GREAT LAKES
Consumer Complaints
There are over 1568 complaints on file for GREAT LAKES. Dated between 2019-12-12 and 2012-03-26.
Complaints Page 19
2018-06-25
Mascotte, FL
Attempts to collect debt not owed
Debt collection: Federal student loan debt
Debt was result of identity theft
Complaint: XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ; I refused to pay for what seem to be like fraudulent activities. I am requesting validation, made pursuant to the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and the Fair Credit Reporting Act, along with the corresponding local state laws. Please note that I am requesting " validation '' ; that is competent evidence bearing my signature, showing that I have ( or ever had ) some contractual obligation to pay you. They can not provide me with any original paper work, signatures or ID copies.
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2018-06-25
Downey, CA
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Don't agree with the fees charged
Complaint: Good afternoon, This is in regards to the fees from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX University from the Spring and Fall of XX/XX/XXXX which I did not attend.
In Fall of XX/XX/XXXX I transferred from XXXX to XXXX. It was my first time attending a private college and I was working full-time.
Unfortunately, I was working as a XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and the XXXX was going through a high turn-over and was under new management. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX were unable to work with my school schedule and I had to drop out mid-fall semester XX/XX/XXXX. I never returned to XXXX.
However , XXXX XXXX and I had email correspondence prior to the beginning of Spring XX/XX/XXXX Semester in hopes of returning. I had added courses in that attempt. XXXX XXXX advised me that I would not be able to attend the classes I selected because I did not have the prerequisites ( XXXX courses ). I followed up with a phone call at the time as well. I was then unable to drop these classes that I could not take because there was a hold with the health clinic due to vaccinations of the XXXX shots. I did not have the money to pay for these vaccinations.
I am now in XXXX dollar debt because of this situation.
I called several staff members of the XXXX system asking for help to clear this. Some replied others never did. I was able to get a female advisor in financial aid to assist me somewhat. I was told that I needed to come up with proof in order to remove these fees from my XXXX record/credit. The proof was that I show XXXX that I notified someone of my work changes in schedule.
I have spent the last three years trying to resolve this. I have sent them countless emails to advice they are charging me for classes I never attended and that I could not drop these classes due to the holds on my records.
I am unable to access emails from XXXX XXXX and other professors discussing the fact that I will not be attending and emails from XXXX XXXX XXXX on campus stating I had a hold on my records. These emails were erased from my XXXX email account as time goes by.
XXXX XXXX has helped me but Great Lakes is stating that I owe XXXX approximately XXXX dollars.
I did not attend Spring XX/XX/XXXX. I do not understand why the teachers would continue to bill if I was not there for the first day of class as I was told that I did not have the prerequisites per XXXX XXXX.
I have forwarded you all the emails I could find on my personal email account to support what I am saying. Please help me.
Thank you for your time.
XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX regards, XXXX XXXX
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2018-06-25
Mascotte, FL
Attempts to collect debt not owed
Debt collection: Federal student loan debt
Debt was result of identity theft
Complaint: It seem ike Great Lakes Higher Education violated The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act 809. Validation of debts [ 15 USC 1692g ] by not provide me with name and address of the original creditor.
The FDCPA, specifically, subsection 809 which reads : 809. Validation of debts [ 15 USC 1692g ] ( a ) Within five days after the initial communication with a consumer in connection with the collection of any debt, a debt collector shall, unless the following information is contained in the initial communication or the consumer has paid the debt, send the consumer a written notice containing ( 1 ) the amount of the debt ; ( 2 ) ( 2 ) the name of the creditor to whom the debt is owed ; ( 3 ) ( 3 ) a statement that unless the consumer, within thirty days after receipt of the notice, disputes the validity of the debt, or any portion thereof, the debt will be assumed to be valid by the debt collector ; ( 4 ) ( 4 ) a statement that if the consumer notifies the debt collector in writing within the thirty-day period that the debt, or any portion thereof, is disputed, the debt collector will obtain verification of the debt or a copy of a judgment against the consumer and a copy of such verification or judgment will be mailed to the consumer by the debt collector ; and ( 5 ) a statement that, upon the consumer 's written request within the thirty-day period, the debt collector will provide the consumer with the name and address of the original creditor, if different from the current creditor.
It seem like Great Lakes Higher Education is trying to use any false, deceptive, or misleading representation or means in connection with the collection of any debt. Great Lakes Higher Education claim that I own them money. They have not seem any proof or validation this debt. They have not given me the address and name of the original. They are putting false information on my credit report. I really believe that XXXX being discriminated against me because I'm a XXXX male.
I am asking Great Lakes Higher Education have you seen the original promissory note? What name and address of the original creditor?
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2018-06-24
East Detroit, MI
Problem with a credit reporting company's investigation into an existing problem
Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports: Credit reporting
Their investigation did not fix an error on your report
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2018-06-23
Leeton, UT
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: All of my original loans for XXXX school were obtained under the FFEL loan program. When completing my XXXX XXXX, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program became available. I began repayment in XX/XX/XXXX under the impression from Great Lakes that I would qualify for PSLF, so I make career plans to work in XXXX in an academic setting, balancing the lower pay with the opportunity for forgiveness. I contacted Great Lakes annually for Income Based Repayment ( which then became Income Driven Repayment ) qualification, a requirement for loan forgiveness, each year confirming that my loans would qualify for PSLF and I received confirmation each year from Great Lakes that my loans would qualify. Unknown to me, the federal requirements for PSLF changed in XX/XX/XXXX to require all loans to be Direct and serviced by XXXX XXXX. Had Great Lakes let me know I would have consolidated my loans in XX/XX/XXXX and completed payments. Instead, working under the impression given me by Great Lakes that my loan payments qualified for PSLF, I continued making monthly payments. This spring I checked in again with Great Lakes knowing my 120 payments would be complete soon after 10 years of payments. For the first time in 9 years of yearly checking with Great Lakes I was informed that none of my loans qualify and I am left having made minimal payments on my loans under Income Driven Repayment, accruing increased interest and leaving me with 6 more years of loan repayment, and no hope of loan forgiveness. I love my job but my financial plans are turned upside down because of the repeated and consistently bad advice I received from Great Lakes. I have no way to know if the bad advice I received was intentional or simply benign neglect, but there is no doubt that Great Lakes received more income due to my intelligibility for forgiveness than if they had give me the information i needed to stay on track for forgiveness. I now have {$100000.00} in remaining payments that I never expected to pay.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2018-06-22
Blackbird, DE
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: I made a payment of {$720.00} on XX/XX/2018, 3 days after I made my required monthly payment of {$240.00}, and requested the payment specifically be allocated solely to loan XXXX to pay it off. Instead, Great Lakes allocated the payment across XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX. This is the second time that Great Lakes has ignored my allocation request.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2018-06-21
New Albany, OH
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
2018-06-21
Dayton, OH
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
2018-06-21
Brooklyn, NY
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: I went to XXXX XXXX at XXXX in XXXX and XXXX school year. Graduation was in XX/XX/XXXX. I took out 6 loans via XXXX. They were 2 Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loans 2 Federal Subsidized Stafford Loans 1 Fed Direct Grad PLUS Loan For roughly $ 55K total The loan rates varied between 6.5 % -8.5 % - which I was told would be able to be refinanced as they were too high and that was not true.
After school, those loans were sold to different companies, all of whom I had to chase down to figure our where/how to pay my bill. The different companies were XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Over time, I paid of 2 of the loans as well as paying monthly payments.
I think that's all and then I was contacted by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( which no longer exists ) and swindled into consolidating into 1 loan - they said it would lower interest and put me on a PAYE to lower payments as I was struggling living in XXXX trying to make them. Unfortunately, that was also not true, my percent is 7.75 % ( 7.5 % with auto-pay ) and while I have a PAYE, my balance continues to grow and is now 41 % HIGHER than I borrowed. It feels like a black hole.
I have repeatedly asked for a way to lower the interest rates and I have been told that only an act of Congress could do that. Additionally I have verbally and in writing ( via their website ) requested that payments could be applied to the principal. They said no, only when interest is done, later they contradicted by saying that if I paid more than the minimum payment, I could direct that to be applied to principal. I just submitted an excess payment and specified that it should be applied to a loan section with less interest and a lower amount and they refused to do so, holding it as " pending '' until the next billing cycle and then not applying it where I specified. I am infuriated and fed up with being taken advantage of.
I have asked for a copy of my Master Promissory Note, my servicer told me I had to go to the studentloans.gov site to find that - there is no record of it there, when I emailed to ask where it was the studentloans.gov site told me I had to ask my provider for that. It seems no one can produce my Master Promissory note. I have also asked for a complete record of my accounts what I have paid who as I am trying to determine what I have actually already paid as my balance NEVER GOES DOWN. Please advise.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2018-06-19
Harsens Is, MI
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Trouble with how payments are being handled
Complaint: " My Great Lakes '' is a federal student loan servicer who services my student loans. I am trying to apply an extra payment to pay-in-full one of my student loans at 6.55 % interest rate ( payment made XX/XX/XXXX, received XX/XX/XXXX, applied XX/XX/XXXX ). However, Great Lakes will only apply the payment first towards any future payment due, and then any extra towards the loan I requested. In the past, I would call and have them adjust this so the payment is only applied to the one loan I wanted to make an extra payment towards - knowing that I have auto-pay set up and I am paid-in-advance ( no payment due for 1+ months beyond current billing cycle ). Great Lakes has changed their policy and are now unable to adjust excess payments to only the loan I request. Due to this, I am still being charged 6.55 % on the loan which should be paid off in full with my payment of {$2500.00} ( loan balance was {$2500.00} at time of payment ), and instead part of that payment is going towards my 3.03 %, 3.15 %, 4.25 %, and 5.35 % loans. Only {$2000.00} was applied to Loan Token XXXX, the remaining {$520.00} was applied towards other loans which are at lower interest rates.This means I am not gaining the benefit of paying off my highest interest rate loan, which means I pay a higher percentage per month in interest than I should be - this is money out of my pocket which they will not reimburse or correct. I do not want money, I only want my payment to be applied correctly, retroactively, only to loan # XXXX as requested multiple times so that it will have a " Paid-in-full '' status. Again, this is a policy change at Great Lakes which is not allowing me to apply a payment only to the one loan I request, where I was fully able to do this previously. This is wasting my money towards undue interest. In addition to multiple emails ( with my latest unanswered for 5 business days ), I called today on XX/XX/XXXX and spoke to XXXX ( employee # XXXX ) and was again told that they could not apply the payment only to my loan token # XXXX - like they have done several times in the past ( redirected an over/excess payment to be applied to only one loan ).
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2018-06-17
Mascotte, FL
Attempts to collect debt not owed
Debt collection: Federal student loan debt
Debt was result of identity theft
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2018-06-15
Saint Paul, MN
Attempts to collect debt not owed
Debt collection: Private student loan debt
Debt was paid
Company Response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response Closed with explanation
2018-06-12
Discovery Bay, CA
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Private student loan
Problem with customer service
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2018-06-12
Saint Paul, MN
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
2018-06-11
UT
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: I received a letter, dated XX/XX/XXXX, received on XX/XX/XXXX, from Great Lakes ( XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX ) who has been servicing my FFELP for a number of years. The letter was not marked as important on the outside of the envelope, or anything else that would indicate that it contains crucial information. Additionally, I have chosen to receive all of my account correspondence via email, so all important information should be received via email, and I have NOT received an email regarding this topic.
The letter goes on to say that as of XX/XX/XXXX ( just 8 days after the letter was received ), my account is being transferred to XXXX XXXX XXXX and that my online account information on mygreatlakes.org will no longer be available. I have not received any communication from the new servicer regarding payment due dates, or any other communication to confirm the legitimacy and accuracy of this solitary letter.
This strikes me as incredibly poor business practice, and a set up that could lead to missed payments, or payments sent to the old servicer ( especially in the era of automatic payments being set up ).
It seems that for information of this importance, a minimum of 1 month should be required for communication ( especially, as my XXXX searches have taught me, that XXXX acquired Great Lakes in XX/XX/XXXX of this year, so clearly they have had more than 2 weeks of notice to inform me ). This is clearly poor customer service by both Great Lakes ( only 2 weeks notice from the date that the letter was sent ), and from XXXX ( no communication with me at all ).
Either this is incompetence, or it is sleazy.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2018-06-11
MS
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Received bad information about your loan
Complaint: I applied for a loan back in the year of XX/XX/XXXX. I didn't receive the loan until XX/XX/XXXX. It was confusing about the loan getting to my account. My federal staff loan was XXXX and I didn't receive anything but only XXXX XXXX dollars. The school kept the rest to pay off the degree. I have a developed a business plan to pay back the school debt for borrowing the loan. Now I can't borrow anything. What can I do here?
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2018-06-06
Jamaica, NY
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
2018-06-06
Phoenix, AZ
Getting a loan
Student loan: Private student loan
Fraudulent loan
Complaint: I have been harassed for over 10 years by a company called " XXXX XXXX XXXX '' Student loan. They have stated that I owe them around 7,000 dollars for a default loan that I never agreed to nor received. I have tried to explain to this company over the years that I never received this money and it is a mistake. I requested proof of the original document and they delivered me nothing. This company have continued to deny me any information and have sold the default loan to debt collectors now. These collectors continue to contact me at my place of work, even though I have verbally requested them not to do so. The school I attended during the time the loan was supposedly given to me has no record of this money. Nor do any of my bank accounts. My parents also have no records of this company nor of this money. I don't know what I can do as I do not have the money to pay a lawyer to look into this.
Company Response: Closed with explanation
2018-06-04
Broadview, IL
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Don't agree with the fees charged
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2018-06-04
PA
Struggling to repay your loan
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan
Complaint: I have a Stafford Loan serviced by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX. This is my loan for XXXX school. I am now a XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX XXXX who shares a law office with another attorney. Financially, I am essentially XXXX. My income varies drastically based on client payments and contingent cases. For example, in XX/XX/XXXX, my income was roughly in the high 60,000 range. For XX/XX/XXXX, which saw several contingent cases hit successfully, my income was considerably higher at roughly XXXX.
I have been enrolled in income based repayment for several years now with Great Lakes and never had a problem. I was in the process of buying a house when the time for IBR renewal came up. I applied on or about XX/XX/XXXX. I provided details on my income and how it fluctuates in my application. I started receiving e-mails about additional information being needed. These e-mails were constant and were requesting copious amounts of information. I had never experienced anything like this before in past IBR applications.
I was in the midst of the house buying process and could not dedicate the necessary time to these requests, and planned on addressing them the following month. I received a phone call on XX/XX/XXXX from a woman with Great Lakes. She did not identify herself when she called and I had to ask who she was with ( this should be on the recording they made ). She was very polite and nice, and asked about my IBR application. I explained the situation as I had before. She said all I needed was my tax return. I specifically asked her if I needed anything else. She said no. I justifiably relied on that, and attempted to fax my return later that day to the number on Great Lakes ' website. It didn't go through. I then uploaded the return on the website and received confirmation it went through.
Two days later I received another email saying more info was needed. I figured, based on the woman 's representations to me, that it hadn't been processed yet as this wasn't different from past emails.
On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an e-mail stating I was no longer eligible for a reduced payment. I was very confused and faxed a letter along with a completed form of my income estimates, referencing the phone call, and even more information including my profit and losses from the first three months of this year. Meanwhile, my notifications are saying that my payment is going up toXXXX per month -- something I can not afford, which I state in my XX/XX/XXXX letter.
I received no acknowledgement whatsoever of this and continued to received automated e-mails asking for further information. No phone calls. On XX/XX/XXXX I got another form that was identical to the one I already submitted and asked to fill it out. No explanation.
I finally get fed up and on Friday XX/XX/XXXX, sent everything I had provided to them along with additional information in the form of a list of all of my income thus far this year, along with a very stern letter demanding they process my information and again referencing the XX/XX/XXXX conversation with their representative that the tax return was sufficient. I noted that I was a lawyer and was suspicious about how this process had unfolded, and referenced that I intended on contemplating legal action and filing a complaint with your agency if they did not resolve this mater based on the copious information I had given them.
Less than 48 hours later, on XX/XX/XXXX at XXXX on Sunday afternoon, I received a message that not only was my IBR application denied, I was wholly removed from the IBR program and my interest was capitalized. I had NO notice this could happen. This is in stark contrast to the XX/XX/XXXX email where I wasn't removed from IBR but my payment went up. This is blatant retaliation and a predatory lending and unfair trade practice as those terms are defined under federal and XXXX law. These practices also fall squarely within the unfair and illegal IBR practices discussed in CFPB 's XX/XX/XXXX supervisory highlights ( spring ) as well as other articles and periodicals and in XXXX 's XX/XX/XXXX lawsuit against Navient which involved in part identical practices as to IBR.
I can not afford full payments of XXXX every month. My interest has also been capitalized, without notice to me that this could happen, in what is clearly retaliation for my XX/XX/XXXX letter. I am fortunately paid through for another year or so thanks to a large lump sum payment I made earlier this year. However, I was forced to cancel my auto-payments yesterday after receiving this e-mail because I can not afford them, and am terrified of the ramifications this will have on my credit and other consequences such as interest, as I won't be able to make monthly payments for the time being. While canceling my auto-payments, I observed that the chart Great Lakes uses to break down my interest and principal shows the overwhelming majority being principal. This does not strike me as being correct ( I could be wrong ), and I would like an explanation.
These identical practices have been labeled as unfair and illegal by AG XXXX XXXX in his recent lawsuit and I believe Great Lakes is engaging in similar practices. I am strongly contemplating a lawsuit myself but wish to try to resolve this through the administrative process first. Statutes involved/potentially violated include but are not necessarily limited to Consumer Financial Protection Act, XXXX 's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2018-06-03
PA
Dealing with your lender or servicer
Student loan: Federal student loan servicing
Need information about your loan balance or loan terms
Complaint: I only attended XXXX XXXX for two semesters. They were somehow able to obtain acess to every single federal loan and grant i was capable of recieving. Ultimately cashing them all in for roughly {$25000.00} in just six weeks. Deposited it into their school account. i saw none of it. Then after leaving i was current on my payments until i had six different accounts. And every year my refund check is taken but nobody has the common decency to say why or send me a reciept for which outstanding account it went toward? You think im some kind of fool? My father didnt raise me to be a pushover and get hustled. We earn what we get. We dont just collect or inhereit a secret hedge fund from grandpa XXXX from XXXX XXXX.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2018-06-03
Atlanta, GA
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
2018-05-29
Buffalo, MN
Took or threatened to take negative or legal action
Debt collection: Federal student loan debt
Seized or attempted to seize your property
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation
2018-05-29
Okc, OK
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
2018-05-29
Franklin, TN
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