Shepherds Friendly Reviews

Name: Shepherds Friendly
Rating: 4.61

4.6 Rating 2,963 Reviews

93 %

of reviewers recommend Shepherds Friendly

Company Reviews

Metrics

Info

4.6

Based on 2,963 reviews

Shipping & Delivery
Delivery Methods	Postal Service
Average Delivery Time	Within 5 Days
On-time Delivery	Greater than 88%
Accurate And Undamaged Orders	100%
Customer Service
Communication Channels	Telephone, Email, Live Chat
Queries Resolved In	Under An Hour
Customer Service	4.6 out of 5

About Shepherds Friendly:

Shepherds Friendly is one of the oldest financial mutuals in the world, with 190 years’ experience in providing families with financial security.

Visit Website

Phone:

0800 526 249

Email:

marketing@shepherdsfriendly.co.uk

Location:

Haw Bank House, High Street, Cheadle
SK8 1AL

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Shepherds Friendly 5 star review on 24th February 2021

Anonymous

Anonymous // 01/01/2019

Filter: Rated 1 None 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Stars Helpful

“Do not take income protection from this company as they will find excuses not to pay you. Be warned that this company is a scam.”

Helpful Report

Hello Sadat, Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. I'm sorry to hear that you have been left disappointed following your experience with us. I can assure you that our Income Protection is there to help members when they need it and when all terms are met. Last year alone, we paid out 95% of Income Protection claims, which is a great result for our members. Each claim is reviewed and managed on an individual basis. While it looks like we have been unable to help you this time, we will be happy to discuss your case further with you if you require any more information. You can reach us on 0800 526 249 or via email to members@shepherdsfriendly.co.uk Kind regards, Melissa Shepherds Friendly

“In the time I have had my plan I have found the company great to deal with, the plan is nice and clear and making deposits and withdrawals fairly straightforward and completed quickly within the usual 5 day time frame. However on this occasion I have requested a withdrawal and 9 days later no sign of the funds and limited communication as to when the funds will arrive. At least with certainty when the funds will arrive will allow me to move forward but I just feel in limbo. Certainly not the usual standard of service that you normally provide.”

Helpful Report

Hello, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. Firstly, I am pleased to hear that you feel that our service has been good overall. We do work hard to put our members first and we are always keen to learn how we can further improve things. Therefore, I appreciate you informing us about your recent experience with us. I am sorry to hear that we have not met your expectations this time and that you feel like you have been left in limbo in terms of your withdrawal. If you would like to discuss this matter further, our Member Services team will be more than happy to help. You can reach us on 0800 526 249 or via email to: members@shepherdsfriendly.co.uk Kind regards, Melissa Shepherds Friendly

“Never got an email to set up password so haven't been able to create an account. Sent emails and got no response”

Helpful Report

Hello Phoebe, Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. I’m sorry to hear that you’ve had trouble setting up your account and reaching our Member Services team by email. Please note that we are experiencing high volumes of calls and emails, so it may take a little longer than usual to get in touch with us. I have passed your comments on to our Member Services team, who will be in touch shortly to help resolve this issue for you. You are also welcome to call us on 0800 526 249. Kind regards, Christian Shepherds Friendly

“Impossible to get hold of customer services. Tried a few times keep you on hold for 10 mins and the phone cuts off.”

Helpful Report

Hello, Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your experience with us. I'm sorry to hear that you've had trouble reaching our Member Services team over the phone. This does not reflect the usual high standard of service that we aim to offer each of our members whenever they contact us. Please be assured that I will pass on your comments to the relevant parties. I hope you managed to get a resolution to your query. If you still need to speak to us, you are welcome to call us again on 0800 526 249. Alternatively, please send an email to members@shepherdsfriendly.co.uk and we will respond as soon as we can. Kind regards, Melissa Shepherds Friendly

“Most of the good reviews discuss communications, not quality of investments. I have several other SSISAs all performing at a similar level (20% rise in 5 years). Yet Shepherd's Friendly use performing at a fraction of this and charging a massive MVR (Market Value Reduction) of you want to withdraw your money. The performance is bad enough but the penalties are appalling. I recommend Nutmeg, Moneyfarm or any non-mutual over these fraudsters.”

Helpful Report

Hello Roger Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. I'm saddened to hear that you have been left disappointed by one of our investment plans. Please be assured that our investment strategy, while different to those of some other providers, aims to offer more consistent returns over the medium to long term. As such, we have paid annual bonuses to our Stocks & Shares ISA members for the past 18 years, even when markets were strained. I'm slightly confused by your mention of the Market Value Reduction, as we are not currently applying one to any of our investment plans. As I would like to make sure that you have all of the most up-to-date information about your plan with us, I have asked our Member Services team to get in touch with you. Please be advised that they will contact you shortly. In the meantime, if you require any assistance at all with your plan, please feel free to contact us on 0800 526 249 or via email to: members@shepherdsfriendly.co.uk Many thanks Melissa

“Did not honour fully an incentive offer for taking out an Sustainable ISA. Looking in more detail at the charges they are opaque and very high. They do not mark to market and not easy to establish what exactly you have invested in. Would recommend using a low cost tracker or etf fund on a platform, a much better investment”

Helpful Report

Hello there, Thank you for sharing your comments with us. I’m sorry to hear that your experience with our Sustainable Stocks & Shares ISA hasn't met your expectations and that you didn't receive the incentive you were anticipating. Shepherds Friendly believes in the power of simplicity, so we do endeavour to make sure that our products and service are as clear and straightforward as possible. However, we will certainly take your feedback on board to see if we can make further improvements. If you require any assistance from us with regard to your plan, our Member Services team will be happy to help. You can reach us on 0800 526 249 or via email to members@shepherdsfriendly.co.uk. Kind regards, Melissa

“Good service until you want your money out, Had a call within seconds of requesting my money, three days later still no email to confirm this is happening. Shocking service they are quick to take your money but once you want it back its another story!”

Helpful Report

Hi there, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We value both positive and negative feedback, as it helps us make Shepherds Friendly the best it can be for our members. I’m sorry you experienced a delay after requesting a withdrawal from your plan. I hope that this matter has now been resolved for you. If you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our Member Services team can be contacted on 0800 526 249 or via email: members@shepherdsfriendly.co.uk Kind regards, Melissa

“Took 3 child tax free savings accounts out for my grandchildren. 1 via Top Cashback and 2 through the Shepherds Friendly website which offered £30 M&S vouchers for new accounts. Top Cashback reward declined and still no sign of M&S cards over 6 months later. With so many similar plans, it is these rewards that swing customers towards your products. To then decline or fail to pay these rewards is underhand and gives me little faith in the honesty of this company. Initially had a response saying to chase Top Cashback which I did, and they have been very helpful, but now cannot reply to the person who initially replied. Hopefully the savings plans pay out when due, although at this time I am considering closing them and opening others with more reputable companies.”

Helpful Report

“It's all fine until you actually want your cash!. Online you cannot withdraw, when you call by phone you are told to email. When you email, you don't get a response. I emailed 11th April, and again 20th May and have no responses. It's just frustrating and so old-fashioned. When someone finally gets in touch, I will withdraw my cash and close my account and open an ISA with a more responsive company.”

Helpful Report

Hi, Thank you for leaving your feedback. I’m sorry to hear you have found it difficult to get in touch with us, we always prioritise getting back to our members as soon as we can to help you with any queries you might have. I have passed on your details to our Member Services team, who will be contacting you as soon as possible. If you would like to get in touch before then, you can get in touch on 0800 526 249 or via email at members@shepherdsfriendly.co.uk. Kind Regards, Aidan

“Took out two policies online, one for me and one for my wife. When l printed them off noticed a mistake on one of the names.Attempted to contact them by phone despite being on hold for an hour no luck.Decided to email them instead that was on 22/04/2021 to date no response.Made two further attempts to contact them by phone on both occasions gave up after hour on hold. I was attracted by the sum assured offered but now l know it comes at a cost.Customer Service 0/10”

Helpful Report

Hi, Thanks for giving your feedback. We’re sorry to hear you haven’t managed to get in touch with us about your query, it is important for us to help and support our members whenever we can, as quickly as possible. I have passed your contact details onto our Member Services team, who will be in touch soon to help you with this matter. If you would like to speak to someone before then, you can do so on 0800 526 249 or via email at members@shepherdsfriendly.co.uk. Kind Regards, Aidan

“Don't even bother if you're transgender. You will get declined in less than a day.”

Helpful Report

Hello, Thank you for getting in touch. I want to assure you that when assessing an application, our decision is made on the basis of the medical disclosures we have been given at the point of application and are applied irrespective of gender. The gender identity of an applicant does not have an impact on the outcome of any application made with us. I’m sorry to hear that you are unhappy with your recent experience with us, and I would encourage you to get in touch with our Member Services team if you would like to discuss your application further. Our team can be contacted on 0800 526 249 or via email at members@shepherdsfriendly.co.uk. Kind Regards, Aidan

“All good until you decide to take your money out. Then you learn that MVR (market value reduction) is in place. Meaning that SF are going to keep some of your hard earned money (10% in my case). I'm just grateful that I didn't pay in more. Clearly if I didn't mind losing my money I would have went for stocks and shares ISA. Anyway, if you want to save your money - keep it in your back account rather than trusting these frauds.”

Helpful Report

“Just contacted shepherds friendly for a value of my account, they have applied a "market value reduction" & taking 10% of the money I have paid in. This is daylight robbery & I am disgusted with them. STAY AWAY from these crooks. Of course I have not accepted & will seek assistance from the financial ombudsman. BE WARNED”

Helpful Report

“No email response at all”

Helpful Report

Hello, Thank you for your feedback. I’m sorry to hear that you are still waiting for a response. We are currently experiencing a higher number of inquiries than usual, which may explain your delay in hearing back from us. Please be assured that I have passed on your details to our Member Services team, who will be happy to assist you. If you would like to get in touch before then, you are welcome to contact us on 0800 526 249 or via email at members@shepherdsfriendly.co.uk. Kind Regards, Aidan

“I have top cover paying over £80 p/m. Not only is the customer services appalling,taking way over 3 weeks to reply but they will do anything possible to refuse payout! I definitely do not recommend”

Helpful Report

Hello, Thank you for sharing your feedback. I’m sorry to hear that you are unhappy following your recent experience with us. Being there for our members is central to everything we do at Shepherds Friendly. As such, we are keen to look into this for you and see if we are able to offer any assistance. I have passed on your contact details to our Member Services team, and they will be in touch as soon as they can. Kind Regards, Aidan

“At present this is a 1 star as the cashback that was the enticement has not been added to my top cashback account. I will be making a complaint today and if resolved I will change the rating to reflect the entire experience.”

Helpful Report

“I sent an email 4 days ago and I have still to hear back - and I have a plan with Shepherd's Friendly.”

Helpful Report

Hello Nicholas, Thank you for leaving your feedback. I’m sorry to hear that you haven’t heard back from us yet. I've followed this up for you, and can confirm that someone from our Member Services team will be in touch soon to answer any questions you may have. If you have anything further you would like to discuss, you can contact the Member Services team on 0800 526 249. Kind Regards, Aidan

“Awful website. I think a school child could have done better. No visibility on investment and the login logout is terrible. I am looking to move my investment to an upto date business.”

Helpful Report

Hello, Thank you for your feedback. I’m sorry to hear that you have been experiencing issues with our new website. We have been working hard to fix any errors you encountered and I am pleased to let you know they have now been resolved. If you would like to discuss this matter or anything else further, you can contact our Member Services team on 0800 526 249 or via email at members@shepherdsfriendly.co.uk. Kind Regards, Aidan

“Really dissapointed - thinking of cancelling my policy. I took out an income protection policy nearly 5 years ago with 2 weeks waiting period. I had to make a claim after I got Covid19. Stayed at home for nearly 3 weeks, however my claim was rejected as I was “required to self-isolate for 10 days after positive test and therefore not incapacitated beyond waiting period”. I assume it means - according to Shepherds Friendly - I should have gone back to work after 10 days even though I have been still experiencing Covid19 symptoms (such as fever, fatigue, headaches etc.). I would have gone back to work if I could (I am earning MUCH more from my job than I’d get in income protection benefits). However, I have to do quite a lot of manual/ physical labour such as carrying heavy stuff and was simply unable to do it due to ongoing Covid19 symptoms. Therefore, I am really disappointed that I am not entitled to anything after paying premiums for nearly 5 years - now it’s not even a matter of money but a matter of principle. I cannot trust that I would be able to get help from Shepherds Friendly in the future, should I need them. I will look into the T&Cs how to cancel the policy.”

Helpful Report

Hello, Thanks for giving us your feedback. I’m sorry to hear that your experience with Shepherds Friendly did not meet your expectations, our members are important to us and we are looking into this matter for you. If you would like to speak about this matter, or anything else, with someone from our Member Services team, you can contact them on 0800 526 249 or via email at members@shepherdsfriendly.co.uk. Kind Regards, Aidan

“The new website is terrible. Can't log in on mobile, can't reset password, can't believe it got approved to go live in this state.”

Helpful Report

Hello, Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback and getting in touch with us via email. I’m sorry to hear you have been having trouble with our new website. We launched early this morning and our team is working hard to resolve any issues you might be experiencing. If you have any other concerns, you can reach our Member Services team on 0800 526 249 or via email at members@shepherdsfriendly.co.uk. Kind Regards, Aidan

Shepherds Friendly is rated 4.6 based on 2,963 reviews