GREAT LAKES

2018-08-11

Copper Center, AK

False statements or representation

Debt collection: Federal student loan debt

Attempted to collect wrong amount
Complaint: I paid a monthly amount to XXXX XXXX thinking it was going towards my student loan debt, unfortunately it wasnt. Every service they provided me I was already doing on my own, I honestly thought my low monthly payments was paying my student loans. The monthly payment was for their service, and Im really disappointed because i didnt call them or talk to them them and I still got got charged monthly service fees. I cancelled with XXXX XXXX, asked for a refund and would not give me it.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-08-10

Sugar Land, TX

Incorrect information on your report

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

Account information incorrect
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-08-10

Falls Church, VA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-08-10

Hinsdale, IL

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Private student loan

Don't agree with the fees charged
Complaint: STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS SCAM- I was contacted by a representative named XXXX XXXX XX/XX/2018 via phone from the company XXXX. He claimed that XXXX was a third party company that worked along side my student loan lender to help eliminate interest charges on my loan and to break down my payments into more affordable ones. He stated I was eligible to rid all interest accrued, make the first four payments $ XXXX/month, and I would then after only need to pay $ XXXX/month for the next 3 years until paid off. Every detail seemed very legit to me considering they had me sign a " contract '' with my social security number already on it ( which I never gave ) and a " forbearance form '' for them to give to my lender. Having little knowledge and experience with this type of situation I was taken advantage of. Luckily I started piecing it together. The day after my first payment was due ( due XX/XX/2018 ) I decided to do some research before the charge of {$110.00} completely went through on my credit card. I contacted my student loan lender ( XXXX ) XX/XX/2018 to see if they had been contacted by XXXX at all. It was then I was told that my student loan company NEVER uses third party companies to assist with any form of loan forgiveness and that they have their own means in assisting borrowers with such. I immediately thereafter contacted my bank to have the transaction flagged as fraud, closed that credit card account, and was issued a new one. I emailed XXXX XXXX from XXXX whom was the last person to email me that I had reported them as fraudulent and to no longer contact me. Now somehow as of XX/XX/2018 a charge of {$110.00} has been taken again by this company which I have had to report yet again with my bank. Somehow the withdrawal is dated as ( XX/XX/2018 ) in my account. Huge headache.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-08-09

Orange, MA

Incorrect information on your report

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

Information belongs to someone else
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-08-08

WA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: I am XXXX XXXX. I recently started making payments to repay on this useless student loan to improve my credit. Great Lakes isn't reporting the payments to the credit bureaus even though my loan doesn't need to be paid right now. ALSO, they are only applying my payments to INTEREST ONLY on my loan. I'm being scammed.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-08-08

OH

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Don't agree with the fees charged
Complaint: My Loan was taken from a Credit Union and XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in the XXXX 's and sold to XXXX XXXX. Eventually consolidated with XXXX XXXX XXXX. I received a call to fill out paperwork because I qualified for Loan Forgiveness. When I explained the paperwork asked me to consolidate the loan to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX not forgive the loan. The explanation was the loan has to be consolidated back to the original Lender/Holder to be forgiven so I went ahead. I never heard anything further then my loan was in default. I brought it out of default and have been told I do not qualify for forgiveness. Now the loan is continually sold to services without my consent and every time I am contacted by a new servicer the loan amount increases by thousands of dollars. There is some sort of predatory fraud and scam being committed. The loan amounts I borrowed in school were around 15,000 and My has added interest from around {$30000.00} to not over 55,000 in the last 2 years. Something is wrong.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-08-08

Arco, CA

Incorrect information on your report

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

Account status incorrect
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-08-07

Bellaire, TX

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: I believe Great Lakes is over calculating interest amounts in their favor and therefore overcharging all their account holders for student loans. I friend of mine discovered that Great Lakes was charging a XXXX over every month on his student loan so I decided to check my loans as well. One of my loans with Great Lakes was overcharged a XXXX as well. Overcharging XXXX XXXX on millions of loans could be occurring and I'm asking the Bureau to investigate. Below are my figures to back up my claim. Principal Balance : {$720.00} Interest Rate : 3.150 % Last payment : XX/XX/2018 Today 's date : XX/XX/2018 Days difference : 20 days My formula used ( Principal Balance * Interest Rate ) XXXX # of days = interest amount My formula with amounts : ( $ XXXX % ) /XXXX*XXXX = XXXX However, Great Lakes states my interest is {$1.00} which is XXXX XXXX over. Please open an investigation.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-08-07

Arlington, VA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: I contacted XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX with a request to change the way my prepayments are applied so that the full prepayment amount goes towards the highest interest rate loan instead of first being applied as a normal monthly payment XXXX first part of the payment is applied to the principal of all of the loans even though this is an excess payment ). This is causing me to pay more in interest than I would be paying if all of the excess payment went towards the highest interest loan. As stated in 34 CFR 682.209 ( b ) ( 2 ) ( ii ) I have the right opt out of having my prepayments applied as future installments ( see end for the link ). So far my prepayments have been applied to future installments to the point that I do not need to make a payment until 24 months in the future. At this point I would like to stop my prepayments from being applied as future installments and instead have my prepayments go 100 % towards the principal of the highest interest rate loan ( after fees and interest ). XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX has told me that it is impossible to opt out of having my prepayments applied as future installments despite being clearly stated in the Act. XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX has also not provided me with any documentation that shows that my prepayments have to be applied in this matter. The master promissory note that I signed does not mention anything about this. XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-08-06

Lutheran Lake, IN

Incorrect information on your report

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Account status incorrect
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-08-02

Lena, OH

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Private student loan

Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: Hello, This concerns XXXX and my loans with that company. I have been paying on them for years but went into grad school so have had them in deferment for a year. I tried to log in a few months ago and the website said that my login information didn't work, that there were changes being made and issues with the site, and to wait. I couldn't log in for weeks. I tried to log in yesterday and it looks like XXXX has been changed to XXXX. My log in information does not work, and my social security # is not recognized at all. I called ALL numbers provided on the site for assistance, and my loans are nowhere to be found and there is no history of me being a client/borrower by using both my social security number and my mom 's ( who originally it was under ), and both of our birth dates. I am extremely concerned that my loans are with another company accruing interest and penalties for late payments and i have received NO notifications from XXXX about this change or what to do. The last email I received from them was XX/XX/2017 when I requested a pin number for a password change. I'm not even sure if these loans are private or federal and if theyre from my XXXX XXXX University XXXX or my 1 year at XXXX University. Please help.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-08-01

Philadelphia, PA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: To whom it make concern, In XX/XX/XXXX I started my graduate student loans with FAFSA, then after graduation in XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email from Great Lakes informing me that they are the going to manage my loans and the first payment going to be on XX/XX/XXXX At that time I applied to repayment driven by income, and since then I was sending the required documents to Great leaks every year to decide my ability to repay the loan. According to my income and family size, my monthly due payment was {$0.00} till the beginning of XX/XX/XXXX At the beginning of XX/XX/XXXX Great lakes reviewed my renewal application with my supported documents, and decided to make my monthly payment {$23.00} I agreed and started paying this amount on time. In XX/XX/XXXX, I received a phone call from Great Lakes, the associate said, you parent student loan will do in XX/XX/XXXX and the due payment is {$100.00} ( I had a parent student loan for my son who was studying at XXXX XXXX, but he stopped and didnt complete his studying ). I explained to the customer service representative that I can not handle these two monthly payment, how am I going to pay this {$100.00} and Great Lakes just reviewed my income in the last two months and acknowledge that my ability according to my income and family size is {$23.00}, it is mean I have to pay ( {$23.00} + {$100.00} = {$120.00} ) this is too much for me! I want to pay and I dont want to default with my payments, but this is above my capacity. She suggested to consolidate all the loans, and if I will do that, the total payment ( For my loan and the parent student loan ) going to be approximately {$70.00}, and this will decrease the payment significantly from {$120.00} to about {$70.00} The representative instructed me to log on online and proceed with a consolidation application. I told her to give me some time, and let me talk to my son and I will make a decision. In May I contacted the Great Lakes and asked them about the consolidation which been recommended by Great Lake associate and the associate who talked to me over the phone agreed to the consolidation and how this can decrease/reduce my total payment to about {$70.00}, she added, keep in mind that you still need to pay the coming due payment {$100.00} in XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, then after completing the process of consolidation, the total payment for ( your loan and parents student loan ) to about {$70.00} ( This is going to be the best repayment plan ) I called Great Lakes another time in XX/XX/XXXX, to ask about some details and started the consolidation process. I applied for consolidation and in my application I chose to start the consolidation process in XX/XX/XXXX ( It was optional to choose the time to start the process ) In XX/XX/XXXX surprisingly I received emails from Great Lakes informing me that they approved my application for the consolidation, while I requested and instructed in my application to start in XX/XX/XXXX, but I considered its done and at the end it is going to be good for me as the total payment going to be around {$70.00} Unexpectedly, on XX/XX/XXXX I received an email from Great Lakes informing me that the due paying going to be on XX/XX/XXXX and the amount is {$320.00} I called Great lakes, explained all the details above, and told them that I did the consolidation according to the associate suggestion, and the entire goal was to reduce the payment from {$120.00} to {$70.00} The associate didnt help me to resolve the issue, she transferred me to a supervisor, and the supervisor informed me that she needs to hear the phone calls and then get back to me, it took a week till she called me back and said, I am not sure, I listened to the recorded phone calls but the voice is not clear and a little cut out especially when the conversation between you and the associate was about the {$70.00}, yes she recommended the consolidation but she just estimated the payment around {$70.00} I told her when someone estimating {$70.00} it may be {$60.00} or {$80.00} but not {$320.00} she suggested to me and I did the consolidation as a result for her advice. She said ; I cant help you with that, I will talk to my manager, and he will contacted you in 24 to 48 hours I told her yes, I want to escalate complain to a manager. I left her 6 voicemails asking her to call me back, and informing her that her manager didnt call me back. After a week of calling and leaving voicemail, I got a call from a manager who was not calling to listen to the situation, but to affirm that Great Lake will not be doing anything and will not be reversing the loan. I asked why didnt an underwriter see that my payments are going from {$120.00} to {$320.00} would be ok. And that no one checked my Debit to Income ratio to realize that I can not afford that payment. The manager didnt comment on that statement and kept saying that the company wont change anything, and he stated that this plan will take 20 % of my income. I told him you are setting me to default, because two months ago, Great Lakes evaluated my ability and decided {$23.00} is my maximum, how do you approved me for a consolidation put me on {$320.00} as a monthly payment, how did you do the calculations, which equation you used to put me on this plan! ( I understood from the conversation, that he is the loan officer/underwriter who did the process ) All his concern was that the representative didnt suggest to me the consolidation, or after lot of back and forth he said yes she did recommended a consolidation but not this type, another type. He told me that I can forbearance for 12 months, but there will be {$16.00} interest every day Here I am requesting a help to solve my issue with Great Lakes, as no way will I be able to make a payment that large. Please understand my situation. Im unable to make that payment nor am I able to afford a missed payment on my Credit history. I had my loans for graduate program, as I did my XXXX XXXX in XXXX, and I completed the program with XXXX XXXX out 4 and will not do this mistake, unless the two representative confirmed to me that this is the best solution and will help me reduce my monthly payment. My request is to put me where I can pay my student loan and the parent student loan according to my income just like what I had before, something around {$25.00} for my loans and {$25.00} for parent student loan, in the same time I want to file a maximum complain about that manager who insist to defend himself and his team even when he knew that his team advised me for this plan and he completed the process with 100 % know I am not going to be able paying this amount, and with all my requests and explanations, he insisted to keep me on this plan. Great Lakes ID : XXXX XXXX/XXXX Loan Account with U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ( XXXX ) XXXX Loan Account with U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ( XXXX ) XXXX/XXXX Loan Account with U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ( XXXX ) Sincerely, XXXX XXXX Cell # XXXX XXXX XXXX
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-07-31

Clementon, NJ

Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly

Debt collection: Federal student loan debt

Talked to a third-party about your debt
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-07-31

Los Indios, TX

Struggling to repay your loan

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan
Complaint: I connected with XXXX XXXX to assist with student loan payments, but have received an FTC notice and instructions on how to fill a complaint about their unfair and deceptive practices. I have since canceled the subscription to XXXX XXXX. I don't know where to proceed from here.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-07-30

Galena, OH

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Don't agree with the fees charged
Complaint: XXXX XXXX added additional fraudulent charges on to my account in XXXX. After I graduated from XXXX XXXX University, my total principal balance was only {$48000.00} ( Federal Perkins loan : {$1900.00} ( which should have been paid in full ), Direct Stafford Subsidized Loans : {$18000.00}, and Direct Stafford Unsubsidized Loans : {$28000.00} ) before I consolidated my loans. XXXX or XXXX XXXX added two dollar amounts of {$40000.00} and {$19000.00}. This increase my total principal balance to be {$140000.00}. My principal balance should have been {$84000.00}, instead of {$140000.00}. In addition, XXXX XXXX charged me {$190.00} to consolidate my loans, which is also illegal. The struggle to pay on this fraudulent balance has caused me emotional and physical stress. Great Lakes should have caught this error. I am requesting that you all forgive the whole total balance due to XXXX and XXXX XXXX 's fraudulent activity and Great Lakes ' failure to catch this error and correct the error. In addition, I was not in school during XXXX. I graduated from XXXX XXXX University in XXXX and did not attend XXXX XXXX University until XXXX. Please see the attached file for documentation.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-07-30

Clarkesville, GA

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Problem with customer service
Complaint: I called Great Lakes in XX/XX/XXXX about what paperwork would need to be filled out by me in order to proceed with the XXXX Loan Forgiveness for which I qualified for by working in 2 XXXX for 5 consecutive years XXXX XXXX and holding a XXXX XXXX. I filled out one packet for each XXXX XXXX as instructed and both boards signed the packets which were mailed in XX/XX/XXXX and sent via email and faxed. Great Lakes is now saying the need two additional applications, one for each XXXX worked within the same county backed by the same board and signed off by the same person before they can proceed with filing the forgiveness ( which takes 90 days to process and forever to hear back if there is an issue. ) The qualifying XXXX are : XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX county Ga XXXX ), and XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX county XXXX ). All XXXX in the state of Ga. I hold a XXXX in XXXX and XXXX in XXXX XXXX. I XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX, and XXXXXX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX for struggling XXXX XXXX. I am now enrolled in my XXXX program and quickly running out of funds to play their games.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-07-28

Taft, OH

Improper use of your report

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

Reporting company used your report improperly
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-07-27

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-07-27

Manhattan, NY

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are being handled
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-07-25

Coldstream, KY

Struggling to repay your loan

Student loan: Private student loan

Can't temporarily delay making payments
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-07-23

Indianapolis, IN

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Problem with customer service
Complaint: XXXX worth in student loan debt. I keep asking about the forbearance issue and they keep telling me they cant help me or dont know anything about it. Ive tried to talk to multiple people about my situation. The school my loans are through are closing and is being sued due to fraud and lying to students. I was told that i am capable of getting my loans discharged because of the school and not being able to use my degree or anything. Ive been requesting help and havent been getting any. Besides being told what i owe and how i would like to go about paying it
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-07-23

AL

Dealing with your lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: I started taking out loans to pay for my XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX. At the time, I was a XXXX XXXX XXXX. It wasn't until a friend told me about the XXXX Loan Forgiveness in spring XX/XX/XXXX that I knew that I even qualified for forgiveness. On XX/XX/XXXX, Great Lakes acknowledged receipt of my XXXX loan forgiveness application. While I received a {$5000.00} forgiveness payment on XX/XX/XXXX ( and am awaiting word on the other {$12000.00} ), I was never told by my loan company about either the XXXX Loan Forgiveness Program or the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. I can not even begin to calculate how much money I could have saved ( including thousands in interest ) if I had know about this program earlier. Now, I am having such a difficult time paying for the loan, that I need to go into forbearance for months at a time ( since XX/XX/XXXX ) due to the high payments.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-07-21

Taft, OH

Improper use of your report

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

Reporting company used your report improperly
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response

2018-07-21

Ft Wayne, IN

Incorrect information on your report

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Account status incorrect
Complaint: Great lakes student loans fraudulently took out loans in my name I was told they were grants and as long I passed my class I didn't repay anything the school has been shut down due to this happening to multiple ppl but they refuse to dismiss my loans I never took out. No other school even acknowledges their credits so they want me to give them free money for wasting my time at a fraudulent school no one in the country recognizes. I XXXX XXXX and was just trying to further my abilities in life.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Timely Response