Most people's experience this with junior bank operatives

I have a Bank of Scotland SAM 6.

Hello Samvic
The Bank of Scotland SAM mortgage seemed ideal at the time, and we took it on knowing how it worked. I have no argument about the principle of the mortgage,just the figures involved and the way we were treated when we tried to redeem our mortgage. We have, just this week, been able to get out of SAM, after almost a year of delays caused by BoS. We originally applied to change last May. We were offered a `free` legal package whereby BoS appointed a firm of solicitors to act for us. Our house was valued for redemption purposes and a valuation certificate issued. When we took out our mortgage, I asked what would happen to the value at redemption should I carry out improvements to the house. I was told that the value of any work carried out would be taken into account on redemtion. However, the value on the certificate did not take the Ł20,000 or so which I have invested in our home. I therefore queried the Valuation certificate (mistake). There then followed a series of letters and phone calls to try to get the matter resolved. However, we were unable to finalise matters in time before the redemption certificate expired and the house had to be re-valued. Of course the value had gone up quite considerably, living in the Lake District as we do, and we found ourselves owing even more money. We have had to agree to the new valuation just to get out of the SAM, but we are faced with re-payments which we will find very difficult to meet. As far as we can gather, the delays in the original deal were caused by the lines of communication between BoS and the solicitors. We were at one time contacted and told that BoS had agreed to the original figure and the redemption could go ahead. When nothing else happened, I enquired and was told that no such phone call had been made and they would not proceed without a new valuation. We were then told that the solicitors had been applying to the wrong department for completion documents. I have found the telephone operators to be stubborn, un-informed and down right obstructive. Every time I ring I have to give my name, Acc. No., pass word, details of my enquiry and usually my mothers maiden name, only to be passed on to another operator who also needs all of my details (and so on ) It got so bad that I could not handle it any more. I would sit there at the phone physically shaking with rage and frustration and ending up in tears, (I am a 46 year old man). I had to get a finacial adviser to phone for me. When he phoned BoS and told them he was acting for me, he was told that they could not speak to him without my prior notice in writing. As I sat there listening, he said `yes you can, its my job and I deal with banks like this every day of my life` the conversation went - no we can't -yes you can - no we can't for a while until my adviser asked to speak to the `line manager` who reluctantly admitted that , yes they were able to speak to him.

I have much more detail about the way we have been treated and my financial adviser has offered to help as well if you need him.

As I write this, I can feel myself getting more and more `wound up` even now, so I`ll have to sign off now. If I can do anything to help the cause please let me know.