Natasha complained to us after she had to make several requests before her mortgage lender sent through her outstanding balance.
What happened
After overpaying her mortgage, Natasha asked her lender to send her details of her new balance. It took two months, an email and three phone calls from Natasha, before the lender sent her the information she wanted.
Natasha said the delay was frustrating and delayed her plans by a couple of months. She wanted to buy a new property. Her mortgage broker had asked for written confirmation of her existing mortgage balance to calculate what she could afford to spend on her new home.
The lender accepted it had got things wrong and had caused a delay. However, as it had given Natasha an estimate of her mortgage balance over the phone, it didn’t think it needed to pay her any compensation.
Natasha felt she had been clear that her broker needed the balance in writing. Unhappy with the lender’s response, she brought her complaint to us.
What we said
We acknowledged that while Natasha hadn’t lost out financially or missed any opportunities, the two-month delay was frustrating. She had made a reasonable effort to get the information, but the delay affected her ability to move forward with her plans.
We didn’t think an apology was enough to help with the impact of the delay. We upheld Natasha’s complaint and asked the lender to pay her £100 in compensation.