Consumer complaint received 2021-07-15
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Received bad information about your loan
Company: HEARTLAND PAYMENT SYSTEMS INC (CA)

XXXX : My deferment is expiring and I apply for an income driven repayment plan ( Around XX/XX/XXXX, possibly also done before ). It is rejected stating they need more documents. As a frontline medical worker during the COVID pandemic, I was facing many stressors. I made multiple phone calls to ECSI, who could not tell me what was required and I submitted my tax information multiple times. The CARES ACT puts all federal student loans into deferrment, but I do not realize that these are not considered federal loans and they become past due. 

XX/XX/XXXX ( see attached chat ) : Finally, after approximately 9 months, during a chat session ECSI informs me during a chat session that the reason that an income-driven repayment plan is being rejected is because the loans are not eligible for that payment plan at all. This is the first time this has been communicated with me. I retroactively put my loans into forbearance to protect my credit. I ask how to consolidate my loans, but they do not have this information. Given the stressors our hospital was facing during the height of the pandemic, I do not pursue this option further. 

XX/XX/XXXX ( attached ticket and error message ) : ECSI informs me that my forbearance will be expiring. I contact ECSI as my employment at residency is coming to an end in XXXX and I will be unemployed. Apparently, I may have been eligible for a deferrment at this point, though it was not completely clear. I fill out another forbearance request. I am unable to access this request ( see attached email ) as when I attempt to sign into their customer hub, it states, " this account is not enabled for use on the customer hub. Please contact your administrator for help. '' It seems that ECSI has changed how they record chats and I no longer receive a copy. 

XX/XX/XXXX XXXX attached email ) : I receive an email from ECSI stating that the forbearance for my XXXX loan is approved. I do not receive any correspondence regarding my other loan and assume that it was approved as well. 

XX/XX/XXXX ( attached email ) : I am auto drafted for one of my XXXX XXXX XXXX loans despite requesting a forbearance and having financial hardship. 

XX/XX/XXXX ( attached email ) : I receive a generic email stating that ECSI requires additional information to process my XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX forbearance. Despite it stating that it is a " reminder '', it is the first notification that I received that my forbearance was not accepted. It contains no specific instructions except, " If you are unsure of what is needed to complete the approval decision process, please contact our Customer Service Department. '' I search their website for a section with specific documents providing more information, but one does not appear to exist. 

XX/XX/XXXX : While in the midst of moving across the country for my new job, I again contact ECSI via chat. I am told that the reason that my forbearance was denied was that I put the wrong start date ( XXXX instead of XXXX ) and that I would need to restart the application. I submit another forbearance request this very day and leave a voicemail for my school 's financial aid advisor given my struggles. 

XX/XX/XXXX ( attached denial email ) : I receive notice from ECSI that my accound is no longer current and threatening to contact the credit bureaus. I also receive an email stating that " XXXX XXXX XXXX Uploaded document is incomplete, all sections of the document must be completed in full. 
XXXX XXXX XXXX Other : PAST DUE INTEREST NEEDS TO BE PAID ON BEFORE ANOTHER FORBEARANCE CAN BE PROCESSED ON LOAN XXXX '' This is the first time I am notified that the past due interest must be paid beforehand. I contact customer service again via chat and speak with XXXX, who verifies that, but unfortunately can not tell me how my second form is now incomplete. In addition, she states that she can not waive the {$8.00} late fee as it is the policy of the XXXX XXXX  XXXX. She can not escalate this to a manager stating that I must call their phone line. She can not provide me with contact information for who to speak to at the XXXX XXXX XXXX. I leave another message for my school 's financial aid advisor. 

XX/XX/XXXX ( attached email chain ) : I speak with my college 's financial aid advisor, who directs me to the main campus department of financial aid. I email them explaining the situation and subsequently speak to them over the phone. They refuse to refund the {$8.00} late fee stating that it is against their policy.