Consumer complaint received 2019-06-21
Company: FREEDOM FINANCIAL NETWORK
State: OH
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit repair services
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
On XX/XX/XXXX I enrolled in a debt relief program with Freedom Debt Relief ( FDR ) to help me resolve a debt for a XXXX private student loan. FDR successfully negotiated a settlement amount of {$16000.00} with XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. One payment of {$1300.00} and 11 payments of {$1300.00}. FDR set up a special purpose account for me to pay a pre-negotiated amount per the debt. I paid every penny owed to XXXX through FDR, as well as paying FDRs settlement fee of {$5600.00}. Per the settlement agreement, FDR called in the monthly payments to XXXX on the XXXX of each month on my behalf. The second to last payment due to XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX was claimed to have never been received. FDR maintained a payment was made and XXXX misplaced it. I contacted both companies in XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX to try to figure this out. FDR originally stated that the wrong account number was given with the payment, so the payment was rejected. However they called it back it with the correct account number so the payment was fulfilled. XXXX stated they payment was rejected due the account number, but never received they payment again. Naturally, since the payment was never received to Navient- the settlement was voided. XXXX now wants the remaining loan balance along with accumulated fees. Over the past three years I have repeatedly called both companies trying to figure what to do as both companies blame each other. The missing payment due to close out my settlement was lost in one of the companies systems for two years. FDR re-deposited the missing payment of {$1300.00} into my special purpose account on XXXX, XXXX XXXX, nearly 26 months after the payment was supposed to have been made and never notified me to discuss it. I promptly contacted FDR and they said they were going to yet again research my case and get back with me. They never did. I contacted my attorney to review the situation. He instructed me to send FDR a certified letter stating the situation and to ask FDR to explain how they planned to resolve the mistake. The letter was sent on XX/XX/XXXX, with a respond by date of XX/XX/XXXX. They never responded back to me. I yet again contacted FDR on XX/XX/XXXX to have my case escalated. I spoke to a member of FDR 's " management '' team who took on my case and hopefully resolve the mistake. She has yet to return my calls or emails since the original day we spoke on XX/XX/XXXX. I reached out to XXXX to request an updated account balance letter per the request of FDR. I explained the entire situation to the XXXX debt collector handling my account. The account manager has been extremely understanding and really helpful. The XXXX account manager and myself have been in contact on multiple occasions. The FDR person has not spoken to the XXXX account manager as well. Despite me providing his information and him calling her to discuss the account. The XXXX account manager was the person who suggested I file a complaint with CFPB. I wanted to give FDR an opportunity to right their wrong before doing that, even though you would think three years should have been enough. FDR has promised me on so many occasions over the past three years that they will research my account and get it resolved- yet they do nothing except leave me exactly where I started before I hired them. In debt. 
Ive paid for my debt and Im still paying for it in the form of my credit being negatively impacted and owing money that should have been dismissed per the settlement. All due to the negligence of Freedom Debt Relief. I was unable to be on the mortgage for the house my husband and I purchased last year due to the XXXX account. I leased a car a few months ago and my interest rate was impacted by this XXXX account. Most recently I was turned down for a small loan and the company stated it was specifically because of the XXXX debt.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief