Consumer complaint received 2024-04-15
Product: Student loan — Private student loan
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Received bad information about your loan
Company: AES/PHEAA (TN)

In XXXX, XXXX XXXX student loans were disbursed with me as the primary borrower and my ex stepfather, XXXX XXXX, as the cosigner. When the loans entered repayment, they were kept in good standing by me via direct debit until XXXX. The last known communication received by me regarding was in email in XXXX, although the loan company had my current email and phone number on file. In XXXX, unbeknownst to me as the primary borrower, the cosigner on the loans filed for bankruptcy and the loans entered a status where they were not able to be collected against. 

AES / PHEAA removed my loans from direct debit, again unbeknownst to me. 

In XXXX, apparently the bankruptcy status ended and the loans entered repayment. I was not notified at any point of the bankruptcy, the change to the direct debit, or the loans entering repayment. The loan company, PHEAA states they sent a singular letter in XXXX which I did not receive. They did not attempt to contact me via email or phone to notify me of any changes to the account. At this point, the loan should have still been in good standing because it entered bankruptcy status in good standing, and was not eligible to be collected against from XXXX - XXXX. 

I did not receive any communication on these loans from XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX, where a call was made to my phone number and immediately the person requested my Social Security Number and Date of Birth, which I refused to provide because I thought it was a spam call. As I came to learn, at some point between XXXX - XXXX, the loans had entered repayment, although I was not notified of this, and subsequently went into default. 

The default was reported against my credit and has destroyed my credit as a result. I was not notified by any means - email, phone, or mail - that credit reporting was taking place, although PHEAA has proven they had up-to-date contact information available by which to notify me. 

I was not given the opportunity to bring the loans to good standing prior to them entering collections let alone default, nor was I notified at any point about the loans, in any regard, since XXXX. I have tried multiple times to resolve this with PHEAA but they will not admit failure to adhere to regulations regarding consumer contact prior to negative credit reporting, nor will they admit failures in communication about these loans to me as the primary borrower. They will not address the credit reporting nor offer a reasonable settlement of the loans, given their failure to adhere to the law. I was given blatantly incorrect information by a representative, XXXX, on more than one occasion, and at some point in the past month the company deactivated my email address on file, without my knowledge or consent. They have continued to delay in contacting me, have provided incorrect or false information, and have not adhered to regulations surrounding servicing of these loans. I have attempted to speak to Special Collections, Consumer Affairs, and the Credit Reporting department within PHEAA. I have requested to understand what documentation was sent to me as the primary borrower, and they are only able to say one letter in XXXX was sent, but they do not have proof it was received by me. At that point the loan would have been in good standing, so the content of the letter would not have related to negative credit reporting. There has been no other documented contact that PHEAA can provide, with proof I was properly notified of these issues. I have requested the master promissory notes for these loans and they have yet to be provided. I have attached the last contact I have from AES, showing they have had my current email on file since at least XXXX.