Consumer complaint received 2017-06-22
Company: Navient Solutions, LLC.
State: NC
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Sub-issue: Can't get other flexible options for repaying your loan

Complaint:
My problems with Navient ( previously XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX [ XXXX ] ) have been ongoing since XX/XX/XXXX and have only gotten worse throughout the years. The problems began when a spousal consolidation loan was marketed towards us without full disclosure as to the terms and conditions of the consolidation. There was no clear understanding that if we should divorce, that there would be no way to apportion the liability. Nor was it disclosed that the consolidation would it disqualify me for Public Service Loan Forgiveness ( PSLF ). Perhaps most disturbing was the lack of disclosure concerning financial hardships. At the time that of consolidation, there was no income based repayment ( IBR ), therefore in instances of unemployment or reduced income, we were severely restricted as to our repayment options. When hard times did hit ( and they hit frequently ) we were frequently either not informed or mislead as to what our options were. When my husband 's  payroll checks started bouncing, what was XXXX 's response to postpone payment and avoid default - your only option is to file for a forbearance. When my exhusband was laid off, hat was XXXX 's response to postpone payment and avoid default - your only option is to file for a forbearance. Time and time again, we were pushed in to periods of high interest forbearance. When my husband abandoned my daughters and I, when we were dislocated, and without income, what was XXXX 's response to postpone payment and avoid default - your only option is to file for a forbearance. Repeatedly we were steered towards multiple forbearances instead of income-driven repayment plans or other options. There have been other issues as well, especially after my husband and I divorced. It is practically impossible for me to get IBR paperwork processed without Office of the Customer Advocate. Sometimes I have had to submit the EXACT same paperwork two, three, even four times because they have misplaced it, or because my exhusband and I did n't sign the same piece of paper ( we are on opposite sides of the continent ), or because they did n't process it correctly. Once I was denied my income based repayment because I did not hand write something on a form when there was not a spot on the form for the information and no instructions that the information was needed?!? Each time this has happened, not only has it been reported as past due on my credit report ( even though it has been completely their fault ), I have also received HUGE interest and late fees. Just so you understand that I am NOT exagerating the problems, our initial loan balance of approximately $ 90K has not reached an insane balance of $ XXXX. That represents $ XXXX in late fees and interests. Having graduated in XX/XX/XXXX, that is just over $ 21K a year in fees and interest ( {$1700.00} a month ). Based off of the estimated payment schedule provided by Navient, the total amount to be repaid is {>= $1,000,000}. There is NO other business or entity that would be allowed to charge these types of interest and fees. Navient has been iether unable or unwilling to provide adequate documentation to substantiate loan balance. Documentation provided does NOT go back to when I graduated from school. Documentation provided does NOT include balances prior to consolidation. Documentation provided does NOT include dates of consolidation. I am by NO means trying to get out of my original debt. And let 's NOT forget that EVERYTHING goes to my ex-husband and I am TOTALLY dependent on receiving information from him. I ca n't even have my own account login to make payments. The system is NOT set up for this type of situation. What I was loaned to go to school should be paid back. However, I have NEVER received a FAIR chance to pay back my loan. I ca n't buy a car. I ca n't buy a house. I went to college to better my life and instead it has been ruined. At every stage of repayment, I have been cheated and taken advantage of. THIS IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE : Even now as I am preparing this, I just logged in to my ex-husband 's account on Navient to find out that the account is in repayment status! I had NO idea! I have not received NOT one notice from Navient that my IBR was approaching the time that I needed to submit my paperwork for the annual verification. Not one letter. Not one e-mail. Nothing. So now the account is going to go past due, my credit report is going to once again be reflected as past due when they failed to provide me my paperwork and notifications required under federal law, and the account is going to stay in past due status until THEY process the IBR paperwork that I did n't even know was due! And even though this has happened repeatedly and I have attempted to refute with the credit bureaus, they have NEVER fixed it. Attached is just a sampling of the correspondences that I have had with them. It does not include the harrassing phone calls that I have received. Nor does it do justice to how I have been spoken to. At one time I even had a representative bring me to tears telling me that I DESERVE to default.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation