Date Received: 2018-07-23
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: Hi CFPB, I wanted to inform you of some of the misinformation and misreporting going on with XXXX XXXX XXXX and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Recently, I changed careers from working as a XXXX XXXX XXXX in North Carolina. I worked in NC for five consecutive years with no breaks in service. During this time, I paid on my student loans every single month, automatic withdrawal. So it was roughly 60 payments, give or take. However, when I submitted my documentation to validate my payments for the PSFL. I was told that I only had made 30 qualifying payments with no explanation. This is not true, and it is either intentionally deceitful, or gross negligence. This incorrect representation of my payments would cost me thousands of dollars. I have called 2 times and spoke to representatives who ensured me that my situation was under review and they had no other information. I also have emailed about my situation on 2 separate occasions with no response.
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 78704
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2018-07-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2018-07-23
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan
Consumer Complaint: Since the origination of this combined, consolidated student loan ( around XX/XX/XXXX ), I have paid almost ( or actually more than ) the entire original principal amount ( roughly {$50000.00} ). However, because of multiple problems and terrible financial circumstances I've had to navigate, including split up and divorce ( XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX), multiple financial crises affecting my wages and ability to pay ( XX/XX/XXXX crisis affecting my telecom employer, XX/XX/XXXX mortgage crisis, lost employment for 16 months after XX/XX/XXXX, two bankruptcies under Chapter XXXX, multiple foreclosure threats, etc ), I have only been able to manage sporadic payment while trying to make other ends meet. Consequently, AES and its collection agents have applied the strictest, sharpest terms they can use in the loan contracts not only to NOT credit the payments in any way that reduces the debt, but in fact have taken those payments ( exceeding {$50000.00} ) AND doubled the amount now claimed to over {$100000.00}. This means, they are demanding -- with the meter continually running -- triple the original principal ( what's been paid PLUS another double the original amount ). I have been writing, calling, and begging AES/PHEAA and its collection agents to help me make progress, including making an equitable adjustment to the claimed amount. They haven't budged -- ever. I have no resources to continue wrestling with AES/PHEAA. My letter writing to them has meant nothing, regardless of the fact that I sent another near {$10000.00} over the past roughly 16 months to establish good faith toward loan rehabilitation. Still, they haven't budged. They claim that we ( my ex-wife and I ) have failed to show " need '' at a level that would result in a rehabilitated loan without me having to pay over $ 2000/month ( i.e., the average {$700.00} I'd been sending for many months PLUS another $ 1000+ ). They're unsympathetic to the fact that my income, which would certainly warrant a vastly reduced rehabilitation payment, is all that I can use to pay -- the divorce decree requires me to pay the amount and, thus, even if my ex-wife 's resources ( we're both federal government employees with not other employment income ) were applied, I'd still have to pay the monthly rehabilitation payment, which I can not afford. AES/PHEAA, thus, stands by waiting for me to collapse, at which point, presumably, they'll go after my ex-wife who, in turn, will sue me into court per the divorce decree and I would then start all over asking the Judge to help me get fairness. Please help me. Please apply equitable and other consumer protection pressure to cause AES/PHEAA to give me an equitable adjustment to their claim, and a monthly payment I can reasonably afford that puts a final resolution of this debt on the horizon. I'm XXXX years old, recently lost both of my parents, have XXXX young children still being raised. I'm not able to win this fight without help and without fairness. Hopefully, your platform allows me to copy you on some of the correspondence so you have an adequate record to understand what is being sought. I pray you will help.
Company Response:
State: VA
Zip: 225XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2018-07-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2018-07-23
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I filed Bankruptcy Chapter XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX it was discharged on XX/XX/XXXX and My Student Loan was included. Havent been in school since XXXX. But it reappear in XXXX, just found copies of my discharge papers. Ask Department of Education to validation of charges and wet ink signatures did not provide.
Company Response:
State: MD
Zip: 20876
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2018-07-23
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2018-07-24
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: My daughter attended XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX for only 1 year in XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. In XX/XX/XXXX, she returned back to New York due to physical health issues and stress. She has not returned to the school and officially left in XX/XX/XXXX. During the process of enrollment, it was understood that her loan which should belong to her and accepted the responsibility for it is under my name and I'm a senior. I no longer need any more schooling since I have a XXXX In XXXX XXXX let alone one such as this one which costs more than I make a year. However, the estimates that XXXX are stating from XXXX are completely inaccurate and the information provided to them regarding Social Security numbers, birthdates, etc. are not correct and someone had been using my information to take out a loan to attend in XX/XX/XXXX for the Fall Semester when my daughter had not even returned to attend. I was also tricked by the school and XXXX into taking these loans for this school in which I was so robbed of XXXX dollars due to fraud committed by the school in regards to their housing situation which my daughter was almost homeless because of this. Since, then my credit has been getting damaged due to this loan which does not belong to me and prior to this my credit was fine and without issues. Now to even get in touch with these people are impossible since they don't really feel the need to help the people they are promptly ripping off with their outrageous loan estimates. Their customer service is the absolute worse and I've tried several times to get them to send me statements about what is owed, hard copy ones in the mail and I waited for a good month. Nothing! They don't send anything proving this debt or the extent of it for one. The other is when I called they had my SSI number attached to my daughter 's instead of hers which was a glaring error that led me to not only file a complaint with my New York State Attorney General, as well as seek legal counsel and contacted XXXX and XXXX to put my account on alert for fraud. I believe firmly that my personal information was misused to obtain these loans and get more money from the loan holder, XXXX. This company is a fraud and something has to be done about them because no matter what I try or do, they just won't cooperate. I report the fraud on the account and they continue to purpetrate it to the fullest extent which are similar tactics that XXXX XXXX XXXX did a decade ago before they got caught and had to pay restitution for it. They refuse to send statement in the mail ( and I don't mean emails ) I want hard copies, they refuse to help me in anyway and they don't care my well being. I want to get rid of this loan once and for all and most assuredly to another loan servicer that would most likely help me get out of it due to these legal issues. It is not right that a person of my age is in a position such as this and I do not deserve to be.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 11373
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2018-07-24
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2018-07-24
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: The is a follow up to complaint XXXX to be sent to XXXX for response. A recent federal government report stated that loan providers like XXXX XXXX provide borrowers with wrong advice. In my case, this misinformation has resulted to the following : 6 years worth of payments essentially being wasted. I was put into deferment during my XXXX XXXX XXXX and into forbearance after I completed my service, rather than taking the time to help them understand income-driven repayment. This has caused unnecessary fees and I pay more interest as a result. Can I trust your student loan servicer? I thought XXXX XXXX had the right answers. I had talked to them on several occasions in XXXX and XXXX about my PSLF and they told me I will pay the amount I had paid for XXXX or XXXX and not {$750.00}. I was told my told I will be notified to make the payment within 60 days. I was informed that I should not worry as my loan will not be reported as delinquent until after 90 days and by that time will have received the notification to pay the same amount I paid in XXXX for XXXX. Its not just on payments that I have been misled. XXXX XXXX have misinformed me on : Income-driven repayment Student loan processing errors Failure to help me understand my options when I came out of default Failure to help me understand Public Service Loan Forgiveness during my XXXX XXXX XXXX. Incorrect or insufficient information about eligibility, including types of qualifying loans Missed qualifying payments due to processing delays Problems with the job certification process resulting in miscounted payments XXXX XXXX can not say I talked to a customer service representative whos low on the totem pole. XXXX pointed out. This doesnt let XXXX XXXX off the hook. As the governments agents, XXXX XXXX serve the public and should make better efforts to provide accurate information, especially since they benefit from this arrangement.
Company Response:
State: DC
Zip: XXXXX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2018-07-24
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2018-07-22
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan
Consumer Complaint: I learned recently about the TEPSLF opportunity looking at the news. So I started researching this program and found out that it was temporary. This lead me to research the Public Service Loan Forgiveness ( PSLF ) program. After doing much research, I saw that in order to qualify for this program I had to be in an income-based repayment plan. I've taken a forbearnace for the last 3 years. Every year I called, the XXXX XXXX representatives NEVER informed me that instead of taking a forbearance that I actually could of entered into an income drive repayment plan and get a much lower monthly payment that would've been counted as a qualifying payment under the PSLF program. I am still having financial hardship and I have no other options as I have now exhausted my forbearance and I have no choice but to pay a very high monthly payment! I felt that the representatives I spoke to over the years did not have enough knowledge about repayment options and lack training. This really saddens me as now I can't go back in time and I'm stuck due to XXXX XXXX incompetent staff.
Company Response:
State: VA
Zip: 23320
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2018-07-22
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2018-07-22
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Account information incorrect
Consumer Complaint: I have a Federal student loan in which has been in forberance for years now and i was currently enrolled in this program due to lack of funds over the years. Now on XX/XX/2017 i was still enrolled in this program, Nevertheless this company XXXX reported me as 90 days late payment in which completely ruined my credit alltogether. And to make matters worse they're increasing my student loans by thousands of dollars it was orginally XXXX and now its changed to XXXX thats makes absotely no sense. XXXX increase in interest over a matter of months is unheard of and beyond me. I've on numerous occasion called and called and they even verified they had my wrong contact information and phone number, basically stating it was an company error, however they refuse to report the correct infotmation to the credit bureuas and have these late payments removed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Company Response:
State: NJ
Zip: 08854
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2018-07-22
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2018-07-21
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan
Consumer Complaint: ISSUE # 1 : After submitting a recertification for my income-driven repayment plan, I received an email from XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX stating the following : " We were not able to process your recertification request for your Income-Driven Repayment plan. A letter will be sent detailing the reasons that we could not approve your request and next steps if you think this information is incorrect. '' I never received any such letter detailing why my IDR recertification was denied given no change in annual income. I called customer service and the agent said not to worry because my payment would NOT CHANGE until XX/XX/XXXX. This was a lie. Today ( XX/XX/XXXX ) I received a direct-debit reminder for a significantly higher payment ( more than {$200.00} increase ). I speculate that XXXX may be using spousal income based on XXXX. However, not only do we plan on filing separately for the current year ( XXXX ), we also have a pre-nuptial agreement stating that my student loans are not community debt. ISSUE # 2 : I do not believe XXXX is counting eligible payments made to my previous loan servicer ( XXXX ) toward my public service loan forgiveness ( PSLF ). I have copies of bank statements showing payments made that are not being counted by XXXX even though they were made under an eligible repayment plan.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 91915
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2018-07-21
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2018-07-21
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I seldom use phone to contact them, but the few time I did, the agents were not that friendly. Very curt and were not open to explanation or clarification. I did speak with someone a month ago who was a little better. I am very tired of the inaccuracies in how they deal with the PSLF process. I also do not feel that I have been given the total information about process when I spoke with agents. My Employer Certification form has been submitted several times and the dates have been changed to make it more difficult for me. I feel like I am sending documents all the time. They change the dates and I feel that there is error in processing, and change in dates are a problem. I just sent them an email and I have not received a response as yet. I feel that they are giving incorrect information and I am sending in UN-necessary documents due to their error in processing. Sometimes they respond to my email in a timely manner, but not all the time. I prefer to send email as I have everything in writing. I just sent a frustrated email to them XX/XX/18.
Company Response:
State: MA
Zip: 02148
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2018-07-21
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2018-07-21
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: I have a loan with XXXX XXXX XXXX. I have always made my payments on time. For some reason I realized that there was a late payment on my credit report. As you can see, I have always had a stellar payment record with this company. I tried contacting both XXXX, XXXX, XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX with no successful resolution. XXXX, XXXX and XXXX were reporting me late. There was definitely an error on their part. I was never 30 days late XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/2016.
Company Response:
State: GA
Zip: 30294
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2018-07-21
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A