Consumer complaint received 2017-03-22
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: KS
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Trouble with how payments are handled

Complaint:
Re : FedLoan Servicing. My loans have been paid current at all times. I paid my loans through an authorized monthly direct debit of my savings account. 

I requested the changes to my direct debit information in late XX/XX/XXXX. When I did this, though the " update direct debit information '' ( online process ) I was advised multiple times that the changes would not take effect before my next payment due date ( XX/XX/XXXX ), and I would need to either make a manual online payment or mail a check to keep my loans current. Therefore, I made XXXX manual payments -- XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX and XXXX on my payment due date ( XX/XX/XXXX ) to make sure my account stayed current. Even on XX/XX/XXXX when I logged in to make a payment, my account page displayed that " no direct debit would be taken this month, '' as a notification under my account status. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I made a manual payment in the amount of {$200.00} because Fed Loan communicated ( by way of notice on my online account dashboard ) that no direct debit would be taken out on XX/XX/XXXX as I had recently updated my direct debit information. I made my XX/XX/XXXX payment MANUALLY -- as I was instructed to do. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, FedLoan attempted a direct debit ( even though they communicated to me no direct debit until XX/XX/XXXX ). There were insufficient funds in my bank account for the second successive payment, as I had just made a {$200.00} manual payment, and I was assessed a {$24.00} NSF fee. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, FedLoan attempted the direct debit AGAIN. There were insufficient funds in my bank account for this successive payment, and I was assessed another {$24.00} NSF fee. 

I request a refund of the {$48.00} ( 2x {$24.00} ) fees assessed to me, because I believe it was Fed Loan 's error in attempting to extract a direct debit after advising me my direct debit changes were not yet in effect and no direct debit would be extracted. Had I not relied on that information from Fed Loan and in turn not made the manual payment, sufficient funds for a direct debit would have been in place, and no NSF would be assessed. 

I have since paid off my loan balance, and as a result I can not access the majority of my online account including payment history, notifications, etc. to obtain any documentation supporting FedLoan 's statements. However, I believe a portion on their Direct Debit Policy ( which I can no longer access on their website ) explains the practice of skipping the next direct debit following direct debit changes, and the need to make manual payment. 

I have contacted FedLoan and attempted to resolve this matter with them directly. Despite receiving an oral acknowledgement on XX/XX/XXXX from CSR ID # XXXX that FedLoan made the XX/XX/XXXX direct debit extraction in error, and a refund request would be submitted, the call notes conveniently omit this detail, and XXXX XXXX ID # XXXX and XXXX ID # XXXX advised the request was denied on XX/XX/XXXX -- though I received no notification of the request being denied absent having to ask.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief