Consumer complaint received 2019-02-07
Company: Nelnet, Inc.
State: CA
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Problem with customer service

Complaint:
I have nothing but problems with Nelnet since the inception of my loan in XXXX. They have improperly, unprofessionally, negligently, and in a continually timely manner handled my loan which resulted it the outset a negative reporting to the three major credit bureaus. I thought it then appropriate and fair to have the negative information. I had taken a semester off of school and were asking for money and offered no solution to fixing things and reverse the negative credit reporting. 

Then in XXXX I was finally told about a REPAYE Plan because of my income. I applied and was approved. Then in XXXX, when I went to recertify my Plan, I marked the appropriate boxes that nothing had changed from the year before, which was supposed to trigger an auto renewal of the plan. However, they messed it up and required I start a whole new application. They did the same thing to my wife 's loan! 

Then in XXXX, history repeated itself. But not for my wife. Hers went through fine. When I went to recertify I hit the same boxes saying nothing had changed. I found myself two to three months later having to redo things because they admitted they again dropped the ball. Additional information was requested me and I complied. I was sent statements showing no balance owed and a letter saying my REPAYE Plan was certified, only to be hit with an email on XX/XX/XXXX, that I had a payment due the following day! I made every attempt to contact Nelnet by phone, online contact page and email, but no one was available. When I filled out the online contact page I was told someone would get back to me. What I got was an email five days later telling to reapply! 

I then contacted Nelnet by phone on XXXX, XXXX, XXXX. I spoke with XXXX XXXX. She apologized for the troubles I had with Nelnet and said she would talk with her supervisor on a plan to straighten everything out. 

When she returned from a hold, she assured me!, that if I trusted her this would be my final hurdle to making sure my REPAYE Plan was in place. Her instruction, she would fill out a new application so I did not have to, all I had to do was have my wife sign it and I sign it. Then she would send me a sample income self certification letter, I would write one modeling it. That was ALL I needed to do. She also said that any amounts owed would be waived and any negative reporting to any credit bureau would be reversed. As well no payments would be required after our conversation. 

My wife and I printed, signed the app page, scanned it and sent it back back with the income self certification letter. Yet, after that, Nelnet kept sending demands for payment! Then 10 days after we sent them what they asked for they said they needed MORE info! They info? Well they said they only received a partial application and therefore needed a new app! I simply added the signature page into the app they sent me and sent it back. 

BUT! Then on XX/XX/XXXX the dared ask for MORE information! I called and the first person I talked with said I had to start over with a new application! I talked to three others after him only to be told the same scripted story and there was no one else available who had any Authority to do anything! 

I did make a request to the first gentleman to have XXXX XXXX call me back on XX/XX/XXXX when she was to return to the office.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation