Consumer complaint received 2016-09-28
Company: FINANCIAL ASSET MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS INC
State: NY
Product: Debt collection
Sub-product: Non-federal student loan
Issue: Improper contact or sharing of info
Sub-issue: Talked to a third party about my debt

Complaint:
I had recently agreed with FAMS to a payment deal on my student loanl, and had already begun paying the amount agreed upon. They assured the agreement was settled and nothing could void it. They also collected the payments I had submitted. When I went to pay this month, I could no longer login on the internet to pay through the account number they had given me. When I called to pay by phone, they had told me that XXXX took my debt back and sold it to another debt collector. I asked how that could be, and the man could not answer me. 

When I called XXXX they said FAMS had never disclosed to them about my payment plan. When I called back FAMS, they blamed XXXX and said they had told XXXX about my payment plan and XXXX still voided it. When I asked FAMS if XXXX and them are the same organization, they said no. Thus, why did XXXX take my payment plan away from FAMS, if they are not one entity? No response. When I asked if XXXX had the authority to do that, he curtly said no. When I asked if FAMS could fix it, he told me only XXXX could, which is why I called XXXX again, whom said only FAMS could. I continued to ask either party whether they were connected or under the same organization, they both denied the other, but XXXX could take away my student debt payment plan after I had agreed with FAMS. It made no sense, and neither party wished to make things clearer for me because both admitted a mistake had been committed but it was " the other 's fault ''. Moreover, all the money I had given to FAMS in monthly payments has vanished as not one person has told me where that money has gone or if it went towards my debt. No one was helping me undo a mistake they both had admitted to have been done. 

I have called both XXXX and FAMS, a few times, to try and figure what is happening and if they can help me, but, so as to not accept the wrong that has occurred, their customer service has grown meaner by each call. The first time I called each one apologized for the mix-up and blamed the other. When FAMS told me to call back because they would try to speak to XXXX to fix the issue or see what they could, the man began to speak aggressively towards me and tried to deny everything he had said previously, in terms of claiming, that XXXX was not supposed to cancel my payment plan from FAMS : a supposedly separate debt collection agency.Yet, he admitted that he had reported the mistake to XXXX as a managerial complaint, but XXXX was ignoring him. Now, I have a XXXX debt collection agency calling me about the same debt. 

I feel insecure, unsafe, and incredibly distressed by the fact that XXXX debt collection agencies are fighting over my XXXX debt that I began to pay, and no one can undo the supposed " mistake '' of cancelling my FAMS payment plan and taking the money I paid without even reimbursing me. I would like my payment plan back, and no one at FAMS, XXXX, or the XXXX collector has a clue how to help me, yet they all want me to pay on the same debt. Yet, I WAS! Each one has no idea how to proceed in this issue, and I am terrified that XXXX will take my debt from anyone after a few months pay, and that money will disappear, as it currently has, and I am stuck in limbo trying to figure out what is my payment deal going forward. It is absolutely devastating to feel like your economic load might be lightening, and you have gotten ahead on paying your debts, only to be misled and treated like trash by now XXXX debt collection companies. I repeat because of XXXX, with the assistance of FAMS, I have a total of XXXX debt collection agencies on me for the same student loan I was paying, and that money has not been reimbursed nor will anyone say if it has gone toward my debt. Sad, helpless, and anxious is how I feel because of how cruelly I have been spoken to, my missing money, and the lies.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief