Countrywide conveyancers - should I stick with them?

coffee_fix

I'm a FTB and I've just had a mortgage in principle agreed with a mortgage advisor from Countrywide. I did a bit of looking around before accepting and the mortgage deal offered seems to be pretty good (and I did find it helpful using a broker). The mortgage advisor suggested using Countrywide's conveyancers and being pretty naïve and new to all of this, I agreed. I even ended up forking out £79 for a 'discount' card which will give me money off their conveyancing services among other things.


However, when I got home, I had a rummage around the forums and have read some things about Countrywide conveyancers that have worried me! As a first time buyer with no chain who can leave my rented property with a month's notice, I've just made an offer on a house with no chain (not heard yet if the offer has been accepted). This is a very straightforward case, but I've read similar stories on here where things have dragged on for months for no good reason when Countrywide has been involved. In addition, there's a number of stories where extortionate legal fees have been billed by Countrywide for these straightforward cases.


Should I stick with Countrywide's conveyancers and hope it will be OK? I haven't had a quote from them yet, although I did tell the mortgage advisor that I would like them to act on my behalf (not sure if that constitutes a contract). The money for that discount card is non-refundable, but I'd rather be out of pocket £79 than hundreds of pounds.


I'm really worried, so any advice would be wonderful!


Thanks!

kingstreet

Oh brother. They saw you coming!

the mortgage deal offered seems to be pretty good

I must remember that comment for my next suitability letter. "The deal may not have been the best one for the client, but as I have a limited panel of lenders it seemed to be pretty good."

Oh, hang on I can't do that. I have to justify why the recommended product is the best for you and justify why I didn't use a cheaper rate if there was one. That's being "whole market."

So you've paid a fee for the mortgage "advice" a fee for this discount card, signed up to a poor quality expensive conveyancing service (according to practically every thread to appear on here...).

Did you by any chance sign up for any Countrywide tied-insurance products you can buy elsewhere at lower cost?

Using a broker is fine, but at least use one which is whole market and where, with a combination of your research on direct lenders and the broker's on commission paying products, you will be able to make sure you get the best deal for you.

We can't tell you what to do, but you proceed with them at your peril.

Doozergirl

I'm certainly not a fan of anything that Countrywide do. Being forced to buy a property because the one I want is being sold by them is as far as I would go.

Local, whole of market independent mortgage broker and a local, fully qulaified solicitor is what I would use. Not only am I supporting a genuinely local business, but it probably costs less for better service.

kirkbyinfurnesslad_2

there is one born every day

NewbuyerNE

I had a meeting with my Countrywide advisor yesterday and his exact words were 'I never recommend people to use their solicitors as their poor work reflects badly on me'

Hope this isn't the case for you though OP - people only tend to share the horror stories, there must be some positive ones too

coffee_fix

Thanks for your comments, everyone. I do regret paying for this discount card, but I haven't formally signed anything for the conveyancing service or for the tied-in insurance products (I wasn't planning on buying their insurance, anyway). I'm going to tell my mortgage advisor that I'd rather go for a local law firm and just chalk up the money I spent on that card to inexperience. I really just wish I'd looked on these forums first before agreeing to anything!

drdpj

good choice. Just to add anecdote - our buyer was initially going to use countrywide. Our EA (independent) looked fairly anguished at the prospect. Even more so when the paperwork for our buyer turned up in the post at our house... Suffice to say they decided to use another firm

d.

Elfbert

I think you've dodged a bullet there

I got my mortgage through HSBC, and although I had my own solicitor working for me, at he time HSBC insisted everything had to be looked over by CountryWide at their end (And they charged £99 for that!).

Countrywide were beyond incompetent. And impossible to speak to. The two worst moments where them faxing all MY documents to my seller's solicitor, and then faxing further documents to another solicitor who wasn't anything to do with our deal at all!!

Happily, after many crying sessions and angry phonecalls we did eventually exchange, only a day late, and they refunded me the £99 as an 'admission of error' about the faxing!

I honestly wouldn't ever touch them with a !!!!!! stick now though!

Good luck with your purchase

LisaLou1982

I used to work for countrywide and would never recommend their solicitors.

I wouldnt listen too much to people who say never use any of their services - if they were as terrible as some make out then they wouldnt be in business. Theyre not for everyone, but they are for someone.

If youre happy with the mortgage deal, then go ahead with it.

turkishtail

I am in a similar position to original post - FTB and looked at property through Abbots and was pushed into sitting down with the Countrywide MA. I have had the security checks and agreement in principle but no money has exchanged hands etc.

I am still looking at property and have not had any offers agreed.

Is it too late for me to walk away from Countrywide if I get a better deal elsewhere? The Advisor already asked for this Buysmart payment which I refused to give (just two meetings in and 1 week into the process) until I was actually buying a property.

Any advice helpful :-)