Consumer complaint received 2023-12-12
Company: EdFinancial Services
State: VA
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Problem with customer service

Complaint:
I wanted to speak to EdFinancial services about my loans and first had questions about the fact I did not see the approval for reduced payments based low income driven reduced payments. I had filled this out on FAFSA and was granted via FAFSA yet EdFinancial did not reflect this. I did get someone on the phone earlier in the summer about this and she told me she would " look into this '' and I never got a call back or an email. Then I found a way to pay the loans but in order to pay I need to provide the payer of the loans with the information to pay in full, the amount and information for electronic transfer required by banks. This is when I could no longer get in touch with EdFinancial at all. They had long hold! I waited for many hours ( 3-5 and more hours ) just hoping they would answer. I would keep my phone on while I was working or driving or anything. Other days I signed up for the call back and they promise to give a time they will call back the next day at a certain time. I did get one call back but after waiting for the call back and it didnt come, until 3 hours late, I was literally getting my hair cut and not on my computer so they could not help me, let alone hear me!! They said they would call back and gave me a time frame. I made sure I was available and on my computer. I waited but no call came back. I started over again, holding for hours. They were then stating on their recording they had 24 hour hold times!!! I kept putting in for a call back. Once I saw the call back come in and drop immediately. No one was there, no call came through. I think they just called and hung up for some reason? It was also a good week later than my call back. So, my point was that I was trying to pay the loan in full before the XXXX XXXX deadline but EdFinancial would not help me with the payment process. By not responding or providing the info via email or phone they essentially refused to assist me in the loan repayment. I didn't want to have a paper check sent in the mail for nearly $ XXXX as this is not safe and not advised by the bank either, but then I had no choice. The payor could only use XXXX. Although I was ready to get the payment done and paid in full electronically, I was unable since EdFinancial did not respond/refused to help. So, to avoid more interest the check was sent in the mail in XX/XX/, for approximately {$98000.00}, which was the total balance on the account in XX/XX/2023. It took awhile to get there and unfortunately was not received, opened and recorded by EdFinancial until XX/XX/XXXX or XXXX, and then applied to the account which then left a balance of about {$110.00}. So EdFinancial applied yet another month of interest since due to postponed assistance. Well actually it was XXXX assistance. They have NEVER offered help! I only had any interest ever because of the lack of help and response from EdFinancial. I already did make a complaint with U.S. Department of Education 's office of Federal Student Aid in XXXX and have a case number, XXXX. I have only received a confirmation and a case number they received the feedback and no other response. At the same time I called and spoke to Customer Service at EdFinancial who would not speak to me about my complaint or resolution, but took the complaint at the time of the call and someone did actually call me back finally in the first week of XXXX! He was rude and denied that EdFinancial refused to help me in making a timely payment although he agreed their services was overwhelmed for several months. However he refused to agree that they did not call me back or that they had unreasonably long hold times or to acknowledge no help on email. 
He simply said I owe the current balance and that it would not be made a XXXX balance without payment. 
I would like for EdFinancial to make my amount a XXXX balance since I went above and beyond any reasonable expectation to contact them and receive their help. They were not available to help me and it is their fault they did not receive they payment as I needed their help and they refused.

Company response to consumer: Untimely response