Date Received: 2020-12-31
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: In XX/XX/XXXX, my checking account was compromised. I had to change checking accounts. I updated the payment information in my Loan Service Provider, but they did not update my automatic payment. They tried to debit the previous checking account, and it failed. They apparently sent a letter I never received. After said letter, they stopped all communication. They stopped sending any kind of billing notice. I did not receive a bill either electronically nor in the mail for over 15 months. I checked in on my account after realizing I hadn't seen a bill or debit from my account in a very long time and learned they had not billed me, but continued to accrue interest. So not only did they not notify me that I had a balance and payment due, but they also did not attempt to debit the updated payment information. I went to pay off the loan, and when I tried to do so, it gave me a total to pay off less the interest from the current month ( {$150.00} ), so even if I went through and paid the amount suggested, it would still leave a balance owed on the account. I believe that I should have legally been notified of a balance due, of a payment due, but was not sent any notification of the matter from XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX. The company was American Education Services.
Company Response:
State: WA
Zip: 98029
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-12-31
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-12-31
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Don't agree with the fees charged
Consumer Complaint: To whom it may concern : I am writing to seek justification and clarity to a dated system that is in place to bury borrows in debt for life. The federal government currently system of re payment for student loans is one of the only entities that compounds interest daily and requires the borrower to repay all interest before paying down principal. In addition, the daily interest begins while a student is still in school while an individual is going through matriculation to attempt to improve their quality of life. I feel student loans should be handled similar to automobile and mortgage loans where additional money in surplus of monthly payment be applied to the principal.
Company Response:
State: TN
Zip: 38118
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-12-31
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-12-30
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Problem lowering your monthly payments
Consumer Complaint: Last year I was on an income based repayment plan that was {$97.00} a month. My wife has {$60000.00} in student loans and we have XXXX children as well as an additional family member living with us, my wife can not work and I am the only person bringing in an income. My income has not changed. I applied to recertify my IBR and they failed to review my spouses student loan debt even though she authorized them and I have proof. My full regular payment which I have been paying for the past two months- since my IBR expired is {$340.00}. I have proof of payments and a letter from AES stating so. So now they have proceeded to approve my XXXX for a payment of $ XXXX an amount that is HIGHER than the full payment. They have lied and said the full payment is $ XXXX even though I have all the supporting documentation that the full payment is {$340.00}. I have emailed them numerous times as well as requested a complete breakdown of their figures and they have not provided this. I have wasted 2 months going through this process. Why would they approve my for an IBR for a payment that is higher? Why would they put someone through that? I need a manager to tell me the truth- with the honest figures, and for them to stop lying. We are in a worldwide pandemic, and clearly I am applying for an IBR because I can not afford the full payment. It is incredibly uncaring that they would make me go through this.
Company Response:
State: WA
Zip: 98607
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-12-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-12-30
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Can't temporarily delay making payments
Consumer Complaint: From the months of XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX, I was transitioning from one position as a federal technician in the South Carolina XXXX XXXX XXXX to the South Carolina XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) program. Both positions were full time, however the transition took me from one program and placed me in another which also required me to relocate and work in a different area within the state. During the transition, there was quite a bit of training I had to complete. To begin, the most important being, the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX was required to become qualified as an XXXX instructor. I could not begin instructing students until I had successfully completed the course and also spent two months in training after I had completed the course. To further my use to the organization, I was also required to complete XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, and other online courses ( the aforementioned were resident courses ). While completing all of this training, I still had to work as a XXXX, in my previous position, to assist as I was not the only individual in my section who was transitioning to a new position. That sometimes led to 18 hour work days with no days off. The issue I am having is that FedLoan Servicing refuses to excuse missed payments from the period of XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX. After being made aware of the impact this made on my credit report ( XXXX points ), I contact them via phone. I explained to the representative what had taken place. She informed me that I would be granted forbearance and that the negative remarks/late payments would be removed under the SCRA. I asked her why I wasn't informed of that before I was in this situation and she stated she didn't know. I had previously spoken to one of their representatives prior to that conversation and spoke with her about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. When I spoke with her, she mentioned nothing about any protections under SCRA or what I should do in the situation I faced. After reviewing my credit report, I noticed why the score dropped over 120 points. FedLoan Servicing has an account opened for each loan. That is a total of 18 accounts being reported 90 days late. After speaking with them, I was informed that I should submit a document for forbearance. I did so, with attached military orders. The forbearance was approved for dates XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX. After the forbearance was approved, I thought the end result would be the same as I was promised when I spoke with the representative over the phone. I was under the impression that the 90 day late payment would be removed due to protections under the SCRA and the forbearance being granted. It did not. I then submitted the forbearance letter to the credit bureaus ( all three ) stating the forbearance was approved in which they removed the late payments, then placed them back. When I spoke with the bureaus, they stated that FedLoans updated the payment status back to 90 days late. Following this issue, I contact FedLoans again to discover what I could do regarding the issue. They then told me to submit a Direct Credit Dispute Form. I did so. Once reviewed, I received a response that my request for the credit dispute was denied. I then appealed their decision. That also came back denied.
Company Response:
State: SC
Zip: 291XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-12-30
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-12-29
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: Please see attached letter and statements for greater detail. In Summary : FedLoan Servicing failed to give me PSLF credit for qualifying payments made XXXX through XX/XX/2019, claiming I underpaid the XX/XX/2019 payment. However, the XX/XX/2019, statement showed the Current Payment Due as {$0.00}, the Total Due by XX/XX/2019 as {$0.00}, stating You previously made payments in excess of the amount that was due. Therefore, you currently do not have a payment due this month ( meaning XX/XX/2019 ). Your next payment is due on XX/XX/2019 for {$1100.00} { explanation added }. On XX/XX/2019, I made a payment in the amount of {$1100.00}, the amount which the XX/XX/2019, statement showed as being due. This payment was made within the fifteen ( 15 ) day window of the due date ( XX/XX/XXXX ) allowed for payments to qualify under the PSLF program. Therefore, this payment qualified as a qualifying payment under PSLF criteria. As further evidence that I did not underpay the XX/XX/2019 payment, none of the statements generated after that showed any past due amount. In fact, the XX/XX/2019, statement, which reflects the {$1100.00} payment made on that date, states : You previously made payments in excess of the amount that was due. Therefore, you currently have a reduced payment due this month. However, even though you currently do not have a payment due, we will still automatically extract your regular scheduled monthly payment and any additional amount you have requested. So, not only did fully pay the amount due in XX/XX/2019, I continued to OVERPAY this account. In addition to failing to give me credit for the XX/XX/2019 payment, FedLoan thereafter failed to give me credit for payments made in XXXX, XXXX, XXXX and XX/XX/2019, claiming that I had underpaid the XXXX payment which was incorrect. This is an ongoing problem with this loan servicer they continually attempt to deny credit for qualifying payments under PSLF.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 90403
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-12-29
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-12-27
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan
Consumer Complaint: Copy if most recent email to AES : I submitted my income verification via email to XXXX on the following dates and screenshots are attached. This should have been processed back in XX/XX/XXXX and it needs to be resolved with THOSE forms as I did exactly as I was asked to do. Covid also affected my income. I can afford to pay $ XXXXmonth. If that can be set up, I can start paying immediately. XX/XX/XXXX Received email for {$20.00} payment I made. XX/XX/XXXX Requested XXXX info. XX/XX/XXXX Received email with case #. XX/XX/XXXX Received email for {$20.00} payment I made. XX/XX/XXXX Received email for my XXXX requestto be mailed to me. XX/XX/XXXX Received email stating re-certificationof XXXX not received. Emailed AES stating the IRS site would not work for me to submit my income tax return. XXXX Signed & emailed the XXXX with income documentation forms. XX/XX/XXXX XXXX attached letter that was mailed with my forms. XX/XX/XXXX Emailed AES again with XXXX & income documentation forms. XX/XX/XXXX Email received saying XXXX forms not submitted. Replied that I already emailed my papers. XX/XX/XXXX Emailed AES XXXX forms. XX/XX/XXXX Received email stating forms not received. Replied that I sent them 2 previous times. XX/XX/XXXX Emailed AES XXXX forms & income documentation forms. XX/XX/XXXX Received email that forms were not received. Emailed AES that I sent the required forms AGAIN. XX/XX/XXXX Received email stating forms not received. Emailed AES XXXX forms again. XX/XX/XXXX Received email stating form not received. Emailed AES with XXXX forms again @ XXXX. Received email back at XXXX stating formsnot received. XX/XX/XXXX Re-mailed XXXX forms. XX/XX/XXXX Received email stating XXXX forms were received in mail but did not include income documentation. I replied that my income was included with my multiple previous emails ( see above ). XX/XX/XXXX Emailed AES again with XXXX forms, asking to reference previous emails with income documentation because I do not own a printer. XX/XX/XXXX Spoke with XXXX at XXXX - XXXX. He would submit a Natural Disaster extension for 3 months. Asked me tore-email forms. XX/XX/XXXX Emailed AES with attached forms again. Submitted IDRA application. XX/XX/XXXX Emailed AES again with all of this information. I have spent countless hours on email and phone trying to get this resolved since XX/XX/XXXX. I have done my part, over and over, trying to set up a payment plan. AES has continually said my income documentation nor XXXX were received, but ALL OF THEM were sent to XXXX and I have received replies to all the emails I sent there, except of course, the ones where I CLEARLY attached the required information.
Company Response:
State: CO
Zip: 80209
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-12-27
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-12-24
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Account status incorrect
Consumer Complaint: XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX, on Behalf of Themselves and All Others Similarly Situated, Plaintiffs, v. GREAT LAKES EDUCATIONAL LOAN SERVICES , INC., EQUIFAX INFORMATION SERVICES , LLC, TRANS UNION, LLC, EXPERIAN INFORMATION SOLUTIONS , INC. and VANTAGESCORE SOLUTIONS, LLC, Defendants. Case No. CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT ( I ) Violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. 1681, et seq. ( II ) Violations of the California Consumer Reporting Agencies Act, Cal. Civ. Code 1785.14 ( b ) ( III ) Violations of the California Consumer Reporting Agencies Act, Cal. Civ. Code 1785.25 ( a ) ( IV ) Violations of the California Unfair Competition Law, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code ************* ( The US Department of Education is continuing to report my student loans as derogatory on my credit report. As a a result of Presidential decree my loans are in CARES Act ADMINISTRATIVE forbearance through XX/XX/2020. However, they are neing reported as open and past due on XXXX. This resulted in my being denied housing during the pandemic by CRA XXXX use of an XXXX credit report. I ask that they immediately update this reporting. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or, CARES Act, was passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump on XX/XX/2020. I will be a member of the class action above.
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 75056
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-12-24
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-12-24
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: XX/XX/XXXX, my direct loans were transferred to Fed loan servicing after I applied for public service loan forgiveness. I have to make 120 qualifying payments and the rest will be forgiven. So far I have made 6 qualifying payments prior to the pandemic and when the pandemic started I was to have 26 additional qualifying payments added to my account towards loan forgiveness. I received an email that I needed to submit anther PSLF application from my employer to verify that I still qualified. When I log into my account to see what I needed to do, I saw a notification that I needed to consolidate my loans and then submit the new PSLF application from my employer. I was confused so I contacted Fed Loan servicing for assistance. The gentleman the took the call told me that I needed to complete those two things so that the payments could be applied due the COVID 19 pandemic. He also stated the changes will not cause me to start over. Fast forward to XX/XX/XXXX, I see an email that I have new correspondence. When I logged into my account, I saw that all of my qualifying payments disappeared and I was to start over from the beginning for making 120 payments when I was under the impression my 32 should still be there. I immediately called back to customer service to find out why this happened and the rep told that when the consolidation occurred, it wiped out all of my existing payments that were to be applied and it started over as a new loan. She asked me to give her a few moments to check some things only to tell me that there was nothing she could do to change it so I am filling a complaint to get this matter resolved. I feel that this is not fair to me that I am having to start over after being given inaccurate information. I would have never opted to consolidate my loans had I know it would wipe out my 32 qualifying payments towards the 120 needed. I am asking that you please help me get the payments back.
Company Response:
State: VA
Zip: 23323
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-12-24
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-12-23
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Don't agree with the fees charged
Consumer Complaint: In 2006, I applied for a student loan with AES totaling {$6000.00} and has paid {>= $1,000,000} on the loan ; however, the balance on the loan is {$12000.00}. The interest rate is excessive and can be classified as usuary in the U.S. This is a very suspicious company, as the official owner of the loan can not be identified, and the company is not accommodating as far as lowing interest rate, etc. Each year this loan keeps increasing instead of decreasing, as I have at one time made payments religiously without making a dent in the balance. Something needs to be done about this student loan lender. Pure highway robbery.
Company Response:
State: AL
Zip: 35124
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-12-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2020-12-22
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Problem with customer service
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/XXXX, I submitted a request for review of 12 payments that have been marked " ineligible '' and not counted towards my Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. However, the twelve ( 12 ) payments are eligible and I made the payments, but Fed Loan Servicing has continued to tell me that the payments are " under review '' for OVER A YEAR now. These payments were paid by myself, the borrower, toXX/XX/XXXXwhich is no longer in existance, so the records are with the Department of Education, and are from the following dates : XXXX through XXXX of XXXX ( 9 payments ), XXXX and XXXX of XXXX ( 2 payments ). One last payment from XX/XX/XXXX ( 1 payment ) was serviced and received by Fed Loan Servicing but they have not confirmed that because they explained they have to do " all of the payment reviews together. '' I should already be eligible to receive my public service loan forgiveness with these 12 eligible payments that they are not giving me credit for, nor even given an answer in OVER A YEAR. I am paying on a loan program that should have been forgiven by now, and I would like at least an answer instead of they are " still under review. '' I have called and spoken to several agents over the course of this year, and today I spoke with three separate agents, having to explain the situation each time. While they were courteous, they told me they could not help me and didn't have any further information. Nor am I able to actually speak with or contact the department of Fed Loan Servicing that is actually doing the " investigation '' and " review '' of my 12 payments that are under review.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 96080
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2020-12-22
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A