Consumer complaint received 2019-03-07
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: CA
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Trouble with how payments are being handled

Complaint:
This has to do with PSLF. PLSF is a sham. XXXX XXXX XXXX is not acting in good faith. They incorrectly entered my employment dates twice ( clerical errors ) - once at a small XXXX XXXX and once at more current employer. It took over 18 months to rectify the situation - even to get them to respond to the issue. 

When they finally did respond to the issue, they corrected the dates but only counted a a small percentage of the actual qualifying payments. Sometimes citing a few cents difference as to why I would not get credit for that months payment. I have made years of regular payments each month, but because of pennies, it will be years longer until the loans are forgiven, thereby costing me more money in interest. 

Also, because of another clerical error on their part, there were a problem with my Income driven repayment plan. Each time there was a problem, I would call and get different information from the employees, often telling me to do different things to rectify the situation. The situation was never rectified. Like predators, they encouraged my to take several forbearances while they worked out the issue. I understand now, that no one was trying to solve the issue, they were merely trying to drag it out while accrued interest. 

Regarding the Employment Certification Form, several employees told me that I could wait until my ten years was up and then send in the ECF. I heard this several times. Nevertheless, I still sent it in every single year. But the kicker was, this past year, they did not receive- or rather they said the did not receive it. I did put it in the mail. Regardless they said that next time I should submit the form online so they didn't lose it. It took them 2 months to tell me they didn't receive it and for some reason they put my loan on forbearance while they waited. That means that although I continued to pay my loans during that 2 months, they did not count as qualifying payments because I was on a forced forbearance, thereby extending my qualifying payment again. When I called to complain they told me that I DID need to submit my ECF every year. What is a consumer supposed to do when every time you call you get different information and then even when you pay every month ( on automatic withdrawal ) they put you on forbearance without asking and then don't count those payments. 

This is a scam and they are not trying to help public servants. they are trying to scam them. And I am not the worst case. I have heard and red that they are being sued for their treatment of the PSLF program. Last year, out of thousands of people who have applied for forgiveness, only a small, small fraction have actually been forgiven. How terrible of company do you have to be to fleece public servants. And they have designed their system so there is not proof to be had. How can I prove that every time I was on the phone they told me different things? How can I prove that they told me I didn't have to turn in my employment certification each year ( even though I did )? How can I prove that they didn't ask my permission to put me on forbearance ( even though I still paid )? 

This is a scam and there is no recourse from the consumer. Shame on them. Shame on the government if they allow this to go on. This is just another way for the ruling class to keep their thumb on the middle class. So XXXX XXXX can have another yacht. Shame on you XXXX XXXX! 

XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief