Help to Buy not answering phone

L00pyLou

Arks_mo said:

L00pyLou said:

Don’t know if this might help others but I sent a DM via Twitter to HTB and received a response asking for all my details etc which I sent back stating I was just waiting for my ATC I had another response to say they had passed it over to customer services and then about 15 mins later my solicitor rang to say they had received it 🤷🏻‍♀️ we have incurred about £1300 in costs from this so will continue to follow and support any actions taken. 

L00pyLou said:

Don’t know if this might help others but I sent a DM via Twitter to HTB and received a response asking for all my details etc which I sent back stating I was just waiting for my ATC I had another response to say they had passed it over to customer services and then about 15 mins later my solicitor rang to say they had received it 🤷🏻‍♀️ we have incurred about £1300 in costs from this so will continue to follow and support any actions taken. 

Hello, how long did it take you to get a response via twitter?

30 mins for first standard response 3 hours to passing details to customer services 
I mean I’m no business woman but if it was my company I would be looking at the shambles and creating dedicated lines for solicitors and putting out correspondence to all those trying to get through a wall of silence almost is the worst thing for all concerned 

Arks_mo

AliciaGilch said:

Rehaanmo said:

Hi All! 

We are in the same situation trying to just obtain our redemption settlement from HTB we have provided them with all the required details and documentation along with their ADMIN fee but we have not had any response! We also have been on the phone to them for 20 hours trying to painfully get through to someone! 

Does anyone have any contact details or advice on what do to, I have email the MP, messaged on twitter, linked IN, emailed, Calling constantly..... I need to complete the sale of my property within the next 7 days and without it the sale with fall through and a tonne of other things in my life will also fall, this is causing me extreme depression and not sure how much more of this I can take.

Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any recourse. I have also rung, emailed both the main line and complaints line, emailed the complaints at homes England, emailed MP and tried through twitter. We are being hit with a wall of silence. I think everyone is. I don’t actually believe that they have staff to actually answer the phones

How can this happen!!!! This is a government backed scheme, its pure evil to leave us in the dark. I cannot believe this! Utterly devastated to say the least. There has to be something we need to do. They must repay us for all this grief and loss!

AliciaGilch

30 mins for first standard response 3 hours to passing details to customer services 
I mean I’m no business woman but if it was my company I would be looking at the shambles and creating dedicated lines for solicitors and putting out correspondence to all those trying to get through a wall of silence almost is the worst thing for all concerned 

Just wondering if you actually received a phone call/ response from customer services or whether it just magically appeared?

sophiemalin

I had this response back from my MP. Will keep you all updated if I hear back 

Thank you for contacting me about the Help to Buy Scheme and the problems you are encountering with the phone line and please accept my apologies for not responding to you yesterday.

I have raised this matter with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and as soon as I have a response to share with you, I will be back in touch.

In the meantime, all I can suggest is that you keep trying the number and email provided on the website:

Help to Buy customer services, PO Box 5262, Lancing, BN99 9HE

Email:
customerservices@myhelptobuyloan.co.uk

Phone:
0300 123 4123

Yours sincerely,

AliciaGilch

How can this happen!!!! This is a government backed scheme, it’s pure evil to leave us in the dark. I cannot believe this! Utterly devastated to say the least. There has to be something we need to do. They must repay us for all this grief and loss!

I have honestly thought the same the amount of losses not to mention undue stress and financial pressure we are all suffering due to their incompetence is ridiculous but I am not sure what we can do. My solicitor today told me I just have to wait which is easy for them to say when they are not paying through the nose for everything 

Cs9ja17

I was able to pay off the HTB equity loan yesterday (03/07).

I remortgaged and paid off the old mortgage and HTB loan. 

However, I started this process 3 months ago, rather than leaving to the last day. I was dealing with Target who always answered the phone within 5-10 mins of waiting, and then responded to emails within 2-3 days.

They even reissued a new redemption statement off their own accord, after my RICS valuation expired and did not expect me to provide a desktop valuation.

However, I did receive a strange arrears letter with my own bank details on it over the weekend, along with my direct debit being cancelled just last week, which certainly got me worried. Thankfully, my solicitor was able to complete yesterday. Something very wrong seems to have occurred last week.

I was able to get through last week on 0300 1234123 within 5-10 minutes. All very bizarre.

L00pyLou

AliciaGilch said:

30 mins for first standard response 3 hours to passing details to customer services 
I mean I’m no business woman but if it was my company I would be looking at the shambles and creating dedicated lines for solicitors and putting out correspondence to all those trying to get through a wall of silence almost is the worst thing for all concerned 

Just wondering if you actually received a phone call/ response from customer services or whether it just magically appeared?

It just magically appeared both solicitor and I had been on hold for most of last week and all Monday morning the only thing that I did differently was the messages on Twitter 15 mins after my last message my solicitor rang me in shock to say it had just arrived in their mailbox 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

AliciaGilch

Cs9ja17 said:

I was able to pay off the HTB equity loan yesterday (03/07).

I remortgaged and paid off the old mortgage and HTB loan. 

However, I started this process 3 months ago, rather than leaving to the last day. I was dealing with Target who always answered the phone within 5-10 mins of waiting, and then responded to emails within 2-3 days.

They even reissued a new redemption statement off their own accord, after my RICS valuation expired and did not expect me to provide a desktop valuation.

However, I did receive a strange arrears letter with my own bank details on it over the weekend, along with my direct debit being cancelled just last week, which certainly got me worried. Thankfully, my solicitor was able to complete yesterday. Something very wrong seems to have occurred last week.

I was able to get through last week on 0300 1234123 within 5-10 minutes. All very bizarre.

We started the process months ago, got the valuation etc well in advance however our solicitor told us that the HTB do not accept the paperwork until 15 days in advance. This is most certainly not my fault and not something I have left to last minute. I have scrimped and saved to pay back the loan, got a new mortgage provider etc and completed all paperwork well in advance. 

Cs9ja17

AliciaGilch said:

Cs9ja17 said:

I was able to pay off the HTB equity loan yesterday (03/07).

I remortgaged and paid off the old mortgage and HTB loan. 

However, I started this process 3 months ago, rather than leaving to the last day. I was dealing with Target who always answered the phone within 5-10 mins of waiting, and then responded to emails within 2-3 days.

They even reissued a new redemption statement off their own accord, after my RICS valuation expired and did not expect me to provide a desktop valuation.

However, I did receive a strange arrears letter with my own bank details on it over the weekend, along with my direct debit being cancelled just last week, which certainly got me worried. Thankfully, my solicitor was able to complete yesterday. Something very wrong seems to have occurred last week.

I was able to get through last week on 0300 1234123 within 5-10 minutes. All very bizarre.

We started the process months ago, got the valuation etc well in advance however our solicitor told us that the HTB do not accept the paperwork until 15 days in advance. This is most certainly not my fault and not something I have left to last minute. I have scrimped and saved to pay back the loan, got a new mortgage provider etc and completed all paperwork well in advance. 

That's interesting. HTB provided a redemption statement last week to me at my request. However they also noticed the RICS valuation expired and reissued it off their own backs, albeit adding £7 in the process.

Just looking through my emails now and I noticed the email was signed "Insert Customer Service Name" instead of an actual name. So they are either not paying attention through disinterest or are actually working hard under pressure and missing these things.

The fact I was able to complete suggests it's very much a RNG type thing, sorry, can only offer my own exeprience.

Rehaanmo

An update: 

I have just had a response from HTB on twitter asking for my details. Have provided this all to them so now again back to the waiting game! We have still on hold as not taking any chances, have to try all angles here.

Hopefully all gets sorted! I work for the telegraph so am speaking to a journalist and our investigations team who can get this out in the news! then maybe they will respond!