Consumer complaint received 2023-04-28
Company: MOHELA
State: NE
Product: Student loan
Sub-product: Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer
Sub-issue: Trouble with how payments are being handled

Complaint:
I applied for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program ( PSLF ) XX/XX/XXXX. As I sat waiting for any sort of response regarding my application I learned that I could apply for a refund of student loan payments I made after XX/XX/XXXX, when Student loan payments were put into forebearance. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, per instructions posted on the StudentAid.gov webpage, I contacted XXXX ( my provider at the time ) via phone and requested a refund of {$3900.00}. The customer service representative knew exactly what I needed and even confirmed the amount to which I had paid and expected a refund off. In addition, at the time of the initial request I mentioned having previously applied for PSLF and had recently been notified that my loans would soon be transferred to Mohela. The customer service representative assured me that the loan transfer from XXXX to Mohela would not affect the fact that I was due a refund since payment would be coming from Treasury. However, I was left in the dark with no confirmation of the request via email, phone, or mail. Subsequent calls in to XXXX to check the status of my refund verified that no such confirmation will be provided, and that I just had to wait. 

Shortly after I made the refund request, in XX/XX/XXXX, my loans were transferred to Mohela. 

By XX/XX/XXXX I still had not received a refund so I called XXXX to follow up. They said to call Mohela as Mohela is my current service provider. I Called Mohela, to which they found no record of my request from XX/XX/XXXX. I again submitted my refund request, confirming the amount of XXXX, and again left in the dark with no confirmation. However they did give me a timeframe, up to 90 days to process. So again, I waited. 

In XX/XX/XXXX, I called Mohela to check on my refund status. I was told it was being processed and I should expect the refund XXXX XXXX. 

End of XX/XX/XXXX, no refund yet. I called Mohela, and they said its on hold because the calculations take longer when the payments were made to another student loan service provider. Again, I was told, could be up to 90 days to process. So, waiting again. 

XX/XX/XXXX I received a check from Treasury for {$200.00}, the smallest fraction of the amount I expected to receive. I Called Mohela and they confirmed they refunded only what they have record of since my loans were transferred In XX/XX/XXXX. I found this strange since I havent made a student loan payment since XXXX. I was also told thats really all they could do for me because they dont have any data prior to my transfer. 

I then called XXXX to explain my situation and timeframes. They said I needed to call StudentAid.gov and gave me a phone number. Studentaid.gov insisted they couldnt help me, but a supervisor suggested I call XXXX XXXX XXXX. When I called I ended up at the Pennsylvania State offices ( I am in Nebraska ). Dead End. 

I called XXXX, again, who ultimately said they cant help me because they are not my service loan provider any longer and that I have to contact Mohela for my request for refund. 

I am now stuck in this never ending loophole where the one provider is pointing to the other and neither are any help. 

I am at a loss and where to go and who to contact for my refund!

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation