Date Received: 2022-08-28
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Consumer Complaint: I am trying to get the loan forgiveness program. I qualify and was told by my servicer that even though I have consolidated with them I would have to consolidate with another agency who was solely assuming the loan forgiveness responsibility. In order to do that I would have to sign in to the Federal /student Aid website and transfer my loan. I forgot my password and was unable to answer the security questions to gain access. The loans were taken out back in placed with my servicer back in XXXX. I no longer have the e-mail address or phone number I used to open the account. I sent a letter to Financial Aid informing them of my situation in XXXX XXXX to date I have not received any correspondence back from them and time is running out for the Loan forgiveness program. I am trying to understand why only one agency is responsible for this consolidation. There are thousands of applicants seeking this relief. As mentioned previously I have already consolidated with my current provider. Why can't they perform the application for the loan forgiveness?
Company Response:
State: NJ
Zip: 080XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-28
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-26
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I have continuously been running into issues with Nelnet since the first time I received a bill while I was still completing courses ( around end of XXXX or beginning XXXX ). I informed them I was still in school and taking courses when they began hounding me. I had school officials contact Nelnet ; meanwhile Nelnet still continued fighting with me about repaying my loans. Again, I advised them that I am still completing courses, and that payments/sending bills should not occur until six-months following graduation. During my final semester, yet again, I am harassed by Nelnet while I am trying to complete my final semester in XXXX XXXX. Both myself and the University contacted Nelnet to square away issues, only temporarily ceased before the harassment began again. I completed a forbearance request to get them off my back, the six months grace period had not even begun I don't think. Then the Coronavirus Pandemic started, and I received documentation of the Government pause ( still in effect to date ), Nelnet still proceeded with billing and claimed I had private loans. I have explained several ways to Nelnet that all of my loans are Federal Student Loans, all completed within each college or university 's financial aid department or FAFSA. I have never elected for any private loans and never applied for anything contrary to US Government owned loans, I also have never refinanced any loans with a private lender or otherwise, so if this were to be the case there is some mistake, which needs correction. Over and over again I repeat this, and it falls on deaf ears! Please help me get to the bottom of correcting this, or I will have to seek legal action. Lastly, I must also add that I have had numerous setbacks since in school, ongoing thereafter. I have had several family members pass away within a relatively short period of time, plus my health has been failing and I have been unable to work and have been amassing growing medical debt for which I can only make minimum payments to cover, so my credit is everything. Although I can barely afford just the minimum payments, I pay all of my bills on time. What I do not need is false reports to credit bureaus reporting late or missed payments when I should note be getting billed ; not only is the payments and all interest still suspended until " now '' end of this year ( XX/XX/XXXX ), but I have also filed numerous forbearance requests and gotten approval through XX/XX/XXXX, so again, I do not understand the constant predatory harassment, conflicting statements, constant barrage of emails, phone calls, mailed correspondences etc ..... I am making no money, and I can not give money out of no money at all, and should what remaining credit I have be placed in jeopardy whereas I am left without any credit lines to pay for out-of-pocket medical expenses and dally needs, it will be further evident that Nelnets actions are in deliberate spite and carelessness with the intent to cause me the greatest amount of harm, including the inevitable, which without the means to even cover out-of-pocket expenses for medical needs and basic necessities, no one can survive ; it will be made clear that any false reporting of late, missed, delinquencies or defaults of any kind, which would hurt my creditworthiness when I have already been in contact with Nelnet to fix the errors they have and set the records straight with regards to the fact that I should only have Federal / U.S. Government owned student loans and nothing else to the contrary. Continuation of the same behavior repeatedly is blatant harassment and a threat to limit my lifespan or eliminate me altogether which will also not bring them any closer to making payments I am in no position of health to afford to do. I am essentially disabled and in need of round-the-clock care by my husband who is my XXXX XXXX XXXX Nelnet continuous harassment has caused and is continuing to cause me a great deal of mental distress, which is further aggravating numerous XXXX XXXX for which I am under the care of several doctors as well as specialists in various fields of medicine. I can not handle any of this, and I have made this abundantly clear to Nelnet on numerous occasions. As Nelnet continues to further jeopardize my health and well-being, I want it on the record, that as a result of all of this stress and harassment, I believe Nelnet is intentionally trying to harm me personally, and any further decline in the status/condition of my health, I directly blame Nelnet for causing, and therefore the impact for which has already been detrimental to me ( unsure to what extent this far ) I will be sure that someone assigns a value to my declining health throughout the period of time that this has begun and continues. Nelnet has been asked to stop calling me and only contact me via email or via Postal Mail. This they/Nelnet has also failed to comply with my written requests.
Company Response:
State: FL
Zip: XXXXX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-26
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-25
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: I have been paying on my loan for over 10 years now and don't see the balance go down. I can't get anyone on the phone to have my payments during the pandemic go interest free or get information about the recent {$10000.00} relief as I make under {$120000.00} a year and or {$250000.00} jointly.
Company Response:
State: NE
Zip: 68130
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-25
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan
Consumer Complaint: The collage I went to ( XXXX XXXX ) is no longer accredited nor did anybody receive their diploma. The loan has tacked on so much interest and the school is no longer. I feel that the whole loan should be forgiven due to the severity of it.
Company Response:
State: AZ
Zip: 856XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-25
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I took out Federal Student Loans to attend XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. I graduated in XXXX and consolidated my loans into a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan. The interest rate on my Federal Direct Consolidation Loan was fixed at 8.25 % and federal law prohibited the reconsolidation of the loan so I was permanently locked into an interest rate of 8.25 %. However, in XXXX or XXXX I began to receive solicitations from XXXX XXXX XXXX offering me a chance to reconsolidate into a FFEL loan and reduce my interest rate on my student loans. I ignored these solicitations for a long time because I was wary of changing my Federal Direct Student Loans into FFEL loans. But in XXXX I received a solicitation from XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) with XXXX XXXX XXXX warning me that my opportunity to lower my interest rate by reconsolidating into a FFEL loan was about to close. And, since I was desperate for any opportunity to lower my interest rate, I contacted XXXX at that time. XXXX offered me two incentive choices : ( 1 ) one would have reduced my interest rate by 1.625 % after 12 months of on time payments but if I was ever late thereafter on my loan payment, I would lose the incentive ; and ( 2 ) the other would only reduce my interest rate by 1 % and I would have to make 36 on time payments to qualify but once I had made 36 timely payments and obtained the incentive, I would not lose it, even if I made a late payment thereafter. Induced by the promised second incentive, which would only reduce my interest rate by 1 % and required me to make 36 timely payments to obtain it, I agreed to reconsolidate my Federal Direct Loan into a FFEL loan. I chose the second option because I preferred a secure reduction over an insecure reduction even if it took me longer to obtain and reduced my interest rate by a smaller amount. I knew the odds of never being even a day late on my payment over the course of 30 years were against me. My loans were initially serviced by XXXX. In time, I obtained the benefit, XXXX reduced my interest rate to 7.25 %. XXXX later attempted to remove the incentive after I was a day or so late on my monthly payment but, I protested vehemently until XXXX finally agreed to have the issue researched to determine the incentive conditions which had induced me to reconsolidate. I was then contacted by XXXX who said he was from the XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX explained that it would take some time to research my loan but assured me he would get back with me as soon as the research was completed. I did not think to get XXXX last name but, he gave me a phone number by which I could contact him. The phone number he gave me was XXXX XXXX. After a few weeks XXXX contacted me again and said he had determined that I was correct about the incentive terms I was offered and that once obtained, the incentive could not be removed for a late payment. XXXX restored my interest rate to 7.25 %. My loan was later transferred to Great Lakes and then in XXXX to Nelnet. Nelnet has been determined ever since to remove my incentive and return my interest rate to 8.25 %. Nelnet first claimed I had lost the incentive on or about XX/XX/XXXX due to an alleged late payment they discovered when they reviewed my account after it was transferred from Great Lakes. The point of their review of my account was probably to find some way to disqualify me from the incentive. After they claimed I was disqualified I contacted them and explained that I had already been through this with XXXX because XXXX also thought a late payment would disqualify my loans from the incentive but discovered otherwise after they finally agreed to have the issue researched. And that XXXX had sent me a letter confirming that the incentive could only be removed if I defaulted on my loans. Nelnet told me to send them the letter, and I did. Nelnet then sent me a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX which stated that they had reinstated my benefit ( s ) with modifications to the qualification criteria described therein, infra. The modification Nelnet stated was that to remain eligible before and after earning [ my ] borrower benefit ( s ) : Nelnet must receive payments no later than 15 days after [ my ] due date. I was shocked when Nelnet sent this letter because Nelnet had no authority to modify the terms of the promised incentive upon which, I had relied and been induced to reconsolidate my XXXX Loan into a FFEL loan. In XX/XX/XXXX, I apparently paid my loan a day later than the fifteen stated days allowed under their modified incentive terms, and I received a letter XX/XX/XXXX, stating that my loans had been disqualified and the incentive removed. I have repeatedly called them to resolve this dispute about the terms of my incentive and have it restored as promised but, my efforts have been to no avail. The last person I spoke to stated that he would send it over to their research department but, I never heard anymore from him or anyone else. At least he was nice to me and polite throughout our entire conversation. The woman I spoke to before him was extremely rude. When I told her XXXX had already determined that I could not be disqualified by making a late payment she said, Well, XXXX was wrong. '' I told her the terms of my incentive had been researched, and that the person who researched it and confirmed that once obtained it would not be lost by a late payment, told me that he had never seen one like mine before, And she became extremely rude and said she seen loans where the incentive, once obtained, was not lost by a late payment but mine was not one of them and she could tell this by the numbers on my loan. I guess it never occurred to her that what the researcher meant was that he had never seen one with those numbers that, once obtained, was not disqualified for a late payment. If I did not get the incentive terms I was promised, I was defrauded by the lender. If the lender gave the terms I was promised but Nelnet wont honor the promise, Nelnet is defrauding me. Since XXXX had my incentive researched by the XXXX XXXX XXXX and the XXXX XXXX XXXX confirmed that the terms of my incentive are exactly what I say I was promised, it is more likely that Nelnet is at fault. Nelnets refusal to take my claims seriously enough to confirm the terms of my incentive by having my original FFEL loan documents researched back to the date of consolidation makes me feel powerless and hopeless and ultimately, very depressed. I need my incentive restored immediately because I am about to reconsolidate my loan back into a Federal Direct Consolidation Loan. I hope to benefit from Bidens stated plan to increase and speed up forgiveness rates for borrowers enrolled in the income-based repayment plans by crediting the entire time period in which the loans have been in repayment regardless of whether the loan was enrolled in income-based repayment the entire time. My loans have been in repayment continuously since XXXX. Next year will be my XXXX year in repayment under one plan or another. I have been enrolled in the income=based repayment plan since XXXX or XXXX. If I am credited with the years my loans were in repayment before I entered income-based payment, I may be eligible for forgiveness next year.
Company Response:
State: GA
Zip: XXXXX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-25
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: On XX/XX/XXXX I received notification that I would be getting a refund from Great Lakes Borrower Services for my student loans that were discharged for XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. The amount refunded was {$21000.00}. Prior to this I was notified by Nelnet and the US Department of Education that I qualified for the XXXX discharge ( XX/XX/XXXX ). This was effective on XX/XX/XXXX. The letter states that " In addition, all payments on your loans received after XX/XX/XXXX, including payments collected through wage garnishment or Treasury offset, will be refunded. '' The second letter states " Your loan holder ( s ) will transfer your loan ( s ) and will return any loan payments that were received after your XXXX date to the person who made the payments. For this purpose, your XXXX date is the date SSA informed the Department that you were XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. '' In total from my statement from Great Lakes between XXXX - XXXX I made 14 payments totaling {$9300.00}. I've called Nelnet and Great Lakes several times only to be sent in circles. Nobody will give me information as to why my total payment amount was not refunded. Nelnet tells me I need to contact Great Lakes because they were the one to issue the refund and have my payment history. Great Lakes is saying they can't do anything because my loans were transferred to Nelnet. There is no proper documentation for the amounts I was refunded. When I received the refund I got several electronic transfers some for as low as {$7.00}. I never made a payment for that price. It doesn't make sense why my payments were not refunded and it seems like Great Lakes and Nelnet are just trying to ignore me. It frustrating and upsetting because yes my loans were forgiven but that money I paid is gone when it could have went to savings. Today I learned that Nelnet bought out Great Lakes yet they both seem to know nothing about my loan payments and refund. I really want to get my payments made refunded or at very least understand why I did not get the full refund. I would also like to know how my refund was calculated - why did I get a refund for {$7.00}.
Company Response:
State: FL
Zip: XXXXX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-25
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: XXXX reporting late pay for XXXX 2022 when the other XXXX XXXX are reporting on time. Correct this inaccuracy immediately. According to federal law, everything is supposed to be accurate on my report. Even the balance is incorrect. Update immediately.
Company Response:
State: NY
Zip: 10459
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-25
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: With the most recent press release from The Department of Education ( see attached ) which states that NO FEDERAL LOANS have had to pay during the XXXX freeze, I request a refund of all the payments on my XXXX loan that has been paid throughout the pause. I understand that XXXX loans were discontinued and some loans were serviced by the Department of Education while some are held by private servicers, however, these are still FEDERALLY BACKED loans, and considered Federal loans. Borrowers did not have a choice as to whether their XXXX loans were moved to the Department of Education or XXXX then Nelnet, therefore should not be punished by having to pay during this time while others did not.
Company Response:
State: NJ
Zip: 077XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-25
Issue: Written notification about debt
Subissue: Didn't receive notice of right to dispute
Consumer Complaint: The crux of my complaint relates to Firstmark Services failure to comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, specifically 623 [ 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ], subpart ( 7 ) ( A ) relating to the requirements of providing Notice to a Consumer of Negative Information reported to a credit agency. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a phone call from Firstmark Services, wherein Firstmark Services notified me, for the first time, that : ( 1 ) in XX/XX/XXXX, they purchased my student loan account from XXXX XXXX ; and ( 2 ) Firstmark sent my student loan account to collections because they had not received any payment on my account since XX/XX/XXXX. I explained to Firstmark that I did not understand why my account was sent to collections, when this was the first time I had learned that Firstmark owned my student loan account. I further explained to Firstmark that my XXXX XXXX student loan payments were automatically debited from my bank account every month for the past 11 years, and continued to be debited from my bank account through XX/XX/XXXX ( as evidenced through my bank statements ). On or about XX/XX/XXXX, I realized that XXXX XXXX had issued me a refund of some of the monthly payments that had previously been auto debited to them. I immediately contacted XXXX XXXX to inquire as to the reason this had occurred, and XXXX XXXX notified me that they had sold my loan. I asked XXXX XXXX how I could set up autopayment with the new owner of my loan, and XXXX XXXX informed me that the new owner of the loan was Nelnet, and they would be sending me written correspondence with instructions to set up payment with them. As such, during this phone call with XXXX XXXX, I provided XXXX XXXX with my updated mailing address. Despite the same, I learned yesterday ( XX/XX/XXXX ), for the first time, that Firstmark had my incorrect mailing address on file, which is likely the reason why I have never received any written correspondences, billing statements, etc. from Firstmark. Upon learning this, I immediately provided Firstmark with my correct mailing address and offered to pay Firstmark the amounts due on my student loan account. I also asked Firstmark to please remove the negative collection information from my credit report, since I have never received any written notice from Firstmark regarding my student loan account, in direct violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. However, Firstmark said that they could not remove my account from collections. When Firstmark acquired my loan from XXXX XXXX, I had never missed a single payment or made any late payment for this loan, during the entire approximate 11 years that XXXX XXXX owned my loan. My monthly payments were always timely auto debited from my account by XXXX XXXX. If I had received proper notice from Firstmark that they owned by student loan account, I would have set up auto payments with them as I have always done with all of my student loans. Furthermore, Firstmark Services is a division of Nelnet. Nelnet has been servicing many of my other student loans for many years, and as such, I have an account set up with Nelnet, wherein all my monthly payments are auto debited from my bank account. Nelnet has my correct mailing address and email address on file. There is no logical reason why Firstmark did not have my correct mailing address on file, when I updated my mailing address with XXXX XXXX, and Nelnet has my correct mailing address. In sum, Firstmark Services did not comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act has still not complied with the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( specifically, 623 [ 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2 ], subpart ( 7 ) ( A ) relating to negative information reported to the credit bureaus ), when it placed my student loan account in collections, since it has never provided me with any written notice regarding the same. Accordingly, this negative information should be removed from my credit reports.
Company Response:
State: FL
Zip: 33166
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-08-25
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2022-08-24
Issue: Improper use of your report
Subissue: Reporting company used your report improperly
Consumer Complaint: In Accordance with the fair credit reporting act XXXX account number XXXX Department of Education XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX has violated my rights. 15 U.S.C 1681 section 602 A. States I have the right to privacy. 15 U. S.C 1681 section 604 A section 2 : it also states a consumer reporting agency can not furnish a account without my written instructions.
Company Response:
State: TX
Zip: 76028
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2022-09-09
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A