Consumer complaint received 2023-05-22
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: PA
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Private student loan
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Received bad information about your loan

Complaint:
Chat Transcript on XX/XX/XXXX with AES  reps. The first representative " XXXX '' seemingly ended the chat abruptly for no reason. The second representative was combative over me asking questions that she clearly couldn't understand how to answer. She kept insisting she answered my question when her answer had nothing to do with my question. I already know the process behind their payment processing times, but that was not the question I asked. I felt the representative was becoming insufferable and overbearing. I don't appreciate rudeness such as this coming from people who are supposed to be acting professional, and also get paid to do a job. 

Session started between XXXX and XXXX XXXX : Payments and Billing Questions XXXX : Thank you for contacting us. My name is XXXX and my employee ID is XXXX. May I have your first name please? 
XXXX : This is XXXX. 
XXXX : Hello XXXX. How can I assist you today? 
XXXX : Here is a transcript of the conversation with " XXXX ''. Employee ID XXXX. She ended the conversation abruptly without answering any questions. I'm not happy XXXX : XXXX : Payments and Billing Questions XXXX : Thank you for contacting American Education Services ( AES )! My name is XXXX and my employee ID is XXXX. May I have your first name please? 
XXXX : Hello Employee # XXXX. Please confirm that your staff have received recent messages which were sent. My first name is XXXX. I must advise you that any rude behavior including inappropriate blocking of the feature may result in me calling in and reporting your behavior to a supervisor, so I would proceed with extreme caution and be as pleasant as possible. 
XXXX : I am currently reviewing your account, sorry for the delay. 
XXXX : Hello XXXX! 

Please accept our apology for any inconvenience or confusion that this situation may have caused you. 

Give me a few moments to research your account. 
XXXX : A payment is scheduled for XX/XX/XXXX for {$400.00}. Remember, 2 business days will not be acceptable, even if it takes your company that long to process it. If the payment is not processed by end of day on XX/XX/XXXX, an additional CFPB complaint will be filed and a separate complaint with the Attorney General 's office will be made. There is already 2 ethics complaints made against your agency for Discriminatory behavior including retaliation. 
XXXX : This is also a reminder that all mailed correspondence will be sent back to your Agency going forward unopened. 
XXXX : Any re-mailing of this correspondence will be again sent back. 
Agent session ended unexpectedly. 
XXXX has exited the session. 
The conversation has been ended. 
XXXX : I apologize XXXX. There are a few representatives who are having some technical issues. Please give me a few moments to review your account. 
XXXX : Is this habitable behavior from your staff or acceptable behavior that you condone from an operational perspective? 
XXXX : What gives your staff the right to just end conversations when I'm simply asking questions? 
XXXX : And your agency wonders why states continue to pursue class action lawsuits for mismanagement of accounts. 
XXXX : I am attempting to assist you with your inquiry. Please allow me a few moments to review your account as well as all notes on your account. 
XXXX : With all due respect and fairness XXXX, the " Technical issues '' excuse is a flat out lie. 
XXXX : That's something that people use when they're caught doing things they shouldn't XXXX : I was also surprised that your chat Agent " XXXX '' is still employed. She blocked my access in the past inappropriately. It would appear no corrective action was initiated on my behalf. 
XXXX : Please be advised, online accounts may be blocked in the event a borrower is verbally abusive or threatening. 
XXXX : There was no abusive contact on the part of me. Now, XXXX 's conduct by blocking me was abusive and wasteful. 
XXXX : And if it were up to me, she'd be fired. 
XXXX : Your employees on the phone even said her behavior was not professional. 
XXXX : To review what was discussed with XXXX, you had indicated that you had a scheduled payment for the amount of {$400.00}, with the effective date of XX/XX/XXXX. Is this correct? 
XXXX : Yes. Do you not see this scheduled? 
XXXX : You need to make sure it's processed accordingly. 
XXXX : Yes, I see the scheduled payment for {$400.00}. Your payment will be applied for the effective date of XX/XX/XXXX, regardless of processing time. 
XXXX : The online status of the payment can not say it's past due on XX/XX/XXXX. 
XXXX : If it is, I'm going to blame you. 
XXXX : If a payment is not made by XX/XX/XXXX there could be additional consequences. However, you scheduled your payment for XX/XX/XXXX. 
XXXX : Did you not read my statement about this saying it can not be listed as past due on XX/XX/XXXX on the online account? On the physical date of XX/XX/XXXX, when I login to the account, if it says past due, then it is obvious what you're saying is incorrect. 
XXXX : I am currently reviewing your account, sorry for the delay. 
XXXX : Please make sure XXXX hasn't blocked my access as of the time of this chat. I ended up getting her before you and I suspect she may try and block my access out of retaliation for filing a grievance against her. 
XXXX : Yes, I read what you had wrote and I am trying to assist you. Please indicate where in your online account it indicates it can not be listed as past due on XX/XX/XXXX. 
XXXX : Anywhere in the online account. 
XXXX : It can not say that it's past due after I scheduled it for a day prior. While it may not be posted, that doesn't mean it's past due. Keep in mind I take screenshots XXXX : I am not showing that your online account is blocked. I also can not locate in your online account where there is any verbiage that states your account can not show past due on XX/XX/XXXX. 
XXXX : I see a statement that shows " As of XX/XX/XXXX, your account is now 27 days past due. 
If you did not make a payment yet, you can choose to pay online right now. '' XXXX : The reality is, that your organization can not seem to properly update anything correctly. In hindsight, if a payment was scheduled to be processed ON XX/XX/XXXX, why would it still say past due ON XX/XX/XXXX? Shouldn't it say " Processing '' or " Pending ''. That makes me think that because your system thinks it's past due when it really isn't given that I've effected the payment, your agency will mis-report to the Credit Bureaus XXXX Which has happened in the past. 
XXXX : Once the payment is scheduled for a date to be effective, you can not just claim days after the fact that the payment is still past due XXXX : just because it takes your agency a # of days to process it just means that you don't have your system programmed appropriately to remit a payment XXXX : Payments are applied for the effective date they are scheduled, regardless of the processing time. For example, if your payment is scheduled for XX/XX/XXXX and it doesn't process until XX/XX/XXXX or XXXX, it will still be applied for XX/XX/XXXX. 
XXXX : well that's all find and dandy XXXX XXXX, but you're missing the point. The point is while it may be effective for that date on a date in the future, the system still reports the payment as past due days after I effected it. 
XXXX : I am XXXX XXXX. And I am sorry, but I can not change nor manage the processing time for payments. 
XXXX : I apologize. That was a typo XXXX : And are you misunderstanding what I'm saying? 
XXXX : Is there anything else I can assist you with today that we have not already discussed during this chat session? 
XXXX : You are not understanding my questions, obviously because the answers you are giving has to do with payment processing times instead of why it shows that the payment is past due online when it's really not past due. 
XXXX : If you do not know the answer, that's all you have to say XXXX : don't lie and try and provide an answer that has nothing to do with the question. 
XXXX : I have already addressed this question. Payments take up to two business days for processing. 
XXXX : That is not an answer that is related to the question mam. 
XXXX : What are you not getting? 
XXXX : The question has nothing to do with the payment processing time. It has to do with how it displays online a day AFTER it's been scheduled to be effected. 
XXXX : You will also see online that is shows as pending, correct? 
XXXX : no, that's not what i see when a day has come and gone for the date it was meant to be applied for. 
XXXX : I still see " Past Due '' a day later. 
XXXX : That needs to be fixed. 
XXXX : Sounds like maybe you didn't enough training or maybe need re-training? 
XXXX : These are simple questions. 
XXXX : I am currently reviewing your account, sorry for the delay. 
XXXX : XXXX, I have already addressed this inquiry. I had indicated the processing time for payments and that a payment would still be applied for the effective date submitted regardless of the processing time. 
XXXX : XXXX, that answer has nothing to do with the question. 
XXXX : XXXX, stop repeating yourself with an answer that it not related to the question. 
XXXX : I'm putting this entire transcript in a CFPB complaint. 
XXXX : the CFPB needs to see the types of answers I am given. 
XXXX : Your answer XXXX is not something I asked. 
XXXX : You wanted to know why your account shows past due a day or two days after you have made a payment, which I have answered. I had indicated that it can take up to two business days to process payments and that your payment would still be applied for the effective date it was made, regardless of processing time. 
XXXX : That is your process, but that doesn't answer why it shows past due online. 
XXXX : There is no reason it should say past due a day later when I've scheduled it for a day prior. 
XXXX : How many times do I need to explain this? 
XXXX : I am currently reviewing your account, sorry for the delay. 
XXXX : I am submit your concerns to the appropriate department to have this matter looked in to. However, there is no guarantee they will be able to honor the request.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation