Countrywide Assured PLC

My father had his pension with Countrywide but passed away in March 2021. We are now in mid July and still no end in sight. Had to fill in the same form 3 times through 2 family members. 10 days to process a form but no time limit for the trust to process any claim.I registered a complaint that will take up to 8 weeks to process and if they don’t contact me I will need to chase them to understand the findings - as stated in their complaint guide.The ladies on the phone are polite and sympathetic but the company itself is a shambles. Please think twice before conducting business with these people. It takes forever to achieve nothing. Avoid at all costs.

Antiquated organisation that by either strategy or poor luck are not able to operate a postal based claims system. The online portal is poor and only one way……. delay delay delay, stress, stress, stress. Already raised a complaint, standard process, sent a meaningless letter in response. People are nice to deal with but have no authority to do anything. Going to report to financial ombudsman and go to the press if not rectified promptly. TBC ……

Very disappointed in the way my pension pot was dealt with. These are just highlights of my experience with Countrywide Assured.After phoning and making the decision to take the lump sum option. It took three weeks to get the initial forms out to me after being told I would receive them within seven to 10 working days. I did phone and tell them forms had not arrived.1. I double checked and sent completed forms and birth certificate. My birth certificate was retuned back immediately.2. After hearing nothing for two weeks and more phone calls, I received a pack with a copy of one sheet they said I had not returned and they also infirned me my signature was not the same. They also said pre paid envelope enclosed but I never found it and their letter was not signed by the author.3. I filled in the so called missing form and got a certified copy of my driving license and sent it all tracked post back to them.4. After another seven days and knowing they had received my post the next day I phoned them. I was told certified signature was fine but the form (that they had sent ) was the wrong form.I asked.1 How could that be it is the form you sent me?2. Why when receiving my initial forms and birth certificate, whoever had opened and returned my birth certificate had not checked the contents and sent the missing form at the same time? We get seven days to check was the answer.3 I said you had several weeks in fact months and you are still telling me it's wrong.4. I said my signature was being checked from a thirty year old signature. I also commented my address has never altered.You work all your life, to be messed about getting your money paid out. I felt I was treated like a child and I was far from happy with the experience. I also asked if the lady had read the poor reviews on this website. She replied she was not aware of them.I would have loved to give Countrywide Assured a glowing report, but I'm afraid I can't.I hope things improve, but I doubt it will.I started this proces the beginning of July 2018 it was resolved 21 September 2018 almost three months.

What a shower, the only returns they are interested in are their own! I spoke to a representative today and my fund had dropped and was different to the fund value on their website , please publish real time Information on your website rather than old data!. I'm struggling to see what they take a management fee for as if you were managing funds you would place them in low risk deposits when the market is falling, a small gain is better than a large loss.Also I mentioned that I could have sent all my information by email, I was gobsmacked to then be told that they don't use external email as they have insecure servers yet they made £24.7 million profit last year.Please do yourselves a favour and don't use this company for any insurance or so called investment, they don't care about customers from being lied to at the outset by being told( but unfortunately not written down) to ignore the growth projections that had to be stated by law as we always grow by more to the out of date fund values published on their website.Unfortunately I had to give them one star as I couldn't post this with no stars.No doubt I'll get the standard 'Thank you for taking the time to provide this review. Customer feedback is very important to us, we will look into your concerns and be in contact' reply.

AVIOD THIS COMPANY!!!!! Following the sudden death of my wife I had to send them the original death certificate which would be returned by recorded delivery. The certificate was not returned after numerous phone calls and promises of a call backs (which did not happen) they gave me a tracking number for Royal Mail which the sorting office said did not exist. Following more calls got to speak to customer services manager who said they did not know where the death certificate was but would get a replacement from the regerestry sent to me and call me back that afternoon to confirm this had been done. Again no return phone call no certificate and another 3 calls to them with no satisfaction.They have no regard for people at one of the most stressful times in their life and are the worst customer service department by far I have ever had to deal with.David L

Incomprehensible approach to handling the someone else's money... weeks after confirming a green light moderately-sized payout from a pension plan, the jolly nice ladies on the helpline are still unable to confirm when the money will actually be released. It's all controlled by some other team, you see? And of course the helpline team is unable to have any meaningful exchange with that team.

Have sent them 3 separate dd forms and still money hasn't been collected because they weren't set up! During several phonecalls, they give different excuses. Calls aren't returned and it's obvious that they're often telling lies. Another day wasted with them. Nobody seems be in charge!

Rented a house, while sorting out a new house and flats for myself. Was the worst company i have ever dealt with, so decided that i would go to a different letting agency for my flats. Once i bought my house over a month later there was still no sign of my deposit being returned. No call is ever returned from the Preston branch, though Mansfield were help full so they get the 2 stars. Boiler and fence that broke i ended up paying for as the Preston Branch were just next to useless. Glad i got to see this side of them though before letting them run my property. They just assume that they have you where they need you and you have to wait for them. Oh and they also don't follow the rules of letting you know of any additional charges (nothing on website or i cant find it, and when signing there was no information given or spoken) you just get a letter though the post asking for more money. At the time of writing this i still don't have my deposit of over 700 pounds out standing 40 days after moving out. Even when you talk to my deposit who say we are not taking anything they deduct into consideration they still tell you there waiting for the landlord to check the house.

Got building insurance, currently in a home emergency and AXA their partner company cannot find my details on their system as countrywide has not transferred over all of their customers. This is apoorling service. Definitely changing companies once my renewal is due.

‼️Avoid at all costs! Dealing with a deceased family members pension since initial contact 8th October. Have had to phone and constantly check what's happening over 20 times. I appreciate there's a pandemic but it's hard to see how anyone there is actually working. Anything between 10-30 mins on hold just be to told nothing each time, will be complaining to the regulators. I feel sorry for anyone like a widow/family that would potentially rely on this payment as they'd be totally, totally, screwed. Totally unacceptable and equally useless on every level.