Woolwich

Our main mortgage was due to be paid off this August with the Woolwich. We phoned to ask what we had to do and request a settlement figure to do this. The figure was provided and we were told to go into a barclays branch and pay a cheque in over the counter. Went to local branch and told them what we were doing and also followed there instructions. After we hadn't heard anything after a month we called and asked what happened next. We were told that there was an outstanding balance of £111.00 accrued while the cheque was clearing. No-one mentioned this to us. We were also told that we hadn't followed correct procedures although we had done as instructed! after numerous calls, speaking with people who didn't know what they were talking about I eventually wrote a letter listing all of the issues. subsequently received a phone call from customer service who confirmed that we were mis-informed and staff obviously needed training and promised to write-off any balances and would write to us in a few days. Didn't receive a letter after a week so rang again. Was told that we would get a letter within 2 days. Nothing after a week so phoned again! was told that we hadn't heard because the 'system' only allowed for transactions to be registered on the 1st of a month. Asked why this was'nt pointed out and was told it should have been, apologies etc., we are now awaiting a letter advising that we have completed etc., paying off a mortgage should be a pleasant experience. it hasn't - instead it has been very traumatic, time-consuming and stressful. Woolwich are without doubt the most inept, unprofessional and badly trained organisation i have ever had the misfortune to deal with and do not understand the basics of communication. However, nothing will happen as these comments never reach the Chief Exec - but does he care anyway? Mike Pickering

We are currently trying to get a mortgage with Woolwich, as they offered us the best deal. But so far it has been a complete nightmare. We have been waiting for 5 weeks for a mortgage offer, and it looks like it will be another 2 weeks before we receive that. Every time we phone, we speak to a different person who tells us something different, and I really believe they have no idea what is going on there. I just hope at the end of all this it will be worth it.

I have had number of issues, I ring bank about stopping direct debit, no I have to write or call at the branch.

I had my direct debit refused, though had funds, no cannot call, unless have on-line banking.

Counter staff unfriendly.

Woolwich Building Society don't do basic things like bankers draft.

They are unable to let me withdraw any more than £500 per day from cleared funds in a current account.

They have the slowest cheque clearance I have ever encountered

£30 charged for each bounced cheque (because they are so slow and useless to clear lodgements)even though I have been banking with them for years.

I had an account with the Woolwich (part of barclays Bank Group). They made a mistake on a direct debit - debitted it twice although it was only called for and actually paid for once. This put me on paperwork overdrawn (it was my mortgage payment so rather a large error). They then returned all my other monthly direct debits and standing orders unpaid as there were insufficient cleared funds in my account (they obviously forgot about my deposit account. Each time they charged me £30 for returning debit unpaid and in 3 weeks ran up a negative balance of £450. They then wrote to me saying I had been charged an admin fee of £120 for being overdrawn without permission and told me I would be charged £10 per day until my account came back into credit. I pointed out the error of their ways and they refunded the original debit error and I thought that was it. I then started getting phone calls from their collection department over the unpaid charges. They refused to accept it was their error until the matter went to court and they lost. I got £3000 in costs back from them. Moral always fight bank claims and check your statements regularly.