Consumer complaint received 2018-08-08
Company: Action Financial Services, LLC
State: PA
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Problem with customer service

Complaint:
I was contacted by Action Financial o make arrangements to pay my student loan balance off and told if I did not make arrangements my paycheck would be garnished. I explained that my finances have been devastated over the past 3 years because my husband became very ill. He lost his very good job and we also lost our home. I filled out the financial form and told them that we were already making over {$500.00} in payments to the IRS. I was told that they could not factor the payments we were making to the IRS in the payment arrangements. I asked for a hearing on the matter. in XX/XX/2018. I received a response in a letter dated XX/XX/18 that was postmarked XX/XX/18 that I received on XX/XX/18. The letter stated that I had 15 days from the date of the letter to make arrangements with Action Financial or my paycheck would be garnished at a rate of 15 %. I called Action Financial on XX/XX/18 to make a payment arrangement. They gave me an arrangement of {$310.00} per month and told me I needed to close the deal within a few days. They also told me that the DOE had already contacted my Employer to garnish my wages and they could not explain or understand why. I contacted the DOE on XX/XX/18 or XX/XX/18 and was told that the garnishment could be suspended and my garnished wages returned once Action Finance confirmed my arrangements. I emailed them current pay stubs and a recurring payment form all by XX/XX/18 within the 15 days. When I kept pressing Action Financial for how they payments were going to be handled since there was the garnishment and now the recurring payment that would be taken from my account and paychecks. I kept getting vague answers from both Action Financial and the DOE about how the suspension of the garnishment would occur and only the payment arrangements would be deducted. I was promised on XX/XX/18 that I would get a return call detailing with certainty how this would occur. I never got a return call and I called several times since them and kept being told that the team assigned to my case are unavailable and would call me back. I am so afraid that they garnishment of {$350.00} from each biweekly paycheck will continue and the recurring payment of {$310.00} per month from the payment agreement will also be taken. I feel like I am being set up to take all these payments and not allowing me the process they promised me in the letter. And the DOE keeps sending me to Action Financial and Action Financial is acting like they don't really understand how this could happen. They will bankrupt me and cause me to lose even more. My husband 's medical expenses cost us a lot each month and now with this I don't know what I can do. These are some of the worst tactics I have ever seen and it is not fair. I am getting sick trying to deal with this situation and my husband 's illness. I don't understand how they could be so heartless.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation