Consumer complaint received 2025-04-30 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Problem with customer service
Company: Nelnet, Inc.
State: OH

Complaint narrative:
NelNet XXXX. XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XX/XX/XXXX Formal Appeal Case # XXXX To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this letter as a formal appeal for the findings and closure of Case # XXXX. The response provided did not adequately resolve or address my core concerns, which involved serious violations of my privacy, unauthorized changes to my account, and resulting harm to my credit. 


Summary of Appeal Grounds : XXXX. Unauthorized Email Change via Vendor Search Your records indicate that my email address was changed on XX/XX/XXXX, following a vendor search prompted by alleged email bounce backs. I did not authorize this change, nor was I notified prior to or after the update. This constitutes a clear violation of my privacy and established consumer protection laws. The use of third-party vendors to alter personally identifiable information ( PII ) must be consent-based and verifiable. 
Under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act ( GLBA ) Privacy Rule, nonpublic personal information XXXX not be shared with or modified by nonaffiliated third parties without express notice and the opportunity to opt out. Additionally, the Federal Student Aid Master Promissory Note ( MPN ) does not XXXX blanket authorization for vendors to conduct independent information searches or to modify borrower data without the borrowers direct involvement. 
XXXX. Inability to XXXX XXXX Account The unauthorized change to my email address prevented me from logging in or resetting my password, effectively locking me out of my account. As a result, I missed important billing notices and communications. This lack of access stemmed directly from the changes your system initiated without my knowledge or approval. 


3. Negative Credit Reporting and Harm Due to the breakdown in communication and account access, I was unaware that my account had entered a past-due status following the expiration of the on-ramp period. I discovered this delinquency in XX/XX/XXXX when I received a credit monitoring alert showing a drop of approximately XXXX points in my credit score. This damage was caused by circumstances entirely outside of my control, originating with unauthorized changes to my account initiated by your vendor. 
4. Violation of My Promissory Note, GLBA, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ) The unapproved use of third-party data to modify my account without consent is not only inconsistent with the terms of my promissory note, but it may also violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act ( FCRA ). Furnishing inaccurate or unverifiable information to credit reporting agencies, especially information stemming from system errors or unauthorized account changescould be deemed noncompliant under federal law. Additionally, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ( FDCPA ) prohibits deceptive or unfair practices during collection, including wrongful handling of borrower information. 

Relief Requested : Immediate removal or correction of all negative credit reporting related to this incident. 
A full investigation and explanation of the vendor process used to change my email address without my knowledge or approval. 
A written statement confirming all corrective actions taken to secure my account and prevent further unauthorized modifications. 
Copies of all documentation and internal records relating to the vendor search, email update process, and associated decision-making. 

Please consider this my official appeal and request for reconsideration, as outlined in your letter. I respectfully request that this matter be reviewed by a different associate or escalated team via your internal protocol. I expect a written response within the 30-calendar-day timeline required for formal disputes and appeals. 
Thank you for your attention to this matter. 

Sincerely, XXXX XXXX Account # XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, OH XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation