Consumer complaint received 2017-07-14 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Received bad information about your loan
Company: American Student Assistance
State: MD

Complaint narrative:
InXX/XX/XXXX, I was deemed XXXX XXXX after dealing with a violent situation at work. It was for XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX  that began after handling an incident where one of my employees was XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX by a customer. Not receiving income began to make a tidal wave of problems on my finances as I struggled to pay for my basic living expenses from not receiving income. Forced to return to work to earn money against my doctors wishes to keep a roof over my head, my employment was terminated the first week of XXXX that same year.
<P/>
XX/XX/XXXXI tried reaching out to XXXX XXXX servicing to inquire about deferring my student loan. At this time, I learned that my loan was now with a company called XXXX. I contacted XXXX, explained that I was unemployed and that I was XXXX XXXX and I was unsure as to whether or not I could return to work, and did n't know when I would be able to return to work, and that I needed to make an arrangement to stop my payments until I returned to work and my income was stabilized. im really not sure what they offered me, but it was something that would include my past due payments to show I am up to date and I would n't have to pay for a year. I made the over the phone agreements through their automated system and I never heard or received anything from them ever again.
<P/>
Without medical insurance, I was left over one year untreated for XXXX conditions that had lead to my unemployment. Dealing with an untreated XXXX issue, I was struggling to deal with keeping a roof over my head and eat. My student loan was definitely not being paid, just two credit card companies who had agreed to take {$10.00} per month until I began working again. I assumed I was still covered on the deferment, and never received any information otherwise.
<P/>
I was XXXX as XXXX with XXXX XXXX and XXXX inXX/XX/XXXXand began treatment for XXXX XXXX 2x per week. OnXX/XX/XXXX, I became employed full time, finally. In XXXX XXXX, I received a call unexpectedly from someone who did n't identify themselves at my place of employment. They asked for me by my maiden name, and then threatened to garnish up to 50 % of my wages to pay back my student loan. After laughing at him, and informing him that he 's probably have to stand in line for garnishing wages after the IRS, who has not received a payment on the $ XXXX I owe them, I asked them to not call me at work. I to this day have not received any mail from whom ever that called me regarding this debt. Nor do I know whom the person represented. Nor have they garnished my wages, nor received any communication about them garnishing my wages, so I 'm not even sure if it was a legit call. I have managed to pay down $ XXXX on my IRS debt, leaving a $ XXXX  balance after interest and {$2500.00} off my credit card debt, leaving $ XXXX more to go. Not bad for working only 7 months now.
<P/>
I have now been employed for six months and am tackling the debts that were left unpaid for two years while I was XXXX. To help me with, I contacted each of the credit bureaus to obtain my annual free credit report. Buried in my credit report I began to unravel the torrid journey my student load has been on through the last few years.
- it was sold twice without my knowledge, so good luck to me to find out where I even owe money to - the agreement I made was n't applied to my account apparently - the balance has gone up {$3000.00} in two and a half years - the loan is now with a company called American Student Assistance, of which I 've never had any communication from I wish the following would 've happened : - I was given an option to take in to account that I was XXXX for an undetermined amount of time, which meant I was unable and incapable of paying for an undetermined amount of time.
- I received clear communication as to the status of my loan regularly, whether it was notification of payments when I was making them or when an agreement was made, so I was n't left with zero knowledge as to what 's going on with my loan - I received information when my loan was sold and to whom, and that I received communication from the place that now had my loan I will fully admit that I did n't have my " life together '' for those two years, I was a total mess. The actions, or inactions, and poor advice and planning on these lenders seem like they were being managed by someone with the XXXX XXXX of me at the time, but I 'm not sure if a lender/corporation can claim XXXX XXXX for managing their accounts so poorly.
<P/>
Now, I feel helpless. The loan is not even with the company I first made the agreement to postpone payments with. The balance has gone up significantly. My credit is totally ruined for this.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation