Newbury Building Society Reviews 42

Prompt reply with straightforward and helpful advice, as I'd expect from the Newbury

We were seeking a mortgage on our existing house and were put in touch with Newbury. We've had an excellent service from them. They have communicated clearly and concisely, and responded promptly to any issues or queries that we raised. We really couldn't fault them.

Difficult to open account.Put my national insurance number in a dozen times ,with gaps , without gaps,large text, small text, but to no avail?Most user unfriendly so i just gave in eventually.

Remortgaged with them and the whole process from the first phone call was efficient and customer focused. They provided a very competitive product plus they also liaised seamlessly with the solicitors (Taylor Emmet) who acted on behalf of both parties. All in all very good.

Everything was as expected from a professional organisation. No complaints

In the Andover branch it really depends on the member of staff who helps. The vast majority are really good at their job. However, there is one member of staff who really needs more training when it comes to customer service and dealing with bereavement cases, especially when the branch staff have not provided the correct information to the customer It took 3 trips into the branch before I could close an account. Unfortunately due to her conduct we decided to close the account, withdraw all the funds and invest in another building society.

We took out a discounted tracker mortgage with NBS in December 2024, and our experience since then has been deeply disappointing. Despite two base rate cuts totalling 0.5%, NBS has only passed on a fraction of that to mortgage holders. This feels like selective profiteering, they benefit from the full reduction in their own borrowing costs, yet choose how much (or how little) to pass on to customers.

What’s worse is that savers have been hit just as hard - they’ve slashed savings rates aggressively. So, they’re squeezing customers at both ends. I've held mortgages with several providers before, and I’ve never encountered one so reluctant to treat customers fairly when rates fall.

To their credit, we are able to overpay up to 20% annually without penalty - and we’re taking full advantage of that. We’re making aggressive overpayments purely to avoid paying NBS any more interest than we have to.

In stark contrast, our previous mortgage with First Direct was straightforward, transparent, and honest. The difference in customer experience is night and day.

We would not take another product with NBS, and I’d advise others to look carefully at how your lender treats customers after you sign the paperwork - that’s when it really matters

Personal banking. The way it should’ve done. Yes the app and online is a bit backwards, but I think it’s deliberate to keep personal banking. If ever I have an issue the store can sort it out quickly I never feel out of place by popping into the store

A personal service ……you can speak with a person in branch. Online is of course also available. Nice combination!

My appointment with Ritu on opening my account was delightful very courteous and professional. to be treated as a human being by a human being was my highlight rather than being dictated to by a machine and AI. to some of us service and personal communication is more important sometimes than the best rates rather than being treated as a number.

I've dealt with Newbury Building Society for 45 years and my experience has been consistently excellent - personal and efficient. It feels as if it takes its place as a local Building Society, seriously. The possible face to face or telephone contact is always helpful and friendly.

My wife and I have been members virtually since the time we moved to Didcot over 28 years ago and in all thar time we have never felt unwelcome or had any bad experiences. Quite the opposite in effect - always a warm welcome and friendly/ professional advice. Your interest rates are fully up to and in most cases exceed your competitors so very well done. Always a pleasure to walk into the Branch especially in your new premises which are a step change from the old ones! Well done.

I popped in on the off chance to open an ISA account and was seen to straight away. Hannah sorted it all out in a few minutes. Most impressed. But then I’ve always had great service at Newbury BS

Excellent service ⭐️

I rang the branch to make an appointment to open a new account. There were no convenient times available online but the lady went out of her way to find an appointment that fitted around my working hours. At the appointment I met a different lady who was equally fantastic. Great service ⭐

THE NEWBURY BUILDING SOCIETY wrote to me out of the blue informing me they had frozen my savings accounts and both accounts are now DORMANT!!
To unfreeze them I need to fill out a very long form
along with proving who I am along with a lot of personal questions that have no relevance.
They try this old trick hoping the account holders are no longer able to manage their affairs so they can steal the money with no one noticing !
Also some years ago I tried to borrow off the Newbury Building Society, a very nasty lady asked me hundreds of pointless condescending questions
over some weeks only to offer me a fraction of what I needed for a family emergency.
I easily borrowed 300% more elsewhere !
I will certainly be removing my savings from the NEWBURY BUILDING SOCIETY.

I needed some help to transfer a large amount of money to the Newbury, I sought the help of INDU in the mortgage dept and she was fantastic. Nothing was too much trouble, and she sorted things for me very quickly.
Always polite and a real pleasure to talk to.
Well Done young Lady.

I took a mortgage out with NBS several months ago (tracker) and despite two recent interest rate cuts (0.5% total) they have only shaved 0.3% off by June 2025. Typically will use the protecting savers argument or excuse but they have cut those rates by far more. Avoid at all cost, simple profiteering rather than passing on interest rate cuts. Won’t ever use them again (for anything).

Having read the reviews regarding living in the dark ages they still hold on to the human touch element. In today's society to be able to speak to a human who can make a decision following an actual discussion is amazing. I left my job of 10 years working for a major high street bank who have adopted the "computer says no" approach as there was no longer a common sense approach to lending.
This far outways any modern technology. I'm with Newbury all the way.

I have been with Newbury Building society for many years and have to say they are brilliant I have never had an issue with them in all this time
I spoke to Angela Burton about a new mortgage product, Brian Marcham savings & a young girl I think her name was Mass customer service and they where all superb very friendly & knowledgeable
First class customer service

I used mylostaccount.org.uk to trace an old Newbury account that I knew existed but had no documents for.

I received a letter within a few days (dated the day after my enquiry) clearly explaining what I needed to do to access my account. When I rang to clarify some details I was immediately put through to the right team - and the same person who'd sent the letter - who went through thorough security questions and gave more excellent advice. This was followed up very quickly by email, as was the case for all documents and processes that needed to be dealt with after that.

I won't use Gemma's last name in this review as it's public, but she is an absolute star. I could not be more impressed, and have decided to keep my ISA with the Newbury largely due to her and what she represents in the Society. She clearly knows her stuff inside out, and I hope she's recognised for her excellent work. Thank you, Gemma!