Consumer complaint received 2018-04-15
Company: NEW YORK STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICES CORPORATION (HESC)—
State: AZ
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Need information about your loan balance or loan terms

Complaint:
In XX/XX/XXXX I graduated XXXX XXXX XXXX University with approximately XXXX dollars of student loan debt. None of this debt is private all is both Federal and State ( California ) loans. I had done Forbearance and Deferments while I was in between employment an not making substantial enough money to pay back my loans and the cost of living. In XX/XX/XXXX/XX/XX/XXXX I  consolidated the loans and began paying my student loans back ( I have tax documentation supporting this ). In XX/XX/XXXX I became pregnant and lost my employment ; However, my loans payments were paid through XX/XX/XXXX. In XX/XX/XXXX the California housing market and coupled with my husbands loss of bonuses this left us very little money for expenses. Then in XX/XX/XXXX my husband lost his employment. My husband was on unemployment, we had Californias XX/XX/XXXX Insurance, were on XXXX, and were on forbearance for our home loan. I had exhausted all Deferments and Forbearance options and was told there was nothing I could do, absolutely nothing and my loan would go to default. In late XX/XX/XXXX I began getting phone calls from New York Higher Education Services Corporation ( HESC ) both myself and my husband received these calls. In XX/XX/XXXX we attempted to work with HESC they would not send any documentation. HESC would only speak to you on the phone. When you called HESC or attempted to return a call you could never get ahold of them and speak to the same person. HESC expected me to agree only by phone call ( not signed legal documentation ) to have access to me and my husbands social security to have all access to the IRS. HESC would further not let me set up a payment plan I could afford ( we are still paying off bills from my husbands loss of employment never declaring bankruptcy ). HESC only gave me two options pay over XXXX dollars a month or XXXX dollars a month, I had no other options HESC only gave me two. If I chose the XXXX dollar a month choice ( which I did ) HESC guaranteed me with in one year I would be in good standing and they would contact me to renegotiate my loan. HESC did all of this via phone calls NEVER sending or giving me legal and formal documentation. HESC took my joint bank account information and charged my bank account XXXX dollars a month which was paid from XX/XX/XXXX through XX/XX/XXXX. HESC never contacted me as they stated ( why would they there was no legal binding documentation ). In XX/XX/XXXX they contacted me stating they sold my loan and I never paid on, so it was back HESC in default. Again, I was never contacted by another loan company and nor did I ever receive any documentation. No one ever sent me lender change notification, I receive absolutely nothing. Again, both my husband and I demanded they send legal documentation with loan information, principle owed information, interest information and interest owed, etc. We also requested HESC send us formal paperwork justifying their legitimacy, and loan and loan options from them in writing. HESC refused to do or provide anything. In XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX they took our federal tax refunds totally approximately XXXX dollars. I have only ever received Demand Letters from HESC. That is, it and Im am not sure what interest rate my loan has, but its preposterously outrageous. On these following dates these are my totals from different Demand Letters the only formal correspondence HESC seems to mail out. 
1. XX/XX/XXXX HESC stated I owed XXXX dollars 2. XX/XX/XXXX HESC stated I owed XXXX dollars 3. XX/XX/XXXX HESC stated I owed XXXX dollars 4. XX/XX/XXXX HESC stated I owed XXXX dollars 5. XX/XX/XXXX HESC stated I owed XXXX dollars On XX/XX/XXXX I was sent a Demand Letter by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX a collection company for my student loans that stated I owed the following : 1. XX/XX/XXXX XXXX stated I owed XXXX dollars 2. XX/XX/XXXX XXXX stated I owed XXXX dollars 3. XX/XX/XXXX Performant stated I owed XXXX dollars On XX/XX/XXXX I contacted and Attorney specializing in Student Loans ; However, they do not have the ability to negotiate on Federal loans. The Attorney agreed that the way some Federal Student Loan lenders are set up they take advantage of people and the US Department of Education does nothing or does not know there is foul play. The Attorney suggested I contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, and send letters of debt validity. I am further going to contact US Department of Education and Public Representatives.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation