Consumer complaint received 2018-08-07
Company: Nelnet, Inc.
State: IL
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Incorrect information on your report
Sub-issue: Account status incorrect

Complaint:
To Whom It May Concern, I am requesting in good faith that The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will assist me in adjusting or removing the following incorrect reporting on my credit report. A XX/XX/XXXX 90+ days delinquency of my account that Nelnet holds. I requested Nelnet directly and they refuse to remove the error stating that it can only be removed if, 1. I was serving in the military, 2. I am the victim of a natural disaster, or 3. I was enrolled in school during that time. I do not fit any of the ONLY three options given but that does not mean that an error was indeed made. 
In XX/XX/XXXX I was contacted by a Nelnet representative who told me that my account was in need of attention since they did not receive my XX/XX/XXXX request for an Income Driven Repayment Option. The representative offered to assist me with the application for the Income Driven Re-Payment Plan over the phone. She pre-filled it with me over the phone and e-mailed it to me. ( See Attachment # 1 ) I then printed the application, signed the application, and submitted the documents via e-mail. I previously ( XX/XX/XXXX ) had my schools student finance office fax it to Nelnet due to previous issues of Nelnet 's claims of not receiving my applications via mail ( XX/XX/XXXX & XX/XX/XXXX ). I do not have the written evidence of requesting the Income Driven-Repayment Plan or a Forbearance request for those prior dates and therefore I am not disputing those reports. 
Nelnet did inform me in a XX/XX/XXXX conversation as well as in writing, ( See Attachment # 2 )  that the Department of Education did a yearly update ( XX/XX/XXXX ) 5 days after our conversation regarding the application for the Income Driven Repayment Plan and updated my contact information incorrectly. Even though Nelnet had my updated phone number they stated that did not matter and the Department of Education supersedes any information their records have.

I have always tried to keep an open relationship with transparent communication with Nelnet and keep them informed of my situation ( s ) ( lay-off, medical treatments, XXXX, etc. ). I am guilty of assuming that my application was received, and all was in good standing but since I did not hear otherwise I thought regrettably that it was a safe assumption. On XX/XX/XXXX I was visiting my mother when she informed me that she had received a packet but did not understand the contents. She gave me the packet ( See Attachment # 3 ) and it was a letter written eleven times asking for a valid address or phone number for me. I immediately went home and e-mailed Nelnet at XXXX ( See attachment # 4 ) requesting help with the matter. The e-mail has a subject line : Income-Driven Repayment Plan and is specifically requesting help with my phone number and email information. On XX/XX/XXXX I received an e-mail ( See attachment # 5 ) which I could not open ( See attachment # 6 ). On XX/XX/XXXX, I decided I needed further assistance and called XXXX XXXX XXXX and I was told they would find out what was going on. Of course this was during the holiday season so an immediate response was not expected and I was not too worried since I had not heard anything from Nelnet. I left for the holidays out of town to visit family and called Nelnet on XX/XX/XXXX twice to ensure things were taken care of ( See attachment # 7 & # 8 ). I was told that, and Administrative Forbearance was placed on my account ( See attachment # 9 ) and was dated back to XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX and therefore my account was in good standing through that time frame and I had nothing to worry about. Therefore, the reporting on XX/XX/XXXX is an error and I am requesting that it be removed/adjusted. 
I have taken this matter up with Nelnet several times and recently emailed the XXXX XXXX Vice President XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX with no response. As well as, Ombudsman, All 3 Credit Bureaus & The Federal Trade Commision, which I have not heard back from any yet ( 30 Days ). Nelnet is refusing to admit error and assist me. I do not understand a process that if you have a dispute with Nelnet, you submit the dispute to Nelnet and Nelnet reviews and determines the conclusion? Their response is ( See attachment # 10 ) Your forbearance request was received after the delinquency ( ies ) occurred. But that most definitely is not true since my initial request was in XX/XX/XXXX, Second request was in XX/XX/XXXX and the third request was received on XX/XX/XXXX in the form of an e-mail. 
I am depending on the fair unbiased eyes and opinions of The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Ombudsman and Federal Trade Commision to assist me and others like me in this matter. This issue is not a regular occurrence with my creditors and it is not my intention to bash or discredit Nelnet however, errors do occur and should be looked at on a person to person basis not just by a policy. I thank you for your time and appreciate your attention to this matter. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX ( XXXX )

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation