3 times a day for the last week and got similar replies each time (they're trying their hardest, you should hear in 48 hours etc.)

I am equally going to write a complaint asking for reimbursement of additional expenditure - but the worst thing like you said is that it feels like there is no-one you can speak to.

This week I also had the pain of my solicitor saying he will no longer contact Countrywide as it wastes too much of their time being on hold unless I paid an extra £250. I was not happy about this but at this stage, you don't want to annoy your solicitor and have them delay you too!

seagull-kev

Exactly, yeah! It's got to the point where I'm embarrassed to call my solicitor now because I've done it so often. "Hiii, me again!"
It must be really bugging him - & my calls don't make any difference to the speed that Countrywide are working at.

To help my attempt at getting my Stamp Duty money back I have asked my solicitor to back me up in saying that its Countrywide's fault for the delays - which happily he is prepared to do free of charge because them admitting liability would be a victory for him as well as me.
I have also asked the sellers solicitor to do the same thing. If both sets of solicitors can get together and say 'we were ready to complete the sale weeks ago' then the finger points firmly at Countrywide...though I still don't hold much hope!

rach1968

Well the CEO of HSBC think that Countrywide have acted correctly in our case. A reply from his office just backs them because exchange and completion didn't take place. Like you, they keep asking ridiculous questions that should have been sorted in the weeks we waited for the survey to be done. I have phoned everyone today...estate agent and solicitor and they haven't bothered getting back to me (probably because nothing is happening)! It's as though we are not important in this process at all. Absolutely fed up...living out of boxes with 2 children is NOT fun. :mad::mad:

jonas123

Well the movement I got today was Countrywide asking more questions...they have lost the proof of deposit form so require that to be sent again.

I don't think this will ever end :mad:

bargainlover100

I feel for you I really do. I am currently having my own personal nightmare with hsbc and solicitors. I applied for my mortgage on the the 31st of January after a verbal offer was accepted. I was told at the point of application that it was conditionally accepted but will be referred to an underwriter. After visiting my nearest branch with id and the requested bank statements etc and many many phone calls to HSBC they finally approved my application after 23 days. Because it was taking so long for the approval (of which we were pretty certain) I decided to contact hsbc and ask them not to instruct a solicitor and gave them details of the solicitor that I had instructed, which they claim was noted on their system. 24 hours after my application was approved I recieved a call from another solicitor hoping to act on my behalf, after explaining I already had a solicitor they accepted that and told me they would still be acting for hsbc. Time went on and my solicitor contacted me on the 14th of March to say she still hadnt recieved my mortgage offer from hsbc's solicitors (who turned out to be someone else) and asked me to contact hsbc to request it again, which I did on the 15th March. On the 21st March she still hadnt recieved it so I called hsbc again and requested it be faxed directly to her and their solicitor. I was told at this point that my mortgage offer was sent to the solicitor who they instructed in the first place not my solicitor or the one that was acting on their behalf. This has held the process up no end, that and the fact that hsbc solicitor are asking for lots of unnecessary paperwork.

I am due to move on monday, I have arranged removals etc, and done all the preparation - arranged holidays etc and I have only just recieved the necessary documents from my solicitor tonight to sign. I only have 1 and a half working days for the funds to be released and I really cant see this happening. I can honestly say in my experience that hsbc has been a nightmare and I wish I went for the next best provider.

Thrugelmir

bargainlover100 wrote: »

I feel for you I really do. I am currently having my own personal nightmare with hsbc and solicitors. I applied for my mortgage on the the 31st of January after a verbal offer was accepted. I was told at the point of application that it was conditionally accepted but will be referred to an underwriter. After visiting my nearest branch with id and the requested bank statements etc and many many phone calls to HSBC they finally approved my application after 23 days. Because it was taking so long for the approval (of which we were pretty certain) I decided to contact hsbc and ask them not to instruct a solicitor and gave them details of the solicitor that I had instructed, which they claim was noted on their system. 24 hours after my application was approved I recieved a call from another solicitor hoping to act on my behalf, after explaining I already had a solicitor they accepted that and told me they would still be acting for hsbc. Time went on and my solicitor contacted me on the 14th of March to say she still hadnt recieved my mortgage offer from hsbc's solicitors (who turned out to be someone else) and asked me to contact hsbc to request it again, which I did on the 15th March. On the 21st March she still hadnt recieved it so I called hsbc again and requested it be faxed directly to her and their solicitor. I was told at this point that my mortgage offer was sent to the solicitor who they instructed in the first place not my solicitor or the one that was acting on their behalf. This has held the process up no end, that and the fact that hsbc solicitor are asking for lots of unnecessary paperwork.

I am due to move on monday, I have arranged removals etc, and done all the preparation - arranged holidays etc and I have only just recieved the necessary documents from my solicitor tonight to sign. I only have 1 and a half working days for the funds to be released and I really cant see this happening. I can honestly say in my experience that hsbc has been a nightmare and I wish I went for the next best provider.

Moving house has always been a stressful experience. What you fail to say is the delays your vendor may have caused you. As it takes 2 to complete a deal. Also 2 months isn't a bad time frame to complete in.

steevo_h

Seagul-kev it seems there are a lot of people wanting to press for compensation for the shambles that is routinely created by involving countrywide. I also plan to pursue this. Will be interesting to see how people get on and what ridiculous excuses emerge as they try to avoid paying out to god knows how many angry home buyers.

I've already written 2 letters of complaint. Although it has started to get things moving, it's still the same old story from countrywide. Blaming my solicitor for their delays, claiming to have sent stuff and that they have been waiting for us to reply. And the infuriating tactic of waiting until you want to complete to ask for extra searches and information that they could have asked for weeks ago seems to be a recurring theme. Well finally someone from HSBC chased countrywide up (again) and after a list of excuses, countrywide said they would get everything done so we could complete on the 29th and guess what - another deadline missed and now they're saying probably Monday.

I bet HSBC regret having a spokesman brag to the press that although it's a lot of work, they'll make sure everyone completes in time for that stamp duty deadline.

HTW

HTW wrote: »

I completed my purchase on the 23-03-12 I used my own solicitor and Countrywide were appointed by HSBC
On the 20-03 I was told that the deal was stalled because of Countrywide. They had received the paperwork 11days ago but had not even looked at it
Here is what I did
Rang HSBC explained the problem and raised a complaint about their solicitors (Countrywide) holding up the deal and not returning calls from my solicitor. I told HSBC that I wanted Countrywide to contact my solicitor in the next 2 hours.
HSBC said that they can not guarantee contact within 2 hours .
I pointed out that I want Countrywide to do what I had paid them to do and if they do not contact my solicitor I will ring up every 2 hours and raise a complaint every time until they do their job.I also said that if I do not complete the transaction by the 23rd I would complain to the Banking Ombudsman and Law society . After a few complaints my paperwork was fastracked and I moved on the agreed date.
If you try this method do not shout or swear at the HSBC staff its not their fault and they will be recording the call.

I did get a fee free interest only tracker which was a very good deal

Got two letters today from HSBC

1 Saying that they were going to look in to the complaints I had made
The second one telling me that the average time to complete the purchase of a house is twelve weeks and I should be happy that I completed in less. They said I could continue with the complaint if I wished but I achieved my objective and moved on the 23rd March so I am not taking it any further

chrisp76

Same story for us with total non-communication from Countrywide. We’ve have moved weeks ago if they weren’t involved.

Those on this forum might like to listen to these podcasts, as this is now being picked up by both the BBC and the Financial Times. Listen to the Head of Lending at HSBC trying to defend the terrible situation…
(Sorry, forum won't let me post the URL links, but you can Google for these!)

FT Money Show – Mar 29 2012
“…why some HSBC borrowers have taken to despairing over their mortgage lender's solicitors.”

BBC Radio 4 Moneybox – 24 Mar 12
“…New mortgage rules frustrate customers…”

mischief2012

There are 2 in my chain, me and my buyer. He has gone for an HSBC mortgage and is using his own solicitor and paying the extra bit although Countrywide still get involved. I am buying a new house where I have a deadline to exchange within 28 days and complete 10 days after that. We are now over 40 days past exchange deadline and the builder who has been patient up until now is now becoming twitchy. The contracts are signed, mortgages approved, searches done etc but Countrywide have to rubberstamp the exchange before it can go ahead. This has been weeks now and they are saying they are too busy to do it and cannot even give an estimate as to how long it will take. Any ideas on what we can do?? We should have moved in February!!!!