Pensioner Bonds were released to great fanfare earlier this month, but the launch appears to have been anything but smooth. Have you managed to get your hands on some or have you encountered issues?
Thousands of over-65s have invested savings in these market-leading National Savings & Investments products, but many more have encountered all sorts of problems.
Our Money Helpline has been flooded with complaints from Which? members unable to get through to NS&I to order these bonds.
Meanwhile, other investors have reported being charged despite the NS&I website failing to confirm their purchase.
Have you experienced any struggles trying to get your hands on pensioner bonds?
Telephone troubles
The NS&I 24-hour helpline appears to have been jammed with calls ever since Pensioner Bonds were released a couple of weeks ago.
A caller to our Money Helpline said they’d tried to get through from 7am to midnight without any luck.
Another would-be investor told The Sunday Times he had waited for 122 minutes from 2am, listening to a recorded voice telling him that NS&I were working hard to minimise the delay.
One caller who did get through told the newspaper they had carefully timed their call to coincide with the broadcast of The Last Tango in Halifax because she thought a lot of older people would be tuned in.
With only a limited amount of pensioner bonds available, there’s a danger that only the most persistent callers will cash in.
Website worries
The NS&I website seems to be just as troublesome. It crashed due to excessive traffic on the morning that Pensioner Bonds were released.
Now, reports are suggesting that customers are having their money taken without any confirmation of their investment being offered.
Have you experienced this problem – or any other frustrations – while trying to get your hands on these government-backed bonds?
