We have been trying to arrange a buy to let mortgage for some months now. We need less than 50% funding for this purchase, we have 6 other properties (small studio flats) none with mortgages. At the start of the process we had all the usual hassle with the anti money laundering rules, not least of which because they only drip fed us what proofs they required. Each time the requested proofs were sent, they wrote sometimes weeks later to request yet more information and proof. Their explanation is that they don't know what the mortgage provider will want until they ask for it, so it would appear that either they have no knowledge of the mortgage provider or they just don't care. We finally got an offer of sorts only to be told today that the solicitors we use were not on their panel and we would need to use a different one. They have known from the outset who are solicitors are, they had everything ready to go two months ago to be told now that we need to use a different one is beyond belief. We have run up a bill with our solicitors of around £1000 and they now wish us to change. We have never used John Charcol before and have been apalled by the service they offer as "The country's Largest Mortgage Broker". They never keep us informed of what is going on, as usual with these sorts of organisations, only endless badgering by us produces results, not too bad if they were doing this for free, but they aren't. We certainly won't be using them again, a thouroughly bad experience.