Consumer complaint received 2023-12-01
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Problem with customer service
Company: Maximus Federal Services, Inc. (KS)

Immediately after Aidvantage replied to my first CFPB complaint and approved my IDR request for the SAVE plan on XX/XX/, I received another document from Aidvantage saying I'd been placed in Forbearance. I never requested forbearance. This new document saying I'm now in forbearance gives no explanation for the forbearance. Ive sent them additional messages through their website but have not received a response. All the while, interest is continuing to accrue on all of my loans. 

Today, XX/XX/, I received a new correspondence from Aidvantage that says we need additional information to process your Income-Driven Repayment plan. We received proof of income without an application specifying what you were requesting. We are unable to process repayment options or postpone payments without a completed repayment option, deferment or forbearance request.

I havent submitted any kind of application to Aidvantage since they approved my IDR request for the SAVE plan and then put me into forbearance without any explanation. So I'm very confused by this latest correspondence. Why are they sending this correspondence without replying to my previous requests for information on why they put me into forbearance without explanation? 

I haven't received any direct replies to any of the messages I've sent to them through their website. There's still no functionality on the Aidvantage website to view all of the messages and the documents that Ive sent them previously ( which would assist with filing these CFPB complaints. Is that why their website lacks basic functionality? ). I tried calling Aidvantage again and was on hold for more than an hour before giving up. No one should have to wait on hold for hours to get in contact with a loan servicer. It seems the only way to get a response from Aidvantage is to file a CFPB complaint. It seems Aidvantage is only bothering to support the CFPB, and not me and other customers. I'm extremely disappointed with Aidvantage. If they refuse to respond to questions sent by direct message through their website, and don't have any functionality on their website to view them, and only will respond via CFPB complaints, why are they allowed to waste consumers time all while interest accrues? Why are they allowed to service these student loans? 


I have several questions I would like Advantage to answer directly : 1. Why is there no functionality on the Aidvantage website to allow customers to view the messages they have sent to Aidvantage?

2. Why did Aidvantage put my loans into forbearance immediate
ly after responding to my first CFPB complaint saying they had approved my IDR request for the SAVE plan?

3. Why is there still interest accruing on my account when youve placed me into forbearance, without explanation, that I didnt request?

4. Why does Aidvantage refuse to directly reply to my messages sent through their website? If they are short staffed, why don't they hire enough staff to reply to messages in a timely manner?

5. Why does Aidvantage only respond to CFPB complaints and not to messages sent directly to them through their website?

6. Why should Aidvantage be allowed to service my loans when they fail to process requests and messages, and put customers into unrequested forbearance without explanation?