Consumer complaint received 2023-09-29
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Received bad information about your loan
Company: EdFinancial Services (HI)

I. 
Payments are missing from my account from XXXX ( " missing payments '' ). 

A. Background The loan servicer at the time those payments were being made was XXXX ( XXXX ). However, after XXXX stopped serving federal students loans, my loans were transferred to Edfinancial. I discovered this error when I requested my payment history from XXXX prior to the loan transfer. I attempted to have this fixed with XXXX directly, but they never did, transferred my loans, and now I can't even contact XXXX since they no longer service any federal student loans. I reached out to the Dept. Of Education ( " DOE '' ) to resolve this, with no action, along and was advised that I had to take this issue up with Edfinancial ( " EdFi '' ) since, as my loan servicer they had all that info. DOE assured me that EdFi would have my entire loan history, including payments, which dates back to 1995. 

B. Attempts to Resolve with EdFi I managed to reach a customer service representative through EdFi ro explain the missing payments and was advised to upload proof of payments on their web portal. 

I've combined and gathered all the pertinent bank statements to upload to their portal ( see attached ), however, their portal will NOT allow me to upload them. When hitting " submit '' the upload will just hang, and eventually I get logged off the system due to inactivity. I've double checked that my files meet the size and type allowance. I've attempted to upload it on several PCs, mobile phone, on different internet connections, yet the result is the same. It does not allow me proof of payment. 

I know this isn't an isolated incident, as the exact same thing happened when I try to upload proof of my name change. Name change proof is VIP as it is the only way to successfully link your records with the IRS to verify income. 

I have also tried to repeatedly call Edfi. I've been meet with a 5 hour, 58 minute hold time without reaching a rep. Each time I call ( several attempts, totaling over 5, over the last three weeks ), I've been placed on hold for at least 2 hours. I use the option to " hold my place in line and we will call you back '' advised that the call may not come until 24 hours later. USING THIS OPTION EACH TIME, EDFI HAS NEVER CALLED ME BACK ONCE. 

I attempted to email them with my missing payment issue. Edfi 's email system is very rudimentary however. It is a fillable form with a character limit that does not allow you to send an attachment. The only way I can upload proof per Edfi is through its upload portal, which is not working, as stated above.

I will also point out, that Edfi portal to upload records, is limited, and that you can only upload records by being forced into a few categories. The feature to upload bank statements or canceled checks is further mystified by the fact that EdFi doesn't allow you to explain what you are uploading. How is Edfi supposed to figure out based on random bank records it is receiving, that I am trying to dispute missing payments when I can't even point that out on its upload feature?

Finally, I have submitted an email to Edfi through the portal, which doesn't show up anywhere as being sent, you receive no confirmation it was sent, and you receive no automated resonse that it was sent. 

Indeed, Edfi notes the following disclaimer when showing me info on my account on its website : " When your loan was transferred to Edfinancial, we received the following historical transactions. However, we do not have the full details of these transactions from your prior servicer. Please contact us for information on any prior payment history that is not reflected here. '' I have been trying to contact Edfi. Over and over again, and I simply can't get in touch them at all, even through I've exhausted each available option.

C. Conclusion This cyclical inability to ( a ) speak to a representative by phone, ( b ) avail myself to any of the alternative contact methods simply to try and get info over to Edfi to correct my payment history is unconscionable.

I am being assessed interest now based on an incorrect amount that does not account for those missing payments. I have lost qualifying payment months based on this egregious bookkeeping error. The fact that the Fed Govt willingly allows this to continue happening to millions of borrowers with no accountability or recourse or remedy to the borrower simply can not stand.