GREAT LAKES

2017-03-16

Auburn, WA

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Having problems with customer service
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-16

Lithia, FL

Can't repay my loan

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Can't decrease my monthly payments
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-16

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about my loan
Complaint: I had all my student loan information and online login registered to an employer email and phone number at the time. I had changed employers and was not receiving any of the calls or emails regarding my account. once I realized I did some research and called in to get things taken care of. when I spoke to the loan company I was told if I put my account on a forbearance it would bring my account current and not report any late to the credit bureau. now on my credit report it reports as 120 days late and causing me to not be able to get the mortgage loan I need to provide a home for my family. I called the loan company again to complain about this and they tell me there is nothing that can be done. I spoke to the credit assessment department and a loan manager. everyone says that I was 120 days late and I never was. my account has since been pain in full and still no one will adjust the issue.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-16

Gr, MI

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Having problems with customer service
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-15

Spokane, WA

Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed

Debt collection: Federal student loan

Debt was paid
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-15

Greenwood, WA

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

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

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-15

UT

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about my loan
Complaint: After reviewing my credit report i noticed accounts from XXXX reporting as collections. I disputed the accounts as fraud contacted the agency and sent over police reports and affidavits of fraud and forgery. The agency sent me information that this " debt '' was from XXXX college, a school i have never attended. The credit bureaus sent XXXX a dispute with a 30day timeframe to respond. GLHEC rather than stop reporting and update these as disputed, sent me a letter stating that the investigation was closed and if i had further documents i could send to them, i then tried calling them to set up a payment even though the accounts are not mine only to find out the investigation isnt closed and they just sent out that letter to avoid the 30day timeline sent to them by the credit bureaus. To this date these accounts are still reporting as collections and GLHEC isnt helping nor following the rules of SCRA.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-15

Baton Rouge, LA

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are handled
Complaint: I need late payment status removed from all three credit bureaus due to my student loan status being in deferred.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-14

Meridian, ID

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

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

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-14

Aurora, CO

Communication tactics

Debt collection: Non-federal student loan

Threatened to take legal action
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-14

GA

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Don't agree with fees charged
Complaint: My Federal Student Loans have been in deferment since XXXX, since that date Great Lakes has shown numerous late payments on my credit report. Since, my loans are in deferment, this should not be possible.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-14

Jax, MS

Disclosure verification of debt

Debt collection: Federal student loan

Not given enough info to verify debt
Complaint: I have requested my loan information and the right to be placed on a rehabilitation program and they refused my request, for the income driven rehabilitation payment plan
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-14

Bloomington, MN

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Non-federal student loan

Trouble with how payments are handled
Complaint: Honestly, do n't even know where to begin. I have n't had a student loan since 2002. My original balance was about XXXX. Somehow, no matter how much I 've paid on it since then, the balance never goes down and now says I owe over XXXX?? Student loan companies are ripping people off every day. Anything, my credit report show student loans from other lenders, where contracts were sold over 12 years ago. I have asked to have them removed, but they are still remaining on there. I have them garnishing my wages, hundreds of dollars in the past, but yet they refuse to show me my payment history and where the money was applied that I paid. Now I have a new company which says XXXX, aka great lakes, reporting to my report I am in collections. I went online and set up and rehabilitation agreement and pay them every month. However, When I call them to ask why I am getting collection notice increases on my reports every month, they said I have no account with them. So who am I paying once again??? It 's killing my report, that I have XXXX student loan, but XXXX different ones showing on report, from different lenders. No one has sent me any verification per my request with payments I made or payments garnished. I anything showing a student loan from past or present removed from XXXX reports. I am fine having my report updating with my current payment rehabilitation program, but no one seems to know where that is going!! These accounts being reported on my account are all in accurate and need to be removed immediately. I am trying to buy a house. I ve paid more in interest over the years than my original loan ever even was!! Just rip off and I have no degree to show for it. uggggg Please have them update my reports showing XXXX student loans. Older ones should of been removed anyway, they are over 10 years old and not even the correct lenders. The school I went to for a year, isnt ' even open anymore to give me any information either. PLEASE NOTE.. IT WAS FOR XXXX XXXX XXXX IN XXXX XXXX. I CA N'T UPDATE THE LINE BELOW WITH IT. KEEPS REJECTING IT OR KICKING ME OUT.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-14

Ocklawaha, FL

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are handled
Complaint: I currently have federal student loans serviced by Great Lakes. I am enrolled in the Pay As You Earn ( " PAYE '' ) repayment plan. On XX/XX/2017, I received an email ( as required by the Federal regs. ) notifying me that my application for the PAYE repayment plan needed to be renewed. The email stated " You need to submit your application by XX/XX/2017 to renew your income-driven repayment plan. '' I gathered my information, and submitted an online application on XX/XX/2017. My wife had to co-sign, so she submitted her signature on XX/XX/2017. Because our financial circumstances had changed since our last enrollment in PAYE, I needed to submit verification of my household income and a signed paper application. I called Great Lakes on XX/XX/2017, asking where to deliver my application materials. I also asked the customer service representative about interest capitalization to make sure my interest would not be capitalized. The customer service rep., and later, her supervisor, both informed me that ( 1 ) my actual renewal deadline was XX/XX/XXXX ( not XX/XX/XXXX ), ( 2 ) the date of XX/XX/XXXX indicated in the email, reflected my real deadline of XX/XX/XXXX plus a " grace period '' after the renewal deadline, which is apparently a policy of Great Lakes, ( 3 ) internal processing time for my application was 12 business days, and ( 4 ) even though I had submitted my materials well before either deadline, if Great Lakes was still processing my application when the deadline ( XX/XX/XXXX ) passed, Great Lakes would capitalize the accrued interest on my loan. I have never received any correspondence from Great Lakes indicating that my actual renewal deadline was XX/XX/XXXX. I have a significant loan balance for XXXX level education, so this interest capitalization is of significant value. The supervisor also told me that I " could '' be a " potential candidate '' to have the capitalized interest removed if all of my information was received by XX/XX/XXXX, but that this was discretionary, and I would have to call back to request the removal after the interest was already capitalized and I was effectively un-enrolled form the PAYE program. During this time, I would not be responsible for the increased payment, but Great Lakes would capitalize XXXX dollars of interest on my loans - even though I had submitted all of the required information approximately two weeks before the deadline date given in their email ( XX/XX/XXXX ) Given the similar complaints in the recent XXXX case, how can these policies and Great Lakes ' communication practices be legal? They do not appear to even comply with the federal regulations regarding the required notice for my re-enrollment in the PAYE program. On it 's face, their email states that my application must be " SUBMITTED '' by XX/XX/XXXX. These practices are patently deceptive, predatory to consumers, and are strikingly similar to claims made by the Plaintiffs in the XXXX case. As I understand their practices, an applicant in my situation could submit a re-enrollment application after XX/XX/XXXX, but before XX/XX/XXXX ( the date stated in their email ), the accrued interest would be capitalized, and the application would not be a candidate to later have the capitalization removed. This practice can not be allowed to continue.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-10

Dallas, TX

Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed

Debt collection: Federal student loan

Debt was paid
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-08

Cimarron, CA

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

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

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-08

DC

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about my loan
Complaint: This is a complaint against the Great Lakes Company. Better Business Bureau had specifically recommended reaching out to you with these concerns. Through my correspondences with this organization, I have been verbally lied to and assured on three occasions that proved to be false, and been told false written statements by this company by a Senior Executive, which was provided to the Better Business Organization. It was only after I had to involve In House Counsel at Great Lakes that they subsequently changed their story regarding how they had misrepresented my claim to the Better Business Bureau. The Background : There are multiple instances of the Organization putting unreasonable barriers toward a consumer being able to pay their loans. Notably, the Organization has a policy wherein they do not provide the contact information of customer representatives, and consumers are told that representatives do " not have access to e-mail. '' This is not the industry standard. Other student provides allow for electronic communications. And, as I detail below, as this company makes false statements and false verbal assurances, this is a company that should absolutely be required to have electronic communication as an option for student consumers. The Specifics : On XX/XX/XXXX, Great Lakes e-mailed me that my income-driven repayment was received. A month later, I reached out in XX/XX/XXXX for a status update, and was told that my payment schedule would be " generated over the weekend '' and be provided the next Monday or Tuesday. I was assured I would be able to pay my first bill in XX/XX/XXXX. The following week, I called again to check on the status of my application and when the payment schedule would arrive. I was again told that it would be " generated over the weekend '' and received by " early next week. '' The payment schedule never arrived. I again called the next week for an update on my application, and was told by the first customer representative that the payment schedule would be generated " over the weekend. '' As this had been the third time over a period of three weeks that I was told this statement only to then never receive the document the subsequent week, I asked to speak with her supervisor, XXXX ( XXXX ). XXXX informed me that he needed to do " research on my account '' because he had " no idea '' why they were telling me that the payment schedules would be generated. In his opinion, all of the representatives would need to get " talked to. '' I 'm not sure why three representatives would have responded with the same misstatements, but there are significant concerns with the training of representatives if they are telling consumers something that is not reflected whatsoever on the account. In a review of my e-mails, I am in receipt of the same exact e-mail from Great Lakes on three occasions regarding the company receiving my application for income-based repayment. On XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX, I received the same e-mail from Great Lakes, stating " We received your income-driven repayment application. '' I 'm not sure what is causing this extreme disorganization, but clearly the Office was in receipt of these documents by XX/XX/XXXX, and for whatever reason, it has provided me the same e-mail over the next two months. Their False Statements Provided to Better Business Bureau : Consumers - especially vulnerable consumers such as students - are generally unsophisticated when it comes to reporting the conduct of Great Lakes. What makes this story so concerning is how Great Lakes responded when I submitted the complaint to the Better Business Bureau. The initial responses from Better Business yielded no positive resolution, so the Director of Customer Support, XXXX, became involved when it was escalated and when I had written to the President of the Company. XXXX responded to the Better Busin
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Disputed: Yes Timely Response

2017-03-06

Madison, WI

Taking/threatening an illegal action

Debt collection: Federal student loan

Threatened to sue on too old debt
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-03

Harsens Is, MI

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

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

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-02

Colonial Park, NY

Can't repay my loan

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Can't decrease my monthly payments
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-03-02

Blackbird, DE

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are handled
Complaint: My husband and I made a payment on XX/XX/XXXX for {$260.00}. We requested the payment be allocated to loan XXXX only to pay off the balance. Instead, it was allocated towards all XXXX loans ( XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, XXXX ). We 've called twice to get the payment reallocated, but we keep being told that we can only make additional payments certain times of the month. All XXXX loans are paid ahead into XX/XX/XXXX. My husband works for XXXX XXXX - he knows you can allocate this payment towards the XXXX loan.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-02-27

Nyc, NY

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are handled
Complaint: Great Lakes Borrower Services, GreatLakes.org appears to be altering Auto Pay plans, and using my yearly renewal of Income Based Repayment plans as an excuse to disrupt my payment schedule, collect more interest, compromise my payment record, and in the end disqualify me from income based repayment benefits. Their auto pay system updated my scheduled plan to skip two months of payments.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: Yes Timely Response

2017-02-27

AZ

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are handled
Complaint: I pay for 2 loans through Great Lakes. One is a PLUS and the other a student loan under my son 's name. Recently I read a federal finding darting to XX/XX/2014 in which it explained then the practice of mis-recording payments to make it appear that the account was late. If that was not recognized by the person paying the account the loan could fall into default. This has happened to me throughout my payment process with Great Lakes. They have given me loan numbers to write on checks changing them a number of times. Last month I filed a complaint with Great Lakes but I feel it is of the utmost importance for you t have this knowledge.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-02-25

Northbush, NY

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

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

Disputed: No Timely Response

2017-02-23

Bentley, MI

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

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

Disputed: No Timely Response