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Rhys

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Review of the Hinckley & Rugby Building Society, Mortgages:

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Compliance issues, GDPR Breaches and incompetence

I’ve never written an online review but felt this necessary. I recently had the misfortune of dealing with Rugby Hinkley for my mortgage (which I now have with them), and the experience was and currently is, nothing short of a nightmare. From GDRP breaches to flat-out lying! If I could give them zero stars, I would. From start to finish, their ineptitude and lack of professionalism left me questioning how such a company could still be in business. Firstly, the communication was abysmal. My inquiries [via my broker] fell into a black hole, never to receive a timely or coherent response. Phone calls went unanswered, emails were ignored, and the few times I did manage to get my questions answered, they seemed clueless about my file. It was as if their left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing. Not only that they sent me confidential documents of another mortgage application that had nothing to do with mine. I replied to that email to let them know and I simply got a reply “Ignore that email” – Talk about a GDPR breach! The incompetence extended to the handling of my application. Documents were lost, information was incorrectly recorded, and I was constantly asked for the same information multiple times. It was a frustrating and time-consuming process that left me wondering if they even understood the basics of mortgage processing. Not only that the exchange was pushed back and back due to lost files. On the last day, I had a deadline to send them a direct debit mandate that was sent months prior, during the initial application process. This was hours before my 4pm deadline [or the exchange and completion were not going to happen] which would have caused the whole chain to collapse. I took two days off work to babysit their ineptitude and excuses. The sellers of the property managed to get hold of my number [not the done thing] so we could try and work together to work this out. But perhaps the most infuriating part was the lack of transparency. Claiming they had not received documents when I had proof from my solicitors. Quote from my solicitor “In 13 years as a mortgage solicitor, I’ve never seen anything like this. I will be recommending clients stay clear of them.” It's a blatant lack of integrity that I find utterly unacceptable. To add insult to injury, the exchange and completion process was a disaster. Dates were missed, causing unnecessary delays and putting my entire home purchase in jeopardy. It was clear that Rugby & Hinkley had no regard for their customers' time or the gravity of the financial decisions we were making. I cannot wait until my two years is up to change provider. In summary, dealing with Rugby & Hinkley was a regrettable experience that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Their incompetence & lack of communication, make them a prime example of what's wrong with the mortgage industry. If you value your time, money, and sanity, I strongly advise you to steer clear of this company. There are plenty of reputable mortgage providers out there – Rugby & Hinkley is not one of them. UPDATE 1: I didn’t post this when I originally intended to as I felt the dust had settled and I would gain anything from it. However, since then my first payment was due to come out on the 15th of January and it didn’t. A few days later I had a letter from R&H claiming I didn’t send them my mortgage direct debit mandate. How is this even possible? To exchange the property they required it and my solicitor sent it to them on the final day (for the 4th time) they now have 4 direct debit mandates! And official correspondence to my solicitor stating that they have received it. UPDATE 2: The saga continues. I’ve now received an email from their completions department from a ‘Lending Support Officer’ stating that I owe £849.60 in interest because I didn’t set up a direct debit mandate! I am seeking legal advice to get out of the mortgage and transfer to another company on the grounds of compliance issues and GDPR breaches. Reviewed on: 24th February 2024

Rhys

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Reply from Hinckley & Rugby Building Society We are very sorry that you were unhappy with the service provided. We are taking this feedback seriously and will be in touch with you shortly. We hope that we will be able to provide more context around the processing of your application, and answer any questions you may have. Response date: 26th February 2024

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