Consumer complaint received 2018-02-03
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: PA
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:
I have requested for the original term of the loan, as well as a complete breakdown of my payments. For years I was making payments and the principle never went down. I am requesting a full audit of my loan. 
On XX/XX/XXXX, I emailed the following " I would like all of my payment details for the life of the loan. Where is the breakdown of all of my payments? '' I emailed this to XXXX. 
Their response was to call them and to give me information on default rehabilitation loan program. 
To which I responded : From : XXXX, XXXX Sent : Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX  To : XXXX ' XXXX Subject : RE : My Existing Loans [ XXXX ] I will contact the office. In the meantime, I would like to know where I can find a breakdown of all the payments I have made to date. 
I go to AESs site and it says the loan has been paid in full. Why does it say that? Please direct me to where the complete breakdown is. I simply want to see why my principle has yet to go down all the years I have been paying. 
Then I made a third attempt to obtain information : XXXX, XXXX Reply all| Thu XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX   XXXX Label : Sent Items ( 1 year, 1 month, ) Expires : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX Third Request for information. 

Their response : XXXX Reply all| Thu XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX Label : Inbox ( 1 year, 1 month, ) Expires : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX Dear XXXX XXXX : You are receiving this email based on your existing business relationship with Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency ( PHEAA ). 

PHEAA has received your email, but we are unable to provide the requested information to you via email due to our privacy policy. While in default, there is no online access to the account. 

Please contact us directly at XXXX to discuss your account. Our office hours are XXXX XXXX to XXXX XXXX  Monday through Thursday and XXXX XXXX  to XXXX XXXX EST on Friday. 

Default Collection Lead Loan Assets Management Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency RE : My Existing Loans [ XXXX ] XXXX, XXXX | Fri XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX   If you can not email them to me, how can I obtain a written record of where all of my payments have gone/are going? 
Please let me know. 
XXXX XXXX Their response -- I didn't ask for a statement. I asked for a full breakdown. 
XXXX Reply all| Fri XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX Label : Inbox ( 1 year, 1 month, ) Expires : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX  Dear XXXX XXXX : This email is in response to your recent inquiry regarding your defaulted student loan ( s ) currently held by Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency ( PHEAA ). 

A statement of account will be mailed to you at the mailing address currently on file on XX/XX/XXXX. Please allow at least 7-10 days for receipt. Due to our privacy policy we are unable to send this information via email. 

Thank you for your inquiry. If you have additional questions or concerns please contact our customer service representatives toll-free at XXXX. Representatives are available to assist you Monday through Thursday XXXX XXXX  until XXXX XXXX and Friday XXXX XXXX  until XXXX XXXX  EST. 

Default Collection Lead Loan Assets Management Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency My response : RE : RE : RE : My Existing Loans [ XXXX ] XXXX, XXXX Reply all| Tue XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX Label : All Other Items ( 2 years, 1 month, ) Expires : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX Thank you for your response. As I have stated, I would like a written record of any actions and interactions. 

I have yet to receive a complete breakdown from you. I am sure there must be a law that states I am entitled to know where my money goes. My next step is to write my legislator to find out what my rights are in terms of knowing where all my money has gone all these years. 
>In the meantime, please let me know how I can get in your rehab program. I would like all of our communications to be by email, so please respond to this email with the information. 
>Also, you took both of my refunds in addition to the {$720.00} a month. You have a total of {$5000.00} over and above the {$720.00} a month you have been taken. I would like to dispute that since this garnishment has been in effect for well over a year. In essence, you have been taking payment. Was it really necessary to offset my tax returns in addition? If so, will that money also be going into a black hole without putting a dent in my principle? 
This was the last correspondence I received from them. RE : RE : RE : RE : RE : My Existing Loans [ XXXX ] D XXXX Reply all| Mon XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX  XXXX, XXXX Label : Inbox ( 1 year, 1 month, ) Expires : XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX   Dear XXXX XXXX : This is in response to your recent inquiry regarding your defaulted student loan ( s ) currently held by Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency ( PHEAA ). 

As of today, your outstanding account balance totals {$42000.00}. If remitting your entire balance in full is possible, please contact us to obtain a satisfactory payoff figure. If remitting your total outstanding balance is not possible, PHEAA will agree to accept a monthly billed amount in an effort to qualify your account for the Default Loan Rehabilitation program. To qualify, you must remit a minimum of nine ( 9 ) satisfactory monthly payments within a ten ( 10 ) month period. In an effort to calculate a reasonable and affordable monthly payment estimate, please contact our office to speak with a PHEAA representative. When calling, please be prepared to discuss your Adjusted Gross Income and family size so we may estimate your required monthly payment to qualify for the Default Loan Rehabilitation program.. 

The Default Loan Rehabilitation program will place your defaulted student loan ( s ) in good standing with American Education Services ( AES ). PHEAA will request that the consumer reporting agencies remove the record of the default tradeline submitted by PHEAA. The tradeline reported by your student loan servicer ( prior to your default ) will not be removed. 

In order to establish your monthly payments, please contact our customer service representatives toll-free at XXXX. Representatives are available to assist you Monday through Thursday XXXX XXXX   until XXXX XXXX and Friday XXXX XXXX  until XXXX XXXX  EST. 

Default Collection Lead Loan Assets Management Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency To date, I have not received the full terms of my original loan and a complete breakdown of my loan. They have been garnishing my wages {$720.00} a month for I believe about 2 years now ( I'd have to go back and double check that ), in addition to off-setting my last 2 tax returns. Is it possible to get a full audit of my loan? I appreciate any help you can give me. Just as an FYI, I did contact them to try to get on their loan rehabilitation. I was told that I would have to make what essentially amounts to double payments for 3 or 4 consecutive months to be removed from default. I can not afford this. The man was also impatient with me on the phone. I'm sure they have a recording of our conversation. At this point I want the data -- all the data so I can have a financial advisor ( and most likely a lawyer ) look at what I'm sure has been corrupt loan collection practices. There are many of us out there, and we desperately need your help in ensuring not only justice for ourselves, but for future generations. Thank you for your time. XXXX XXXX XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation