Santander - nightmare

wazza07

Hi. So we're having a bit of a mare with Santander and could use some advice.
Applied for a mortgage via a branch mortgage advisor (via telephone) a few months back.
We now to amend our mortgage offer and its proving quite difficult. Our branch mortgage advisor is no longer in the role so I've rang the mortgage centre who say they can't do anything and it has to be done by a branch advisor. I've gone online to look for telephone appointment slots at other local branches and they only have random dates in 2021 available. I know COVID is proving a challenge but surely it shouldn't be this difficult? Any other suggestions that I've not thought of? 

ManyAMickleMakesaMuckle

My Santander in-branch mortgage advisor got made redundant a couple of months ago, after I had started a mortgage application. Before leaving he passed on the contact details of the replacement mortgage advisor, who is based in a different nearby city. Subsequently I have dealt with the new advisor (until he also got moved on - what is happening at Santander?).
I have a couple of suggestions you could try:
1. Contact your branch to ask which branch is now their hub for mortgages, then book a mortgage appointment at the new branch.
2. Book a telephone mortgage appointment at your own branch; I am able to do this even though my own branch no longer has a mortgage advisor. My branch is showing plenty of appointments this week, which are with the new advisor even though she is based elsewhere. 

3. If you are unable to get an appointment this month by the methods above, book a telephone mortgage appointment at any branch. All appointments are by telephone so it shouldn't matter where in the country the other person is based. Although it would be better that you speak to the person dealing with your mortgage a random Santander advisor might be able to help you get to the right person if they cannot directly deal with your matter.
Good luck. I know from bitter experience that every phone calls ends in a recorded message directing you to their website. After you have got through to an actual person, make a complaint. Santander should have told you who your new advisor was when the old one moved on; also the mortgage centre should have told you which branch to go to in order to find your new advisor.
One final piece of advice, if it's not too late: do not use Santander's free legal option. You get what you pay for. You have already experienced delays due to poor administrative processes, but if you take the free legal option you will be adding additional months onto the process.

haras_n0sirrah

You could use a broker and avoid this issue 

wazza07

ManyAMickleMakesaMuckle said:

My Santander in-branch mortgage advisor got made redundant a couple of months ago, after I had started a mortgage application. Before leaving he passed on the contact details of the replacement mortgage advisor, who is based in a different nearby city. Subsequently I have dealt with the new advisor (until he also got moved on - what is happening at Santander?).
I have a couple of suggestions you could try:
1. Contact your branch to ask which branch is now their hub for mortgages, then book a mortgage appointment at the new branch.
2. Book a telephone mortgage appointment at your own branch; I am able to do this even though my own branch no longer has a mortgage advisor. My branch is showing plenty of appointments this week, which are with the new advisor even though she is based elsewhere. 

3. If you are unable to get an appointment this month by the methods above, book a telephone mortgage appointment at any branch. All appointments are by telephone so it shouldn't matter where in the country the other person is based. Although it would be better that you speak to the person dealing with your mortgage a random Santander advisor might be able to help you get to the right person if they cannot directly deal with your matter.
Good luck. I know from bitter experience that every phone calls ends in a recorded message directing you to their website. After you have got through to an actual person, make a complaint. Santander should have told you who your new advisor was when the old one moved on; also the mortgage centre should have told you which branch to go to in order to find your new advisor.
One final piece of advice, if it's not too late: do not use Santander's free legal option. You get what you pay for. You have already experienced delays due to poor administrative processes, but if you take the free legal option you will be adding additional months onto the process.

Thank you for all that info! It's much appreciated.
Luckily we don't need to make the amendment anymore as we're completing earlier than expected. I have to say the mortgage centre at Santander are awful; I got passed around to four different people and they were all giving me different information (some of which was incorrect). If it wasn't for the fact we were porting our old mortgage over I'd be seriously considering whether we'd be staying with them. We will be eligible to claim a refund on our ERC once we complete so I wonder how stressful that process will be!