AES-PHEAA

2019-04-09

Brooklyn, NY

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: Dear CFPB, I'm part of the XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and think that XXXX might have miscalculated the number of qualified payments I've made so far. I've been paying back my loans since XX/XX/2017 regularly and am on the income-based payment plan. My loans were consolidated by XXXX, and my employers are certified non-profit organizations. And I recently received an email stating that I have made 2 qualified payments and that I have 118 payments left. Can you help me? Thank you!
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-09

Glendale, CO

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: I believe am fully eligible for PSLF, I have been with the same XXXX employer since XX/XX/XXXX and the program started XX/XX/XXXX AND I have been on income based repayment plans all this time too. I completed my application for PSLF in XX/XX/XXXX and I received a letter dated XX/XX/XXXX that states I am not fully eligible for discharge yet, and it is estimated that I will not be until XXXX. I am totally confused how I can be on income based repayment plans for the last 12 years and NOT be fully eligible for PSLF yet. I am also confused on how two of my loans originated on the same date but have two different dates for estimated eligibility dates. PLEASE any suggestions or assistance you can provide will be greatly appreciated!!!! I also sent proof of name change and that has not been fixed
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-09

Harsens Is, MI

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: I have been awaiting a manual recount of my number of eligible student loans payments for PSLF since XX/XX/XXXX. It was estimated that they are off by at least 9 payments and this significantly impacts my PSLF eligibility date.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-09

Fleetwood, NY

Struggling to repay your loan

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Problem lowering your monthly payments
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-09

OK

Attempts to collect debt not owed

Debt collection: Private student loan debt

Debt was paid
Complaint: On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a bill by US Mail for a student loan from AES XXXX and XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX MD XXXX. The bill alleged a last payment received date of XX/XX/XXXX, and an amount owed of {$540.00}. AES demanded payment of a minimum {$50.00}. All of my student loans were paid off over 14 years ago, on or near XX/XX/XXXX. I have received no communications regarding any student loans since that date from any student loan lender or service company. My loans have been 100 % paid in full for over 14 years. On XX/XX/XXXX, I called AES to attempt to correct their records and demand that they cease invoices for a loan that does not exist. I spoke first with Employee # XXXX, XXXX, who told me she could not help because this was a private loan and there were instructions in their records to direct inquiries to XXXX XXXX XXXX. XXXX directed me to call XXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) told me that XXXX XXXX XXXX had no record of a loan for me, and that this was an AES issue, referring me back to the general number for AES. I then called AES and spoke with XXXX # XXXX, who claimed she could not help me, and referred me to XXXX # XXXX, who referred me to XXXX # XXXX, who ultimately informed me that there had been a problem with AES collections recently, and that I had been billed in error. XXXX told me that the original lender was XXXX, never XXXX XXXX, and that apparently, some stale borrower lists had been sent recently to AES in error, and my notice was a mistake. XXXX also told me they'd had the same issue with many other erroneous letters and collections, based on flawed, stale lists. XXXX told me not to worry about it, that it would " work itself out '', and no further action was required by me. I asked for the XXXX contact number so I could verify that their records confirmed payment in full. My concern was that erroneous records and billing could result in filing of negative credit reports. XXXX gave me the number XXXX for XXXX, which I then called. XXXX looked up my account number, and informed me that their records did show a loan for that account number, but it had been paid in full on XX/XX/XXXX. This is the same date shown on the new bills from AES as " last payment received ''. XXXX advised me that this bill was clearly a mistake by AES, and the fact that I'd not received any bills since XX/XX/XXXX should be sufficient proof that it had been paid in full. XXXX also said it would " work itself out '', and I needed to do nothing further, but that it was clearly an AES problem, and that XXXX did not have anything to do with it. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a second bill from AES for payment on this loan. Two bills and collection attempts on the same alleged loan within 2 weeks, when I had already called to dispute, and been told " don't worry about it, no action needed ''. I called AES and spoke with XXXX # XXXX, who said that she could not answer any questions about the account. I explained the history on this matter, and requested immediate resolution. XXXX said she couldn't answer any questions, and " just answered the phone '', and wanted to transfer my call. After the literal hours I spent on XX/XX/XXXX, I was reluctant to be shoveled to yet another uninformed and unhelpful person. After several insistent requests as to where, exactly, she intended to transfer my call, XXXX told me she would be referring me to the " Student Loans Department '', which is odd, since the whole business purpose of AES is " student loans '', so when one calls the number on the " student loan '' bill, does one not reach anyone who deals with " student loans ''? I agreed to be transferred, and XXXX # XXXX took my call. XXXX told me that this alleged loan was a PHEAA loan, but then retracted that statement and agreed it appeared to be a XXXX loan. He alleged that payments were made on this loan as late as XX/XX/XXXX, which is false. XXXX also claimed that there is yet another loan with a balance due, however, as of this date, I have received no information on any additional loan. After a lengthy discussion in which I gave XXXX the recent details of the bills from AES, and my information I had gathered from all my calls, I requested that AES ( 1 ) cease collection on this nonexistent loan, ( 2 ) provide evidence that any debt is substantiated, ( 3 ) suspend all internal action while this matter is under dispute, and ( 4 ) suspend any further action, such as any credit reports, accrual of interest, or penalties during this period. To date, I have spent approximately 4 hours on the phone attempting to track down anyone who could competently address and resolve this ridiculous debt collection for alleged loans which have been paid in full for nearly 15 years. There are several recent court cases in which AES has been found to have poor and insufficient records, unsubstantiated debts, and collection practices in violation of federal law. It is beyond ridiculous that any consumer is put in the position of having to spend hours of valuable time to correct records on a 15 year old debt paid in full, and it is unconscionable that any financial institution has the power to wage a collection campaign and record false allegations of nonpayment without a court order. I request that the CFPB investigate my own issue, and, by extension, what, according to AES 's own employees ' statements to me, is a large scale case of a mistaken collection campaign. It is conceivable that, for certain small amounts like mine, AES is intentionally using scare tactics to collect on nonexistent loans from many people who, like me, can not or do not want to spend the time dredging up records, languishing on " hold '', and dealing with tens of layers of anonymous, internal bureaucracy. Additionally, I will want to know the statute of limitations on collection for a loan like this. It is, as Employee XXXX XXXX said, evidence enough that I had XXXX communications from any loan service since XX/XX/XXXX. AES is at best willfully ignorant and mismanaged, and at worst engaged in a large scale fraudulent collection practice, using their power as a financial institution to threaten individuals into paying amounts they do not owe, without any basis in fact or evidence. Because lending institutions have the power to impact credit reports without warning or meaningful citizen recourse, and thus all personal finances, the mere transmission of an erroneous bill is sufficiently threatening to constitute a violation of rights.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-08

Gloucester City, NJ

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-08

Mount Pleasant, SC

Struggling to repay your loan

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Can't temporarily delay making payments
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-04-08

Niverville, NY

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: Hello, I am enrolled in the PSLF program through IBR. I had to refinance my loans with XXXX XXXX to enroll in PSLF, which charges high interest but I was hoping would be worth it. I have moved and taken dramatic changes in salary, as has my spouse. XXXX XXXX has not provided with me information to make sustainable payments according to my income bracket, and I can not afford to pay at all. They have been unresponsive to contact, and I have been forced to defer payments for the last 10 months waiting for them. They seem to lose my documentation or keep telling me to resubmit it again and again, although I have many times. All the while, they charge me the interest and it accrues while waiting for them. I am not sure how anyone can afford to get a Masters degree at all. PSLF was the only hope I had.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-08

Mount Holly, OH

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: Following a previous CFPB complaint that I filed which disputed the amount of qualifying payments I had made toward PSLF forgiveness, XXXX XXXX, on XX/XX/XXXX sent me a letter with the corrected number of qualifying payments I had made toward PSLF forgiveness. The amount of qualifying payments I made was 59, through XX/XX/XXXX. I have made timely, qualifying, monthly payments toward my student loans every month following. On XX/XX/XXXX, I filed another annual employment certification to ensure XXXX XXXX was accurately tracking my qualifying payments. In the letter, I advised that I had made 14 payments between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX. When adding these 14 payments to the previously certified 59 payments, the total equates to 73 total payments. I requested XXXX XXXX notify me if this information was inaccurate. On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX sent me a PSLF payment tracker advising that I had made 67 payments toward my subsidized student loans and 68 payments toward my unsubsidized student loans ( rather than the correct 73 number for both ). On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted XXXX XXXX to explain the entire aforementioned situation to them. I was told that there was an error, as they had changed to a new software system. She advised that she would put in a recount request. On XX/XX/XXXX, I had not received any update from XXXX XXXX, so I then contacted them to get a status. The representative advised me that the status was still pending, over six months later. At this point, after already filing one CFPB complaint regarding XXXX XXXX 's inability to properly calculate my qualifying payments, I feel helplessly frustrated that CFPB does not follow its own admissions and conclusions regarding the correct number of qualifying payments that I have made. Additionally, a request to recount payments that is still pending over six months after being initiated is beyond egregious. In a converse hypothetical situation, how responsive would XXXX XXXX be if I had failed to make any payments for six months?
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-04-08

Hinkley, CA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Problem with customer service
Complaint: I transferred all of my student loans to XXXX in XXXX of last year to hopefully qualify for public service loan forgiveness. I had 5 years of employment verified to count towards loan forgiveness based on my employer certification form. My loans were all transferred and I began making payments to XXXX in XXXX of last year. At that time, my payment count began. In XXXX, I called to see if my payment count had been completed, it had not, they stated this could take up to 6 months. I called back in XXXX, and they " expedited '' my count, however, told me that counts were now taking up to 9 months. It has been a full calendar year, and my counts are still in process. I have now called back 6 times and been given no indication of when or if this process will be completed. The whole reason I transferred my loans was to hopefully qualify for XXXX and it looks like myfedloans has no intention of allowing me to do this while making money off the interest accruing on my loans.
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-08

Milton, PA

Incorrect information on your report

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Old information reappears or never goes away
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-08

Indianapolis, IN

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-04-08

Mequon, WI

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-08

San Francisco, CA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: I have been a participant in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program since 2010. It is my understanding that my federal loans were recently transferred from XXXX to FedLoan Servicing. However, FedLoan Servicing never contacted me with details about this change or how I was to make payments. On XX/XX/XXXX, the day that my student loan was normally due, I received a notice from them that my loan had been transferred to them and to wait to hear from them. I went on the XXXX website to make my monthly student loan payment nevertheless, having not been provided with any alternative payment instructions. XXXX declined to accept my payment and only told me to wait for FedLoan Servicing to contact me. Nevertheless, despite several attempts on my part to reach them to make my payments, FedLoan Servicing has not responded to any of my attempts. I am extremely concerned that not only will this negatively impact my credit in the immediate timeframe, but it is also having a cascading and deleterious effect on the promised discharge of my student loans. In particular, I am concerned that by ignoring my attempts to reach them, FedLoan Servicing is adding late fees and interest to my balance, and extending the number of payments I must make to them before I will be eligible for forgiveness and discharge of my student loans. Would you please help me figure out why they are ignoring my attempts to reach them so I can make my payments? In addition, would you please help me make sure that they do not adversely penalize my account? Even throughout the government shutdown when I was not getting paid, I continued to put aside money to make my student loan payments. I would like for FedLoan to honor my payment arrangements with the Department of Education, accept my payments from the last five months, apply them as timely monthly payments made from XXXX - XXXX, and not charge me late fees or additional interest that would not have accrued had they been responsive. Moreover, I recently had my first baby on XX/XX/XXXX and I can not even reach FedLoan Servicing to adjust my income- based repayment now that my tax situation has changed. Having a newborn baby is stressful enough without FedLoan Servicing adding this completely unnecessary financial stress to our lives. I have attached the correspondence I sent to them. I sent the letter by fax on XX/XX/XXXX, and by certified mail on XX/XX/XXXX. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you so much. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX # XXXX XXXX XXXX, CA XXXX
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-04-07

Key Biscayne, FL

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-07

So Effingham, NH

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-07

Fargo, ND

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Problem with customer service
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-07

San Francisco, CA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Problem with customer service
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-07

Little Rock, AR

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-07

San Francisco, NM

Incorrect information on your report

Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting

Old information reappears or never goes away
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-07

Hamburg, MN

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: I am enrolled in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and currently under an income-based repayment plan. In calculating my eligible payments for PSLF, XXXX is not counting payments that I made prior to being enrolled in PSLF when I was not enrolled in an income-based repayment plan. However, the payments I made prior to being enrolled in income-based repayment plans required much higher monthly payments than my monthly income-based repayments ( sometimes triple the cost ). I have contacted XXXX multiple times, including on XX/XX/2018, XX/XX/2018, and XX/XX/2018. XXXX has been unable to explain to me why these high payments would not count as eligible payments, despite the fact I was not enrolled in income-based based on the advice of my prior loan servicer, XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ). I have my federal tax forms from every year to prove that my calculated income-based payments would have been significantly lower than the repayment plan I was enrolled with at the time. Furthermore, I have contacted XXXX a year ago ( XX/XX/2018 ) to request that my payments be reviewed in more detail, and this has still not been done.
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-04-07

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Problem with customer service
Complaint: XXXX XXXX XXXX website is currently indicating that it is down for " scheduled maintenance, '' and has apparently been like this for roughly 7 days. Furthermore, their " contact us '' section of the website is hidden behind the " scheduled maintenance '' page as well, making it difficult to contact the company to address the situation ( unless you already have their contact information ). This is delaying my access to tax documents and making it so I am unable to see the status of my monthly payment.
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response

2019-04-07

Federal Way, WA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: I received an email saying that I had until XX/XX/XXXX to submit my loan payment for the month. When I attempted to log in, I got a " Site under maintenance '' page. No biggie, I work in software so I waited a few hours and tried again. Same page. I looked online and found a twitter post from XXXX ( @ XXXX ) on XX/XX/XXXX, stating : " We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with our mobile application. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and we will notify you when this is resolved. '' Only it's not isolated to the mobile application. I can't access the customer support information from the site, I can't repay my loan from the site. And I'm not aware of any other ways that I can make a payment. There are tweets in the thread spanning from XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX, with people complaining that they're unable to log in. I can't access the contact information for the company either, because when I click " Contact Us '' on the main page, it says " Site under maintenance ''. I looked at their online terms of service, and there's a clause that states they aren't responsible for inability to access repayment portals even if they are the ones that caused it. Snippet from the Warranties Disclaimer from PHEAA 's Online Services Terms of Use " YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE TO USE ONLINE SERVICE AND ANY MATERIALS OR INFORMATION PROVIDED BY PHEAA ( INCLUDING THIRD PARTY INFORMATION, PRODUCTS, AND CONTENT ) AT YOUR SOLE RISK AND THAT PHEAA CAN NOT GUARANTEE AND DOES NOT WARRANT THAT YOUR ACCESSS WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR FREE OR THAT THE INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE FROM ONLINE SERVICES WILL BE FREE OF COMPUTER VIRUSES ''
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-07

Indianapolis, IN

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Problem with customer service
Complaint: I am attempting to log in to their website to retrieve my tax documents for the year XXXX. The website and their XXXX app has been offline since XX/XX/XXXX according to them. I attempted to contact customer service but their phone number is out of service. I am also unable to log in which means I will not be able to pay the loan if the website shutdown continues. I attempted contact through their official XXXX webpage and was informed they are having technical difficulties but had no further information on this matter. I will be unable to submit accurate tax information for the year XXXX due to how they are handling their technical difficulties. According to them, there website and methods of contact have been shut down for 1 week as of XX/XX/XXXX. They are currently not helping or assisting their customers who have no choice but to use them due to how the Department of Education is contracting with them. Contact between their XXXX Page representative and myself : XXXX XXXX How long is the scheduled maintenance scheduled for? I can not find any information and need my tax documentation.. Doesn't look like this information has been posted anywhere. XXXX XXXX Hi ******, sorry for the frustration. Our tech team is currently working to have this resolved as soon as possible. Are you able to provide your user name for further trouble shooting? XXXX XXXX My username is ****** XXXX XXXX Great. Thanks so much for this info ****** and we will try to resolve this as quickly as possible. Thank you Link to the XXXX Page : https : XXXX Link to XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2019-04-07

Blountsville, IN

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Company Response: Closed with non-monetary relief

Timely Response