Nationwide: Over 6 weeks for Decision in Principle

DS77

Hello MSE!

We're turning to the forums here as we're really stuck and feel very trapped. We've used MSE lots but never posted to the forums. This is a bit of a read (sorry!) but we don't know what else to do really. So here goes:

We are an existing mortgage customer with Nationwide and moving house so require additional lending from Nationwide. This means we are “porting” the existing mortgage as well as applying for an extension, as well as adding me onto the mortgage (my fianc! was/is the sole name on the original mortgage)

We were advised by Nationwide staff we could apply online for a decision in principle (on 3 occasions) which would give us an immediate answer, even if we were porting a mortgage. As advised, we applied for a Nationwide decision in principle on 14th March and sent in required documents that evening. This was not responded to, with the decision being 'you have been referred'. We telephoned for an update on 22nd March where we were told that we should not have applied online because we were porting, and must do it by telephone or by phone.

Thus, we did the application by phone and we were credit checked again. We sent in documents that evening (22nd March). Three days later we phoned to make sure they had been received and were appropriate. We were told they weren't acceptable due to being photographs (we could not get more time off work to get into the branch to supply documents) and we scanned them through using a home scanner as well as a library scanner which either were not assessed, or were assessed to be unreadable ('because it’s too blurry on the screen' and/or saying it is the wrong medium, despite multiple times having said that documents have already been faxed or scanned (and we are still being told they are photographs).

During all this (around 30th March), they had somehow recorded one of our dates of birth incorrectly. This resulted in the phone operators calling us, but asking us validation questions in order to resolve the issue. Date of birth is one of the validation questions, so this was failing. We don’t understand how we can be called up to correct date of birth when date of birth is a validation question.

This resulted in the application, yet again, being re-written. At this point, we had 2 case numbers.

After this (31st March), we gained the services of a Mortgage Representative who, in turn, changed as one was on leave and required cover.

Our main complaint is that now, on the 15th April; we have now sent documents by various means which are still being refused. Nationwide have seemingly not attached
1. Our scanned copies
2. Our faxed copies
3. The branch's scanned copies.

We have sent documents 3 times by fax, twice through the branch scanning them (which were confirmed by a mortgage representative by phone), by photo once in the first week, and by scanner (3 different ones - home/library/internet cafe) on six or seven occasions. The documents they have accepted have been sent via the same mediums as the documents (payslips) they have refused, using the same scanner. Furthermore, we were advised on 2 occasions by 2 mortgage representatives that all documents, including payslips, would not be required to be re-sent, because they had sufficient documentation.

They have refused to let us speak to a manager or complaints handler, also, and again are refusing to progress the case without re-sending payslips (we cannot easily get out of work as we see/face clients).

We now have the names of 3 Mortgage Representatives, none of which are keeping us up to date and keep promising us a decision will be made, but never does.

We have also not heard anything further from the complaints team and this is no further forward to being resolved. We have been phoning Nationwide almost daily and there has been miscommunication between the New Business team and our Mortgage Representatives. We were also told the Underwriters do not accept incoming calls and so are completely out of the loop. We have been given wrong information on several occasions (relating to applying online/receipt of documents/appropriateness of documents/length of time it will take to complete the process).

We have less than 4 weeks to our moving date and are very concerned this will not be resolved despite ample time beginning the process on 14th March (and having telephoned re: the process prior to this).

We would like our decision in principle and mortgage application to be prioritised/streamlined given that we are moving in less than a month. We need to have an answer and offer of loan by our moving date, or risk penalty charges and delay our moving date.

We cannot seek a mortgage offer elsewhere without incurring early repayment charges to the existing mortgage otherwise we would have gone elsewhere, so this is crucial it moves forwards asap. We would also like Nationwide to review their process and communication between teams so that this does not happen to others in the future.




If you've made it this far, thanks for reading this! We honestly feel trapped and pretty sure we're going to lose this house.



Any advice or recommendations would be absolutely appreciated!


Thanks all
Grant

Engagedtobaz

I could have written virtually the same story.


I know its not any help but I am having the same delays with Santander. I am also porting a mortgage that expires in a couple of months. If I had known to be honest the hassle it involves, I wouldn't have considered moving.

Sorry my post does not help in your situation, but sending calm vibes your way and hope it all works out for you and you enjoy your new home.

Thrugelmir

DS77 wrote: »

We were also told the Underwriters do not accept incoming calls and so are completely out of the loop.

The underwriters are the only people that matter. They are the ultimate decision makers. No one else is in a position to update you.

JJASMINE

Post the documents?

DS77

Hi!

No its not an exchange although we are buying a property that was part exchanged. Currently empty but worried that delays on our side will dissuade the buyer from putting it back on the market.

We wish we knew what is going on with the document scans we send in. Sometimes they don't have it on record, sometimes they don't accept formats, but in these circumstances they just keeps asking us to rescan and resend.

Thanks for responding

DS77

Thanks for reading! Its actually nice to know people are listening to us hope you get everything sorted and we feel your pain!

amnblog

The joys of going direct to the Lender.