Consumer complaint received 2017-05-10
Product: Student loan — Private student loan
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan — Can't temporarily delay making payments
Company: ACS Education Services (SC)

XXXX  of this year, I did not realize that I no longer had the six-month forbearance after my graduation had been conferred in  XXXX  of  XXXX . In  XXXX   XXXX , I started receiving calls from a collection agency asking for either the full payment of {$780.00} to bring me up to date or {$390.00}. When I inquired as to why I was receiving these calls at this time, it was then that I was informed that I no longer had the six-month grace period but the notice that was sent to me in  XXXX  was the actual bill for  XXXX  payment of {$390.00}, not a warning statement for  XXXX   XXXX . I was a  lso told that since ACS is private student loan lender it is up to their discretion as to when they would schedule their loan repayments.
To try to get back in front of this loan, I requested a reduced loan payment plan. This took approximately one month, during which debt collectors were still calling me. I had three, 3-way calls to verify that I had applied to lower my payment with the ACS debt collectors, the ACS representative and I. It was not long after the last of these 3-way calls that I was demoted to   XXXX   XXXX   XXXX  . My employees organizational move, due to budget cuts, has put me in the unexpected place of no longer having a steady income. When I called ACS tw  ice, after my demotion for further assistance I was told the first time that I would need to reverse my current forbearance and payment plan so that my account could be like it originally was and then apply for a hardship forbearance. The following week when I called back to check and see if that was the correct procedure ( because that did not soun d right to me ), this representative told me that ACS is a private student loan lender and they are not required to nor will they assist me any further because I have used all of my deferments and forbearances. Hear this news, I felt hopeless and happened to stumble across the Better Business Bureau ( BBB ) website. I participated in the live online chat and the BBB representative told me that I could file a complain t with their agency either by paper or internet, I was also told that I could also contact the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ( which I will do also ).     The following day, Tuesday,  XXXX   XXXX ,  XXXX , I filed an online complaint with the  XXXX , PA BBB, which at the time h ad 48 complaints against ACS. In my complaint, I stated that I did want to hear from the ACS directly to hopefully address and resolve this  issue. On Monday,  XXXX   XXXX ,  XXXX , I received a call from th e ACS office. The ACS representative once again informed me that there is nothing that they can do to help me because they are a private lending company and they do not have to do anything additionally to assist me. I have already taken advantage of all of the deferment and forbearance offered by the lender. She also stated that I was granted forbearance and a lower payment scheduled ( hence the {$190.00} for six months, {$290.00} for six mo nths, {$310.00} for one-year, {$430.00} for 163 months, and {$430.00} for the final payment for a total of {$77000.00} for an original loan amou nt of {$39000.00} ). But they have no additional options to assist me during my current period of unempl oyment.