Consumer complaint received 2018-02-13
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: NY
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Received bad information about your loan

Complaint:
My loan balance of {$58000.00} was transferred to Fedloan Servicing from XXXX XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX after I submitted my first PSLF employment certification form. Since then, I have had several negative interactions with XXXX, and two substantial customer service problems about which I would like to complain. 

The first problem began shortly after I was transferred to XXXX ; part of their process involves putting payees in deferment while they get their accounts in order ( which takes an insanely long time ). I called XXXX and asked to have the deferment removed, so that I could continue to make qualifying payments toward PSLF. I was told to make my normal payment as usual, and that it would be retroactively billed ( as only billed payments qualify for PSLF ). As a result of this advice, I made a payment of XXXXon XX/XX/XXXX. As of my most recent interaction with XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ), this payment still hasn't been retroactively billed. The rep I spoke to ( ID XXXX ) told me that she could see the request in the system, but that it was impossible to say when it would be completed. She asked me to " have faith '' in XXXX, but that's difficult to do as they never fulfill their promises. In the meantime, I continue to pay ahead, waiting for a retroactive bill that may or may not ever come. 

The second problem relates to XXXX 's count of qualifying payments based on my previously submitted employment verification form. For some reason that no one at XXXX can yet identify, they have counted 8 qualifying payments for all of my loans except by two direct consolidation loans ( which make up the bulk of my balance ). These consolidation loans show zero qualifying payments. I requested a review of this on XX/XX/XXXX ( as PSLF is not useful to me if it will not include these large loans ), and was told by rep XXXX that such review had been requested. On XX/XX/XXXX I called to check on this review, and was told by rep XXXX that the request for review had indeed been submitted on XX/XX/XXXX, and that I should expect it to be completed in no more than 60 days. I called today ( XX/XX/XXXX ) to check on it again, as I hadn't heard anything, and was told by rep XXXX that the review was not complete, that reviews were taking a long time, but that like my other issue it was impossible to give me a time frame within which it would be resolved. This is particularly problematic because, if my consolidation loans are for some reason ineligible, I will need to change my financial plans significantly, and every month that I don't know is a month during which I could be losing hundreds of dollars by not changing my strategy. 

XXXX does not stick to the promises it makes to those whose loans it services. When I tell a rep that a previous rep ( who I can identify ) told me something different, they don't act as though that matters at all. I can't withdraw my loans from their system, because they handle all PSLF loans, and I feel as though I am being punished for participating in this program. CFPB is really my only recourse here, so I'm hoping you can do something to hold them accountable. They are clearly understaffed and/or incompetent, as there is no reason it should take " up to a year '' to process a single retroactive bill, and I hope there is something you can do about this.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief