Consumer complaint received 2023-11-29
Company: HEARTLAND PAYMENT SYSTEMS INC
State: PA
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Received bad information about your loan

Complaint:
Final communication with Heartland ECSI, servicer of student loan account owned by Ohio University ending in XXXX, prior to bankruptcy petition filing was the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX. Heartland ECSI was informed of bankruptcy filing and stopped all email, US Mail, and phone calls at this time. Bankruptcy petition filed on the XXXX  day of XX/XX/XXXX. Heartland ECSI notified of bankruptcy petition filing on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX via U.S. Bankruptcy Court - Bankruptcy Noticing Center ( Certificate of Mailing ). Adversary complaint filed with bankruptcy court on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX, to include student loans/debt owed to Ohio University in bankruptcy case. XXXXonsent Order of Court filed by US Bankruptcy Court to include any alleged debt owed to Ohio University to be dischargable in bankruptcy case on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX. Heartland ECSI notified of Consent Order of Court on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX via U.S. Bankruptcy Court - Bankruptcy Noticing Center ( Certificate of Mailing ). Order Discharging Debtor filed by US Bankruptcy Court on the XXXX  day of XX/XX/XXXX, with 14 day appeal period ending XX/XX/XXXX. Heartland ECSI notified of Order Discharging Debtor on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX via U.S. Bankruptcy Court - Bankruptcy Noticing Center ( Certificate of Mailing ). Final Decree/Bankruptcy Case Close ordered on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX. Heartland ECSI notified of Final Decree/Bankruptcy Case Close on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX via U.S. Bankruptcy Court - Bankruptcy Noticing Center ( Certificate of Mailing ). 
Heartland ECSI sent account summary statement generated on the XXXX day XX/XX/XXXX, by U.S. Mail, and received that very same day so it is quite apparent statement was generated prior to the date on the account summary statement. The statement illustrates a current amount due, a past due amount, late fees accrued before, during, and after bankruptcy, with a total amount due of {$110.00} by the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX. We attempted to access the account via Heartland ECSI online account dashboard but the site would not allow any login or display any error when attempting. Due to the assumption that Heartland ECSI was attempting to update their records or were somehow delayed in processing the discharge, but were able to disable online account access, a response was not attempted at this time. Heartland ECSI sent by U.S. Mail a correspondence 60 Day Final Demand/Loan in Default generated on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX and received via U.S. Mail on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX. 
On the 21st day of XX/XX/XXXX, a correspondence was sent via XXXX. Certificate of Mailing, with Return Receipt, to XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, PA XXXX, in which details contained within notified and explained the debt attempting to be collected upon by Heartland ECSI was discharged by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX, final decree issued on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX, and included all alleged debt and student loans owed to Ohio University by Consent Order of Court filed on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX. Further details include notification of any further attempts to collect on this debt or continued reports to any consumer credit reporting agency otherwise in an attempt to persuade debtor to pay this discharged debt would be followed up with filings for violations of the U.S Bankruptcy code. Certified Mailing was received by Heartland ECSI, signed by Heartland ECSI, and Return Receipt signed and dated for the XXXX  day of XX/XX/XXXX by Heartland ECSI. 
Upon further review of accounts listed with the U.S. Department of Education on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX, this account is being reported as in repayment, with the history of the account stating that account was placed into Forbearance ( BK ) on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX, which should be dated the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX ( per U.S. Bankruptcy Court Petition ), and then placed back In Repayment ( RP ) on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX, which is also incorrect and should be discharged as such court orders stated previously on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX. 
On the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX, at XXXXXXXX XXXX, we contacted Heartland ECSI at their customer service number ( XXXX ) XXXX to gain details on the account and seek resolution in accurately reporting the account. In speaking with the agent, I explained that there are late fees on an account I have not received anything about since XX/XX/XXXX, and to issue a trouble ticket for missing documentation, in which she responded that she will not submit a trouble ticket as to the missing statements because they have the correct email address on file and their system states the statements were sent to the correct email so this problem is out of their control and that I could have logged into the account online to see the statements. I explained that their site will not allow my login and she explained that after 90 days of no activity the online account access is disabled without notice. I explained my concerns that Heartland ECSI has not issued statements since XX/XX/XXXX, disabled my online account access without notice, yet she still states that since my online account says that I will receive my statements electronically online that they will not send them in the mail and will not inform me that online account access has been disabled, and thus can not see statements online either. With no way to receive statements except online, as she states, but online account is disabled, thus no way to receive statements, but she refused to provide resolution. When asking about why they are collecting on a discharged debt, she responded that Heartland ECSI received notification that the bankruptcy was done on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX, in which I explained that the final decree and bankruptcy case close was issued on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX, with notice send from the bankruptcy court on XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX so that would not be accurate. After being on the phone for one hour and forty-six minutes, she changed her initial response to state that Heartland ECSI received notification directly from the bankruptcy court on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX of the bankruptcy was concluded and that is why a statement released on the XXXX day of XX/XX/XXXX. She stated that she will remove some of the fees but it would not bring the account current and would not submit any service ticket to investigate the missing correspondences, nor would she submit any request to research and update the account as discharged in bankruptcy as she stated I was lying as you cant discharge us anyway, and that the account would continue to accrue fees and be reported as past due and the only thing we could do is just pay it off to stop the collections. When requesting to speak with a supervisor, she informed me that there are no supervisors but that someone would reach back out within 48 hours to further discuss my concerns. Upon her continued statements and refusals to address the concerns or even submit service tickets so that appropriate personnel could research and update the account appropriately, I explained that I would file a complaint with the US Bankruptcy Court for violations of the U.S. Bankruptcy code, the Department of Education for the refusal to even attempt to investigate the issues and update the account or involve a supervisor to assist, and the Consumer Protection Bureau. She responded with you can do that but it does not have anything to do with us. Again, I requested that a supervisor be of assistance, in which she responded that someone will reach out within the next 24-48 hours and then she disconnected the call before I was able to respond. 
In our history with this loan servicer since XXXX, Heartland ECSI will consistently make claims of calls and correspondences that were never completed, continually berate and threaten borrowers, and falsify account data to ensure that all services seem as if they are following U.S. laws and regulations. This is clearly shown in the numerous complaints submitted to multiple U.S. departments and agencies over many years of servicing student loans. Luckily, given our OCD in documenting every single interaction with any business weve ever had a relationship with, were able to provide all the needed documentation and recordings to the appropriate investigative departments. We will be submitting all evidentiary records to multiple U.S. departments to ensure that an investigation is properly conducted. Thus, enabling other borrowers to experience accurate and ethical practices from this servicer, and be protected from such predatory situations going forward. Though it would prove more beneficial to borrowers for servicers to provide honest and ethical practices, at the end of the day it is about how much the bottom line can grow for these establishments, and if the unethical and illegal practices eventually leading to monetary punishments will surpass the profits made in the meantime.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation