Consumer complaint received 2023-11-06
Company: HEARTLAND PAYMENT SYSTEMS INC
State: PA
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Private student loan
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Received bad information about your loan

Complaint:
Today, XX/XX/XXXX, I opened letters from Heartland ECSI regarding my XXXX  and XXXX XXXX  from XXXX XXXX XXXX. I have been making automatic monthly payments of {$100.00} to pay off the loans since XXXX. In XXXX, I spent a significant amount of time on the phone with Heartland ECSI and XXXX  XXXX XXXX Financial Aid Office figuring out how to make payments & apply for deferment because I had gone to XXXX XXXX from XXXX, and then was unemployed for a time during the pandemic. The process was incredibly confusing, and Heartland ECSI was not transparent or clear in any manner about what my legal payment expectations were. I have documentation of every one of these conversations. 

Eventually I was able to defer, started paying later on, and in XXXX XXXX  XXXX entered into a Rescheduled Payment Plan. Heartland ECSI did not clearly explain what the Rescheduled Payment Plan was, only that I could do it, despite me asking clarifying questions multiple times. This Rescheduled Payment Plan was apparently set to expire in XXXX XXXX XXXX, but I was not notified of this expiration or what it would entail. I have continued to make automatic monthly payments including in XXXX and XXXX XXXX  XXXX, but received a paper statement from Heartland ECSI on XX/XX/XXXX stating that my " account is XXXX  days past due in the amount of {$3700.00}. '' I called Heartland ECSI customer service and spoke with two agents ( the first hung up on me! ) about my account ; I explained that I had been making automatic monthly payments, and he stated that he could see that on the account. I asked why I received a paper notice stating that I was XXXX  days past due and owed {$3700.00}, and he said he would take a look at my account. I explained that I can not possibly be XXXX  days past due since 1 ) I've been making automatic monthly payments, including in XXXX & XX/XX/XXXX, and 2 ) even if the Rescheduled Payment Plan ( whatever that means ) " expired '' on XX/XX/XXXX, it's only been approximately XXXX  days since that date, not XXXX. The agent said " You're right '' and asked me to hold while he reviewed my account. When the agent returned, he said to " disregard the [ paper ] notice '' and that " the repayment plan is back in place for {$100.00} a month to the XXXX loan, and it is active until XX/XX/XXXX. '' He stated that no fees would be incurred. 

I have had too many negative conversations with Heartland ECSI where they have intentionally obfuscated the truth of loan payment expectations, and worst of all they send what can only be seen as falsified and threatening paper statements to their borrowers in an attempt to scare me into paying {$3700.00} as if it's past due, when in fact it is not. This practice is predatory and unacceptable, and has been ongoing for the last three years! I will also be filing this complaint with the Department of Education and meeting with the lawyer provided through my employer.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation