Hargreaves Lansdown www.h-l.co.uk

I am currently attempting to access my SIPP which has been with HL for many years. Due to a minor error in the paperwork provided by my occupational pension scheme (NHS), HL are refusing to process my withdrawal. The NHS are (predictably) useless in relation to correcting the error. HL are totally intransigent in helping me and have a 'computer says no' attitude. I can see no way forward and in effect I have ceased to own my SIPP because HL are refusing to release it. I entrusted this firm with my savings. This was a major mistake. I strongly advise readers not to repeat my error. HL have slick advertising to persuade customers to invest with them, but when you try to access your money, they are terrible to deal with. Had I known what this experience would be like, I would never have trusted them in the first place. Unfortunately it is too late for me now.

I look at my accounts at the end of every day. HL recently "updated" their website and since then the value of shares have shown the sell price to be higher than the buy price. HL state this can happen for many reasons none of which include HL being at fault. Other brokers websites don't have this problem why should HL?

This company's head of advisory services has written to me offering advice which it says it can guarantee.

In the letter he says that not everyone has a personal allowance but that luckily there are ways to benefit.

I have asked him to comment.

I have a number of pensions and trust funds managed by HL. The incompetence of their management and the weakness of their systems is so staggering that I'm moving all my investments from HL. Errors include:

* Not acting on written instructions to transfer/sell investments

* Deleting all online transaction history when a transfer has happened

* Closing an account within a week of it being set up because it didn't have sufficient funds in it

* Providing different share prices for transfers of the same unit to different people on the same day (difference was 200% and could not explain why.....)

* Not providing help to get LEI number from London Stock Exchange - very complex if you aren't a financial institution

* Poor financial advice - telling me to sell investments withing a trust which would have resulted in significant CGT (rather than transfer units to beneficiary and use their CGT)

There are many more issues but you will get bored reading them. HL was good 10 years ago but they've lost their way and there are many better providers out there now.

The website is easy to use, sometimes buying shares can end up confused but not often.

Phone response is excellent, people seem to actually have an idea of thngs.

Costs are reasonable, do wish they would drop the idea of buy+sell this month and get a reduction next month. It really is pointless.

HL have charges but they are OK and they are at least up front, More then one other broker manages to hide some.

Cannot open a second share account with them easily, has to be done by paper, yet they have all my details required. Just seems a bit unnecessary. Would make sense to be able to start up a second one by phone just in case a user ends up with several. But the paper route is strange.

Most annoying is this bombardment of transfer to us and receive £nn aa a thankyou.

I have transferred in 2 other ISA's, several share certificates and 3 pension funds. OK not huge amounts but a reasonable amount. Not a penny has ever been offered as a thankyou. The pensions alone came to £20,000. The annoying aspect is not not receiving anything but they keep highlighting this aspect, Today a set of forms from HL dropped throught the door again "Transfer to us and receive .....".

Also I am on paperless with HL, the amount of paper I receive is actually large from HL.

I would also like it if they performed all the taking of payments for running the ISA etc in the first 3 days of the month. They wait until about the 10th - Why? Would seem to make sense to start off the month with everything taken care of as early as possible.

HL systems are in chaos this morning. Any responsible well run business needs to identify potential risk and plan accordingly. The fact that HL didn't anticipate the impact the EU referendum is very worrying!

I have used HL for several years and to a greater and greater extent for SIPP, ISA and normal share dealing account (Vantage). I have recommended to many friends and family who find them equally good. When I've had queries they have been very rapid to respond. Ultimate demonstration of their capabilities was moving my pension from my old employer within a week, all from a simple online form. Love being able to track everything from a single log-in on one screen. I trade with them online most weeks - always flawless service. Highly recommend.

I have been a customer for many years. Their service used to be excellent but over the last couple of years has become increasingly worse. Staff are ill informed, give out the wrong advice and then refuse to be held responsible.They do not care about their customers and assume that the high regard the press holds them in is sufficient. Their charges are very high and not worth it. Will be moving my sizeable portfolio as soon as posSible. 4

Generally have found them to be a good service provider (if a little more expensive) additional information and research is helpful, as is being able to access many accounts from one screen. Provide a range of products from ISa's trading accounts to sipps and child isas. Seem to have got over a lot of teething problems wit the new site. Left to use them from Selftrade (where had many problems).

Avoid!

Initial impressions were good until the website started to default all transactions to Buy despite selecting Sell.

Customer service is extremely poor when you have any issues.

Look elsewhere, I will be.