FD mortgages - how long for approval?

lkalka

As you've probably seen on another thread, FD have stopped accepting applications for mortgages from new customers.

http://www.firstdirect.com/mortgages/rates.shtml

Sounds like the customer service was being effected by the high volumes.

Maybe it was forgetting to send out my Mortgage Apoplication form was the straw that broker the camels back :rotfl:

jem16

Well hopefully they will now get my son's legal documents out!

Official offer was over 2 weeks ago. His entry date is 18th April and funds need to be with his solicitor on 17th.

We're beginning to get worried.

mrsm

Oh jem16 I've been wondering how your son was getting on.
That's not good news:mad: hope it gets sorted soon

jem16

mrsm wrote: »

Oh jem16 I've been wondering how your son was getting on.
That's not good news:mad: hope it gets sorted soon

So do we!

I'm not sure my son has managed to get over the urgency to them. It's not like the English system where you wait until everything is sorted then complete. Up here everything is legal and binding once the verbal offer goes in and that happened away back in February.

Any clues as to how to hurry them up? When he spoke to them on Monday they said it would be made high priority. Of course he didn't phone today as he was too busy at Alton Towers!

allan673

jem16 wrote: »

Well hopefully they will now get my son's legal documents out!

Official offer was over 2 weeks ago. His entry date is 18th April and funds need to be with his solicitor on 17th.

We're beginning to get worried.

hi jem, i hope it all goes well for your son, let us know how you get on.
mine should be completed this week hopefully??????? they have all the legal docs from me, and redemption fee.

Lunar_Eclipse

lkalka wrote: »

I'm having a few problems with FD and my apllication.

Not good so far!

Goodness! So sorry to hear that you have had such a trying time with FD. :mad: My sister was moving her banking to them but found their service so poor that she changed her mind.

However I thought I'd share some hopeful news that I believe this is atypical. I (we) have banked with them for 12 years and been very impressed with them constantly over that period. Unlike any other company that springs to mind I should add. In that time we have moved our mortgage to them (offset), which they handled completely and went through quite quickly. It was definitely less than 4 weeks, but was a remortgage and not a purchase mortgage (if that makes a difference).

I have always found them friendly, very helpful, efficient and pleasant on the phone. I have never heard of them arranging a call back in a week's time? Maybe this is a company that uniquely goes all out for its customers as opposed to the majority that IMO go all out to attract new customers with the most enticing offers?

So this was a long winded way of saying that hopefully your experience will turn around. They are the only company that I would recommend. (Along with Air New Zealand)

pamelab21

Our mortgage 'opened' yesterday, got the txt from them to tell us as well :j .
Its funny to go online and see the mortgage balance etc.
Ours went fairly smoothly towards the end but, as we are in Scotland, it did get handed over to our solicitor who dealt with it all. Just need to claim FD for the fees and hoping that goes ok.

Financially_Prudent

I've bitten the bullet and called back First Direct to reserve the fixed rate of 5.25%, just off the phone to FD, was on hold for 25 minutes waiting to get through to the mortgage dept to pay £99 to reserve the rate. Adviser said it was manic, I can imagine after all the press today, that people will want confirmation that they can have their rate.

I was going to wait to see what happened to interest rates, but in the meantime Britannia have increased their tracker rates by 0.2%, so any cut in interest rates will be negated.

Current fixed rate with Britannia finishes at the end of August, so will make the most of the 4.34% fixed rate with £499 booking fee, don't think we'll be seeing these again in a long time

jem16

allan673 wrote: »

hi jem, i hope it all goes well for your son, let us know how you get on.
mine should be completed this week hopefully??????? they have all the legal docs from me, and redemption fee.

Finally some good news. :j

Legal documents were sent by FD on Monday and received by solicitor today. The solicitor had not read them when my son phoned but asked my son to read his copy and she would read her copy this afternoon. As far as I can gather from previous posts only the solicitor gets a copy of the legal documents - is this correct? When does my son get a copy if at all?

I assume all will be well now as solicitor should be able to organise getting the funds from FD.

Updated timeline.

lkalka

I received my mortgage application today (better late than never!). I've filled it in, it's going back first thing tomorrow.