Customer service? Rant against RBS

Mrs_Scrooge_2

My son (age 30) had an offer accepted for purchase of a flat in Edinburgh a week before the end of April. He had had a bank account with RBS since a child, so went to the local branch before he had had his offer accepted to see how much he might be able to borrow and what options available: so far, so good, a helpful interview with the local manager, but not the man who agrees the mortgage deals. In the meantime, fixed up a solicitor for the purchase.
Now comes the crunch: earliest appt with RBS mortgage adviser in one of the central Edinburgh branches at 4pm is a week ahead (my son works as a teacher, so can't just go any old time of day). The day before, the appt is cancelled: the chap he was supposed to see is on holiday (the ONLY mortgage adviser working for RBS in the whole of Edinburgh? I ask myself, and surely they must have known this when the appt was made??) Next appt 2 further weeks on - today. We turn up: can't see you, in a meeting, not sure when he'll finish! WHAT SORT OF SERVICE IS THIS??? In my profession, if appts were made, you had to keep them all, no matter what turned up, and see everyone who had an appointment, no matter how late it kept you, before you could go home.
Of course, had we known all this 3 weeks ago, he would have been looking elsewhere for a mortgage.
I really wonder, should the Govt have bothered to bail them out as they clearly don't care about their customers. (I don't bank with them myself, thank goodness). :mad:
And I must commend my son for his politeness to the bank staff person who conveyed the failed appointment news: I was inwardly raging!

ACG

It doesnt help with RBS but if he goes and sees a proper broker, they will see him sooner and be able to search more than just one lender.

Mrs_Scrooge_2

Yes, that's the way he's thinking now. Or there were 3 other banks within 50 yards of where we enter today.

amnblog

All 3 other banks may well have given you similar service.

They are there to get your bank accounts, credit cards, travel insurance and anything else they can make a profit on.

If you walk out of one into another they won't even notice.

A broker is there to arrange your mortgage - if they don't they won't get paid. If they don't give you a good service you will go elsewhere and they won't get paid.

Mrs_Scrooge_2

So we did get an appointment the following day, after much staring at a computer, and little apology or even eye contact - at RBS HQ in St Andrew's Sq, Edinburgh. Apologetic re !!!!-up the day before, and 2 and a half hours later (including half hour wait to be seen), promised a firm mortgage offer "within a few days". 2 weeks on and various emails later, still waiting: then BOMBSHELL! They won't accept part of my son's income as his payslips have him down as Ms instead of Mr!! So it's taken them 2 weeks to throw up this objection, and although he has an unequivocally male, masculine, macho first name, and they have rigorously checked his ID, they cannot exercise any sort of rationale or reasoned judgment and accept that he is who he says he is. Ok, this is his employer's fault, and partly his for not getting them to correct it before, but whatever happened to common sense and human brain functioning ? RBS have details of every payment made into his account, his NI and payroll numbers match, and yet the underwriters will not exercise any degree of creative thinking (aka common sense) and let this through. He had hoped to be in the new property by 2nd June , but this now seems wildly improbable. The vendors had long since de-occupied the property, and are anxious to complete the transaction, and my son is a first-time buyer with a good credit record and no debt. It has been now well over 6 weeks since his offer was accepted and he has met little but stalling, resistance and crass ineptitude and stupidity along the way. He has held an account with RBS since age 8, and this is how they treat him?? It has caused untold stress and distress to himself, myself and my husband, and our daughter, who needs urgently to get back into her flat, which he is currently occupying as tenant - she having recently returned from living abroad and due a baby in just 3 weeks' time. Strong letters of complaint are going to be sent to RBS, Which and anyone else relevant. Of course, had we been able to predict this sequence of (non)-events, my son would never have gone anywhere near RBS looking for a mortgage.:mad:

PeacefulWaters

Has he suggested they write to his employer to clarify income?

ACG

Go and see a broker!
This would have avoided all of these issues!

kingstreet

Horse to water, etc.

Mrs_Scrooge_2

Yes, he has been to his employers who are trying to sort out their mistake: they were in any case only just issuing P60s for 2013-2014 at the end of May, and the initial one still had the same error re title/gender. That is now being corrected. But common sense seems decidedly lacking.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing: yes, he should have shopped around a bit more and/or gone to a broker. Just looked at the RBS website mortgage page today: they won an award in 2013 for best mortgage providers???? Not quite how we see it!