vivekkopthsd/cfpb-consumer-complaints huggingface dataset:
Consumer complaint received 2015-09-22 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Non-federal student loan
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer — Having problems with customer service
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: MD

Complaint narrative:
AES sent me a demand for recertification of my XXXX status in order to retain my SCRA benefits. I repled to AESthat they could confirm my active duty status at https : XXXX -- and that I was not required to recertify annually. AES retorted that they can not confirm XXXX status, so I called to fix the issue. The AES customer service representative ( XXXX XXXX ) erroneously informed me that I had to recertify, and that the issue was probably that there was no end date on my XXXX status -- I explained to her that as a commissioned officer I do n't have an end date on XXXX status. She finally transferred me to " XXXX '' who " handles the military phone calls, '' and he confirmed my status, and that he would raise my issue for review. 
This is n't the first time AES has demanded recertification of XXXX status, and I 'm frustrated with annual or semi-annual demands for recertification. DoD provides a web site to that end, and AES needs to use it.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Consumer complaint received 2016-08-04 00:00:00
Product: Mortgage — Other mortgage
Issue: Loan modification,collection,foreclosure — 
Company: SUNTRUST BANKS, INC.
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
XX/XX/XXXX I was recovering from a XXXX which kept me from working from XXXX XXXX. I contacted the bank to let them know my payments would be delayed till I return back to work in XXXX XXXX. Two months later sent them a check for payment and some extra to show good faith and they sent it back with foreclosure notification. I cashed out all my savings and my whole life policy and tried for 6 months to pay in full and reinstate my loan, employees stated that the lawyers were holding things up. Finally by XX/XX/XXXX I reached a XXXX XXXX whom agreed to take my money ( XXXX ) and reinstate my loan, however he took my money but did n't reinstate my loan. I called every day for weeks and then hired a lawyer whom scammed me for XXXX and is currently in bankruptcy proceedings. I was at that point force into applying for modification which I did over and over, I 'd send in papers and they would send foreclosure papers for 3-4 yrs this went on, finally XX/XX/XXXX an employee called and told me I had a modification ( truthfully I did n't care what the terms were I felt I did n't have a choice and wanted the madness to stop. ) I do n't know if they gave me credit for the monies I wired in but I know I have been paying interest on fee and penalties they tact on to my loan over that period which I feel is unethical given my situation and the many attempts I made to reinstate my loan. I sought out a lawyer recently and was told I was beyond the statues of limitations 3-4 yrs, have tried to speak with SunTrust several times but they have not been helpful. My payments are very high I will not be able to hang on to my HOME much longer especially with interest rate that will increase every yr for the next 5 years.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-03-14 00:00:00
Product: Bank account or service — Checking account
Issue: Making/receiving payments, sending money — 
Company: SUNTRUST BANKS, INC.
State: VA

Complaint narrative:
I use online banking for bill paying. A payment went to my son 's apartment for his rent and was apparently stolen since the facility never received the check. The funds came out of my account and the check was clearly not endorsed by the facility as previous checks had been. I called Sun Trust fraud XXXX XXXX to explain this issue. I have called, gone into the branch numerous times and still after calling today have no resolution. I had to pay the rent again since the facility needed the payment. I am out the {$710.00} and Sun Trust keeps giving me the run around as to why I was not refunded the money.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2017-03-11 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer — Trouble with how payments are handled
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
I have been trying to get on the extended graduated repayment plan since approximately XX/XX/2016. 3 times, I have called to have this done and all 3 times I am getting different information. Furthermore, all 3 times they have placed me on administrative forbearance where my interest gets capitalized and I accrue interest without paying off my balance, which I would be happy to do on my desired payment plan. The last time, I did not agree to be placed on administrative forbearance. Every time I have called, they say that my plan will be switched and when I check again, the issue is not resolved. The issue is still not resolved and my debt is increasing due to their malfeasance.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-12-21 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer — Received bad information about my loan
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: MI

Complaint narrative:
In XXXX the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency notified me about recertifying for the income-driven repayment plan. I completed the form and mailed it, along with supporting documents, on XXXX XXXX. I called in early XXXX to check on the status, and was told I needed to fax it which I did on XXXX XXXX. In XXXX I began receiving late notices and on XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX. I spoke with XXXX who said to disregard the notices. On XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX I spoke with XXXX who asked me to refax the forms and documents, which I did. Then, on XXXX XXXX, XXXX told me to not make a payment until I received an invoice for {$5.00} ( which I have yet to receive ). Meanwhile, I continued to receive late notices. On XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX. XXXX said there was some mix-up, put my account on administrative forebearance, and said she would resolve it. On XXXX XXXX I spoke with XXXX who told me to ignore the enormous interest bill and just wait for the invoice for {$5.00}. She said sometimes they take a while to get processed. However, on XXXX XXXX my bank account was debited for {$4300.00}, after many representatives said just to wait for them to correct it. I spoke with XXXX at XXXX XXXX. XXXX XXXX, who told me to resend the request for the {$5.00} payment. And once again my account was placed on administrative forebearance. Meanwhile the interest charges are skyrocketing and this mess is still unresolved. I have once again been placed on forebearance. All I ever requested was a reduced payment due to a change in circumstances. It does not seem like it should take almost a year to process this.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-01-20 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Non-federal student loan
Issue: Can't repay my loan — Can't get flexible payment options
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
My parents and I had no clue what we were doing when applying for college aid. I ended up with private student loans, which seems to have been the worst choice. I have a teaching degree and now work in public health. I have XXXX different due dates for loans originally through AES but now have been sold many times. Their communication is despicable. I have no realistic way of consolidating these loans and would like some assistance/relief.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-03-11 00:00:00
Product: Bank account or service — Checking account
Issue: Account opening, closing, or management — 
Company: SUNTRUST BANKS, INC.
State: SC

Complaint narrative:
At the end of XXXX, I opened a XXXX XXXX checking account with Suntrust -- an account with a {$25000.00} minimum. Two weeks later, after confirming that they received my signature card which validates the account, I attempted to use the mobile checking app to deposit XXXX checks of {$1000.00} each for a total of {$3000.00}. These checks were my own checks from a different bank. Essentially, I wrote XXXX checks to myself from Bank XXXX in order to transfer the money to my SunTrust account. 
Two days after this, when I tried logging into my SunTrust account to make sure that the checks had cleared, I was denied access to my account. I waited a few more days and upon realizing that I was still unable to access my account, I called SunTrust to resolve this problem. I was informed that the account was placed on hold because it may have violated a SunTrust regulation and instructed to wait for a letter in the mail. 
I finally received this letter to which the representative on the phone was referring on XXXX XXXX. The reason for the hold was as follows : " Reason XXXX XXXX : Deposit exceeds client 's average balance. '' This explanation is completely illogical. Naturally, any new account will run into this problem! My average balance was less than {$100.00} -- the initial deposit I made with the bank representative when opening the account. I had tried to deposit {$3000.00}, a normal amount of money to begin using the account and SunTrust responds by putting my account on hold. It does not even make sense for such a modest sum of money to even be flagged considering that the account MINIMUM was {$25000.00}. The amount I deposited was barely a fraction of that. 

When I received this letter, I still held out hope that once the checks cleared then SunTrust would be reassured that everything is normal and they would lift the hold. NOT THE CASE. I received a letter on XXXX XXXX that SunTrust decided to close the account. 
On XXXX XXXX, I received another letter that clarified that SunTrust reserves the right to close any account for any reason and without disclosing the reason. 
To make matters worse, I only received a check for {$90.00}. I checked with Bank XXXX and they confirmed that the {$3000.00} in checks had cleared. I called SunTrust and they said they will not return the {$3000.00} until XXXX. I am outraged that I am being taken advantage of in this manner. Not only are they wrongfully closing my account, they are holding my money for over three months for no reason. 

Please help me to resolve this issue. I am very diligent with my finances and trust that you will be able to help my make this situation right. Thank you.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Consumer complaint received 2016-05-02 00:00:00
Product: Other financial service — Debt settlement
Issue: Unexpected/Other fees — 
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
I was contacted by fedloan and told they could help me get monthly payments of XXXX dollars paying back my student loans then once i signed up i was told they could not help unless i payed them XXXX dollars and i did not act fast then the Gov could start garnishment of my wages.I startd paying XXXX dollars first payment then i went online and noticed they did nothing after reciving the first payment then i called to cancel thier services and was tol i could not do so if i did i was threaten with collectons atthat point and emails and phone calls

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-06-10 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer — Trouble with how payments are handled
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: MN

Complaint narrative:
I had forberance granted to my student loans retroactive to XXXX 2014 but have late payments reported to the credit bureaus for XXXX and XXXX of 2014 on all XXXX loans for a total of XXXX reported late payments that should have been corrected by the retroactive forberance. 
Fed Loan Servicing has refused to correct this.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-04-22 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer — Don't agree with fees charged
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: CO

Complaint narrative:
I received notice that I defaulted on a student loan from 1993. I thought I paid it but was not sure. I was talking with my family about it and they remember that I did pay it off. It was the first big obligation that I had paid off and at the time, they were proud of me. I started school with the promise of employee reimbursement but lost that due to XXXX. They set up a payment plan but I have been unable to make payments. The thing is, this is over twenty years ago and I do not have documentation from that time. I was homeless for almost five years and lost everything. Even with that, it is unreasonable to expect someone to be able to prove they paid something from 20 years ago. Student loans says they sent collection letters but I did not receive them. I move around a lot and was homeless, so they could have been an issue. My family states they never saw any communication. Even with the XXXX I am doing well in school but if I do n't get this resolved, I will have to quit. The attitude of the Department of Education is that even though I paid it, they do not show the payment, and I am supposed to pay it back. They will not budge, even though they have not looked for an error from that time. They state that there is no error because the computer show I owe the money. It does not make sense to me. I have tried the ombudsmen and they state I have to have proof of payment. Twenty years ago it was very normal to keep paperwork for 6 or 7 years then dispose of it.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-01-14 00:00:00
Product: Credit reporting — 
Issue: Incorrect information on credit report — Account status
Company: Credit Karma, LLC
State: WA

Complaint narrative:
Credit Karma has XXXX open accounts for XXXX.They have both been discharged in a bankruptcy therefore they are closed.I tried 3 times to get them to fix this they have not.

Company public response: Company believes complaint caused principally by actions of third party outside the control or direction of the company
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2017-01-22 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer — Trouble with how payments are handled
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: NC

Complaint narrative:
As a mother, I decided to make a positive change in my life and go to college so I could get away from government assistance and build a better future for my children. I started college XX/XX/XXXX and went to school at night. I graduated from my XXXX XX/XX/XXXX and decided to keep going and went to XXXX XXXX. I graduated from XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX but could not find any employment until XX/XX/XXXX. My student loans were serviced by XXXX and had been in deferment since XXXX. Due to moving multiple times, I was unaware that my student loans had come out of deferment after I graduated. By the time I found out, my student loans were 150 days late. I had XXXX different student loans all being serviced by the same provider at the time. My student loans were not consolidated. Therefore, I suddenly had XXXX negative reports on my credit. I contacted Fedloan immediately and explained that I did not have employment sufficient to pay the loans at that time and that I had not received notification that they were out of deferment. Fedloan agreed to put the loans into forbearance and BACKDATE the forbearance so it would be as if the loans never came out of deferment. Fedloan backdated the forbearance to show that the account was in forbearance from XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX. I have had no issues since. Now, for the first time in my life, I am ready to buy a home. I have been turned down now by XXXX different banks for a mortgage because my credit report shows XXXX different accounts reporting that I was 150 days late XX/XX/XXXX - XX/XX/XXXX. I have sent XXXX proof that the forbearance was accepted and that my loan was considered in forbearance during the time period that my credit report is saying I was 150 days late. I have disputed this twice and they refuse to remove it from my report. After all of my hard work to make a better life for myself and my family, I am unable to purchase a home because of these negative reports. Why would Fedloan backdate my forbearance to show the loan as never late unless they wanted it to reflect as never late. I have provided proof of this forbearance and yet Fedloan and XXXX refuse to remove it from my report.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2015-12-12 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Non-federal student loan
Issue: Dealing with my lender or servicer — Having problems with customer service
Company: AES/PHEAA
State: PA

Complaint narrative:
I submitted a request to American Education Services to apply a natural disaster forbearance in order to prevent my loan from defaulting. I gave all the information requested and every time, I received a letter stating they needed the same information they requested. Every time I called in and gave them the information and every time they restarted the request, stating that it was a computer issue. When they finally did put the forbearance through, they completely ignored the loan that I had been requesting the forbearance for and then they defaulted that loan. I had requested it specifically to avoid that happening. When I emailed them to address the issue, they completely ignored my email. It 's been a week and a half and I have received no response and the issue has not been addressed.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2015-05-25 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — 
Issue: Billing disputes — 
Company: STERLING JEWELERS, INC.
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
Received a call from a XXXX phone number before XXXX, XXXX. I picked up phone on fourth ring, and the phone calling hung up. I recalled them after XXXX, and complained, would not give me IID of person that called. Said they were sorry, and put supervisor on, again no ID provided. He stated that he in in Jared Jewelers corporate office in Ohio, and further stated it is the same time zone as XXXX, XXXX. I stated that it was XXXX I called the XXXX number and reach him. He stated well the towers are different and he ca n't be responsible for what tower was used and stated again he was in Ohio. He wanted to speak about my payment. I told him I ca n't pay till after the first when my VA XXXX check arrives. He wanted post date checks or my bank account. I refused and hung up.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2015-08-10 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.)
Issue: Disclosure verification of debt — Not given enough info to verify debt
Company: CONTRACT CALLERS INC
State: IL

Complaint narrative:
CONTRACT CALLERS INC. HAS BEEN OPERATING IN ILLINOIS WITHOUT A VALID BUSINESS LICENSE SINCE XX/XX/XXXX. THEIR LICENSE EXPIRED ON XX/XX/XXXX. THERE ALSO APPEARS TO BE A GAP BETWEEN XX/XX/XXXX AND XX/XX/XXXX AND THEY HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY COLLECTING DEBTS WITHOUT A LICENSE. 

RE : Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation

Company response to consumer: Closed
Consumer complaint received 2016-08-19 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Other (i.e. phone, health club, etc.)
Issue: Disclosure verification of debt — Right to dispute notice not received
Company: The Phoenix Recovery Group
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
The other issue is that they did not provide enough information to verify the debt. ( Signed Lease Agreement ). It has been more than 30 days since I requested the information. ( XXXX/XXXX/16 ) Debt collection agency ( Pheonix Group ) is attempting to collect on alleged debt.

Company response to consumer: Closed with non-monetary relief
Consumer complaint received 2016-09-08 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — 
Issue: Closing/Cancelling account — 
Company: STERLING JEWELERS, INC.
State: NJ

Complaint narrative:
I have had a Kay Jewelers Credit Card for about 6 years now and had never missed a payment. XX/XX/2016, I was late for the first time ever by about a week on a payment because i had just had my daughter and was on maternity leave and had totally forgot to make the payment. Kay Jewelers contacted me and I made the payment over the phone with them and apologized for forgetting to make the payment. They told me no worries and everything was fine. I visited a Kay Jewelers in XX/XX/XXXX to attempt to purchase my daughter an earring because she had lost one. When the store manager attempted to charge it to my credit account, he received a phone call from their corporate office stating that my account had been closed because " my credit score was not what it was when I first opened the account. '' That is extremely unprofessional and I am appalled that I was not notified prior to that visit that my account had been closed. It 's very sad that I found out my account had been closed WHILE AT THE LOCATION in front of all of the employees and customers. Terrible customer service. Terrible company. I have since stopped paying my bill since my account has been closed and because I am extremely unhappy with the company as a whole.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2015-06-24 00:00:00
Product: Debt collection — Credit card
Issue: Improper contact or sharing of info — Talked to a third party about my debt
Company: STERLING JEWELERS, INC.
State: VA

Complaint narrative:
Called my ex-husband 's number who I am estranged from about my debt. I have a restraining order and they are jeopardizing my life. Jared Galleria/Sterling

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-08-04 00:00:00
Product: Consumer Loan — Installment loan
Issue: Managing the loan or lease — 
Company: eMoneyUSA Holdings, LLC
State: WI

Complaint narrative:
I took out the loan, but later added it to my XXXX consolidation, and they refuse to quit contacting me. The XXXX company has contacted them numerous times as well, with my power of attorney papers and they still contact me several times a day from many different numbers. EMONEY USa ... never use them

Company public response: Company disputes the facts presented in the complaint
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation
Consumer complaint received 2016-07-08 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — 
Issue: Customer service / Customer relations — 
Company: STERLING JEWELERS, INC.
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
Jared the Galleria of Jewelry keeps calling and emailing me at my job after repeatedly being told to stop doing so as this can result in me losing my job. They are also calling my sister at her job and keep calling various family members of mine. My account was up to date and being paid and they closed it for no reason and are now harassing me even though I am on time with payments.

Company public response: Company believes it acted appropriately as authorized by contract or law
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation