Mortgage Holiday Refusal

Smiley11

Just wanted to thank the "Customer Relationship Unit" for their letter refusing my application that I received this morning.  I'd also like to warn other customers that while BoI are very good at circulating leaflets encouraging customers to avail of these services, they are not so helpful when it comes to availing of them.  My advice is don't bother humiliating yourself because they just don't want to know.

I applied for a 2 month break as I am trying to get my house on the market as soon as possible & need to get minor works done to it in order to make it marketable. The painting, I would undertake myself only that I am pregnant & the ceilings are over 10 feet high, the rest is minor plastering & flooring, which I cannot undertake either way.  I am on a tracker mortgage so one would have thought BoI would be enthusiastic & willing to assist me in getting this house sold. It would appear not.  You've now thrown another obstacle in my way & people considering such an application should beware.

A colleague of mine was refused in the last couple of months having applied for a 3 month break to get his bills in order & was basically told his bills are his own responsibility.  Which they are.  All he wanted was some breathing space to get on top of things & got a lecture rather than assistance.

Are you basically telling us that if we want such a "holiday" for something so whimsical as going on a 3 month round world trip, while being fully aware of the mortgage tie, that you will be more than accommodating?  Yet if we make a genuine application to ease the financial burden & free up cash for house repairs, we'll be blown out of the water...with an undertone of "tough luck".

My letter was accompanied by an appendix entitled "Important Information Concerning Mortgage Arrears" which I perceive as being a warning not to do so.  It could also be perceived as a threat should I choose not to pay my mortgage for the next 2 months in order to get the property listed.  Tactful BoI, tactful.  I have never been, nor intend to fall into arrears & certainly don't need the extra kick in the teeth stapled to my letter of refusal.  I don't appreciate either the "warning" or the insult to my payment ability.

I hope this post serves to discourage others from making applications for genuine financial reasons but I'd imagine that you should work away if you feel like a carribbean break or going on the lash for a couple of months.  Their friendly, encouraging leaflet deflects from the harsh reality & they can't be bothered helping us.

A very dissatisfied customer.

Bank of Ireland: Alison

Hi Smiley11

Thanks for getting in touch with us here on Boards.ie

We are sorry to hear the request for a mortgage holiday was recently declined. If you would like inquire further about the decline, you can send us a PM here with your full name, contact number and the Branch you hold the mortgage with. We'll arrange for an Advisor to contact you. Please do not include any account details.

Alternatively, if you wish to raise your concerns regarding the decline and the enclosed leaflets as a complaint, more information on this process can be found here

We're sorry to hear of the recent situation, although here on our talk to forum, we're unable to review lending decisions ourselves.

If you feel contact from an Advisor will help, please do send us a PM. 

To send us a PM, please ensure you have your signatures set to display in your 'Control Panel Settings' and then click on the link in my signature. 

Thanks
Alison