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Here at Harpenden Building Society, we believe in helping people towards a safe and secure financial future. Financial services can often sound intimidating or confusing. We aim to deal with our customers in a personable manner and explain the best possible options for their individual circumstances. We understand what is important to our customers. Their intention may be for borrowing for a new home, investing in their retirement or saving towards their children’s future. Whatever the purpose, we’re here to help. We are owned by our savers and borrowers. We are proud to be an independent Mutual Building Society. The moment you open a savings account with us, or take out a mortgage, you become a Member and Harpenden is run for the benefit of our Members, hence the term ‘Mutual’. We are not answerable to any shareholders. Any profit Harpenden Building Society makes, we put back into the Society for the benefit of our Members. Our Society was built upon the vision of helping customers achieve their ambitions for the future, to serve our Members and strive to help them secure their financial future so that their dreams and aspirations were made possible. 2023 marked our Platinum Jubilee as we celebrated 70 years of helping people to buy their own homes and save for their future. We continue supporting local charities, events and organisations which contribute to the quality of life in the communities we serve. We’ve come a long way since our inception in 1953 and we continue to maintain our traditional values as we look to the future. Our strong local heritage has instilled within us a genuine consideration for the local communities we serve, and we believe in giving back to these communities whenever we can. Our community-based spirit is entrenched in our culture and to this day drives our Society forward. Our Charitable Trust was set up specifically for this purpose and our Grassroots Endowment Fund helps the local community. We believe in keeping things simple and straightforward, which is why our savings accounts are easy to operate. We’re confident that we can provide you with a savings account to suit your individual needs. We can form an important role in your financial affairs.
United Kingdom
2.3
13 reviews
Replied to 50% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 1 month
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An ISA transfer in from another provider has been an issue as their system is unable to recognise the £20,000 ISA limit!!! Just spoken to Emma Sinclair (Manager) and Management are aware of it but is seems they would rather pay big bonuses to shareholders than update their software!!! SHAME ON YOU HARPENDEN ! Just look at your rating on Trustpilot !
If you love an argument and would like to be treated poorly, then choose Harpenden. No Compassion, no interest in the elderly at all.
The worst building societ ever for customer service.
Remember we all get old one day and confusion and a bad memory can hit anyone!
Reply from Harpenden Building Society
Dear Phil,
Thank you for your message. I understand that you have already discussed your concerns with one of my colleagues, and I want to assure you that we take all feedback seriously.
We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience, and I’m sorry to hear that you feel let down by the service you received.
We recognise the importance of treating all customers with compassion and respect.
Please be advised that we will now be issuing you with a final response regarding this matter.
If you have any further questions or would like to discuss anything in more detail, you are welcome to contact us again.
Kind regards,
Jon Sweeting
Commercial Manager
Harpenden Building Society
Quite friendly and very helpful branch staff, but aggressive rate management, as others have mentioned. Rates on display in branch differ from website, banking registration process is terrible. Maybe helpful to IFAs but lending experiences for personal customers is poor.
Reply from Harpenden Building Society
Hi Peter, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.
We’re pleased to hear that you found our branch staff friendly and helpful. We truly value your comments and appreciate your honesty regarding areas where we can improve.
We acknowledge that the banking registration process is currently not meeting expectations, and we are actively working to enhance this experience to make it more efficient and user-friendly.
Regarding the differences in displayed interest rates between our branches and website, we understand that there can occasionally be a delay in updating in-branch collateral following rate changes. We are reviewing our internal processes to minimise these discrepancies and ensure greater consistency across all channels.
Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve our services, and we thank you again for bringing these matters to our attention.
Kind regards,
Jon Sweeting
Commercial Manager
Mortgage holders beware. This lender was very quick to increase their variable mortgage rates when the Bank of England was doing so. However, they have double standards when the opposite is happening and the BoE rates are decreasing.
Unlike my experience with other, more decent lenders, Harpenden BS prefer to pad their coffers instead of passing on the saving to the customer.
Reply from Harpenden Building Society
Hi, thank you for your message. Please feel free to email my colleague Andrew at afoster@harpendenbs.co.uk regarding any questions you may have about your Mortgage Account. With kind regards, Jon Sweeting, Commercial Manager, Harpenden Building Society.
My father set up an account for my grandson, and over the last year they have been cutting the rates on those accounts far faster than the bank of england rates. We get a letter every few weeks informing us of further changes (reduction) to their rates. These guys are a con, and their ‘special savings accounts’ do t offer competitive rates. Don’t use them.
Reply from Harpenden Building Society
Dear Mr Waller,
Thank you for your feedback and I'm sorry to understand that you are not satisfied with the reduction in interest rates for your grandson.
We regularly review the pricing of our products to ensure that they are provide members with fair value and balance commercial considerations.
We have worked hard to ensure that all our products provide good outcomes and assists customers in achieving their financial objectives. Currently over 92% of our savers receive better than the UK average savings rate. In addition to this, our closed issue products are priced to match their open book equivalent.
Our savings accounts are not directly linked to the base rate, and up until December 2024, we honored our commitment to maintain the specific account you are referring to at our highest variable rate.
Your feedback is appreciated, and if we can be of any further assistance then please do not hesitate to contact me at jsweeting@harpendenbs.co.uk.
Jon Sweeting
Commercial Manager
Our savings accounts are not directly linked to base rate, and up until December 2024, we honored the commitment to maintain these accounts at our highest variable rate. In addition, over 90% of customers are earning an interest rate above the national
Jon Sweeting
Commercial Manager
Helpful staff, good range of products, friendly and engaging
Reply from Harpenden Building Society
Dear Mr Criag,
This is great to read and thank you for your feedback. It is appreciated.
Jon Sweeting
Commercial Manager
The Company failed to provide Me with any notice or information either by email , post or text when they were reducing interest rates and when I made a complaint twice they ignored Me and said they believed they had done nothing wrong . Terrible service and company
Reply from Harpenden Building Society
Dear Mr Homes,
Thank you for your review and I’m sorry to understand that you are unhappy with the service you have received- specifically relating to communications regarding interest rate reductions.
We monitor all electronic communications to establish if any messages are ‘undelivered’ or ‘suppressed’ and will look to contact these customers through a different channel.
We have fully reviewed and investigated your complaint and have sent you our final response on the 1st of October. This details how to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service if you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, however we would welcome further discussion if anything in our final response is factually incorrect.
Jon Sweeting
Commercial Manager
I can’t believe it’s 2024 and there’s Company’s like this out there ??
Have they not moved on with times etc etc..
Obviously not.
Been a Nightmare from start to finish,,
Would I recommend them..
NO 100%
Reply from Harpenden Building Society
Dear Robert,
I'm sorry to understand that you have been unhappy with our service. If you would like to contact me directly at jsweeting@harpendenbs.co.uk or call me on 01582 765411 then I will try my best to assist you further.
Kind regards,
Jon Sweeting
Commercial Manager
Opened an ISA in mid-February. Never received any confirmations or references that the account had been opened. Received an email addressed to another persons name! I had no faith after this so requested the account be closed. And, received no reply to this.
I then contacted one of the managers (Jon - using an email address he supplies on another website) on 18th February for assistance. He hasn't responded - so don't hold out any hope he'll contact you back if you ever email him!
Reply from Harpenden Building Society
Hi Jason,
Thank you for your feedback.
I'm sorry if you have emailed me an I have not responded.
Perhaps instead you could contact me on either 01582 765411 or 07811 283441 then i would be happy to discuss this further.
Kind regards,
Jon Sweeting
Commercial Manager
Not a great experience. Took ages for my account to be opened, they didn't send me any account information to pay money into the ISA, when I eventually got some details they didn't work. Then they started sending me emails addressed to someone else. I'm glad I wasn't able to transfer any money into this ISA as I am not convinced I would have been able to withdraw it without experience more problems.
Reply from Harpenden Building Society
Thank you for your feedback and I'm sorry to understand that your experience has been far below what you, or I would expect.
With regards to your first point, by way of an explanation (and not an excuse) we had been inundated with applications following the launch of a market leading ISA product last February. As a result we needed to adapt resource to ensure we could process applications in a timely manner. Unfortunately, this impacted our service levels, however we did try and advise customers of likely delays and give timescales on when their application would be processed.
I'm very concerned about your other point regarding emails addressed to another person, so perhaps you could contact me at jsweeting@harpendenbs.co.uk and I will investigate this further.
Once again, thank you for your feedback.
Jon Sweeting
Commercial Manager
I opened an instant access online savings account, paying 3.69%. The account was opened within a day & available to use. This interest rate beat Shawbrook Bank, who currently pay 3.65%. Small difference, but obviously, the more money you save, the more difference it makes.
Reply from Harpenden Building Society
Hi Scott,
Thank you for your feedback it's really appreciated.
Jon Sweeting
Commercial Manager
Dealing with this company was like going back in time 30 years. The product was a holiday let mortgage in Cornwall an old Mill with 9 acres of fields and a barn. Most lenders stipulate a maximum number of acres if it is a problem for them. Harpenden didn't care about the number of acres they said (well ImpactFS said to my broker and then my broker told me).
They insist you come through their packager Impact who delayed the process by taking money and not processing the application straight away. Harpenden say they will respond in 5 working days, only to ask more questions. Questions they do not understand the answer to. I said the 9 acres are mostly agricultural land use registered but the property is not agricultural tied, meaning you don't have to be a farm worker to live there. They took the latter to mean the 9 acres was residential and proceeded to waste the next 5 weeks to come back and say they would lend if I split the title deed! Something that currently is taking 8 months with the land registry and is no simple matter. I explained this was not easy task and that they had totally messed me around. They pointed the finger back at me saying they weren't told it was agricultural class land, no apology. 6 weeks wasted. 6 weeks I don't have to waste.
Do not use this company, they will go into minute detail of your finances, asked about my ISA and Savings accounts, my broker even said my income was more than enough to cover the loan and he couldn't understand it.
They are an old fashioned lender that is too risk averse and prints off all documents and hands them to an underwriter to review at great length. All for a mortgage less than 70%LTV that is already being let and bringing in a very good revenue.
Reply from Harpenden Building Society
Thank you for your feedback, it is appreciated. and I'm sorry to understand that you were unhappy with the way your application was handled. Since this review in 2021, we have updated our propositions, policies and processes to bring Harpenden Building Society into the 21st century. I'm sorry we were unable to help on this occasion and apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Kind regards,
Jon Sweeting
Commercial Manager.
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