Nationwide Mortgage - Additional borrowing nightmare!

astonvilla67

I wanted to share the nightmare I have had with Nationwide mortgage and trying to borrow additional money for home improvements after having decided we would do this instead of moving.  Firstly let me say, I have had my Nationwide mortgage for many years, never defaulted and have been overpaying for 5+ years and I only have 8 years left on my £70K mortgage (on a house that was recently valued at £500K by the estate agents).  I put my online application for additional borrowing of £42K in on 21st July 2020 and was initially asked to provide my salary, my husbands salary and to answer some COVID related questions..very understandable..but this is when the issues started.  On 27th July I called Nationwide to get an update and was told that the only some documents had been received (despite sending ALL of them over), so I asked her for her email address so I could send them again to her personally and she could confirm she had received them and sent them to the relevant department.  I resent them and the Nationwide colleague kindly confirmed they had been received and sent to the right department.  3rd August I called them again to get an update and the gentleman I spoke to said that there was a note on my file from the underwriting team that I hadn't answered the COVID questions (despite them being sent by his colleague on 27th July).   I answered the questions again over the phone and he confirmed they had now been updated and attached to my case.  He said it would be a further 5 days before a decision could be made.  5th August I receive an automated email again asking for answers to COVID questions.  Please note, every time the underwriting team send an email to a customer, I am told that the approval process starts from day 0 again and then will then take 10+1 days to process despite this being a Nationwide error in not noting the documents / answers to the question.  I called Nationwide and the lady I spoke to advised that the email had been sent in error and that the documents and questions were updated, but had only been updated that day, hence the email coming out??  She advised as all the info was only updated on 5th it would be 10+1 days from the 5th August for a final decision to be made but that our salaries had been approved based on the money we were asking to borrow (£42K over 8 years), it was just the checks on the COVID questions that were outstanding.  15th August I then receive an email from Nationwide to say that all the necessary documents had been received which was strange because they were sent 10 days before!!    19th August another email received saying they now need 2 years tax return for my husband as he is self employed.  I get they need this but why not ask for it before in the original request for documents??  I sent these details the same day.  21st Aug - another email saying they still need the 2 years tax return documents.  I called and spoke to a lady who apologised and said they had been received but only just updated which is why I received the second email.  2/9 - another email from Nationwide asking for my tax documents??  Are you kidding me?? Again I asked for the Nationwide colleagues personal email address so I could send them direct and confirmed exactly the document that they needed.  I sent them over on 2/9 and he said he would look to get the decision expedited due to all the issues I had experienced.  I got a call back from him saying all the correct tax documents had been received and forwarded but that unfortunately he couldn't expedite my request.   He also weirdly confirmed it was a Nationwide error that the documents hadnt been updated and that he has experienced this issue of missing documents a number of times with other customers and that he couldnt wait to get back into branch again because of all the issues.  He advised I would receive a final decision by the following Tuesday (9/9).  He finished the call by saying "cheers girl" which was slightly unnerving and not very appropriate.  9/9 spoke to another colleague at Nationwide to get an update as im due to get my decision today..right?  She advised the underwriters had looked at my documents yesterday but there was an issue and that there were a couple of documents for confirmation of tax that were still missing and this is despite the previous colleague saying all the correct documents had been received??  I asked this colleague if I send over the additional documents does this take me back to day 0 again and she said yes (so another 10 days+1) but that she would try to expedite.  She gave me her email address and I emailed her back with the additional documents straight away.  I didnt hear back about escalating the decision so assumed that it wasnt an option and it was still 10+1 days so just waited.  11/9 I received an automated email advising "Good news, the Decision in principle for your mortgage has been approved. You can now complete your mortgage online application".  Yay, I thought, and went straight onto the website to complete my application, except....when I did I got the message "there are no active applications associated with this email address".  I phoned the number on the website and explained the situation and was told reassuringly that I just need to speak to the new business team and they can complete it for me.  After waiting for 30 mins I spoke to a lady who advised that they couldnt do that her end, and that there was currently a technical glitch with their system and you have 2 options 1) go into branch to complete your application or 2) start the application process again....??? I was in shock and im sorry to say finally lost my cool and had to put the phone down.  I called again when I had calmed down and emailed the 2 colleagues I had previously spoken to for help (they never acknowledged my email).  The second person I spoke to said that I didnt need to go into branch or re-input my application but in fact I what was actually required was a valuation on my property and they needed a surveyor to come to my house.  This is despite the email I received not saying and that and the fact I only have a £70K mortgage and recently had the house up for sale for £500K?????  I just want it over by this point so go along with it, get the number for the surveyor to book it in myself.  I call them and they cant come out for a 15 minute appointment until September 21st....ahhhhhhhhh.  At this point they will need to submit their valuation to Nationwide for it to be reviewed by them (I am assuming another 10+1 days!!).  I find it strange that when I live in Brighton (where house prices arent cheap), in a 4 bedroom semi detached house that has recently been on the market for £500K, why they now need a physical valuation when they could look online to get the value of the property?  Even if there were concerned due to the current COVID situation, logically if they look at the difference between my actual mortgage (even with the additional borrowing) and the online value of my house which they have said is £439K there would be plenty of equity for them to recoup if I ended up defaulting!!
I know times are difficult and I absolutely get the extra checks are needed with so many people losing their jobs.  What I am upset about is the fact they have lost numerous documents I have sent, that I have been told on many occasions incorrect and inconsistent information, I have submitted 2x complaints and other than a holding letter, I have received nothing else back, I requested a subject access request under section 7 of the data protection act (twice) but still havent heard anything and I am currently stuck with them in a fixed rate mortgage with my current mortgage for another 8 years.
My question is, if I want to move mortgage companies as I have lost all faith in Nationwide, can I do that if I still have 8 years of my existing fix rate mortgage left without paying a huge redemption penalty? It feels like I am stuck in a contract that I cant get out of and so now they are able to treat me however they want to treat me because I am now tied into the mortgage for another 8 years.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated

PJBRFC

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