Date Received: 2023-11-16
Issue: Problem with a company's investigation into an existing problem
Subissue: Difficulty submitting a dispute or getting information about a dispute over the phone
Consumer Complaint: I woke up this XXXX to my credit score on XXXX being dropped by XXXX XXXX when I clicked the notification bell to see what changed and I seen that in between XXXX all of the nelnet account balances increased and in between XXXX they took my deferments away. I called and the nelnet rep is stating that she doesnt know what went wrong. She sees my forbearance letter along with the deferments. Im writing in to get this matter resolved asap. I enrolled in my forbearance and idr in XXXX.
Company Response:
State: MI
Zip: 48228
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-11-16
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-11-16
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Subissue: Problem with your payment plan
Consumer Complaint: I applied for the SAVE plan on XXXX first through the studentaid.gov ( XXXX ) and was notified that my application had been processed through my loan servicer ( nelnet.com ) on XX/XX/XXXX. However, my account on Nelnet says that my SAVE application is still in process XXXX and a half months later. Please see the screenshots attached.
Company Response:
State: CO
Zip: 80524
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-11-16
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-11-15
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: I have tried to make payments towards my student loan through my servicer, Nelnet. The company is refusing to accept my payments and is continually charging interest to my account. On XX/XX/23 I attempted to make a payment for {$100.00} and they claim to have accepted the payment but they have not withdrawn the money from my bank account. I also tried to make a payment of {$230.00} on XX/XX/23 which they denied, and have since deleted from my transaction history. I am trying to make payments during school to offset the interest I am accruing but Nelnet is refusing.
Company Response:
State: MD
Zip: 21144
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-11-15
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-11-16
Issue: Improper use of your report
Subissue: Reporting company used your report improperly
Consumer Complaint: According to my consumer reports ( XXXX, XXXX and XXXX ) this financial institution furnished an account without disclosing opt out information to me. I have recently read the GRAMM-LEACH-BLILEY ACT under the Federal Trade Commission and they are failing to comply with the law. The GRAMM-LEACH-BLILEY ACT requires financial institutions companies that offer consumers financial products or services like loans, financial or investment advice, or insurance to explain their information-sharing practices to their customers and to safeguard sensitive data. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act seeks to protect consumer financial privacy. Its provisions limit when a " financial institution '' may disclose a consumer 's " nonpublic personal information '' to nonaffiliated third parties. The law covers a broad range of financial institutions, including many companies not traditionally considered to be financial institutions because they engage in certain " financial activities. '' Financial institutions must notify their customers about their information-sharing practices and tell consumers of their right to " opt-out '' if they don't want their information shared with certain nonaffiliated third parties. In addition, any entity that receives consumer financial information from a financial institution may be restricted in its reuse and redisclosure of that information. This financial institution has failed to disclose this information to me and knowingly and willfully withheld pertinent information regarding the disclosure of my information to affiliated and non-affiliated third parties, This financial institution knowingly, and willfully withheld information that explains how I the consumer can exercise that nondisclosure option. This is a violation of the GRAMM-LEACH_BLILEY ACT law and they should be held accountable for intentionally not giving customers the right to opt out of their disclosures..
Company Response:
State: SC
Zip: 29483
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-11-16
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-11-16
Issue: Written notification about debt
Subissue: Didn't receive enough information to verify debt
Consumer Complaint: I am writing to dispute the presence of inaccurate late payments on my credit report, as listed in the report provided by your bureau. I have carefully reviewed my credit report, and I have identified inconsistencies regarding late payments that I believe are erroneous and require correction. DEPT OF EDUCATIONXXXX XXXX XXXX Those payments were made on time. I am requesting that the late payment markings be updated to reflect my accurate payment history DEPT OF EDUCATION/XXXX XXXX XXXX Those payments were made on time. I am requesting that the late payment markings be updated to reflect my accurate payment history I have always been committed to maintaining a positive credit history, and I can confirm that all payments for the aforementioned account were made on time. I have maintained a responsible and timely payment history with the creditor, and there is no basis for the reported late payments on my credit report.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 92802
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2024-01-19
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-11-16
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: Nelnet is mishandling the resumption of my federal student loans. I have emailed them 3 separate times all with no reply. I have spoken with them and they claimed that they would fix the problem but it persists. My payment used to be 1 monthly debit, now it's 2 monthly debits and those monthly debits are not being correctly applied to loans in repayment. Some of the payment is being applied to a recently obtained loan that is in " in-school '' status/ NOT in repayment.
Company Response:
State: CA
Zip: 92037
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-11-16
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-11-15
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Received bad information about your loan
Consumer Complaint: First they have not honored the post graduation deferrment of 6 months. My daughter graduated on XX/XX/. Her deferrment should have lasted to XX/XX/. However they showed on their website that her first payments were due on XXXX. We went ahead and paid on XX/XX/. On XX/XX/, they are showing as delinquent. The amount delinquent does not correspond to any specific loan. Their system makes no sense at all, and the information is never correct on the website! The company is NELNET. Also you can never get anyone on the phone, I have been left on hold multiple times for over 3 hours!
Company Response:
State: NJ
Zip: 070XX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-11-15
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-11-15
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Subissue: Trouble with how payments are being handled
Consumer Complaint: In XX/XX/XXXX, I applied for my current Income-Driven Repayment plan for my student loans at Nelnet to be changed to the SAVE-type of repayment program that has recently come out from the Dept of Education. After sending in this application to change repayment schedules [ to the SAVE program of repayment ] in XXXX, I did not hear back from Nelnet concerning the application. On XXXX, I received an email [ see attached file ] stating that a payment of {$0.00} was due on my account, on the due date of XXXX XX/XX/XXXX. This made sense, as on both the regular Income-Driven Repayment program that I had, and on the new SAVE-type repayment plan I had applied for [ in XXXX ] but had not yet been approved for, my payment due in XXXX should have been {$0.00}, as I am currently unemployed and have {$0.00} monthly gross income. Erroneously, and without any further emails from Nelnet, my XXXX checking account was auto-charged by Nelnet, my student loan servicer, on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX for the amount of {$150.00} USD. Seeing this charge, I went online to my online Nelnet account to see why this payment was charged to my XXXX Account. I learned that [ again, erroneously ], all of my loan repayment plans had been switched to a regular/standard repayment plan without my knowledge. Normally changing the terms and type of repayment schedule requires a good deal of forms and agreeing to the new terms of the loan ; this was never done by me, and the Nelnet resolution XXXX, XXXX, stated he did not have any application to change my loan schedule and could not tell me how the repayment plan had been switched by them to a regular/standard repayment schedule where payments are regularly due each month, from the [ correct ] income-driven repayment program I was supposed to be on. This conversation was had after needing to wait for over XXXX hours and XXXX minutes on hold to reach someone from Nelnet by phone, on XX/XX/XXXX. I showed him the statement sent to me by Nelnet to my email, on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX showing I had an amount due of {$0.00} on XXXX. He agreed that the charge was an incorrect auto-debit, due to their system looking at old information on my account rather than the amount that was actually due [ and that {$0.00} was, if fact, the correct amount due ]. He placed my student loan account into administrative forbearance while the payment schedule issue was resolved [ which, I was told, could take a good deal of time ]. However, XXXX the Nelnet resolution specialist stated that due to understaffing issues and an enormous amount of erroneous payment claims and other problems with individuals being serviced by Nelnet, that it would be much faster to have a payment reversal performed by XXXXXXXX XXXX on the {$150.00} charge, rather than him submitting an application for Nelnet to credit the {$150.00} back my XXXXXXXX XXXX account. He stated that such an application for them to credit this charge back to me would take an indefinite period of time and indicated that it would likely be many months, before I got my money back. He further stated that Nelnet would not dispute the payment reversal if it was requested by me through XXXXXXXX XXXX Therefore, I am submitting this letter requesting that the charge of {$150.00} USD made on XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, be reversed and placed back into my account. Additionally, I placed a new application through Nelnet on this same date as calling Nelnet, on XX/XX/XXXX for all of my student loans to be placed on the SAVE repayment plan [ which has lower interest accruement per month than other loan repayment plans. ] I was told by XXXX, the Nelnet specialist that he saw and Nelnet had received this application, and that I only needed to complete an Income Self-Certification Letter yet, and Nelnet would have everything they needed to change my student loan repayment plan to the SAVE repayment plan. Nelnet sent me an email on this same date [ XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ] on how to fill out this fairly simple letter. I submitted the letter in the format asked of me in the email on that same day of XX/XX/XXXX. On XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, I logged into my student loan online account on Nelnet, to find that, rather than having my loan repayment schedule changed to the SAVE repayment plan I had requested and sent all requested documents for to Nelnet, Nelnet had instead switched most but not all, of my loans to the Pay As You Earn [ PAYE ] repayment plan, something I never requested but has a higher interest rate for XXXX XXXX, than the SAVE repayment plan. Additionally, some loans were left on the Standard Repayment schedule with higher interest, rather than being reverted to the income-driven repayment plan I had originally agreed to for these loans, or to the SAVE repayment Plan I had requested these loans be changed to. A brief search of XXXX has revealed a plethora of customers with student loans serviced by Nelnet with the same issues : very slow, XXXX hour wait times to speak to anyone from Nelnet, XXXX not responded to from Nelnet, and Nelnet ignoring XXXX not approving SAVE repayment plan applications. It is my belief that Nelnet is systematically and deliberately not approving or slow-rolling SAVE repayment plan applications or in my case, switching student loan repayments to other plans to try to gain greater interest payments from customers. This practice appears to be systematic, intentional, fraudulent, and predatory. Thank you for your time and attention to this issue. You may also be interested to know that a class-action lawsuit against Nelnet was brought in XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX for very similar practices, aimed at fraudulently gaining extra interest on loans by refusing to process documents and applications around income-driven repayment plans. Regards. XXXXXXXX XXXX statements showing the auto debit of {$150.00}, the statement email from Nelnet on XX/XX/XXXX stating I would be charged {$0.00} on XX/XX/XXXX, the email showing receipt of my second Nelnet application for the SAVE repayment plan on XX/XX/XXXX, the incorrectly switched loans to the Standard repayment plan, the incorrectly switched loans to the pay as you earn ( PAYE ) [ rather than SAVE ] repayment plan on XX/XX/XXXX, the email requesting the income self-certification letter and format from Nelnet on XX/XX/XXXX, and the dated upload of this income self-certification letter to complete my SAVE repayment program application, are all available upon request, however these documents necessarily contain personal information, names, account numbers, etc. Please contact me by phone or preferably email for copies of these supporting documents.
Company Response:
State: VA
Zip: 22310
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-11-15
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-11-15
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Account status incorrect
Consumer Complaint: I sent in a 1099C to the I.R.S. on XX/XX/2023 the debt was canceled and it was remove from my credit report and showing a XXXX balance and I received an email from XXXX informing me that balance is now XXXX. A month or so later I notice that the account was back on my credit report with the same balance.
Company Response:
State: IL
Zip: 60473
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-11-15
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A
Date Received: 2023-11-14
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Subissue: Account information incorrect
Consumer Complaint: I have filed several disputes with XXXX and XXXX regarding the Department of Education/NelNet inaccurately reporting my student loan that was forgiven via the Public Service Loan Forgiveness in XXXX of this year. I provided XXXX and XXXX with letters from XXXX and NelNet ( dated XX/XX/ and XX/XX/, respectively ) confirming the discharge of the student loan debit in its entirety and a " XXXX '' balance. The NelNet letter includes a line item showing payment in full in the amount of {$39000.00} made to clear the account on XXXX The same documentation was provided to XXXX and XXXX and the balances were updated to " XXXX '' with those credit bureaus. XXXX and XXXX state the Department of Education/NelNet continue to report the balance and have verified the balance is accurate. I submitted disputes to XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX XXXX and XX/XX/ and to XXXX on XXXX XXXX and XXXX regarding the balance being incorrect. I submitted multiple disputes just in case I mistakenly selected the wrong reason. I am submitting this complaint against XXXX and XXXX because XXXX and XXXX were able to update the balance correctly after reaching out to the loan servicer/provider. However, if it turns out the Department of Education and NelNet are giving out inaccurate information to select credit bureaus, I would like to file a complaint against them as well.
Company Response:
State: NC
Zip: XXXXX
Submitted Via: Web
Date Sent: 2023-11-14
Company Response to Consumer: Closed with explanation
Timely Response: Yes
Consumer Disputed: N/A