HSBC Mortgage https://mortgages.hsbc.co.uk

We spent about 16 hours on the phone to HSBC and even as existing customers they couldn't sort out a simple remortgage application. The website is the worst I've come across since 2001. I'm gobsmacked by the service provided and site for such a large organisation.

We used HSBC for the mortgage on a new property. Simply put we were 'porting' our current HSBC mortgage from the old to the new house and taking out a second HSBC mortgage to cover the difference. The maths was Mortgage 1 + mortgage 2 = the price of the new house (minus what we put in in terms of equity on the old property)

HSBC applied the following maths. Mortgage 1 - mortgage 2 = £97,000 short of what we needed. I voiced concern this was wrong and this was ignored for 10 weeks straight, despite repeated e-mails and phone calls. 2 days before exchange our lawyers got involved and pointed this out. HSBC finally accepted the mistake as one of the advisors having made a mess up. I expressed dismay that the mistake wasn't picked up by underwriting and the fact theres a single point of failure that can go all the way through to exchange.

I wrote a letter asking HSBC to alter their procedures so no single mistake could go through to exchange without a second check to detect it, a relatively easy process to employ. HSBC refused stating it was 'too difficult' to implement this. From someone that works in a safety related industry where procedures change the whole time I know this not to be true. HSBC then suggested it was the lawyers that were to blame, ironic when it was the lawyers that THEY INSISTED i use. That cost me £1004 in cancelled legal fees from the original lawyers I instructed. Again HSBC denied any wrong doing as it's in their terms and conditions. I might also remind them 'learning from mistakes and putting things right is also in the T&Cs but they failed to do that by refusing to change very poor procedures. HSBC then went on to suggest I was the second line of defence on mistakes and I should have picked up the mistake. I pointed out I was not a financial adviser but I had highlighted a mistake and I had been ignored. Ironically then HSBC seemed to ignore me when I further pushed this point. I would summarise they actively encourage weak procedures so they can use plausible deniability. In the end I was offered £250 and the ombudsman agreed this was fair because the legal issue and the procedures issue they do not look into as it's not their area of responsibility. I contacted the FCA who seemed largely disinterested but 'added it to their statistics'.

Now i know how the 2008 financial crash occurred. In my industry this standard would not be accepted.

I've been with HSBc since 1987. Now I'm taking my mortgage and banking elsewhere at the end of my fixed mortgage term. That will cost HSBC a lot more than £1004 i can assure them.

In summary a totally incompetent and mismanaged process, and very unlikely to be a one off given the weak procedures to prevent such things happening.

Very often HSBC will have special deals for groups, ie young first time buyers or older borrowers.The media financial 'journalists' obligingly put these at the top of their lists. However, HSBC operate an automated underwriting system so a human probably does not get to review a mortgage application. Most of the big banks seem to use over automated vetting so disappoint. If you want service do not use big banks. Do not be tempted by the low rates offered or special deals. They are just to get you to apply. They then mess you about. Try the smaller banks or Societies - ask first whether they have human underwriters who look at each application. You pay a little more but it is worth it. I would never go back to HSBC who seem the worst in this regard in my experience.

Found the online mortgage application okay and financial adviser helpful but after the cooling off period in accepting mortgage still awaiting Bank conveyancer to contact. HSBC suggested to ring them. But when I did they said they haven't received the instruction from HSBC and to ring them. Over 2 weeks time so far elapsed /wasted.

Tried to take a mortgage product with M&S Bank. Turns out they use HSBC as underwriters. My experience was therefore the same as so many on here. Won't go into all the details (my complaint letter to them, detailing everything they did, was >1000 words long). Bottom line is that it took 7 weeks to get a mortgage decision because they kept asking for different documentation. I'd send them something they asked for, then when I'd ring up to check it was OK they'd either 1) decide there was something else they needed as well or 2) change their mind about what they originally wanted. They seemed unable to provide a clear list of the things they wanted / needed. Furthermore they didn't proactively ask for much of the later documentation - I had to ring up and discover that they needed something else.

After nearly 6 weeks of that, I was told I'd get a decision in 3 working days. After 6 working days they finally decided to reject my application. However they refused to tell me why they had rejected the application. I've filed a complaint which they said they'd respond to in 4 weeks. Surprise, surprise they contacted me after 4 weeks to say they'd need another 4 weeks to respond!

After being rejected by HSBC/M&S I went to another lender instead and they were able to give me an offer within 2 weeks!

Shockingly bad. They let me get all the way to solicitors stage before I found out that because I purposely didn't include my partner on the application (didn't need her credit so no point in having us both go through the pain) they hit me with a £100 fee and told me to get an independent solicitor to help us sign a certificate of execution which is another £300. At each and every step of the was I have quickly supplied proof of income, bills, ID the whole lot. Even had a post office counter sign some ID. Each and every time I supplied something they hit me with something else. When I call them its a 15min wait followed by a poor line to a foreign call center where the call taker hasnt got a clue and just keeps asking for more proof of income. I earn 45K per year and have no loans or debt. I only needed to borrow half of what im eligible for. I worked out that I had to go back to the start and include my partner (even though we didnt need her credit power), then the pain continued. We provided everything they needed and still received letters saying they needed this that and the other. We constantly rang them to ensure we'd given them everything and each time we hit walls. We went to HSBC branch this morning to provide yet more IT and guess what, they didnt have enough staff to photocopy a driving licence. Later in the day we received texts from HSBC saying that we must contact them, another call and another wall, this time they started asking questions about a £200 payment my missus made to "Next" Online, we explained what it was and yet more questions before I grabbed the phone and told them enough was enough and to cancel the application, I told them that the whole process had been handled appallingly and I'd never ever want to have anything to do with them. What a display of miscommunication, mixed with a foreign call center whos call takers are like robots with no clue reading from a handbook and repeated attempts at supplying the same ID multiple times, shame on you HSBC, what a JOKE!

Tried to remortgage through HSBC, jumped through hoops to give them evidence they required calling different departments having a valuation and even though we were given an agreement in principle I was told that there would have been no way they could help us form the start. So basically I have wasted 2 weeks of my life and spoke to every department in HSBC but no-one bothered to tell me as only 1 department are able to advise that although the internet application accepts the figures and gives an agreement in principle they won't even look at the mortgage.

What a waste of time!!!! Why have an internet application that is not fit for purpose

I submitted my application via telephone on 17/10/17. I’ve been a HSBC customer for decades. I’m simply applying to port my current mortgage to my new property. I’m a sole applicant with no chain. The whole thing has been appalling.

Firstly, you can’t get any information over the phone; you have to speak directly to your own mortgage advisor; except they don’t have direct dial numbers. I email her, get her out of office saying ring the customer service number & when I ring them, they say they can’t tell me anything as she’s out of the office! My mortgage advisor even sent me an email telling me she couldn’t speak in person as she had a sore throat.

I’ve received multiple requests for documents I’ve already sent; letters sent in error telling me the application had been declined, letters sent in error telling me it had been cancelled and had to wait weeks for the valuation. The underwriters are awful.. and rude.

I finally got an email last week saying it was in the final stages and the offer documents was due by last Friday. Nearly a week later, I’ve received nothing. I rang and was told the application had been sent back to the underwriters as I’d made amendments to it. I haven’t touched it.

Once again, my advisor is out of office, no-one can tell me what’s going on and the requested call back from a manager didn’t happen.

I’m in serious danger of losing my purchase as it’s a new house & the developer has doubts regarding whether I’m messing them about.

I bitterly regret starting this process with HSBC and wish I’d seen these reviews sooner. I’ve had a bank account with them for years and never had a problem with my mortgage before but they’ve told me (after the application) that they have significant delays at present.

Don’t touch them; go somewhere else.

I am utterly furious at the terrible service from HSBC. I think they are such a massive organisation nobody knows what's happening with different departments.

We finally got a phone call on the 16th November saying our online application had been approved, subject to valuation. I told them I had submitted an independent valuation when I submitted our paperwork, surprise surprise they now say it has "gone missing." I knew they may still do their own valuation which isn't an issue. I was told on the 16th November that someone would contact me within 1 or 2 days to discuss the valuation- that was 9 days ago. I've just rang them and they now tell me that I have to contact the valuer myself to arrange this. This bank are an absolute shambles. We started this process online almost 6 weeks ago and still don't even have a mortgage offer. Thankfully we are only remortgaging and not trying to buy a property. We had repeated letters asking for bank statements etc which had been submitted already.

Still don't know how long this will take to be completed. You need nerves of steel to deal with this bank. And we have to pay £999 fo this privilege. Customer service is awful and the staff in our local branch aren't much better.

After this, I will never deal with this bank again. Pay a little bit extra and go to a better lender.

The online application process is dreadful, poorly designed with the same information repeatedly requested. Calls to the help desk provide little comfort too.