I have had a mortgage with Halifax for approximately 10 years and I would say that while they appear great when they are trying to get your money out of you, things soon change when you're hooked - and they make sure you are well hooked.
After several years of always having one or other of their short term reduced rates I took a 2 year fixed rate deal. Yes I should have read the small print as I was hooked in for three years to their variable rate after that. The charges for getting access to these rates are always extreme and while they are always fast to increase rates, they are slow to reduce them. Furthermore, once you stop being a first time buyer or new customer, you have tyo fight to get the reduced rates that the new customers get automatically - so if you're being tempted by the Halifak as a new customer, stop to consider your next house move.
Finally, I correspond frequently (because they don't have email help facilities and they are hopless over the phone) and I find that they send me a response that bears no relation to the questioon I've asked and in fact ignores often what I've said. It is as if they have a few standard replies which they pick at random and send out to you!
Anyway, suffice to say that I'll be moving my mortgage as fast as I can when my time bar runs out at the ned of April.
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 ·
Read review
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)
·
Read review
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 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Halifax Accounts
Apr 4th, 2001
very helpful by (18%):
helpful by (71%):
somewhat helpful by (12%):
