Consumer complaint received 2024-01-29
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Problem with customer service
Company: ECMC GROUP, INC. (FL)

I am writing to report an old issue that continues to haunt me because I see student loan servicers continue to foul up. I've read some similar stories online recently but nothing seems as severe as my experience years ago. I have some documents and communication from all those years ago as I sought help but really couldn't find any. A big portion of the story is not documented because it felt hopeless and useless at the time trying to fight Sallie Mae. Additionally, many of the interactions were over the phone, which are not something I can reproduce from a hard drive 15 years ago. 

First off, no one ever told me about IDR plans or at least that I could have potentially had {$0.00} due every month with my income being too low or unemployed. I did however use deferment and forbearance options for both my Private Signature Loans and FFEL/consolidation loans. I continued to do so until I ran out of deferment and forbearances on my Private Loans. The problem was that when I became delinquent on those Private Loans, Sallie Mae who was my servicer at the time, would not speak to me or help me deal with my FFEL/Consolidation Loans. Eventually because of the wasted time, frustration, I gave up and the loans went into default. 

My employment was generally freelance and erratic with some stability at times with a university research position where I was considered a temporary employee without any benefits. I had low/irregular income most years after graduation then after the Global Financial Crises in XXXX became completely unemployed. I had tried submitting a low income deferment, but kept getting denial letters. When I would call to discuss the denial with Sallie Mae I would connect with representatives who would harass me about paying my Private Loans, when I simply wanted to speak to someone who could talk to me about my Federal Loans. I would get transferred to someone else who was supposed to help, but would get the same story about them not being able to help. I was transferred and transferred again to never get anywhere in the end. I was even told by at least one representative that they couldn't help me with the Federal Loans until I set up a payment for the private loans. 

At some point I was told the documents I had submitted were unreadable. Once they received acceptable copies, I was told the documents where then out of date because they had become to old to use in the time it took for them to receive and process. I gave up figuring I was just wasting my time with Sallie Mae. The Federal Loans went into default and my tax return was garnished completely. Of course that was upsetting, but at the same time my credit was already destroyed because of the Private Loans and was also sued by Sallie Mae for those loans. I went into bankruptcy, which paused the legal proceedings for the Private Loans. Luckily, the statute of limitations ran out on Sallie Mae, but the judge gave them a year to refile, which they never did. 

In the meantime after bankruptcy I had to try and reestablish my credit and my life. I had already consolidated my loans once before and could not do that again, so my only choice was rehabilitation, which was also fraught with problems from the servicer ( XXXX  ). I got through and finally about 10 years ago was able to get on the IBR plan. Since then, life has been a little easier, but the years of turmoil, struggle, and lies from Sallie Mae caused me a lot of pain emotionally, but also physically as the stress aggravated my XXXX XXXX The egregious actions and business practices of Sallie Mae have left me metaphorically and literally injured financially and physically. I wish something could be done to rectify the injustice that I've had to live with for decades.