Consumer complaint received 2019-07-27
Company: Bass & Associates, P.C., Attorneys at Law
State: OK
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Received bad information about your loan

Complaint:
In XX/XX/XXXX, after finding out my student loans had went into default, I contact Bass & Associates, the collection agency that my loans were sent to. They offered me a 9-month rehabilitation program in order to get out of default. I was told that I could have 9 payments auto-withdrawn from my account each month, upon completion of the rehab program, the loans would be sent in good standing to a loan servicer once being returned to Dept of Ed. I agreed to this, they had me log onto their website and electronically sign a rehab agreement form. From XX/XX/XXXX-XX/XX/XXXX, I paid every payment on-time. I then waited for correspondence from either Bass and Associates, Dept of Ed, or a new company on the next steps. XX/XX/XXXX I was shocked to discover my taxes were offset. I thought my loans were out of default? I attempted to contact B & A multiple times and could never reach anyone in their office. In the beginning of XX/XX/XXXX, I realized I could log onto the Dept of Ed website and check on my loans. At this time, it gave me an option to make a payment so I did. I contacted Dept of Ed to ask about the default status. They explained that they NEVER RECEIVED THE REHAB AGREEMENT!! from Bass & Associates and suggested I call to get that from them. I was told by the Default Resolution Group representative that day that IF they send that over, they will remove the default. So I continued my attempts to contact Bass & Associates. I called EVERY SINGLE DAY! Finally after 6 weeks, I was able to contact another department that obeyed my request for a call back. They told me that they sent my loans back to Dept of Ed and to contact Default Resolution Group AGAIN. They also explained they wouldnt be able to see if my Rehab agreement form was sent because they didnt have my records. I contacted Default Res Group, they told me they STILL didnt have the Rehab form. So they advised me to write a letter and send whatever proof of payment I had to the Default Res Group for them to review within 21 business days. TODAY I called to find out that they will NOT lift my default because a ) they did not receive the rehab agreement form b ) I didnt continue paying after the 9 months was completed.

I am a veteran, I just resigned from my job to finish the last 7 classes to obtain my degree. I am tentatively enrolled in classes to start in two weeks in which I will use my GI Bill however, I can not enroll in a Default status, regardless if Im not using loans. I was just told that you can only attempt the rehab program once, since I didnt follow through, I will have to pay my loans in full before coming out of default. I owe $ XXXX. 

This is 100 % mishandling on Bass & Associates fault, also Default Resolution for deceiving me through this process. I made payments to B & A for months that never made it to Dept of Ed, meanwhile, had Dept of Ed known I was in a rehab program, received payments, had the loans returned, ALL as promised, then I would have been notified of completion, notified of new servicer, and would not have had a tax offset. Most importantly, I would not be worried about the pending financial hardship I will soon endure, and worried I will never be able to finish my degree and advance in my career.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation