Consumer complaint received 2022-02-19
Company: Navient Solutions, LLC.
State: CA
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan
Sub-issue: Problem lowering your monthly payments

Complaint:
In XXXX, Navient became the servicer of my student loans which originated through XXXX XXXX. I had taken out around {$25000.00} worth of student loans while working full time and going to school on a part time basis. This was the original principal amount. 

Up to today, XXXX, I continue to have issues paying what should have been a reasonable debt ( approximately XXXX ) has now turned into {$90000.00}, and will take approximately 25 years to pay off. These monies owed will no doubt go into my retirement years, when the company, now through XXXX ( the latest entity to make itself the guarantor of this loan ) will have the full ability to garnish social security benefits or monies from retirement accounts, and I will have nothing left. 

Since XXXX, this principal amount continued to become larger and all attempts to work with Navient failed. When I asked for a reasonable monthly payment, I was told that I did not qualify. The only options were forbearance but it was never explained to me exactly how that would affect my monthly payments in the future. All communications were confusing and payment amounts would constantly change. By XXXX, I was put into default with XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ), now the guarantor. According to records provided to me by XXXX, I have paid {$17000.00} to Navient, none of which I received credit for. Navient has also put me in forbearance for a total of XXXX months. I was put on a rehabilitation program through XXXX and the loan is now out of default status but I was informed that the loan would be serviced again by Navient, which greatly upset me because I feel that a loan from XXXX should never had 15 years pass. I believe greatly that Navient only offered forbearance in order to compound my interest and to elongate the time of the loan. I was told by XXXX, and never by Navient, for example that interest is calculated on a daily basis. I only found this out in my dealings with XXXX. The new loan under Navient, which is due to commence in XX/XX/XXXX, with interest, will total {$90000.00}. Because of my past dealings with this servicer, on XX/XX/XXXX, I called XXXX to request that a representative from XXXX ( XXXX XXXX ) please assist me with talking to Navient about perhaps a different repayment plan. We spoke to Navient employee ID # XXXX ( she would not provide her name ) and she told me there were no options available but a loan consolidation was discussed. She said I could apply for a loan consolidation that could be managed by the Department of Education ( and removed from Navient ). She indicated she would email the paperwork to me and we confirmed my email address. I asked the representative at XXXX if she felt this was a proper course of action and she agreed. To date, the Navient representative has not sent me any paperwork. I logged onto my XXXX  website ( which Navient recommends in their communication as a resource ) and spoke with a DOE customer service rep named XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX, who told me my loans are already consolidated so I can not do another loan consolidation. Why could the Navient representative, who has full access to my account, not have informed me of this so as not to waste my time or hope? This is the pattern of behavior from Navient that I have sustained for XXXX  years. 

This debt was woefully mismanaged by Navient, and their practices of misleading borrowers has even continued up to XX/XX/XXXX. For over 15 years, I had attempted to pay these loans off, sending monies when I could. I was never offered the chance to at least pay off the interest during forbearance, or repay as you earn, or any of the other options now offered through the XXXX  XXXX website. Over the years I have been harassed by phone calls, of which I reported to the better business bureau, and communications by lawyers, all of which would sending various payment amounts due. I have years of paperwork that I saved that provides proof of the bullying tactics Navient employs.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation