Consumer complaint received 2017-12-13
Company: Navient Solutions, LLC.
State: TX
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:
I was advised by a Navient Customer Service Representative to file for XXXX Loan Forgiveness, even though I was applying for PSLF. This representative stated this would only help me by lowering my monthly IBR payment because it would lower the overall amount I owed ; therefore, lowering my payments. I asked two different representatives the same questions, " Would this in any way influence the PSLF and the 120 payments toward the PSLF? '' And " Can you apply for both, and one not effect the other because if it does I, obviously, want to stay with PSLF because I will have more monetary loans forgiven than just a {$5000.00} forgiveness with XXXX Loan Forgiveness? '' Both representatives on two different phone calls, assured me that this was what was best for me and that I should turn in the XXXX Loan Forgiveness paperwork, and it would not interfere with the payments. I then asked, " Can I still continue paying during this 'mandated deferment ' while you process my paperwork, because I want it to go toward my 120 payments for PSLF? '' They stated that I could in fact continue paying my monthly payments, and that it would CONTINUE to go toward my 120 payments for the PSLF. 

This was a lot of money, so I then asked to speak to a supervisor, whom I asked the same questions while on speaker phone with my husband. I received the same answer, that this was what would lower my payments, and it would not interfere with the current payments toward my 120 payments for PSLF. 


Now, after being switched to XXXX XXXX, I am being told that this was not in fact the case. After months of being told that they could not find my payments before XXXX, I finally spoke with a representative from XXXX XXXX today, that told me it was due to the XXXX Loan Forgiveness, and my payments before that would not count. This is a crucial error on Navient 's part. I feel this is malpractice, and could potentially now cause me to pay an extra six years on my loans. Six years at my current payment is over {$13000.00} more than I would have paid. It is so disheartening to be told something different with every company my loan has been switched to ( XXXX XXXX, Navient, and now XXXX XXXX ). How can I the consumer, trust a company that is placed in charge of managing my student loans? How are these customer service representatives trained, if every single person has a different answer or solution to a problem? 

I would like my XXXX Loan Forgiveness to be returned to the Federal Government, adding it back onto my loans. Therefore, my payments toward the 120 payments toward PSLF would begin when I began paying my student loans back in XXXX and not restarting in XXXX. 



The above is the letter that filed as a formal complaint with XXXX XXXX XXXX. They sent my complaint to Navient, and I received a letter back that my phone calls were reviewed and the outcome is that because my PSLF questions and XXXX questions were in different phone calls there was no way for them to know I was interested in both forgiveness programs. I have two problems with this. One, I know I specifically asked the customer service agent if this would interfere with my current payments for PSLF. Two, as  customer service for a student loan company should n't they be advising me on the best possible scenario for my loans as well as look over my history with their company. 

I have called Navient back, with no response to ask to hear these phone calls and discuss further these concerns to no avail.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation