Consumer complaint received 2015-09-03
Company: Navient Solutions, LLC.
State: NY
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:
From about XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX, I borrowed a total of {$120000.00} in principal from Sallie Mae to complete my undergrad studies at XXXX University. The interest rate was exorbitant, given that I did not have good credit. My mother co-signed on all three loans ; I was the student borrower, but, to my surprise, Sallie Mae omitted my name from XXXX of the XXXX loans and processed them entirely under my mother 's name. Therefore, she is burdened with my debt to her name. 

A lot happened since graduation, including being unemployed for 1.5 years and not being able to honor payment arrangements, or meet the payment amount that Sallie Mae demanded. I sought lower monthly payments and was told by Sallie Mae that I qualified for a reduced interest rate, which lowered my payments at the time, but I was not informed that by accepting the lower interest rate, the loan term doubled. Whenever I was unable to meet the payment amounts, Sallie Mae blatantly rejected my payment offers and proceeded to badger me with hundreds of calls and threats ; one of its reps ( either a Sallie Mae employee or the agency that was collecting on its behalf ) called my mother 's place of work and discussed the matter with her supervisor. Prior to getting married, a Sallie Mae representative called my home phone and proceeded to discuss my affairs with my then fiance, though I had not given permission for such to occur. 

The total that I owe has ballooned to over {$220000.00}, due in part to interest, and also due in part to monies that were added to the principal every time a requested deferment was processed. I was also charged a total of {$150.00} to defer the loans ( {$50.00} each ) per deferment occurrence. Several collection agencies have managed my Sallie Mae accounts in the last four years, and I recently completed the latest payment arrangement with XXXX XXXX for {$500.00} per month for all three accounts, because that was all I could afford to pay. 

I am overwhelmed by my debt and the constant collection efforts. I am desperate to reduce the debt and get an affordable settlement that I can manage to pay monthly, rather than as a lump sum. Sallie Mae or its collection agency informed that it would be willing to " forgive '' the remainder of the loan if I make a one-time payment of {$100000.00}. If I had {$100000.00}, I would not have to be hounded by their collections efforts. 

I think Sallie Mae 's lending to student borrowers is predatory, just like what banks did to unassuming home loan borrowers. I am desperate for assistance and feel hopeless about my future. I will never be able to own a home and have good credit. My enormous debt has been a cause of contention between me and my now husband, because after he learned about my debt via conversation with the collector who called my home, he expressed that it would not be suitable to marry me, given the exposure he would also have as my husband and the fact that I was not transparent about my student loan debts. 

I threatened to expose Sallie Mae 's practice of preying upon poor students, its collection practices, its refusal to cooperate with borrowers during difficult times, as well as the fact that the change in loan terms is not divulged to borrowers. I believe that as a result of my threat, the debt was removed from my credit report, but I believe it might be added back, since the payment arrangement that I honored expired at the end of XXXX, XXXX. 

I implore your agency to examine my case and assist me in any way possible. My loans are now being handled by XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX of XXXX, FL. 

Thanks for your time and consideration.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation