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

deeps_10

Adding to the thread - I am a FTB, in the current situation where the vendor wanted to exchange on 3/5/12. My solicitor has been calling CW everyday trying to get their approval on documents. My solicitor is not getting anywhere. CW even have starting lying, yesterday they said they had faxed over documentation to my solicitor, solicitor definitely did not receive any fax. CW then said they will email today, no email has been sent.

Vendor is getting more frustrated and has now instructed the EA to place the property back on the market. Which adds more headache to the situation. EA has been good and said they won't take any viewings on the property, but they have to put the property back on the market as the vendor has requested. Everyone wants CW to pull their finger out so we can exchange. The impatience of the vendor is not helping.

I have complained to my mortgage adviser at HSBC but he has said there is nothing he can do. Next step will be to go above his head and start complaining at that level, see if I can get anywhere.

i will keep everyone up to speed on timings if / when I manage to complete.

HapPea

Found out today that my buyers are using HSBC :-(

KG51005

My partner and I have just started the process with HSBC & countrywide, whilst using our own solicitor for a sale and purchase.
We were made aware of the £192 charge and didn't think it sounded to bad. We were given the impression that by paying this fee it meant we didn't have to sign up to HSBC solicitors. However we have had to pay the £192 plus a £200 registration fee to Countrywide. The £200 was never mentioned during either of the two meetings we had with the HSBC mortgage advisor. Has anyone else had to pay this extra £200 for the pleasure of Countrywide's services?
We intend to make a complaint to HSBC, but after reading some of the posts here, think we'll wait to see how bd it gets first!

smirnoffsteve

We have just endured 16 weeks of turmoil with HSBC / Countrywide which has ultimately lost us our house!! Offer on a house 2nd Feb, Due to move in 14th May - vendor could not continue with the stress of waiting any longer and pulled out last week. Countrywide would not commit to giving a precise answer as to whether the money would be exchanged on the 14th.

My wife and I are devastated - we are due to have a baby on the 15th May and were hoping to be in our new house for the arrival. as we sold our house in Feb, we moved in with parents for a 'few' weeks, having been told by our solicitor that as there were only 3 people in our chain, we would be completed within 5 weeks. 15 weeks later, still no definate answer and no house to move to!!! My wife has spent 8 weeks of her maternity leave on the phone 3 times a day to solicitors, HSBC, estate agents. Her time with our other young child has been ruined due to the stress. We presumed that there would be a little stress, but this has taken the biscuit. HSBC are a worldwide corporation, a trusted brand, what on earth have they done! They can blame Countrywide as much as they want, but at the end of the day it is HSBC we have our mortgage with, pay every month. They need to sort this out and fast. If i now manage to find another property with immediate vacancy, we have to start the conveyancing again - no way am i waiting until my unborn child is walking to be able to move into a house!! In addition, £800 solicitor fees lost, phone calls each day, house insurance for 7 weeks for a house I havnt even lived in!!! HSBC have ruined our lives at the moment, please dont let them ruin yours!!

steevo_h

I just got my response to my complaint. HSBC have investigated my case and decided taking more than 2 months to release the money after offering me the mortgage was entirely fine. They stated countrywides side of the story which was full of errors/lies both in timings and events. They said this is their final word and if I don't like it I can take it to the ombudsman. Which I will do. Especially as some of the things countrywide have said are so easy to prove as false.

Richard_Webster

I just got my response to my complaint. HSBC have investigated my case and decided taking more than 2 months to release the money after offering me the mortgage was entirely fine. They stated countrywides side of the story which was full of errors/lies both in timings and events. They said this is their final word and if I don't like it I can take it to the ombudsman. Which I will do. Especially as some of the things countrywide have said are so easy to prove as false.

Not disagreeing, but as a devil's advocate I think I would get your solicitor to check through what has been said for his comments on it all as it is possible to oversimplify things.

SuzieSue

smirnoffsteve wrote: »

We have just endured 16 weeks of turmoil with HSBC / Countrywide which has ultimately lost us our house!! Offer on a house 2nd Feb, Due to move in 14th May - vendor could not continue with the stress of waiting any longer and pulled out last week. Countrywide would not commit to giving a precise answer as to whether the money would be exchanged on the 14th.

My wife and I are devastated - we are due to have a baby on the 15th May and were hoping to be in our new house for the arrival. as we sold our house in Feb, we moved in with parents for a 'few' weeks, having been told by our solicitor that as there were only 3 people in our chain, we would be completed within 5 weeks. 15 weeks later, still no definate answer and no house to move to!!! My wife has spent 8 weeks of her maternity leave on the phone 3 times a day to solicitors, HSBC, estate agents. Her time with our other young child has been ruined due to the stress. We presumed that there would be a little stress, but this has taken the biscuit. HSBC are a worldwide corporation, a trusted brand, what on earth have they done! They can blame Countrywide as much as they want, but at the end of the day it is HSBC we have our mortgage with, pay every month. They need to sort this out and fast. If i now manage to find another property with immediate vacancy, we have to start the conveyancing again - no way am i waiting until my unborn child is walking to be able to move into a house!! In addition, £800 solicitor fees lost, phone calls each day, house insurance for 7 weeks for a house I havnt even lived in!!! HSBC have ruined our lives at the moment, please dont let them ruin yours!!

That is dreadful. I really feel for you. You should contact MoneyBox on Radio 4 and see if they can help. It is probably too late for you now and little comfort, but it might be possible to get some compensation.

rob_dixon

DO NOT SELL TO A BUYER (OR BUYER WITH A BUYER) WITH HSBC/COUNTRYWIDE AS MORTGAGE PROVIDER

Our flat went under offer in Jan '12, put offer on house in Feb and have been ready to exchange since April and we still cannot exchange even due to incompetence at Countrywide/HSBC. Like all of the other threads, they will ask endless questions and each query takes at least 48 hours to turn around.

I CANNOT BELIEVE ANYONE WOULD CONSIDER HSBS FOR A MORTGAGE.

Our chain involves 4 transactions and all are now about to collapse. My solicitor fees will be totally lost which is at least £2,200.

If anyone knows what a) what can be done to sort it out on my transaction (bearing in mind it's my buyer's buyer who has the HSBC mortgage so I can't talk to HSBS). Or b) How to spread the word about their incompetence. Is there a Facebook page where there is a discussion.

IF YOUR BUYER HAS AN HSBS MORTGAGE CONSIDER PULLING OUT NOW AND FIND A NEW BUYER.

dla_iow

We too are in the same boat. Our sale has been dragging on & on with Countrywide asking question after question, all of which are not applicable to the sale or they already have been given answers!

So this company are either totally incompetent or willfully dragging out the buying process, those involved in our sale believe the former is true. If the sale falls through, which is a strong possibility, then we'll never again accept and offer from anyone mortgaging with HSBC! It would be nice also if we could sue Countrywide!

SuzieSue

I really think you should all contact Money Box on Radio 4. They have a lot of clout expecially as Paul Lewis from Money Box has a regular slot on Saturday's BBC Breakfast. If enough people contact them, they will do something about it.