Consumer complaint received 2017-03-20
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Can't repay my loan — Can't get flexible payment options
Company: ACS Education Services (CA)

For eight years - XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX - after receiving my XXXX ( in XX/XX/XXXX ) I consistently paid on my student loan, only to see my loan balance continually INCREASE - from the original debt of {$37000.00}, to {$45000.00}, to over {$50000.00}, then to {$62000.00}, then to {$70000.00}, and now ACS is apparently selling my information to other soliciting companies in the student loan collection/reduction/consolidation business ( e.g., XXXX ) claiming that the figure is over {$79000.00}. My loan started with Direct Loans ( William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program ). Around XX/XX/XXXX, my loan was apparently handed over to a company called XXXX ; correctly or otherwise, I began making payments to XXXX. In XX/XX/XXXX, I received notification ( from somebody called XXXX ) that my student loans were being consolidated, via an outfit called XXXX ( XXXX ) Then, beginning in the fall of XX/XX/XXXX, I began receiving correspondence - and payment coupon books - from a company called ACS. I began making payments to ACS, and continued to do so, even after my partner lost his tech job ( after 12-1/2 years ) at Christmas XX/XX/XXXX, and even after we relocated for less expensive housing, and a lower cost of living. Making less money, and less consistently, the growing payments became a struggle. By XX/XX/XXXX, my outstanding loan amount had somehow ballooned to over {$55000.00}. By XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX - not ACS - was threatening wage garnishment on a loan amount they claimed was now over {$62000.00}, through a company called XXXX. I filed for an income-based repayment program ( IBR ) that was apparently processed without issue ( although I 'm uncertain by whom ; the payments I had been making to ACS since XX/XX/XXXX had apparently not been forwarded to either XXXX, or to XXXX ). From that point, in late XX/XX/XXXX, I began to get simultaneous billing from ACS, as well as from a company called XXXX ( as well as from debt-collection companies such as XXXX, and XXXX ). I filed a Forbearance Request in XX/XX/XXXX, XX/XX/XXXX, and XX/XX/XXXX, via XXXX., which went smoothly enough ( in fact, with the renewal in the spring of XX/XX/XXXX, I was told by the XXXX. rep assisting me over the phone, that - given both the age of the loan, the enormous accrual over time, and the escalating financial burden - that the loan itself would eventually be written off. No, I did n't believe her. ) After XXXX in XX/XX/XXXX, my partner finally went back to work - after nearly 5 years, part time, at first - in XX/XX/XXXX. But the outstanding, mounting debt, loss of income, and medical expenses finally got us an eviction ; in XX/XX/XXXX, we moved in with a friend, as roommates. I tried to file a renewal of the forbearance in XX/XX/XXXX but was now brusquely told that I no longer qualified ; the reason given was the Supreme Court decision in XX/XX/XXXX, that now defined our legal relationship on a Federal level as a married couple ; and that, as a married couple filing jointly ( for XX/XX/XXXX ) I would no longer qualify for a forbearance, income-based payment reduction, balance reduction, or other repayment assistance programs. My response was that I could not afford an additional expense of {$980.00} per month. From that point forward, ACS has become especially aggressive, sometimes calling as many as 6 times a day ( this is in addition to calls from XXXX ). I realize that I 'm not alone, but it 's no exaggeration to say that this situation has ruined our lives. I 'd have no issue paying the original borrowed loan amount - {$37000.00} - at the original 5.125 % rate, and at the {$220.00} per month installment amount, but despite years of payments, the outstanding amount has tripled since graduation.