Consumer complaint received 2019-01-26
Company: JH Portfolio Debt Equities, LLC
State: NJ
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Private student loan
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Need information about your loan balance or loan terms

Complaint:
My co-signer received a call today XX/XX/2019 from XXXX XXXX XXXX demanding a payout of my loan. Initial balance was XXXX where I was making payments to XXXX XXXX   XXXX XXXX for a loan that I took out with XXXX XXXX. Apparently XXXX XXXX sold my loan to XXXX and then XXXX sold it to XXXX XXXX XXXX. I was making payments with XXXX XXXX XXXX and then I called them a couple of weeks ago and they told me that they had resold it to XXXX XXXX XXXX and that I needed to contact them. XXXX XXXX then told me that I had to contact the original loan servicer to discuss with them. I tried calling XXXX XXXX and they did not have such information on file for such amount about my loan. 

This is where XXXX XXXX comes along today XX/XX/2019, and states that they were hired by XXXX XXXX whom are the insurance providers of the loan through XXXX to collect the debt above but that my amount is now {$20000.00}. They demand from my co-signer to settle the debt so this can be taken away. My co-signer calls me to inform me of the collection agency that is calling and bothering her and she has no idea who they are and why they are demanding a settlement if she has never heard of them or received any prior information ( mail, or e-mail ). She is concerned how they have all of her information and they would not give her any detail information about their agency and facts about the loan. I called them back the same day, today at XXXX and tried to speak to the same lady that my co-signer spoke to. I first spoke to XXXX XXXX at XXXX. She demanded that I settle the debt that now was {$20000.00} because of Interest.  Without giving me any proof of such interest or where I could obtain that information. She said that they had sent out a letter to me on XX/XX/XXXX. The address they had on file was my old address and not even the updated information that XXXX XXXX XXXX had. I also asked why they did not reach out to me first instead of my co-signer and she had no answer to that but that my co-signer needed to know what was going on and if my co-signer would settle the debt immediately they would take her payment. I then requested to speak to a manager as she did not have more in-depth information about my loan history or my payments with XXXX XXXX XXXX. The next lady that supposedly was a manager was very rude and demanded I settle and if I could pay with a cc for the amount of {$10000.00} she would take the payment and the loan would be forgotten. I found it very weird all the misguided information they were giving me and she did not even want to email me information so I could take a look at it immediately. She kept demanding the payment and began to get frustrated with me because I wanted more information in regards to their company. She transferred me to a higher level manager : XXXX XXXX XXXX. He also tried to demand a payment but this time he tried to play it off by saying that if I gave a 10 % down I could settle for a lower payment but I needed to give them money as well. I asked him for more information about my loan and the company and why I had not been contacted in regards to such and all he could give me was the name of the company again and that I should have always been aware of my loans and that now all he is trying to do is collect a debt. I asked him again for more information about the company and if he could email it to me before making any sort of payment. I asked him if this debt collection was true, then I know I have the right to make payments at least and he said I could after I payed off immediately 10 % of the loan. This was a back and forth for almost an hour until he got frustrated and did not even want to take even a payment of {$50.00}. Before cutting me off then he did agree to take a payment of {$50.00} dollars as they take any sort of amount of payment. I requested proof of this payment towards my loan and receipt of such via email and it is not XXXX and I have not received any information but a hold on my debit card from XXXX XXXX XXXX 
After I finished my call with them, less then XXXX minutes after my co-signer phones me again to let me know that they called her again to demand {$8000.00} dollars now to settle the debt because I had the AUDACITY to only make a payment of {$50.00} and that it would take me almost 35 years to settle the debt. They kept demanding a pay-out, but this time being {$8000.00} without giving her any information as to why and of the company again. My co-signer is very scared of the way they approached her and the legitimacy of the company as they have her contact information. I also am very concerned of such and when trying to agree on a settlement they approached it by insulting me of not knowing my loan history and information. I paid {$50.00} to see if I could receive legitimate information from them and I am concerned now for personal information and consumer rights.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation