GREAT LAKES

2016-04-24

San Jose, CA

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are handled
Complaint: In XXXX XXXX, I called my student loan provider Great Lakes to complain that my payments toward my loans were not being applied according to what they published on their website 's " How Payments Are Applied '' page ( https : //www.mygreatlakes.org/educate/knowledge-center/how-payments-are-applied.html ). According to this page " If there are multiple loans in an account, the extra amount ... will be applied to the loan with the highest interest rate ''. However, my payments were being applied across all loans on my account, causing me to accrue more interest. The representative I spoke with claimed to not be aware that this was on the website and helped correct how my future payments would be applied. However, my payments are being misappropriated yet again as of XXXX XXXX. The company continues to publish this deceptive information which had led me to believe that I did not have to provide any specific instructions about how to apply payments that exceeded the minimum amount due. Since I believed what was published on the page, I did not compare my billing statements until XXXX XXXX ; I have been making payments since XXXX XXXX. They never reversed the unfair interest charges that resulted from their misappropriation for the months of XXXX XXXX - XXXX XXXX.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-24

Long Beach, CA

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Non-federal student loan

Received bad information about my loan
Company Response: Company believes the complaint is the result of a misunderstanding Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-23

Alexandria, VA

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Don't agree with fees charged
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-21

Columbia, SC

Can't repay my loan

Student loan: Non-federal student loan

Can't get flexible payment options
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-21

Walthill, NE

Can't repay my loan

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Can't get flexible payment options
Complaint: I applied to a XXXX school in XXXX XXXX. I finished my courses and walked at graduation XXXX XXXX was told our XXXX would be mailed to us in the following weeks. I called everyother week from XXXX XXXX til XXXX XXXX asking about my XXXX. was told its going out or was in the mail. called back XXXX XXXX and found out the school filled bankruptcy 3 times and closed. I never received my XXXX showing completion. contacted the state and was only sent my transcripts showing my hours. I am not able to take my XXXX test without my XXXX. im now stuck with a XXXX dollar loan that I cant afford since I have not been able to find work where I can afford child care for my children and repayment of this loan. I do n't qualify for the school closure because they considered me out of school at that point. I was never given the proper entry exam, I was not a XXXX and obtained my XXXX while attending classes. I did n't qualify under those circumstances either. I did the income based repayment. and apparently Great lakes my loan servicer put me on forbearance when I have always done unemployment deferment deferment but now my subsidized loan has {$480.00} in interest I was not made aware of. I feel extremely used and taken advantage of when I never took a dime of the governments money, I had to pay almost {$1000.00} out of pocket to cover what the loan would n't. or the fact that the school charged what they did when I had to buy everything myself. everytime I have contacted great lakes im basically told oh well nothing we can do. im not even offered a payment plan im just told this is what I pay and that 's it. most places you get options. The school I attended was the XXXX. And I know for a fact im not the only student in my class that did n't receive their certificates
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: Yes Timely Response

2016-04-19

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about my loan
Complaint: My loan servicer, Great Lakes Borrower Services, has engaged in practices that I believe to be deceptive, in bad faith, and of a harassing nature. I recently attempted to re-enroll in my income based payment plan. I received several notifications from Great lakes that my application was incomplete. Over the course or numerous telephone calls I rectified the " issues '' they highlighted with my application. During numerous telephone calls with Great Lakes, I was assured by their customer service staff that my application was complete and that I would not be required to provide any additional information. Shortly thereafter, I received an email from Great Lakes with my updated payment information for the upcoming year. Subsequent to receiving the updated payment information, I have received no less that XXXX emails from Great Lakes indicating that my application is not complete. Today I received a " final warning '' email. After receiving the first few warning emails, I called Great Lakes and, on a recorded line, was able to obtain verbal confirmation that my application was approved and that the emails I was receiving were sent in error. In fact, I received an inbound phone call from Great Lakes indicating the same. Never the less, I continue to receive emails from them on a weekly basis stating that my application is complete. I have given up on calling them to ask that they cease sending these emails as it takes at least XXXX minutes to get a live operator on the phone as every time I am required to re-confirm my address, contact details, etc. For less informed borrowers, these emails would create a great deal of distress and frustration. I think that Great Lakes should be warned that these practices are not consistent with their ultimate goal of servicing the loans of the XXXX of student loan borrowers across our country.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-18

Cocoa, FL

Account opening, closing, or management

Bank account or service: Checking account

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

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-18

Green Hill, AR

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about my loan
Complaint: I have filed disputes with all XXXX credit bureaus. The last time I disputed the results were sold to Great Lakes Higher Education. XXXX accounts with XXXX with the acct. number XXXX XXXX account with XXXX w/account number XXXX as a paid collection which is also reporting incorrectly.
Company Response: Company believes complaint is the result of an isolated error Closed with explanation

Disputed: Yes Timely Response

2016-04-16

San Gabriel, CA

Disclosure verification of debt

Debt collection: Federal student loan

Right to dispute notice not received
Complaint: Was not informed on the debt I owed or need to pay until it had already been sent to collections. I was only XXXX at the time and had no way of paying it back. was told that I would have a whole XXXX grace period to pay whatever was owed yet I 'm constantly being harassed and my credit is being taken advantage of.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-14

Atlantis, FL

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Don't agree with fees charged
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: Yes Timely Response

2016-04-14

East Troy, WI

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are handled
Complaint: I currently have many student loans, all through Great Lakes loan ( GLL ) services. I have been overpaying my loans to more quickly pay them off. According to great lakes loan ; " The regular monthly payment goes first to accrued interest, and then is prorated over the loans within the account. If your payment is larger than the regular monthly payment, the overpayment is applied to the principal on the loan with the higher interest rate, assuming all outstanding accrued interest is paid. " When I first setup my account I was asked to setup a monthly auto-pay for a 0.25 % interest deduction. I of course did so. This auto-pay is assumes a default " 10-year '' repayment plan. What I have been doing is making extra payments 1-2 times a month in excess of {$1000.00}. Using their phone app everything looked like it was going well. I then logged onto their website and saw a discrepancy. GLL has been taking my extra payments and applying them equally across all of my loans, not to the ones with the highest interest, like initially thought. After contacting GLL they informed me that the statement above only holds true if I overpay via the " monthly payment '' not the " one time payment ''. This is purely a ploy to not pay off my highest interest loans and keep me on as long as possible. Their statement says nothing about a " one time payment '' exception. When i called them out on it they replied with ; " We are happy to reapply any additional payments as you direct, assuming all accrued interest has been paid, although it is necessary for you to submit a request via email or phone after each payment is made in order for us to do so. Thus, it is generally to your benefit for you to make a single, larger payment at the time you make your regular monthly payment, rather than to make a separate, extra payment after making your regular payment. '' How does this make any sense? why would they be treated any differently? I have to contact them after each " one time payment '' to tell then to put it towards my highest interest loans ...? I have been repaying my loans now for 2 years and could have avoided hundreds of dollars of interest if they had done what they said they did with overpayments. which is what a " one time payment '' is, regardless of whether it is part of the standard monthly payment or not.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-14

Shulerville, SC

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about my loan
Complaint: I was told incorrect information about my loan and money was not handled the way that I wanted in a timely fashion.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-13

Los Angeles, CA

Can't repay my loan

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

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

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-13

Rolla, KS

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are handled
Complaint: My servicer, Great Lakes, will not allow me to make extra payments that pay down my principle ... instead they say that I am " paid ahead, '' meaning I have made future monthly payments of interest and principle. Is this right?
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-13

Wallington, NJ

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Received bad information about my loan
Complaint: Great Lakes Student loan reported 90 day past due to the credit reporting agencies bring down my credit score by XXXX points - they have my account listed as the last payment in XXXX 2016 when I made a small payment recently just to submit a payment. And I applied for forbearance as well. The information they are providing to the credit agencies is incorrect.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-13

Reader, AR

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Don't agree with fees charged
Complaint: RE : Great Lakes XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Collection Support I feel like this Company, in question, has improperly mismanage funds through my employer, XXXX, since XXXX, XXXX and also taken my XXXX Federal Refund of and XXXX State Refund of without my knowledge. In addition, they have combined some of my loans without my consent. To my knowledge, my student loans are still being service with XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX, XXXX, TN XXXX and maybe under deferment. According to written statements from XXXX XXXX XXXX, my account is in good standing. Current balance is {$0.00}, Past due balance is {$0.00}, Regular monthly payment {$0.00}, Interest rate is 2.33 %. I recently received these reports from Great Lakes and found out that The Great Lakes XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Collection Support, is charging an interest rate of 18 %. I contacted Great Lakes XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX on Tuesday, XXXX XXXX, XXXX and spoke with XXXX. When I started to ask questions about the interest rate and money taken from XXXX 's, my employer, and combining my loans without my consent, XXXX became furious and hung- up the phone. I proceeded to call back again and someone answered and the phone was hung-up a second time. I then called back a third time and spoke to XXXX. XXXX proceeded to tell me he could place me on a " Rehabilitation Program '' to stop the wage garnishments. He further explains to start the program, I would need to pay a fee of {$890.00} and my payments a month would be around {$5.00}. I immediately thought to myself, this does not make sense. Because they are already taking money from my pay check on a weekly or monthly basis and they have already taken my Federal & State Refund without my knowledge or consent, so why would I need to pay this outrageous fee of {$890.00}. What is wrong with this picture? My question to you is ; How did Great Lakes XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX acquire my loan from XXXX XXXX without my knowledge? How are they able to legally take money from my pay check and Federal & State Refund? Should I have received a letter from XXXX XXXX XXXX? In addition, Great Lakes have combined some of my loans without my consent or knowledge and why are they charging outrageous fees? Why I am still getting updated information from XXXX XXXX regarding my loan? Has Great Lakes broken laws under the " Fair Debt Collection Act? I need further investigation into Great Lakes XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX - Collection Support- regarding their Unfair Practices. I am raising my XXXX years old daughter and because Great Lakes Collection Support has taken money from my pay check since XXXX, XXXX, and to top it off also took the Federal & State tax refund, this has caused a strain in my income and emotional distress. I would like for you to further investigate these findings because I have written proof from XXXX XXXX that they still are servicing my loan and it is in " Good Standing '' In Summary ; Due to questionable, improper & unfair practices, may or may not be complying with the " Fair Debt Collection Act '' from Great Lakes XXXX XXXX XXXX on acquiring the student loan from XXXX XXXX, charging higher interest rates, and combining some loans without my knowledge or consent. We ask for a full investigation into Great Lakes XXXX XXXX XXXX Practices.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-11

FL

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Don't agree with fees charged
Complaint: I have a loan that is from XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX. I was paying then the bank that had the loan went under. I did not hear anything for yrs then when I did the loan was XXXX. No records of any $. I asked about other $, was told they did not have a record and this was the loan amount. Starting payment again. Then new company took over, loan was again the XXXX with no record of $. This has happened over & over so many times I can not keep count. Now Great Lakes has it; they had the loan at XXXX w/n record of $. I have called them over & over to try to get this settled. My loan went to default once & I was paying XXXX monthly. Great lakes did not have this records either. I called the default department to get this moved over. I asked them to contact the company that I was paying & great refuses. They refuse to look for any payment history! The student loan is listed 3 times on my credit; I have gone around & around with the student loan to get this corrected. So they finally closed XXXX of them just to leave the XXXX listed as money owed. What money is listed on the other XXXX that they closed, that money should be transferred to the great lake account. I have cks showing payments great lakes does not have & they refuse again to accept or try to help get this correct. I was buying a house in XXXX TX in XX/XX/XXXX is when I got the student loan to close out the open accounts that was listed incorrectly. I was not in default and was paying at that time I have ck to XX/XX/XXXX. This loan should be paid off, yet as I sd before Great Lakes refuses to look for the other companies that has this loan & find the payments. This is an in just to me, I want the history of my payments found and applied to the 4K which is what the loan should be. I went to school to be a nurse. I have worked in the XXXX field for over 20yrs and now XXXX. They are threaten to take my SS. I want this removed & shown as paid. I have even tried to get them to take a pay off & they refuse. I do not owe XXXX$! Please help get this settled; I do not know how you will do this without me being able to leave personal info. So I feel this is also a waste of my time & who ever reads this. Where do good people get help from the crooks in GOV!? I have no other recourse but to file bankruptcy. Which is very very sad!
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-11

Indianapolis, IN

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Don't agree with fees charged
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-11

Phila, PA

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

2016-04-09

Watkins, CO

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Trouble with how payments are handled
Complaint: By XX/XX/XXXX, I had XXXX student loans that amounted to {$30000.00}. XXXX serviced the loan. I was a single mother and was n't gainfully employed but made {$50.00} payments in the loans. The interest rates in Pell grant 3 %, Perkins 5 %, stafford 5-8 %, supplemental student loan 12 %, and the interest rates continued to accumulate regardless of hardship or in school deferments. My loans accumulated interest for a total of $ XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX. I had been working with several agencies to try and get loan forgiveness or interest reduction. I consolidated the loan and made payments but the interest continued. I got a XXXX degree in XX/XX/XXXX and an XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX, which I paid for out of pocket and w employer reimbursement. I made payments at a reduced rate bc payments were {$900.00}. In XX/XX/XXXX, the management of the loans went from direct student loans to mygreatlakes.org. The manner this was managed was n't transparent and the agency is out to make money. In fact in the past year I received an email saying in the transition of the loan there was an error and they needed to add {$240.00} to my balance. how is that possible? Then, they added {$5.00} in my monthly payment and changed my due date without informing me and created NSF charges in my checking account. When I contacted them they seemed not to think it was a problem. When I make additional payments or try to pay to principal only they say they ca n't do that. They are n't applying payments consistently sometimes literally they apply most of the payment to interest only. This is wrong! It is like a loan shark situation. I completed the public service forgiveness app which has to be filed through your loan service agency and I met all the requirements having worked in non profit for nearly 6 years. But it took place before XX/XX/XXXX, and therefore I was disqualified. I should be contributing to my retirement instead of this. Help! I have confronted their questionable accounting etc but the government handed these loans over to this agency w a poor customer service reputation and they are living up to that reputation from my experience.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-09

Sandy Hook, CT

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Need information about my balance/terms
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: Yes Timely Response

2016-04-08

Sun, AZ

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Need information about my balance/terms
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-07

Gr, MI

Dealing with my lender or servicer

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Need information about my balance/terms
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-06

CO

Can't repay my loan

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Can't decrease my monthly payments
Complaint: With the downturn in the economy, I was faced with some tough decisions ; to plod along and hope things got better or to go to school in pursuit of a degree. I chose the later but with that decision came the need to access student loans, which have only increased personal stress because I 've reached a juncture of needing to finish with an XXXX Degree and then go onto to acquiring a XXXX Degree. I can not even afford to finish with the credits needed for the XXXX. XX/XX/XXXX, I was forced to make another difficult decision and I filed for Chapter XXXX Bankruptcy. Now, I know that Congress repealed discharging of XXXX, but, it is wrong that this government is making huge profits in high-interest loans from students who simply wish to better their station in life. We are taxpayers and in essence, make it possible for the government to loan us money we 've paid into the system in the first place. This government spends trillions in support of other countries and many of those countries ( like XXXX ) provide free tuition for those who wish to continue their education after high school. It is morally wrong for a country that spends XXXX dollars in funding the XXXX Military XXXX, taxpayer subsidies to corporations who outsource American jobs, the bail-out of XXXX XXXX at the tune of XXXX dollars, which to date amounts to close to XXXX dollars ... .all, again, at the American taxpayers expense.This government 's solution for assisting student 's with their debt? Determining their yearly income ( mine before taxes was around XXXX ) and basing a pay-back plan on that income. The amount I was told I would need to pay was XXXX per month. That would relegate me to XXXX per year in payments on XXXX, alone. My rent debt amounts to approximately XXXX per year. So ... .you can see that right now, before taxes, that would bring the total for just these XXXX debts to XXXX over a years time. I have to ask if our government has simply lost all sense of reality ( it certainly appears to be the case ), in which case you should get out of your taxpayer paid salaried political seats and join the real world. I am thoroughly disgusted in this government that I 've always defended. No longer can I defend a government that appears to be about serving party interests and pandering to XXXX XXXX rather than serving the people ... .you know ... .the XXXX %! Now, considering the total of just those XXXX debts ... .and take those amounts out of pre-taxed income, not considering any other living expenses ; do you not consider your objectives absurd. If not, you should, because you will be judged on you have grossly betrayed the American people in lieu of serving the dictates of your corporate master ; XXXX XXXX. I am sure my post will not be considered cow-towing ... which I am pretty sure is expected. But as elected leaders, and all tens of thousands of bureaucracies taxpayers make possible, is n't the term 'serving the people ' a fallacy? Should n't the term be ; 'taxpayers serving their government ' a far more appropriate term? Repaying this debt is going to be a major hardship. I am no longer a spring chicken ( sorry for the cliche ) but I continue to work hard. It grieves me to think that we come into this world with a relative few years to adulthood and then the remainder is serving our government without any of the perks we taxpayers have earned. Our government is rewarded for doing what, exactly? Yes, I am angry. I 've tried the positive energy route, to no avail. Stop punishing students and start rewarding those who excel in college with high GPA 's. My own GPA started out at XXXX and I ended with a XXXX. We students who are mired in debt need realistic solutions instead of the same old, very predictable responses from our elected 'leaders '! I 'm running out of characters, but I 've said what I need to say. Thank you.
Company Response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response

2016-04-06

Arco, CA

Can't repay my loan

Student loan: Federal student loan servicing

Can't decrease my monthly payments
Complaint: The interest rate on my federal student loans is so high that I literally can not pay them down ( 8.5 % ). My total debt has increased from {$66000.00} to {$86000.00} in only 5-6 years, and I make monthly payments diligently ( nearly $ XXXX/month ). I attempted paying ahead by a month, to see if that would affect the accruing interest, but it has not changed anything. The monthly payments are already high enough to keep me living paycheck to paycheck, and I feel I may never be able to afford a house or a family in this lifetime. The educated future of the United States is being robbed and tossed aside. SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP US!
Company Response: Closed with explanation

Disputed: No Timely Response