Coventry Building Society Reviews 1,792

They didn't have an app for half the time I was with them. So everything they send you takes ages to arrive in the post. They also changed me a fee of half a years worth of interest on my 2 year term with them because I wanted to take my money out when they automatically matured me. I will never bank with them again.

All family members have accounts with Coventry Building Society. My eldest son was turning 18, so his account matured. All of us went into branch on his 18th birthday with his driving licence and a letterhead with his name and address on from his bank. It turns out this wasn't sufficient for the staff. The manager showed no interest and the staff member kept going to her to ask for advice but the manager never came over to us. We have since learned from speaking to other staff that the branch manager could've used her discretion to resolve this but chose not to. Instead we were sent away and asked to bring in his passport, which has exactly the same information on as his driving licence! We told the staff that we live an hour away so it's not a quick trip home and back. All of this interaction was on the shop floor within earshot of other customers and it made us feel like naughty schoolchildren.

This company is a joke since the beginning of may we have been trying to take out equity as my husband and myself are really struggling to pay off depts because of ill health,we was told it would be sorted in a few weeks? Nearly six months later still nothing which has resulted in financial and emotional ruin the staff on the phone are friendly but its just been so prolonged it’s making our mental health much much worse

Aways a great friendly service at the Milton Keynes branch. We have been served by Oscar on a couple of occasions now and this time we had a query regarding a new account we were considering opening. Once Oscar explained the account we were happy to go ahead with opening the account which Oscar did along with another couple of ISA accounts. He was very efficient and provided a first class service. It is such a pleasant change to be able to go into a financial institution and actually speak to someone who understands his customer. Please don’t close ay branches.

Absolutely useless telephone banking, locks me out constantly. I am not putting anything else into this company.

I wanted to change my surname from my husband's name to my maiden name. I didn't want any change to my marriage. So I went into Cirencester branch to do this and the staff insisted this was impossible without a deed poll from a solicitor for 'legal reasons' the staff assured me. I complained as I know this isn't true, it said so on their own website. The manager rang me back the next day and repeated the above, so I complained to Head Office who agree with me and gave £100 for my trouble. What I particularly dislike is being told 'for legal reasons...' when it clearly was untrue. I got a better rate saving elsewhere too. Rubbish customer service but I liked the £100.
UPDATE: I phoned the number below written by Kathryn and got an options menu, none of these seemed relevant to me, so I pressed savings to speak to someone but she didn't have any idea what I was talking about, so I was transferred to someone else who also didn't know what I was talking about but took details and said she'd pass the information to her manager, now my account is closed. Strange to ask me to ring a number then for that team not to know what I was ringing about.

Worst customer service at the Nottingham city centre branch.
My son turned 18 and on his birthday wanted to access his now matured child's ISA.
So as a family of four we made a 50 mile round trip to our nearest branch.
Even though the four of us all have accounts and all of us had photo ID and proof of address. This was not good enough for the staff at Nottingham to let my son access his savings. To add insult to injury they transferred his money into a low paying ISA of their choice and would not let us change this.
This was all because their proof requires utility bills, council tax bills and bank statements. At 18 our son does not have his own house (suprise, suprise) and his bank account is paperless, at the banks behest. He provided photo ID and all the building societies letters address to him at his home address, plus letters from his bank with his home address.
But this is a "computer sez no" building society and the staff were having none of it.
Since making a formal complaint it now appears matters can be resolved over the phone. Quite how this is possible when they flatly refused in person remains to be seen. Why four staff members could not manage it requires a full explanation.
Update: 15.10.25 Still no access to this account complaint still unresolved. Closing four family members accounts with this building society they do not deserve our business.
Update;17.10.25 Complaint finally concluded. No access to the account. We are indeed naughty schoolchildren who need to be taught a lesson in how to do our homework, common sense has no place in banking.. How this building society stays in business is beyond me.

Nice people, good products but utterly hopeless online experience - 90 minutes of
"unable to display the page you're looking for.
But well done the Coventry team in their efforts to resolve the problem.

I dealt with Coventry when a close relative recently passed, and whilst they were perfectly pleasant - they were very rigid & strict with their processes and procedures, in a way that no other organisation I dealt with, were. Several other banks, whilst following process, showed a degree of flexibility with a complex case - but not so Coventry.

Myself and the joint executor followed their complaints process all the way to the Ombudsman, and now refuse to have any further dealings with them - knowing what we now know about some of their processes.

Tammy Green was knowledgeable, helpful and very patient with a man in his eighties. Coventry BS pay good interest rates, and is always accessible.

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Very helpful and friendly

I don’t post reviews very often but I have had a fantastic experience with Coventry BS today and I am so impressed by how helpful and supportive they were. I have only been with them for 3 years but I will keep my mortgage with them because customer service like I received today is priceless and it’s something that you see less of these days. I spoke to a lovely mortgage advisor and she put me through to the collection side of things and the lady there was just incredible. I just wish I had taken her name so I could have emailed and named her personally. Thank you so much CBS I award you 10 out of 10!!

Telephone contact impossible on a Sunday.
Not good enough.

Very helpful and knowledgable.
Thank you

I appreciated Coventry Building Society’s approach for a long time. Their savings products were clear, and I felt they offered a thoughtful alternative to high-street banking. But after a recent experience with a group company, Co-op Bank, now under Coventry’s ownership, I’ve had to close all my accounts.

My decision wasn’t taken lightly. I value ethical banking and had hoped this group would reflect those principles in practice. Unfortunately, the service I received from Co-op Bank fell short, and the lack of meaningful engagement with my concerns made it impossible to continue trusting the wider group.

Ethical branding must be matched by ethical service, responsive, transparent, and accountable. I hope Coventry reflects on how group decisions and customer experience are connected. I’ve moved my finances to providers who demonstrate care not just in their messaging, but in how they treat people.

Today I visited Milton Keynes branch to undertake a number of transactions and changes to accounts for my mother and myself. Despite it being the end of the day Emma was truely professional and so empathetic over what I was trying to do providing much help , sharing the benefit of her knowledge and extremely understanding. She was so kind and patient and despite being near to the branch closing time she continued to complete my requests and not make me feel hurried at all. Kelly was so kind and helped with another gentleman so as Emma could help me. A real team and such lovely people.
I have been with this branch for 40 years and when I walk in they always make me feel welcome. They are a credit to the CBS.

Zoe and Charlie were behind the service glass partitioned service counter. They were absolutely amazing, extremely sufficient, informed and helpful doing it so quickly and kindly I hardly noticed the time. It took me 2 minutes to get everything done where speaking the honest truth in my experience in other banks it would possibly have taken 30 minutes or more

If you rang the Coventry Building Society would you expect to get the advice you needed - would you be told whether an interest was fixed or variable. Not if you wanted to open an account online. I ended up with a variable rate Isa when I had wanted a fixed rate ISA. The response to my complaint that advisers did not tell me the account paid a variable rate came from Jonny Gardner, complaints specialist. He wrote: "As this account was opened via Our Online Services, I wouldn't be expecting the adviser to be confirming details on the account unless asked."
This novel approach to customer care was confirmed by the Coventry to the financial ombudsman. In answering my complaint, the Coventry told the ombudsman:" "I wouldn't have expected its agents to explain to her (that the Isa paid a variable rate) as she had opened up the Isa online".
The ombudsman ruled that the Coventry had not acted unfairly - he rarely finds for complainants - and he took more than six months to come to that decision. He noted that I had spoken to two advisers and neither had told me the Isa paid a variable rate. He also said:"It would have been more helpful if the name of the Isa had made it clear it was a variable rate."
The account I opened paid 4.8% in October last year. It now pays 3.6%.
If the Coventry is actually sorry about what happened, they could compensate me for the financial loss as a result of not getting the advice that the account paid a variable rate.

Saade was quick, helpful and very efficient. Thank you!

Teo at the Coventry Arena branch was exceptional very friendly and helpful helping my parents to review their accounts. He’s an asset to the company so patient and attentive really appreciate your support thank you Teo deserves a recognition.