Consumer complaint received 2019-12-30
Company: TRANSWORLD SYSTEMS INC
State: OH
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Private student loan
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Received bad information about your loan

Complaint:
1. I have three private student loans that are owned by XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) and were serviced by XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ). 

2. In XXXX, I became delinquent on the loans due to financial hardship caused by a family medical emergency. I could not afford the monthly payment for the three loans. My spouse, who is the co-signer on the loan, contacted XXXX several times requesting a payment plan to help us become current on the loans. XXXX told us there were no payment plans, deferments or forbearances available for us, and that our only option was to pay the entire amount due. A partial monthly payment would not help us to become current. I was at a loss and did not know what to do since I could not afford the monthly payment for the loans. 

3. I defaulted on the loans in the summer of XXXX and XXXX stopped servicing the loan. I immediately contacted XXXX and asked for the contact information for the creditor or new loan servicer so that I could request a payment plan. XXXX said that Transworld Systems ( TWS ) was the new loan servicer, and XXXX gave me the phone number for TWS. 

4. I immediately called TWS, and the agent said that TWS had no record of my loan. The TWS agent referred me to XXXX. I called XXXX and the agent said that XXXX had no record of my loan. 

5. In XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) called me to set up payments for these three student loans. XXXX negotiated a settlement with me, sent me a document stating the terms of the settlement ( see attached ), and set up direct debit payments with me. I was thrilled with the prospect of getting up to date on my loans, and my spouse was applying for a second job to be able to keep with these settlement payments. In XX/XX/XXXX, the first direct debit payment ( in the amount of {$1100.00} ) was withdrawn from my checking account. Several weeks later, XXXX credited {$1100.00} back to my checking account without notice. I called XXXX to ask why this happened, and the agent said that XXXX had no record of my loan. XXXX did not debit any additional payments from my checking account and I never heard from XXXX again. 

6. In XX/XX/XXXX, the status of these three private loans changed to current on my credit report ( see attached ). Since XX/XX/XXXX, my credit reports have stated that my private loans are now in deferment. However, I never requested, signed paperwork or agreed to a deferment. I am concerned that XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) put the loans into deferment in order to restart the clock on the loan default and extend the time for the stature of limitations on the loans. Despite the fact that my loans are listed as current and in deferment on my credit report, I received a collection call from XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. 

7. On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ) contacted me to collect payment for XXXX of the XXXX private student loans mentioned above ( which has an outstanding balance of {$24000.00} ). The agent told me several times that XXXX XXXX now owned my student loan. However, I later discovered that this is incorrect, and that XXXX XXXX was only collecting the debt on behalf of the creditor. I asked the XXXX Associates agent many times for information in writing regarding the loan, and for the contact information for the creditor. The agent refused to provide me with this information, talked in circles for one hour, and constantly insisted that I immediately make a payment in the amount of {$400.00} over the phone. I did not want to make a payment until I had some information regarding the loan in writing. Finally, after one hour of arguing with two different agents, XXXX Associates agreed to send me information regarding the loan in writing and the contact information for the creditor. I have not yet received information in writing regarding the loan.

8. On my credit report, XXXX/XXXX XXXX XXXX are currently listed as the creditors for my three private student loans. On XX/XX/XXXX, following the phone call with XXXX XXXX, I called XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) to ask if XXXX could provide me with any information regarding my private student loans. The XXXX agent told me that XXXX is no longer servicing my private student loans. He said that the loans are now being serviced by Transworld Systems (  TWS ), and gave me the phone number for TWS ( XXXX ). 

9. On XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX XXXX called me a second time at about XXXX XXXX. I missed the call, and called XXXX XXXX back on XX/XX/XXXX at about XXXX XXXX. During this second phone call with XXXX XXXX, the agent told me that XXXX XXXX was probably not working with my student loan any longer, and that my loan was now " warehoused, '' or " in limbo, '' until it was decided which company would work with my loan. The agent gave me the phone number for XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) ( XXXX ) so that I could request additional information regarding my loan. I called this phone number for NCT that XXXX XXXX provided to me, however, I discovered that this was actually the phone number for Transworld Systems ( TWS ). 

10. I called Transworld Systems ( TWS ), and the TWS agent told me that my private student loans had been sent back to XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ). However, as I mentioned above, I spoke to XXXX earlier in the day on XX/XX/XXXX, and the XXXX agent told me that the loan was now be handled by TWS. The TWS agent said that she would contact XXXX and would call me back with additional information. I have not yet heard back from TWS. 

11. I believe that the current creditor for my loan is XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ),  and that no company is currently servicing my loan. As far as I know, XXXX does not have a website, phone number or mailing address. The XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) does not list a phone number or website for XXXX. The XXXX lists the address for NCT as XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, NY XXXX. However, the XXXX also states that XXXX is Believed to be out of business, and that, Mail sent to the business on XX/XX/XXXX was returned by the U.S. Postal Service as Undeliverable as Addressed ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ). I do not have a way to contact the creditor or the servicer for my private student loans to make a payment or request information regarding the loans. 

12. As a consumer, I believe that I have the right to contact my creditor to make payments and request the current status of my loan. However, I believe that I have been denied this right ever since my loan went into default in the summer of XXXX and XXXX stopped servicing my loan. I believe that denying me the right to make payments on my loan is a violation of federal law under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation