Consumer complaint received 2015-11-18
Company: WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
State: AK
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Non-federal student loan
Issue: Can't repay my loan
Sub-issue: Can't decrease my monthly payments

Complaint:
I attended University of XXXX XXXX in XXXX WA, and graduated in XXXX 2013 with a XXXX. In order to attend this private school, I took out private student loans with my main bank Wells Fargo, today costing in the range of {$150000.00} of debt. Upon graduation I was able to pay a very small monthly portion with my parents help, but the payments soon proved difficult to manage, and I was unemployed. With the help of my parents, who are my cosigners, I asked Wells Fargo for payment assistance, either forbearance, postponement, or smaller monthly payments so I that I would be able to handle the payments, especially when I did get full time employment. The response I got in the beginning was " We will get back to you. '' Now, their calls are frequent and harassing, asking for payments. When I tell them, repeatedly, that I can not make the payment and would like to discuss options, I am told " there is nothing we can do '' and then they ask for the payment again. At one point, I began to receive calls at my place of work, from the work phone, a number I never provided to Wells Fargo. I asked where they got the work number and they did not disclose a source, at which point I told them to erase the number and that I did not want to receive calls on the work phone as it is reserved for business call only. Last spring, my mother was finally able to speak to a representative in their Student Loan Payment Assistance team and I was sent a packet to fill out. This was the first time I had heard of the Payment Assistance Team, after over a year of asking for assistance over the phone. I filled out the paperwork, sent in my paystubs and paperwork by mail, and heard from my parents that they too sent in their information. I never received a response, and continued to receive phone calls and letters requiring payments. After a few weeks, I received a letter stating that they never received all of the paperwork and my assistance request was denied. My mother resent the materials by fax, and received the same response. Since then, we have sent in the paperwork a total of 6 more times, with the fax receipts to prove it, and zero response from Wells Fargo. I am beginning to doubt the validity of the Payment Assistance Team, and have no faith in Wells Fargo to offer help or assistance. When I have explained over the phone to Wells Fargo employees the fact that my monthly payment is not enough to cover this Student Loan payment, as well as rent, my Federal Student Loan payments, utilities, and personal necessities ( i.e. food, clothing, toiletries ), I am met with no offer of help or options that I can choose from. When I mention I am working with the Payment Assistance Team, the debt collectors often do not know what I mean and can not transfer me between departments. Overall, the lack of help and assistance is frustrating, as well as the lack of constructive communication between Wells Fargo and myself.

Company public response: Company chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation