Consumer complaint received 2024-03-19
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Problem with customer service
Company: Maximus Federal Services, Inc. (MD)

I believe XXXX is the current servicer of my loan- but it is not them I have been having the problem with - they can not answer my questions because they just started servicing my loan about 2 years ago when it randomly appeared on my credit report. Prior to that, I paid off what I thought were all of my student loans with a company called XXXX. Since this {$3400.00} appeared on my credit report, I have consistently asked the question, where has it been and why has no one attempted to collect it - why did it only appear on my credit report 2 years ago without so much as notice? I have asked this question via phone with Department of Education and via their help link. The Customer service reps on the phone are just as confused as I am- and after digging through my records, are usually unable to help and then send me to the help/complant site- which then leads to XXXX calling me and telling me the same thing - they sent me my promissory note from XXXX - and Im not objecting that I did in fact take the loan out - what I am objecting is, how do I know or how was I supposed to know that when I did my loan consolidation with XXXX years ago this wasnt included? And why did no XXXX attempt to collect it for so long??? Below if my last complaint that I submitted on student aid.gov in XXXX. It remains open and In XXXX. 

I repaid what I thought was all of my student loans approximately 7 years ago. Two years ago, another {$3400.00} was added to my credit report after NEVER being notified. Despite asking several questions about why this {$3400.00} was never attempted to be collected years ago ( I graduated college in XXXX ) - I never received any answers and XXXX remained completely unhelpful. Whenever I submit an issue here, you refer it to XXXX- who can not answer my questions and then refers me back to you - its a literal rollercoaster if frustration, In XXXX, I decided to consolidate to XXXX - who was my original servicer when I repaid years ago. I checked the student aid website regularly and it still says my application is IN REVIEW. However, after returning home from holiday I found XXXX letters from XXXX-AID saying my application was not processed because I need to submit an Income Driven Repayment Form and income verification. I applied for standard repayment - not XXXX. The representative at XXXX says ALL CONSOLIDATION APPLICATIONS NEED TO HAVE AN XXXX - but that's not what it says on your site or XXXX 's. The additional forgiveness was also only offered on loans consolidated before the end of XXXX - which I attempted to do in case i would be eligible- which I think I should be, with all the time that has passed. I attempted to contact student aid via phone - where I waited on hold for over an hour, only for your representative XXXX TO to tell me MY ACCOUNT DOESNT MAKE SENSE - AND I NEEDED TO SUBMIT THIS HELP TICKET. She agreed IDRs are not a requirement for consolidation. WHAT IS GOING ON????? Further more, I have been employed by the XXXX XXXX for XXXX XXXX and had I known about this loan, I would have been making payments and certainly would be eligible for public service loan forgiveness. It is not fair, that I am being punished because no one attempted to collect this debt from me for 20 years. Where was it??? If I was not paying, why wasn't my XXXX XXXX offset or my tax returns? Why did it only just appear on my credit report in XXXX????? I have previously submitted these questions - only for XXXX to call me back UNABLE TO ANSWER THEM. 

My consolidation application has been in review since XX/XX/XXXX without any approval or denial. I submitted the above complaint to XXXX via their complaint process in XX/XX/XXXX, and have received no response. My employer released an email yesterday, that loans must be consolidated by XX/XX/XXXX if you are eligible for cancelation or forgiveness of all or a portion of your debt, which I believe I should be BUT NO ONE WILL PROCESS MY APPLICATION and I can not file another one because this one is still in review. The process is frustrating to say the least.