written by MikeCoyne on 23/03/2018
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?
written by Allenex29 on 10/02/2018
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.
written by Halevie on 20/12/2017
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.
written by 435Daugherty on 11/09/2016
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.
written by PaulU on 24/06/2016
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!
written by EvesJam on 15/01/2016
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.
written by on 19/07/2015
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
Written on: 06/01/2017
I agree that HL investor relations have deteriorated over the 5 years I have been invested with them. Annual reviews did not happen until I reminded them. The Advisor who sold ne on HL has left their employ in Scotland several years ago without replacement. Their charges are high in my opinion, and they need a shake up. I'm now considering a switch
written by McClanahan382 on 26/06/2015
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).
written by McKee249 on 16/05/2015
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.
written by madterrier on 11/04/2014
I have always found Hargreaves Lansdown staff to be extremely polite, helpful and knowledgeable. Most questions are answered on the first call and if by chance they do not know the answer, they get back to you quickly. The platform is very easy to navigate and use. They are a cut above some of the rogue dealers like Interactive Investor. Yes, they earned their reputation for funds and their costs for individual share dealing and annual charges on SIPPs used to be higher. But those have all been reduced. They will also do all the leg work in recovering withholding tax on US dividends - again, contrast this with Interactive Investor, who not only do nothing, but a large chunk of your dividend is lost forever. Even if their charges were a bit higher, which I'm not sure they are now, I would far rather be with a safe, reliable company than Hargreaves Lansdown than some of the other operators out there.
written by ColinWardle on 04/04/2014
Whilst Hargreaves and Landsdown provide an easy to use platform with a lot of reasonable research. I am not happy with the "hidden Charges" that I have incurred buying mainstream US shares In short there is a headline "trading fee", currently £8.95 per transaction in reality you pay far far higher charges, as H & L make a large margin on the exchange rate. I have typically paid a total of just over 2% for such transactions. Whilst I understand there are some additional costs associated with these transactions it would be more honest to charge people a flat fee of say £50, which would in most cases be far cheaper. Unfortunately this is yet another financial services sharp practice that people need to speak up about. If you want to buy US shares I would advise users to use Interactive Investors platform
Written on: 08/04/2014
Ditto for me. I have been with them for around 8 years but recently have become dissolutioned with their tactics and charges. I am sick to death of the constant stream of sales promotion packages that they send to me. And I no longer trust their Buy and Hold policies. They always seem to recommend a buy but never a sell and that worries me. I fear they are still locked into the Trailing Commission scams that have now been abolished. Alternative competitive companies are out there and I would advice you check them first before investing here.
Written on: 08/04/2014
Ditto for me. I have been with them for around 8 years but recently have become dissolutioned with their tactics and charges. I am sick to death of the constant stream of sales promotion packages that they send to me. It is now treated as "junk mail". And I no longer trust their Buy and Hold policies. They always seem to recommend a buy but never a sell and that worries me. I fear they are still locked into the Trailing Commission scams that have now been abolished for the future. Alternative companies are out there and I would advice you check them first.
written by on 01/04/2014
I have just joined them and I have found them arrogant, aloof and totally incompetent. Their customer service is atrocious! To the point I nearly missed the deadline for cashing in my capital gains. I put in a written complaint 10 days ago and they have not even answered me. I wrote to Peter Hargreaves and he has not replied either. Do not go with them! Their administration is a nightmare!
written by on 14/10/2013
I have seen this coming for hl.co.uk for months now they know just how bad the platform is, not good enough for the UK's biggest broker, the website has been getting slowly worse over time and i have only been with them a short while but unless it improves rapidly i will vote with my feet and leave. If you try to trade and cannot its not good enough. Captain slow site when it is up, Avoid. Very unhappy customer. :-(((zzz
written by sjc789 on 11/10/2013
This is the second time in 6 months where I have not been able to deal when I wanted to online. Not even trying to deal in royal mail, their whole system has crashed for most of the day it appears. What would happen if there was a big market move and I wanted to buy or sell
written by on 11/10/2013
Am usually very pleased with HL for share dealing but on Royal Mail day there has been total chaos.From 8.30 this morning until mid-afternoon(at time of writing) the on-line system is not working correctly so you cannot deal and it is almost impossible to get through on any of the phone numbers given unless you try for 90 minutes as I did. Interesting to see how they will respond.An online dealer with no online access! Would there be the same problem with a market crash and a lot of activity resulting in another online crash and no chance to deal. Certainly a big worry if you cannot access anything when you need to.No others seem to have had a problem.Seriously thinking of going elsewhere because it is at times of extreme activity i.e. market crash, that you need instant access.
written by on 11/10/2013
I've been a customer of H&L for 9 years and the Royal Mail problem experienced today, system down and cannot get through on the telephone, is not the first time that they have had problems. Very unreliable system. H&L like the high commissions that they charge but don't reinvest it in the business.
written by on 09/10/2013
I made an on-line application for the recent Post Office share issue. I arranged for the maximum allowable funds to be available using my debit card for a new Hargreaves Lansdown account. I clearly remember selecting the Post Office share option. Apparently this did not work correctly and I was advised too late that no investment instructions had been received. No explanation or apology for this failure was given in spite of numerous phone call attempts and several emails. HL customer relations are terrible. I had to spend some time arranging for the agreed funds transfer from my bank to be cancelled. Luckily I have an investment portfolio elsewhere and on the strength of this brief experience I am glad I do not use HL services.
Written on: 15/10/2013
I have had exactly the same problem in attempting to purchase Post Office shares through the dedicated section of their website. The money was accepted but no shares allocated despite having completed the required steps As their platform is obviously not robust I will be looking to move to an alternative platform.
Written on: 23/10/2013
I have had a similar experience opened an account with Hargreaves lansdown for my wife to purchase Royal Mail shares needles to say I never got them due to their web site. Complained and am still waiting for them to get back to me. Ray
written by on 20/09/2013
Be wary of HL! As other reviewers have commented their customer service responses are arrogant and dismissive. We have substantial funds with them but I'm looking to move the lot due to their appalling response to my queries.
written by icestationbob on 19/07/2013
I placed a ‘Fill or Kill’ order on my HL Vantage account for a stock with a buy price of 130p and I found the next morning that the deal had been put through at a price of 160p, even though the price of the stock was still 130p. When I called to query this, I was told there was a limit on the number of units that can be bought at the published price. I pointed out (and they agreed) that there is no information on the HL website about this restiction but in spite of that they refused to cancel my order. They claimed that their dealers had tried to contact me to discuss the hugely inflated price, but of course they hadn’t because I certainly would not have authorised it. I would strongly anyone against entrusting HL with their money, as they will try to rip you off based on my experience.
written by MoneyManner on 30/04/2013
I have just finished moving my SIPP away from Hargreaves, where I had it for 7 months. Unless you have a lot of money and even more time, then avoid making a massive mistake and do NOT move your money to Hargreaves Lansdown. They are rude, arrogant and full of them selves and that is on a good day. Of course I am talking about the customer service bods I have spoken to. I find the charges are high for small investors, they use very sneaky wordings in the advertisments and then when you are a part of this outfit, they insist that every other provider is useless, which shows how arrogant this company are. I cant write anymore without getting angry at how bad people with small investments are treated... DONT USE HARGREAVES there are many many alternatives that are far better value for money.
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As rated by our community of reviewers
Gerry2345's Response to Halevie's Review
Written on: 20/04/2018
Can you name a better provider please. I am interested.