Consumer complaint received 2023-12-22 00:00:00
Product: Student loan — Federal student loan servicing
Issue: Dealing with your lender or servicer — Trouble with how payments are being handled
Company: MOHELA
State: CA

Complaint narrative:
I have made several attempts via telephone, email and via online form upload to request a refund of the payments I made to my student loan during the COVID payment pause from XX/XX/XXXXXXXX  to XXXX XXXX, XXXX. I requested this refund before the deadline on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. I have uploaded screenshots and resent my email requests four times now. I have called MOHELA ( my servicer as of XX/XX/XXXXXXXX ) and was told that and XXXX ( my servicer at the time I was making payments during the covid payment pause and before consolidating with MOHELA ). 

Mohela told me that I had to contact XXXX for the refund since they received the payments during that time. 

XXXX reports that due to the guidelines set by the Department of Education, since MOHELA is the current servicer, that MOHELA is responsible for the refund of the payments. 

Every time I contact XXXX, I am given different information. On XX/XX/XXXXXXXX  I called to follow up on my email request for the refund. I was told that they did not receive my email. I told the representative that I have a copy of the email in my sent folder and the representative instructed me to forward it to their contact email address again. 

On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, I called XXXX to follow up on my request for a refund. I was told by a representative that my refund was sent to a completely different company named XXXX on XXXX/XXXX/XXXX. I have never held an account with XXXX. I contact XXXX and they confirmed that there has never been a loan given or refunded to me in their system. The Federal Student Aid website has no record of any student loan provided by XXXX. 

On the same date, I uploaded a copy of my email request for a refund to my Mohela account to again request a refund as well. I have yet to receive a response. 

On XX/XX/XXXXXXXX  I filed a complaint on the Federal Student Aid website regarding this issue, complaint XXXX XXXXXXXX and uploaded my original email submitted before the deadline, requesting a refund. I have yet to receive a response. 

On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, I contacted XXXX again and they restated that a refund check was sent to XXXX. I explained that I contact XXXX and they do not have any account under my name ever. I spoke with a representative named XXXX who stated that the supposed refund sent to XXXX was for {$880.00}. I am due a refund of the payments that I made of over {$15000.00}. XXXX agreed that it was an error and reported that he could see my payment history and that I should be refunded much more than that. XXXX stated that he would conduct an investigation and contact me. 

On XX/XX/XXXXXXXX  XXXX called me and stated that according their guidelines from the Department of Education, Mohela must pay. I requested written or online verification of his statement and he told me that it was probably internal and could not share it with me. 

On XXXX XXXX, XXXX, I uploaded a copy of my email request for a refund to my Mohela account to again request a refund. I still have yet to receive a response Please, I am getting the run around and would like my money back, this was a significant amount of money that I paid in good faith to the US government. 

Thank you for your help, Sincerely, XXXX

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