Date Received: 2021-04-29
Issue: Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Subissue: Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Consumer Complaint: Good Morning, my name is XXXX XXXX and I've formally submitted a complaint on a company called XXXX XXXX. I was under the impression that my monthly payments towards XXXX XXXX was going to my student loans however, when I went to apply for my first credit card years ago - I noticed many negative ( late payments ) marks on my account. It was to my surprise that the payments I was making to XXXX XXXX weren't for my loan, but instead, for a service they offered that consisted of refinancing and monitoring my loan. After paying a few credit repair agencies I was thoroughly helped by one of them. We took a deep dive into why I had so many negative marks on my account, hindering my credit from going above a 600. At a granular level we were able to discover the pattern, my payments towards XXXX XXXX aligned with my late payments to FedLoan. I've given up on seeking justice and getting myself back to where I was before I found out about XXXX XXXX. I'm filing this complaint with the hope that someone will fight for me to get these items removed from my credit report. Kind Regards, XXXX
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 10034
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-29
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-30
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I have a federal consolidated student loan that is serviced by Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency dba FedLoan Servicing. The loan was consolidated in XXXX, but FedLoan Servicing maintains the consolidated loan as two loan sequences : a subsidized student loan and an unsubsidized student loan. I have been an XXXX XXXX service member in the United States XXXXXXXX since XX/XX/XXXX. I have remained on XXXX XXXX at all times since XX/XX/XXXX. Since XX/XX/XXXX, I have never requested for my loans to be placed in forbearance. However, FedLoan Servicing has placed my loans into forbearance on numerous occasions to process their own paperwork and for their own benefit. They have even retroactively applied forbearances to my account several years later to correct their own billing errors when I was in active repayment during that time period and both the Department of Defense and I were making payments towards my student loans. Every year of my XXXX XXXX service, I have filed a yearly certification form to determine my payment amount under an income-based repayment plan. Since the start of my XXXX service, I have been enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan. I am in the Revised Pay As You Earn plan. The Department of Education reviews my income on a yearly basis and determines my monthly repayment amount based on my previous year 's tax information. I have also been periodically submitting requests to certify the number of qualifying payments towards Public Service Loan Forgiveness. I submitted an Employment certification form as recently as XX/XX/XXXX. The Department of Defense has made three lump sum payments directly to my loan principal on the following dates : XX/XX/XXXX for {$15000.00}, XX/XX/XXXX for {$15000.00} and XX/XX/XXXX for {$15000.00}. I was incorrectly advised by FedLoan Servicing that when the Department of Defense made lump sum payments towards my loan principal, I was still required to make my monthly payments each month because their lump sum payment only counted as 1 payment for purposes of PSLF. I recently completed and submitted an Employment Certification form for PSLF XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ). I noticed that Page 4 reads : " You may also receive credit for qualifying payments if a lump sum payment is made on your behalf through a student loan repayment program administered by the U.S. Department of Defense ( DOD ).. if a lump sum payment is made on your behalf through a DOD student loan repayment program, the Department will give you credit for qualifying payments equal to the lesser of ( 1 ) the number of payments resulting after dividing the amount of the lump sum payment by the monthly payment amount you would have made under one of the qualifying repayment plans listed below, or ( 2 ) 12 payments. ". Based on the DoE explanation of these lump sum payments, as of XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I did not need to pay again for the next 12 months following a lump sum payment made to my loans by the Department of Defense. However, FedLoan Servicing incorrectly advised me that I was required to pay for everyone month because according to them the lump sum payment by the DOD only counted as 1 qualifying payment for PSLF. On XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( Complaint # XXXX ). In my complaint I stated : I would like a refund of all of the payments that I made in excess that I was not required to pay -- because they were already paid on my behalf by the DOD -- including specifically the payments made in... XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. FedLoan Servicing responded to my complaint and statedin partThe following payments covered by the lump sum payments from the DOD may be submitted by FLS to be refunded to you without decreasing your qualifying payment count : XX/XX/XXXX {$250.00}, XX/XX/XXXX {$250.00}, XX/XX/XXXX {$250.00}, XX/XX/XXXX {$250.00}, XX/XX/XXXX {$250.00}, XX/XX/XXXX {$250.00}, XX/XX/XXXX {$34.00}, XX/XX/XXXX {$270.00}, XX/XX/XXXX {$270.00}, XX/XX/XXXX {$270.00}, XX/XX/XXXX {$270.00}, XX/XX/XXXX {$270.00}, XX/XX/XXXX {$250.00}, XX/XX/XXXX {$6.00}, XX/XX/XXXX {$270.00}, XX/XX/XXXX for {$270.00} and XX/XX/XXXX for {$270.00}. These total {$4000.00}. These refunds will not be submitted without a borrower request. I already made a request to them through my original complaint to have my double payments refunded to me. I spoke to several representatives from FedLoan Servicing about this refund. Since I submitted Complaint # XXXX, numerous FedLoan Servicing employees stated that I needed to complete a Military Forbearance Request to receive my refund. I was not in forbearance during this time period because I was in active repayment and the DoD was also paying the loan on my behalf. I refuse to sign a document that says that my loans were in forbearance when they were not. This appears to be another deceptive tactic of PHEAA to prolong my repayment period and hinder my ability to qualify for PSLF. FedLoan Servicing Representatives also told me that when the company receives a DoD Lump Sum Payment, their internal policy is to apply the payment to the 12 proceeding monthsmonths that the Servicemember has already paidrather than apply the payments to the 12 following months. What this means is that FedLoan Servicing has implemented internal policies to charge twice every single U.S. Servicemember who receives a student-loan repayment benefit from the DoD who is also working towards qualifiying for PSLF. As I stated in my previous complaint, I would like my double payments to be refunded in the amount of {$4000.00}. I refuse to sign a document stating that I was in forbearance during this time period as a condition to receive this refund, because I was not in forbearance. I request that FedLoan Servicing stop manipulating federal policies and regulations designed to protect borrowers to their own financial benefit of prolonging borrower 's loan repayment. They have not only harmed me, but all Servicemembers who receive this kind benefit as part of their military service.
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 79912
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-29
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: FedLoan sent me a notice about applying for an In-School deferment. I have not applied for an in-school deferment. I want my Cares Act normal deferment period. I took no action with FedLoan to cause this notice/change from them. I tried to call FedLoan at XXXX and no one answers the phone, no live representative, just an automated system. I tried to email them and there is no way to send them an email online thru my account when logged in. I feel this is malicious, easily overlooked by borrowers, and needs to be investigated. It is very suspicious I can not contact them to correct this. I want to be sure ALL my IBR payments to date have applied and not been reset because of this.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 90069
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-29
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-29
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Can't temporarily delay making payments
Consumer Complaint: Had requested relief from student loan payments with AES ( American Education Services ) due to COVID ( my wife was not ale to work and our Household Income was reduced dramatically ) going back to XX/XX/XXXX Was on what i thought was the Federal Relief Program when legislation was passed along with the Stimulus Payments. Was told that I was eligible for a Forebearance and was on one fromXX/XX/XXXX throughXX/XX/XXXX Was sent letters about the Forebearance expiring but if I was still having difficulty making payments due to COVID to call and inquire about further assistance. Was told back in XXXX that I was not under the federal program since this loan did not qualify under the recently passed CARES Act but they would submit my request via phone to do a Natural Disaster Forbearance Extension which was the original plan fromXX/XX/XXXX I received a letter dated oXX/XX/XXXXthat I was no longer eligible regardless of COVID so I called back in to see what relief I could get since my wife was still unemployed. Was told again that they would submit a repayment plan option and see if that would work and received an email on XX/XX/XXXX about the COVID related Forebearance may be ending soon???. I called back in and they stated again that they would submit my request via phone. Shortly after I received notification that my credit score dropped 50 point sand was reported 60 days past due by AES. Called back in to AES and spoke with a rep about disputing the credit reporting as well as eligibility for a 90 extension as part of the COVID situation. Was told to keep checking the website over the next 7 days to see the status of the relief program and at one point saw that here was no payment due. Received a denial letter on XX/XX/XXXX about the credit dispute ad just received an email stating that I'm now more than 90 days past due and I still owe the current monthly payment. THERE IS NO CONSISTENCY AS TO WHAT YOU ARE BE BEING TOLD OVER THE PHONE AND THE SPOOTY ELECTRONIC COMMUNCIATION THEY POST ON THE SITE OTR SEND VIA EMAIL. My credit score has dropped over 100 points, My wife is still not back at work and I am having difficulty paying this monthly bill. Hopefully able to resume as things start getting back to normal and my wife resumes her business in the summer. Pleasehelpo
Company Response:
State: NC
Zip: 28409
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-05-07
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-29
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/27, AES began sending multiple emails in 1 day because the payment was late by 2 days. I've received 2 follow-up responses from Customer Relationship Analysts who I had repeatedly asked not to respond and that I only needed 1 email alerting me of the overdue amount. I'm being harassed by this company and am being treated unjustly, and my rights are being violated as a result. No agreement that says correspondence will occur because of delinquent payments is valid if it starts to encroach on breaking the law, which is exactly what this is doing. AES provokes these complaints. AES also records the conversations without my permission when I have told them on multiple occasions I do not consent to being recorded and that because Pennsylvania is a 2 party consent state, they are breaking the law. I'm going to have an attorney file a motion with the courts to subpoena all conversations that AES has kept on file where I have stated verbally that I do not wish to be recorded, yet they have defied that request and acknowledgement. AES is also unjustly delaying Student Loan Forgiveness for certain borrowers who meet the criteria in order to capitalize on interest charges to make a profit. This is a huge conflict of interest and is also considered fraud. The representatives who are tasked with responding to these complaints think they know what they are talking about, but they do not realize they are breaking the law or helping their Employer break the law. I intend to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that all of this is occurring, and quite frankly, I will do what is in my power to have the company shut down or salaries reduced, or terminations made possible due to this overstepping of power. XXXX XXXX should also be investigated for money laundering. If issues occur in a company that seems to benefit the overall company as a whole, it is usually always because the leader is profiting from this process, unjustly and immorally.
Company Response:
State: PA
Zip: 17522
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-29
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-28
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I submitted a public service loan forgiveness employment certification form to FedLoan on XX/XX/XXXX that certified my employment with the Federal government for the period of XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. I received notification that the process of confirming the eligibility of my employment would take approximately 30-90 days. I web-chatted with FedLoan a few weeks after submitting my form and was told that it had to be reviewed by " FSA. '' I contacted FedLoan via email on XX/XX/XXXX and was told that no updates could be provided concerning the review. I submitted another employment certification form on XX/XX/XXXX that certified my employment with the Federal government for the period of XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. Shortly thereafter, FedLoan updated my qualifying payment count to show months of XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX as counting, but payment months of XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX continue to show as " employment not certified. '' I contact FedLoan via email on XX/XX/XXXX to inquire about this and was provided no information or explanation. Thereafter, I wrote to the Department of Education 's FSA Office for assistance and they forwarded my inquiry to FedLoan. When I have spoken with FedLoan about the issue, they have pointed to the FSA Office and advised that no updates or timeframe for a resolution can be provided. As of now, it has been more than 90 days and this issue remains unresolved.
Company Response:
State: FL
Zip: 330XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-28
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Account status incorrect
Consumer Complaint: XXXX : In XXXX They reported that I was late although the dates reported I was not late. The year of XXXX I submitted documents proving I was on unemployment, and was willing to make a payment. However, they were not willing to accept anything less that the stated payment amount. Because of this they reported 8 late payments for all accounts ( 4 accounts total ). The reported late payments started at 60 days late on XX/XX/XXXX, but months prior to this I have on time payments. I would assume if someone was late it would start at 30 days at least. How is it possible to go from on time to 60 days late in the time span of a month? In the following year ( XXXX ) I received the National Emergency Forbearance Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, Although I was under the forbearance I still received a late payment in the month of XX/XX/XXXX for each account ( 4 accounts ). This is tremendously hurting my credit report, and hindering me from getting approved from things I need. Everything else on my credit report is reporting positively. FED Loans : On XX/XX/XXXX I received a late payment of 90 days late. However prior to then I was on time. in XXXX and XXXX of the same year all accounts were reporting deferred. This is immediately after the late payment I received. XXXX : In the month of XX/XX/XXXX I began receiving late payments, During this time I was in a Forbearance because I'd just graduated I was given a total of 5 late payments XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX. During the month of XX/XX/XXXX I received a late payment on my student loans. This late payment was listed in error because I was under The National Emergency Forbearance Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic. I have spoken with XXXX, XXXX, Fed Loans, and the credit Bureaus and neither of them removed the late payments. During my last correspondence I wrote a letter to all three credit bureaus and they stated that all the information was correct although it is not.
Company Response:
State: MO
Zip: 63114
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-28
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Can't temporarily delay making payments
Consumer Complaint: The covid hit. These were unsubsidized and subsidized loans. As well as Pheaa loans. I guess a bank bought the loans? I dont know but they are denying me covid relief from XX/XX/XXXX to the XXXX XXXX. I did not know a bank bought the student loans. Regardless they are student loans from AES. They are denying me covid relief on these loans. I owed {$18000.00} when my loans were original. 4 kids and two divorces later..i owe {$31000.00}. I am XXXX in XXXX. Please help. .
Company Response:
State: OH
Zip: 440XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-28
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I am seeking a manual payment review by my federal student loan servicer, Fedloan Servicing in order to qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. I have made this request over a year ago to Fedloan Servicing and they have not done so. 1. In XXXX, I borrowed federal student loans to finance my law school education. 2. In XX/XX/XXXX, I began employment for the State of New Jersey, a qualifying employer for the Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program ( PSLF ). 3. In XX/XX/XXXX, I consolidated 2 federal direct loans with the Department of Education for the purposes of applying for XXXX. 4. From XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX, I entered repayment status for those loans under an Income Based Repayment plan with XXXX XXXX. 5. During that time period, I continued to make timely payments under an Income Based Repayment plan and via electronic funds transfer. 6. From XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX, my loans were serviced by XXXX 7. During that time period, I continued to make timely payments under an Income Based Repayment plan via electronic funds transfer. 8. In XX/XX/XXXX, I created an account with Fedloan Servicing, and requested that my payment history from XXXX to XXXX to be sent to Fedloan Servicing from XXXXl for the purposes of PSLF. 9. Under Fedloan Servicing, I continued to make timely payments under Income Based repayment plans via electronic funds transfer. 10. To date, Fedloan Servicing considers every payment made with other loan servicers from XXXX to XXXX ineligible for PSLF, detailing that I was either not billed, or the payment was received outside the payment window. 11. On XX/XX/XXXX, I requested that Fedloan conduct a payment count of all prior payments I had made from XXXX to XXXX to review the determination that those payments were ineligible for PSLF. 12. As of XX/XX/XXXX, Fedloan has advised me that that request remains open and not yet completed. 13. On XX/XX/XXXX, I requested a manual review or accounting of all prior payments from XXXX to XXXX to again have the eligibility of those payments be reviewed for PSLF. 14. In XX/XX/XXXX, based upon Fedloan 's direction, to assist Fedloan in the manual review of prior payments which was still pending, I uploaded 230 pages of prior loan servicer records from XXXX reflecting timely student loan payments made from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX ; I also included bank records from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX reflecting those payments made. 15. The XX/XX/XXXX request for a manual review of payments remains incomplete to date. 16. I have remained employed by the State of New Jersey, and have most recently provided an employer certification reflecting the same covering XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. 17. It is my belief that all prior payments made from XXXX to XXXX were qualifying payments under the XXXX program. 18. Should they be counted as such, I would be eligible for XXXX this year, having made 120 payments. 19. Fedloan has only counted payments I made with Fedloan as eligible since XX/XX/XXXX, approximately 20 payments. 20. I am requesting assistance so that Fedloan completes a manual review of all payments made from XXXX to XXXX to determine whether those payments are qualifying payments for XXXX and that Fedloan considers my previously provided supporting documentation in that review.
Company Response:
State: NJ
Zip: 070XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2021-04-28
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I have contacted Fedloan Servicing repeatedly about my students loans as they are miscalculating my PSLF payments. I have spent hours on the phone and emailing, but I get contradictory information and they still refuse to answer basic questions or track my payments accurately. I worked for a qualifying employer from XXXX. I made payments on my loans during this time. I submitted an Employment Certification Form ( EFC ) twice to Fedloan Servicing. They lost the first form, and I had to speak to a manager to get them to look at the second form. At first, they claimed I consolidated in XXXX, so payments in XXXX wouldn't qualify. Now they claim I was not on an eligible repayment plan, but they can not tell me what plan I was on, and I was on a qualifying plan ( either income-based or standard ). I went to graduate school, graduated, and then worked for a qualifying employer from XXXXpresent. I want my prior payments counted by a high level supervisor like before. I want them to check to see what repayment plan I was on from XXXX. They were not my loan servicer then, which is probably why they are doing such a terrible job tracking payments and repayment information from that time, but that does not excuse robbing me of credit for four and a half years of payments.
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 78216
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2021-04-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A