BEE-spoke-data/consumer-finance-complaints huggingface dataset:
Consumer complaint received 2016-05-08
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: MA
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Non-federal student loan
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Don't agree with fees charged

Complaint:
About XXXX years ago I attended a trade school which was called XXXX at the time ( very loosely affiliated with XXXX University, a very reputable university located in XXXX, MA ). This XXXX changed names until it closed permanently and suddenly under the name XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX 2013. The amount of the total fees were not disclosed to me but the only way I was told I could pay for it was a private loan from XXXX XXXX. I had to drop out of the program near the completion date due to the fact that XXXX XXXX refused to loan me any more money ( which was {$45000.00} when the loans were first taken out ) but later obtained the XXXX due to transferring in a university class. Unfortunately, the XXXX was useless in obtaining work so I had to attend XXXX classes through a XXXX university and put the private loan in deferment for a period of several years because I could not afford the roughly {$500.00} payments when the loan became due, I was only able to start making regular ( but reduced payments due to my income ) payments once I received my XXXX, which was financed by SEPARATE federal loans. The loan has been consolidated and changed servicers twice in the last 8 years, and now it is nearly {$80000.00} and I am paying a for a useless education from a school that no longer exists. Please explain how a loan can nearly double in less than 10 years? Help!

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-03-29
Company: SUNTRUST BANKS, INC.
State: CO
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Non-federal student loan
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Need information about my balance/terms

Complaint:
Suntrust Bank acquired several fraudulent student fin'l aid loans in my name. They refuse to discuss these with me and provide chain of possession information about them.

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
Consumer complaint received 2015-09-25
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: CA
Product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on credit report
Sub-issue: Account status

Complaint:
Dear CFPB : This matter is very time sensitive. Equifax erroneously reported to XXXX party XXXX that my wife and I had a 90-day late on our home loans in XX/XX/XXXX. That is impossible. We completed a successful short sale with XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX was contacted. They completed an investigation and confirmed that they reported correctly to Equifax. Equifax made the error. As a result, our FICO score has been affected and moreover, we are unable to buy the home that we want to purchase and raise our son in. 

Countless hours have been invested trying to ascertain who reported an erroneous late in XX/XX/XXXX. Equifax is the culprit. 

Attached is a recent letter from XXXX confirming that we were never late in XX/XX/XXXX and all debt was settled in XX/XX/XXXX.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-03-07
Company: Credit Karma, LLC
State: OH
Product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on credit report
Sub-issue: Personal information

Complaint:
A name on my credit report is wrong - I have never been XXXX XXXX - please remove.Names Reported XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, XXXX

Company public response: Company believes complaint caused principally by actions of third party outside the control or direction of the company
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-04-06
Company: SUNTRUST BANKS, INC.
State: MO
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Non-federal student loan
Issue: Can't repay my loan
Sub-issue: Can't decrease my monthly payments

Complaint:
My loans went to collections, and I was garnished. I went through a program to get me back onto track, and get my loan into good standing. They said after 6 months of on time payments that they would end the garnishments, and my credit would be clear. I had to file bankruptcy. I called in to make my payment XXXX day, and they told me the program had been closed, and I had completed it in good standing. This was 15 months later. My loan never left garnishment. Now they want me to make a second payment every month after they have already taken the money out of my check. I just went back to college, and when I asked about a deferment during college they just moved my currently owed payments to the end of my loan, and are still billing me.

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
Consumer complaint received 2023-02-04
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: FL
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report
Sub-issue: Reporting company used your report improperly

Complaint:
I reviewed my Consumer Reports and noticed that I had one late payment on an account that I was never late for. Consumer Reporting Agencies have assumed a vital role and have a responsibility to report Consumer information to the best of their ability with Maximum Accuracy. I have never been late on payments for the account XXXX XXXX Please investigate and provide Proof with statements showing that this payment was late.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2017-02-02
Company: SUNTRUST BANKS, INC.
State: GA
Product: Bank account or service
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Using a debit or ATM card

Complaint:
My wife and I have a joint account with SunTrust ( branch is at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX GA XXXX ). We received a rogue charge to that account for a clothing purchase we had never made for {$240.00}. We called the bank to inform them and to halt the processing of the transaction. The bank told us that the transaction had been made on a different card ( My wife had had an account in her sole name with her own debit card for that account, however she had closed that account 3 months earlier and that account had disappeared from any view that we had ). 
As her old account was linked to our joint account, the transaction appeared on our joint account. It appears that they removed my wife 's " closed '' account from our view, but had never actually closed the account. I have read about the XXXX " sales practices '', however perhaps there are other short term " performance measures '' within banks that are resulting in window dressing ( such as keeping accounts open with a XXXX balance and removing them from the customer view ) and unnecessary risk being passed to consumers. 
For now, the branch has acknowledged that account was closed. They seem to have no idea how the fraudulent transaction was not denied from the get go. As my wife closed the account months ago, so the card was cut up at that time also. Meanwhile the bank, although they acknowledge that we could not have made this transaction, have nonetheless charged our account with the full amount while they process their " investigation ''. 
Now we are waiting for them to conclude their investigation while someone else holds our money in their account. All this while, only the bank 's dubious practices have allowed the fraudulent transaction to be conducted in the first place. It is a very sad place when the humble consumer has better risk management practices than one of the larger banks in the land.

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
Consumer complaint received 2022-06-03
Company: EQUIFAX, INC.
State: IL
Product: Credit reporting, credit repair services, or other personal consumer reports
Sub-product: Credit reporting
Issue: Improper use of your report
Sub-issue: Reporting company used your report improperly

Complaint:
In accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting act XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Account # XXXX, has violated my rights. 

15 U.S.C 1681 section 602 A. States I have the right to privacy.

15 U.S.C 1681 Section 604 A Section 2 : It also states a consumer reporting agency can not furnish an account without my written instructions

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Consumer complaint received 2016-12-13
Company: AMERICAN HONDA FINANCE CORP
State: RI
Product: Consumer Loan
Sub-product: Vehicle lease
Issue: Shopping for a loan or lease

Complaint:
During the sales process of a new lease at XXXX Acura in XXXX, MA, the car I test drove is not the car I leased & the differences and details were not disclosed to me. The lease terms were fine, but the vehicle I thought I was leasing is not what I received. Additionally, the remote start feature did not work as disclosed during the sales process, which were also explained wrong during the vehicle walk through. I 've tried to resolve directly with the General Manager at the dealer. The options were I could pay more money, or keep what I have. I was n't willing to take it off the lot the day of pickup, but I was told I had to because it was registered to me.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-01-17
Company: Credit Karma, LLC
State: IL
Product: Credit reporting
Issue: Incorrect information on credit report
Sub-issue: Public record

Complaint:
Since " hard entry 's '' are of public record -- I choose that area as the area I wish to dispute. 
I just reviewd my Credit Report completely looking at each section and what it means. I read about the hard credit inquiries and I dispute that XXXX had my permission to check my credit. I called them to ask questions about their services because I was thinking about changing my carrier. I WAS NOT ready to change carriers at that time. Just inquiring about their rates. I DO NOT think I should have a hard entry from them on XXXX XXXX, 2015! I only asked questions over the phone about the rates and promotions that were available at that time. I do not remember being told they were going to check my credit because I was not ready to go to the next step to start service with them and change carriers. If I had been informed, I would have told the agent, " NO! DO NOT Check My Credit! I am Not ready to change carriers yet! '' So, I would like this " hard entry '' from XXXX removed from my credit report. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.

Company public response: Company believes complaint caused principally by actions of third party outside the control or direction of the company
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2015-05-13
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: CO
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Non-federal student loan
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Keep getting calls about my loan

Complaint:
My son has several school loans under American Education Services. I have to help him make his payments each month. When I go onto their online payment system, I have been paying amounts in increment installments on all loans by using their payment system. I pay each installment by the end of the month. Every month, I have been getting harassing calls by this company who states that my payments are delinquent. There is XXXX payment that they have been carrying over for over 40 days stating that this payment has not been made. I spoke with the supervisor and he claimed that the payment went on another loan. How can you use their payment system and request that this payment be made to this loan and it gets applied under another loan? This is not the first time that this has happened. I feel that I have paid them double the amount on my loans. For example, I paid my loan installments, in full, on XXXX payment in the amount of {$600.00}. The following month, I received a call from AES and they stated that I had a delinquency of {$300.00}! This amount also included late fees. This has happened before and when I approached AES that I wanted a summary detail payment list, they would not provide me one. The supervisor looked into it and stated that my money was allocated to other loans rather than the ones that I had indicated. This has happened to my daughter 's student loan that she has with AES, so this method is practiced quite frequently. American Education Services is the ONLY lender that places harassing phone calls. Other loan companies will call and ask if you have made the payment, and if you tell them that you will be paying the following week, they accept that statement. I do know that there are some people that will not tell the truth, and when they are asked about when they will be submitting payments, they lie. However, for someone like myself, who considers myself as a good person, gets harassed to the point that I have to hang up the phone. This has got to stop, not only for myself, but for other students who are desperately trying to pay back a student loan under this very poor economy. Another question, why do n't they allow students to pay on a monthly installment that they can afford? AES requires that you have at least a $ XXXX job so you can handle their payments. This does n't necessarily happen with students who just get out of college. And with the economy now, it will take a long time before they get to that level of salary.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2015-05-14
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: AL
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Non-federal student loan
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Keep getting calls about my loan

Complaint:
I tried to come to a payment solution with the private student loan company AES and I had lost my job and could not make the payments anymore. I tried to get them to lower the payment or do a consoldation to make it affordable. They said they was nothing they could do. So I paid what I could and then they started to refuse the payments. So it went into default and I have been trying my best to get back on my feet because I lost my job.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-04-26
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: FL
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Trouble with how payments are handled

Complaint:
I have received conflicting information from countless representatives as to how payments I have made are applied to the XXXX program I am enrolled in. My problem stems from the fact that I pay a higher monthly payment than is due under an XXXX. I receive funds from my job to repay my student loans and that money must be used up within the year it is received which requires I pay more than the monthly XXXX payment. No one has properly explained to me how my payments apply towards my loan forgiveness when my account is in a " Paid Ahead '' status. I am concerned that I am not receiving proper credit towards my XXXX payment quota. I have made countless requests to be removed from " Paid Ahead '' status to avoid any further confusion. My most recent statement shows I am still paid ahead. I have also made numerous requests for an itemized record of all my payments made since FedLoan Servicing has serviced my loan that have been applied XXXX. To date, I have not received that information. Finally, after I complained about the application of my payments to XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, I received a letter dated XXXX/XXXX/XXXX taking away some of the payments I had received credit for in an XXXX/XXXX/XXXX letter without any explanation as why and how this happened.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Consumer complaint received 2015-11-05
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: AK
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Non-federal student loan
Issue: Can't repay my loan
Sub-issue: Can't decrease my monthly payments

Complaint:
I believe this company AES is not acting in my best interest. I went to XXXX College in XXXX and XXXX College in XXXX. I have been struggling since I left college with just my XXXX degree, I asked this AES company for help at the most desperate time of my life and feel as though they took advantage of my situation by altering my original balance and adding unjustified fees to balloon my balance. As of today I am still struggling, but I have paid this company {$17000.00} since leaving college in 2010 with an original balance of {$22000.00} and this company AES has ballooned my balance to {$31000.00}. My attempts to contact this company by phone to complain are met by absurd wait times that I can not meet, yet this company AES has no problem sending me automated phone calls anytime I am late to pay and spamming my e-mail with do-not-reply e-mails.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-08-09
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: TX
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Need information about my balance/terms

Complaint:
Hello, I consolidated my loans through DOE and XXXX 's XXXX, most recently in 2009. I also enrolled in the Income-Based Repayment Plan and submitted an Employer Certification Form. This moved my loans from DOE/XXXX/XXXX to PHEAA/FedLoans. I am applying for the National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program, and I need the completed Master Promissory Note including the application pages 1 and 2. Since I applied online, all I got was pages 3-10. However, PHEAA does not seem to have the forms, since the consolidation technically occurred through XXXX XXXX. Since XXXX XXXX is now defunct, there is no one there to call to get the record of the consolidation. I will not qualify for the NIH LRP if I ca n't show that all the loans that went into the consolidation were eligible loans, and thus I need a copy of the application. I 've tried talking to the NIH LRP, PHEAA, and StudentLoans.gov, all to no avail. I was hoping you could help me locate these missing pages of the consolidation application, so that I can continue my NIH LRP application.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-10-25
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: CO
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Non-federal student loan
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Received bad information about my loan

Complaint:
I have a small private student loan with American Education Services with XXXX. 
My loan is in good standing and I make regular payments well above the minimum and have an auto-debit feature for increased payments. 
On XXXX XXXX, 2016 I entered XXXX. 
On XXXX XXXX, 2016, AES processed an automatic enrollment in a deferment without my knowledge and against my best interest since I was at least a XXXX student. 
I immediately protested on the very next day and asked for the deferment to be removed since I intended to make payments regardless of my status as a student as is my right. 
An agent of AES contacted me via email and claimed that it was in my best interest to have the loan in deferment, since the loan was subsidized and I would not pay interest. 
I responded immediately via email that the loan was not subsidized and a deferment was not in my best interest because not only would the interest accrue but I would lose the rate reductions in place on my automatic payments and the loan interest rate itself would rise because they charged more during deferment periods than payment periods. 
The agent claimed that was not true but they could process a removal of the deferment. 
I responded via email to reverse the deferment, it was not in my best interest. 
Another agent responded via email that I was in fact right, and they could reverse the deferment and put my loan status and payments back as they were, but they would not accept any more email communication and they would not correct the loan status until I write them another communication via post. 
The loan is small, the rate is small, and the interest charged in violation is small, so It would not be in my best interest to escalate to the point of damages, but these agents have fiduciary responsibilities to service accounts in the person 's best interest and can not change the considerations to the agreement to best fit their bottom line especially when a violation like this is immediately caught, protested, and a request to return to a payment status is made.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2017-01-26
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: NY
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Received bad information about my loan

Complaint:
I started paying my students loans ( total balance $ XXXX-interest rate 7.125 % ) in 2008 upon graduating with a XXXX degree. I have paid {$14000.00} since 2008, with {$10000.00} towards interest and {$3500.00} towards principal balance. My loans were sold a couple times, ending with American Education Services ( AES ) as my most recent loan provider. I have had multiple conversations with AES over the years regarding public service loan forgiveness and Title 1 loan forgiveness. I am employed as a XXXX in an urban district. I was advised MULTIPLE times that I was on track for both loan forgiveness programs, with the AES representatives even stating the number of remaining payments I have left to reach 120 payments for public service loan forgiveness. Come to find out during a recent conversation with AES, that my loans are NOT eligible for forgiveness despite their advisement on multiple occasions that they are eligible. Essentially, they have been collecting my money and putting the majority of it towards interest and claiming I am halfway to forgiveness, only to find out that money is going towards nothing and I need to refinance my loans into a direct loan to be forgiven and need to restart the 120 payments. I feel misled and ill advised by professionals who should be helping me to pay off my student loans, rather than feed their bottom line.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation