Consumer complaint received 2024-06-24
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Keep getting calls about your loan
Company: Navient Solutions, LLC. (MI)

Navient, in my opinion, has engaged in predatory collection practices that have constituted harassment. According to the Fair Debt Credit Collections Act, companies are not allowed to : " ... place repetitious phone calls or use electronic communications such as text, email, and social media messages intended to harass, oppress, or abuse you or any person ... '' Navient called me repeatedly and incessantly, between XXXX, sometimes XXXX times DAILY, while I was at work ( see attachments - I have only included a few because the amount that I would have had to include was excessive and would have belabored the point ). This was a concern in a previous complaint I lodged against Navient. Additionally, due to the fact that I was at work, the repeated calls were in danger of jeopardizing my employment. I was also attempting to deal with the impending death of a parent who was on life support and silencing my phone to prevent interruptions from Navient and to prevent possible disciplinary action at work was not an option -- I needed to be able to be reached by the hospital. During a short break XXXX day, I did answer the phone abruptly and inquire as to the reason for their repeated calls. The gentleman that responded informed me that I had a past due amount and I responded that I was aware and that I would pay them when I was able, when I obtained the funds to pay them. He stated that that was all he needed to know and I asked him/the company to stop calling me. I have been enrolled in XXXX and thought there was a discrepancy in the XXXX XXXX amount ( {$160.00} ) and the regular payment ( {$190.00} ), a difference of {$28.00}. My XXXX was active when the last XXXX payment was deducted on XX/XX/year>. My understanding is that XXXX is active unless it is stopped by the consumer. But, whatever my payment arrangements are with a company, I am responsible, aware, and do not need to be 'pushed ' to uphold my responsibilities : when I state that I am aware of my debt and that I will address it when I am able, that is what I will do. If late penalties are assessed, that is for me to address ; the harassment is unwarranted. 

Anyway, the incessant calls continued : as soon as I arrived at work, during the work day, at the hospital during visits and discussions with specialists, surgeons, out-of-town family members, even during the family hour ( my father eventually did pass away ), the funeral, the repast, during the grieving period that followed, I had to deal with XXXX calls a day from Navient, XXXX of the calls coming in the late evening both after XXXX XXXX  ( I am aware that they can call up until XXXX XXXX but the point I make is that they called me all day and I had no respite from them : the calls began shortly after XXXX XXXX and continued into the evening ). Initially, when they called, they were hanging up without leaving a message, which also is not supposed to happen : " ... debt collectors are to provide certain information when they first communicate with you, or shortly after, which is often in a letter called a validation notice ... '' They at no time left a voicemail about their reason for calling and would terminate the call and then, call right back. I began to block their calls since I had already spoken with someone about awareness of my debt and had asked them to discontinue calling. I sincerely felt harassed, felt an incredible amount of stress and anxiety, began to be afflicted with XXXX XXXX XXXX and wanted to just be left alone to deal with the death of my parent. 

Last weekend, I sat down to review my account with Navient and saw that they had not been withdrawing the basic autopay amount nor the new payment amount -- they had sent emails alerting me that the payment was going to change and because I enrolled in XXXX, I assumed the payments would continue but the new amount would be deducted. Out of stress and wanting the XXXX to end, I scheduled a payment but backed out of it when I realized I would be overextending myself. The calls stopped for XXXX day and then began again in earnest, XXXX times a day, as usual. Absolutely appalling. Now that my life has quieted, I was able to address my finances and paid the past due amount of {$390.00}. I'm assuming that I will need to re-enroll in XXXX once this payment has cleared BUT I am asking that Navient 's methods of addressing delinquencies/contacting customers be addressed. Their methods are unnecessary, harassing, and predatory and I do not care what a customer owes, that treatment should not be imposed upon anyone. Private citizens are cited by law enforcement for less in terms of making unwanted/excessive phone calls even when asked to stop.