West Bromwich Building Society

I had a horrific experience trying to open a WebSave ISA with West Brom. The rate was good, the experience was the worst banking related experience I've ever had. The complaints person blamed the bank that the money was coming from and took no responsibility for the failings, lack of action, lack of follow up, mistakes, lack of response or lack of practivity - they sent forms by snailmail which got lost in the post, they emailed evenutally when I contacted the other bank and got the details, as WB were not willing initially to contact the other bank, they forgot to send forms and basically did a horrible job that only completed because I was in touch with them and other bank on an almost daily basis, racking up 4+ hours of phone calls, losing >£500 in lost interest (they claim that's ok as they give themselves 30 days to do what others take 24 hours to complete). I got a call today from a very condescending Complaints manager offering an insulting and offensive settlement, which has only encouraged me to go to the Ombudsman and to warn as many potential customers off ever using West Brom. That said, the team answering the phones were all lovely, were very embarrassed and seem to be let down by a system and backoffice team that don't deliver and put them in a very awkward position. AVOID.

They sold my parents a reverse mortgage in 1989. £20k. They have now taken possession of the home. Forced me to move out. 7 days after my mothers death they said I had to be out and make sure there was nothing left behind. After over a year and forcing my brother & I put the house through probate that wasn’t needed as there was a will in place. They finally got the house. It has been another year and the house is rotting where it stands. They are total sham artists and are proud of their accomplishments.

Sham all day long b

Horrible way to treat people! Give you hope with AIP…then when you have hope and home (that you would never have looked at if wasn’t for West Brom) to then take it away and pocket the fact you want that home and take the £8k to pay out of mortgage you currently have with them and stress finding another, 13 years I have been with them once gone, never going back..as accordingly to them it ok to give AIP as small print says not 100% so it ok to lead you up a garden path and then destroy you! I am an accountant I wouldn’t have my job with that behaviour! Don’t give a AIP if you aren’t sure if underwriter would actually accept! I would have preferred you just said no instead of false hope and then destroying future is careless you don’t know the mental stress people face individually and this treatment could have very damaging impacts in individuals health and relationships…

My family and I have had an awful experience with this building society. My dad took out an equity release mortgage with them and he’s sadly passed away. Upon his passing we had to deal with their employee. She treated us with so much disrespect which really upset me and my family especially at this very difficult time. She was very rude and didn’t have a clue what she was doing. I made her aware about a boundary dispute at my dads property whereby the neighbour had taken some of our land and I felt the society needed to know considering they were taking possession of the property, and her response to me in such a rude and forceful manner was “get on with your life”. This was one of the many examples of her rude and unnecessary behaviour. I submitted a complaint to the society and their response was to defend this employee on every point of my complaint. They stated they had done things which I have evidence they hadn’t. Plus they said their employee never said the things to me which I claimed she had. Luckily I started recorded my calls with her after a couple of telephone with her because I was so shocked with her rudeness. I have proof that this bank has tried to cover up for their employee. A disgraceful building society.

Overall the West Brom is a poor lender. Their service lacks professionalism and the use of online access to your mortgage is non-existent. It is never easy to make payments to your mortgage and you can be 100% guaranteed that the Mortgage Team will a mistake a some point with your account. I would strongly advise that you look at another lender on the high street for mortgage or savings products. The West Brom are not consistent in their approach to lending and will often change processes during the term of your mortgage.

My advice is, if you want a hassle-free mortgage lender, avoid. Go else where. You will be treated fairly and with professionalism. They are amateurs.

Easy enough to open this account but be warned. Your Nominated bank account is the ONLY account you can PAY money into the Websave!

Fair enough for the nominated account to be the only account to withdraw into.

Had a large sum returned as it wasn't from my nominated bank!

Several phone calls later and extreme stress levels to track down what had happened to my deposit.

After searching the West Brom web site I found that to change the nominated account a form has to be downloaded, filled in and posted back to make the change.

Ridiculous way to operate a savings account in today's current low interest rate banking environment.

Unhelpful chap on customer services too.

Needless to say I have closed this account.

This company sold my parents an equity release mortgage where the interest accumulated at a ridiculous amount. I complained but the couldn’t give a xxxx. Totally disgusting company. They even wanted to charge interest after my parents were both dead. Totally immoral.

But to Let mortgages. Totally deceitful and illegally presented commercial valuations submitted to the society by their own approved panel surveyors. Not once but twice submitted. Additionally the conveyancing solicitor who has a duty in law to me and also to the lender, omitted all sales conditions and did not declare the gifted deposits. The property was completely mis described, was 1 bedroom short, and the property was supposed to be fully refurbished, was virtually uninhabitable. The rental claims were 50% out and the property was circa 100% over valued. I have spent years sending proof of wrongdoing and internal failings within the WBBS that allowed this to happen. AT EVERY TURN,they have either ignored my Solicitors, my MP and other legal professionals, or occasionally they have responded and they never answere point for point but are skilful at biguiling semantics and then claim they have answered the question. They have in all departments, inc the CEOs frustrated all of the overwhelming and substantive proof that has been sent to them and their external 3rd party Solicitors they have employed to frustrate, and there are several documents missing from my WBBS file that are evidence including legal statute and remedies that they refuse to even acknowledge. After all these years, they have to be covering something up as they have broken all their Core Values and not complied with Regulatory reporting requirements.

The F Ombudsman has no remit or Authority to engage in BTL mortgages but WBBS lawyers erroneously still encourage one to go there?

If I had committed this fraud, I would have been reported and be in jail now. The WBBS conduct themselves with absolute impunity. HOW CAN THEY IGNORE THIS, when also English & Criminal Laws have been broken?...

Wish I had never taken our mortgage out with these idiots.

1. Errors and inconsistencies in documentation. 2. Extremely vague conditions set on what repairs had to be done, unhelpful in trying to resolve queries. 3. Ridiculous constraints imposed on which contractors could do the work. 4. Staff at the call centre generally have no idea what they are doing.

Avoid at all costs!!!

Went through L&C who recommended West Brom. Weeks of silly questions, mountains of documentation sent substantiating every aspect of our application only to have them refuse to give me a mortgage on the basis that my partner will be living in the property with me and therefore they will only lend to both of us! This is after supplying letters stating my partner will have no future claim to the property etc and monies for deposits being completely separate. Met all their demands then still wouldn't leave to only me. Avoid at all costs, more hassle than you can imagine. I don't think they want to lend money.