Consumer complaint received 2017-05-12
Product: Student loan — Private student loan
Issue: Struggling to repay your loan — Problem lowering your monthly payments
Company: Navient Solutions, LLC. (VA)

I filed a complaint once before in early   XXXX   XXXX   regarding Navient and my calling to make a financial statement in an effort to reduce my monthly payment, where I was, among other things told I was lying about information. Though this is not a continuation of that complaint, it is stemming from the Navient and a complete lack of good customer service when I 'm willing to pay something towards my loan.     I was finally able to file a financial statement with Navient i n  XX/XX/XXXX of this year.  My loan co-signer also reported his finances to them. I explained to Navient 's representative that I had just filed to re-certify my Income Based Repayment ( IBR ) plan with my Federal loans ( Serviced through  XXXX   XXXX  ). I was still waiting to hear back from them about what my new payment amount would be, given it had previously been {$0.00} because I was making so little money at my previous job. The representative told me to call back, as soon as   XX/XX/XXXX , once I kne w what my payment amount would be and add that to my financial statement.     I also arranged a payment of approximately {$140.00} that day, as I was told that would prevent the delinquent payments from reflecting on my or my co-signer 's  credit score . However, it was in fact reported to the credit bureau on my co-signer 's credit report.     There was a delay on  XXXX  getting back to me on a payment amount, but several days ago I received a letter saying my new payment would be approximately {$390.00} per month, with the first payment due on  XX/XX/XXXX . O nce I received that notification, I immediately called  Navient  to add this to my financial statement.     Upon calling on Tuesda y,  XX/XX/XXXX , I spoke with a ge ntleman who immediately said I owed a balance of $  400+  on my account and asked how I would be taking care of that today. I explained that I was calling to add something to my financial statement, told him of my most previous interaction with the young lady in  mid- XXXX  , and that I had my payment amount from the federal loans now. He, again, asked me for payment, even though I said the entire reason for my call is because I was struggling to make payments and have been asking for a lower payment amount for months.     The representative then asked what my new payment amount would be on my federal loans and I told him the exact amount. He then told me that even with that, their calculation shows that I still have a disposable income of {$300.00} a month and would therefore be able to afford the {$220.00} payment t o Navient  every month. I laughed and said that I still ca n't afford it and I do n't really know what else to do. I continued to explain that I ca n't even afford to rent a room somewhere and that I keep asking for a lower payment because I am willing to pay on my account, but I, nor my cosigner, can afford the $  XXXX  {$210.00} per month payment that they want.     My father is my co-signer, who does n't make much more money than myself, and my mother  ( h is wife ) has been on  XXXX  for the past several years and is unable to work.     The representative then continued to verbally go through my last financial statement. I asserted everything was correct, except I asked him if the credit card amount he reported was my monthly payments or my total debt. He said the amount he stated was monthly payments, but remarked that was a " little high '' for a payment amount, considering my total amount of credit card debt. I explained, as I had to the last representative, that I also pay my parents {$400.00} per month for a credit card that is in their name that I used for a period of unemployment. All charges to that card are charges that I made. Unlike the last representative, this gentleman took issue with this and immediately started asking for me to submit some type of proof that I pay that. I, again, explained that I transfer them {$400.00} from my bank account every month and then {$400.00} is used towards this credit card. I told him that the last rep did not take issue with this and no questions were asked, yet he continued to scoff at this.     He said, again, there is nothing they could do to lower my payment amount and that I need to have my co-signer call yet again to make yet another financial statement -- at which point I said " thank you, have a nice day, goodbye '' and hung up.     I have several friends who have lowered their payments on private loans with Navient. These folks have a significantly higher income than I do. They have had no problem having their payment lower ed. O  ne frie nd even remarked they " just clicked a button '' on  Navient 's website and it was done. I am willing to do anything and everything to lower my payment amount, and have relayed this information to Navient. I  am struggling. My parents are struggling. I am not even able to rent a room from someone and am living in the " den '' of my parents '  XXXX  square foot home -- yet, according  to Navient, I am able  to afford {$220.00} to them every month. This payment was only {$100.00} till the end of last year, which I had only just started being able to afford -- I was immensely underemployed making only about {$18000.00} or less for almost  two years . I finally obtained full-time employment in my field in    XX/XX/XXXX  with a   XXXX  , but had to take care of more immediate debts ( like health care costs ) first.
I simply want to lower my payment, which will only benefit Navient in the long run because I will accrue more interest and pay on the loan longer. I do n't appreciate being harassed almost every time I call,    when I 'm trying to take care of the loan, but am just trying to pay less each month.