charcol.co.uk

Advantages: comprehensive service
Disadvantages: Soooooo slow! no flash stuff on the web pages - but this is finance!

Rerated - For updates please see bottom of opinion! Charcolonline has advertised heavily over recent months with claims that it can help you find the best mortgage deals out there from the myriad of products on offer. So does it live up to its claim? ~~~~~~~~ Navigation: ~~~~~~~~ The site is really easy to navigate being split up into sections each of which deals with a different area of mortgages from remortgaging to first-time buyers. It is ...
...inept to work out where you should be. In common with many financial websites where a term may need to be explained there is a hyperlink to a definition which is contained in a new pop-up window so that you do not lose where you are in the process or any information that you have already filled in. ~~~~~~~~~~ Site Contents ~~~~~~~~~~ The site contains many useful features, all of which are really easy to use. Want to find out how much you can ... Read review

Advantages: Nice website
Disadvantages: Extremely slow, poor communications

I had a similar bad experience to another customer on this site with Charcol. I contacted Charcol on 28th January to arrange a routine remortgage. I contacted to say that I had sent them a completed application form (Charcol's own) on 6th Feb. On 16th Feb I was contacted to say that my advisor had just picked up my email of 6th Feb, with no indication that anything had been done since 28th Jan. After chasing up the advisor I got an email on March ...
...Jan had now expired and that he was now looking for another one. In the meantime, interest rates had gone up. I was given no explanation as to why my advisor had not put in an application for the first deal in February, while it was still open. After several phone messages left for my advisor, he wrote on 20th April that he was 'sorry we have been missing each other.' This was simply being evasive, since I had specifically asked him to email me to ... Read review

Advantages: Attractive mortgage deals, initial contact via the web, reasonable fees/cost
Disadvantages: Extremely slow progress from application to mortgage, needs a lot of cajoling

Let me first make clear that this is a review of the "Charcol Online" service. I suspect this is a different service from the one provided by one of their branches and also suspect that you pay a lot less for the privilege at Charcol Online. It has been a slow and frustrating process to get the mortgate organised. In my opinion this is mostly cause by inexperienced and uninterested sales associates. Like one of the other reviewers this was a straight ...
...filled in application online, now waiting for mortgage illustration document. * heard nothing, saw nothing on our account on the website (despite claims that the illustration document would be posted there). * Failed miserably to get through to the Sales Associate for a while, no response to email enquiries. * Forms must have got lost in the post because in the end they had to be faxed to us. * We had to remind them that we had opted for one ... Read review

Advantages: comprehensive, easy to use
Disadvantages: lack of detail in search

Website design: Easy to navigate, colours are a bit dull, and a little slow at times to search for suitable products. Website content: Good range of calculators, e.g. how much can i borrow, how much will it cost, and my favourite the fleixble mortage calculator - this shows how much you would save in interest and time by taking out one of these types of mortgage where interest is paid daily. There are best buy table for all sorts of mortgage for ...
...facility. You can also call and speak to someone if you prefer. And one of the best bits is the 'Learn about' which explains the whole process of buying and selling a house (although this is aimed at England and Wales) Range of mortgages: Excellent. Not sure of the numbers, but have found that when searching I do get more mortage options than with any other site. Synopsis: I have used charcol online for several mortgages searches, however I ... Read review

Advantages: No charge; huge database; good company
Disadvantages: Can be slow to download; brief questins can lead ot overgeneralisation

I started using Charcoal online after I saw the ads with the different cups. The site is very easy to navigate and the questions don't take too long to answer. The ability to save your search is a very good idea - all such websites shoudl do this. The linking to different websites is soemthign we have coem to expect now but is still good. The only 2 drawbacks to the site I have found are that it can be very slow on a slightly lower spec machine and ...
...you because the questions are quite brief / generalist. I therefore asked for somebody to call me whcih they did at work as I requested. However I was away from my desk when they called and they have not tried again whcih i fidn a bit disappointing if they are keen for my business. ... Read review