We moved house just over a year ago and as our existing mortgage was with the Halifax we went to ask their advice on a new mortgage. As we had been on a fixed rate mortgage 2 years previous the Halifax told us we could not leave them for another mortgage provider unless we paid a fee of 1500.00. This was an expense we could not afford and stayed with them.
We had gone into negative equity on our property and so therefore had to pay off what we could,which basically meant she asked for our savings books and as the accounts were with the Halifax she wiped them clean.Beware if we had of known this we would of put the money elsewhere They took 5000.00 from us to reduce the debt. They told us the rest would be in affect added on to the mortgage and would be paid over 25 years. 6 Weeks later our mortgage approval still hadn't come through and my solicitors were chasing to complete the sale. Everytime i rang i was passed from department to department and kept getting told it had been approved and was on its way to me. 2 weeks later i got a phone call from the halifax saying i'm sorry but they want you to repay over 2 years instead of 25 years. I explained how they had already told me it had been approved and surely could not move the goal posts as i was waiting to complete my sale. I discussed, i argued and i spoke to many managers of their different departments. I went through the compaints procedure and still got knowhere. Eventually a week later they said the best i can do is 5 years after more arguement s and threats of speaking their superiors i managed to get it to 10 years but was told you accept this or go elsewhere this is th best we can do .
They had us exactly were they wanted us. They left until we were to complete to change theie minds this left us no time to approach other lenders as mortgage approvals take time. We were backed into a corner and left with no choice if we still wanted to move.
This is just one example of their lax ways, i have many more.
I have never met so many unhelpful and ill informed people workng at one establishment. We unfortunately used the Halifax property services to sell our home as well and i would say the property services are worse than the building society(how can any one be worse than the building society, but believe me they can and that is a whole new story that would probably take days to write)
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: very friendly helpful staff, can offer services to the likes of me (!) whereas otherlenders wrote me off as a liability Disadvantages: none really
judithritchie 28.04.2001 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Halifax Mortgages
Advantages: Make you feel better about the way you do your own job. Disadvantages: Difficult to contact, inept when you finally manage it, unable to answer straight questions. Underhand
cwestern 15.04.2006 (15.04.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Halifax Mortgages
Advantages: That you get all the benefits as well as still earning 6% interest Disadvantages: The monthly fee, though not extortionate compared to similar accounts elsewhere.
PINKLADYRLE 08.08.2007 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Halifax Accounts
Jan 6th, 2001
very helpful by (56%):
helpful by (22%):
somewhat helpful by (11%):
not helpful by (11%):
