Consumer complaint received 2022-09-26
Company: Nelnet, Inc.
State: MA
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Received bad information about your loan

Complaint:
On XX/XX/2022 I submitted a complaint against my Student Loan Service provider, Nelnet, to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( CFPB ). My original complaint number was XXXX. On XX/XX/2022 Nelnet responded to my complaint with another Nelnet customers information. Included in this information was the customers name, address, partial Nelnet account number, and balance of their student loan amount. The Nelnet letter was signed by XXXX XXXX Nelnet Loan Servicing. My concern is that another Nelnet customer might have my personal information. I responded to Nelnet response, as feedback, to the CFPB complaint stating Netnet did not address the issues I raised in my complaint. After I submitted this feedback my complaint had a status as Closed. 

After seeing the closed status to my complaint I called the CFPB and spoke with a person at CFPB who identified himself as XXXX. He stated he could not give me identifying number so I could reference my call with him. With XXXX help I better understood the letter that was entered as my response to my complaint. 
XXXX only suggestion was to enter a second complaint against Nelnet. I told him of my displeasure that I needed to start the complaint process over again due to a Nelnet error which submitted Nelnet response to the wrong complaint. XXXX said there was nothing that could be done except to issue a new complaint. 

My original complaint follows this statement. 

Nelnet failed to act on my application for Teacher Loan Forgiveness for over a five month period of time. When I call Nelnet to obtain status on my application I receive conflicting / inaccurate information. Nelnet refuses to provide me email / written communication on the information received verbally over the phone. I have been unable to find any information from Nelnet describing their Teacher Loan Forgiveness process and any communications I should receive during this process. 

On XX/XX/2022 I faxed my Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application to Nelnet using the following number : XXXX. Upon completion of the faxing process my Fax machine produced a transmission verification report stating the fax result was OK. This means the Nelnet fax machine indicated the fax was successfully received. 

On XX/XX/2022 I called Nelnet because I had not received any communications from them and I wanted to verify the FAX had been received and was being processed. I talk to a gentleman at Nelnet who confirmed the fax had been received and ask me questions about some dates on the application. These questions confirmed my belief that Nelnet had received my application and was processing it. 

On XX/XX/2022 I again called Nelnet about my application since I had not received any communications from Nelnet about my Teacher Loan Forgiveness application. I was told by the representative at Nelnet that my application was in process, but they were unable to provide me with any additional information. 

On XX/XX/2022 I called Nelnet looking for status on my loan forgiveness application. I was told by the Nelnet person that they had looked at my account. They told me that no Teacher Loan Forgiveness Application was ever submitted. I asked to speak with a supervisor. 

While speaking with the supervisor I was told that the application was found and no action had been taken on the application. I told her of my displeasure with the current state of the application and said I did not want to begin the application process over from the start. Unfortunately the only thing the supervisor did was submit the application to the Nelnet claims department to begin processing. She told me it may take up to two weeks for Nelnet to process. 

I asked the supervisor for an email or written communications stating the events of XX/XX/XXXX and the current state of my application. I was told Nelnet does not let employees send an email or any written communications. 

My last request was that I was concerned that because the Department of Education has up to 90 days to act only my application, once it is submitted to them ; I did not want to pay interest on the amount of the loan I am requesting forgiveness. She told me there is a way of coding the application so I would not pay interest of the amount of my student loan I am asking forgiveness on until a final determination on my application was made. I would like this coding applied to my application. 

I am requesting that Nelnet provide me a full accounting of this incident. I would like a written explanation of the Teacher Loan Forgiveness process. I would like someone assigned at Nelnet to monitor my application and expedite it where possible.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation