Help to Buy buyer waits 55 hours on phone to sort paperwork
Homeowners with a Help to Buy loan are being forced to hold for hours after new firm takes over helpline, report BBC programme.
Help to Buy customers who want to sell their homes are waiting for hours trying to get through to the helpline to request redemption paperwork.
One homeowner with a Help to Buy loan has waited more than 55 hours on the phone in an attempt to get through.
Lloyd Stone from Worcestershire told the ‘You and Yours’ BBC Radio 4 programme yesterday, he and his wife were up against a deadline to sell their home before their fixed rate mortgage expires.
The mortgage payments will shoot up from £950 per month to £1,750 next month if the deal doesn’t go through soon, and the buyers may pull out anyway, he said.
Acute problems
Homes England, which administers Help to Buy, recently handed the customer services to fintech firm Lenvi, and it appears Lenvi is having acute problems handling the volume of calls.
Customers have taken to Trustpilot to give Lenvi an average score of 1.3 out of 5, with reports that the helpline cuts people off after they have waited an hour, and emails are not answered either.
“We are sorry that you have not had a great experience when attempting to contact us.”
Lenvi says it is hiring more staff to deal with the helpline issues.
In a comment on Trustpilot it says: “We are sorry that you have not had a great experience when attempting to contact us.
“We are aware of the issues customers are facing in contacting Homes England on its helpline and we are working hard to ensure that all customers queries can be dealt with.”
Rachel Maclean, housing minister, told the House of Commons earlier this month: “Lenvi have now taken up provision of all Help to Buy customer service functions and will deliver service improvements for Help to Buy customers over the coming months.”
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