E.C.S.I.

Review: I mailed check # 3691 to ESCI for payment of student loan. On 7/29 payment was electronically cashed by Educational Comp as all my other checks for this same account have been.

On 8/11 I receive an email from Darlene M[redacted] in regards to my Perkins loan not being paid. I responded via email that payment was made and cashed. She indicated I need to call ECSI to discuss. I contacted ECSI on 8/11, they told me to contact my bank and get a copy of the cash checked. I contacted my bank and they indicated since they electronically cashed it they do not have a copy of the check. I called ECSI back indicating this and provide further details to them such as Check#, Dollar Value, Routing #, last 4 of checking account. They indicated I would hear back in 7 business days. I have called back several times and requested a call back which I have not received.

On 8/26 I contacted them again this time via chat instead of phone and Kayla indicated their banking department is still researching. Which I have now asked for a call back from a Supervisor.

In the meantime I have received an overdue statement from ECSI stating that I now owe for this months payment plus my overdue amount.Desired Settlement: I would like my bill to be adjusted accordingly for the $50 payment they received. Remove any and all late charges and make sure my credit is not affected by this.

Business

Response:

Heartland ECSI is the third party billing servicer for student loans on behalf of [redacted]

We apologize for the delay in our response to the concern initially brought to our attention on August 11, 2016. Our team strives to have these matters resolved in 5-7 business days. We have reviewed Ms. [redacted]’s account and have determined that the payment Ms. [redacted] sent as check 3691 in the amount of $50.00 was inadvertently applied to an incorrect account. On August 26, 2016, we advised Ms. [redacted] of the error and the payment was properly applied to her account. No late payment fees have been assessed to Ms. [redacted]’s account due to this matter and her account has continued to be reported to the credit reporting agencies as current and in good standing. In posting her $50.00 payment to her account, we applied the payment as: $40.00 as her standard monthly payment and $10.00 posted against her next monthly payment. Her next monthly payment amount will be $30.00. After the reduced monthly payment next month, her regularly monthly payments of $40.00 will resume. If Ms. [redacted] would like to talk with us directly, or has any other questions, she is welcome to contact our customer service team at 888-549-3274. Sincerely, Scott K[redacted] Quality Assurance Manager Heartland ECSI

Review: ECSI serviced my Perkins Loan. My job requires that I have NSLDS access which is granted by the Department of Education. My access was denied due to the fact that ECSI inaccurately reported that I have two loans with them (my original loan was defaulted and has been paid in full since July 2015) and that the loan I paid in full is still defaulted. They have provided me with inaccurate information as to how they are going to correct this issue multiple times. On 8-25-15 I received a message from Janet, a supervisor with the company, telling me corrections were handled on a first come, first serve basis, and it could be October until they report my account accurately to NSLDS and the Department of Education. My job requires that I have access to this database to perform nessacary functions and tasks. I cannot do my job due to ECSI's error and could potentially be at risk of losing my position if I cannot obtain access to the NSLDS database.Desired Settlement: I was Heartland ECSI to report that my I have only one loan with them and it has been paid in full to The Department of Education and NSLDS. I was this done immediately and I want confirmation it has been corrected.

Business

Response:

Heartland ECSI is a third party loan servicer. We have recently taken over servicing for [redacted] accounts. Occasionally when loans transfer between servicers they will show duplicate loans reported to the NSLDS. We apologize for this incorrect report. Heartland ECSI confirmed NSLDS reporting was corrected on 08/26/2015. On 08/28/2015 a supervisor called and notified the account holder of this and we consider the issue resolved. If any other assistance is needed please contact Heartland ECSI at ###-###-####.

Review: My experience with ECSI in the last month has been the worst customer experience I have ever had. I have had a student loan with this company for over 2 years. I have had automatic payments set up and have never been late on a payment and I have a great credit score since I have not been late on any payment on any loan I have. I recently changed my bank account so I went online to change my automatic payment bank information. I received an email on 11/9/15 from ECSI that my loan was not paid due to insufficient funds so I called ECSI because I had more than enough money in the account. They then told me on the phone that the bank returned it due to not locating the account. I called my bank and they had no notice of any loan trying to be pulled out of my account so then I called ECSI back with this information, spoke to a lady on the phone the same day. She told me she could not help me with the bank information because I set it up online and they can't help when a customer sets up something on their own. She also told me that I owed at $15 late fee due to this and I asked for it to be waived since I never have been late and clearly this was some misunderstanding between the auto payment, ECSI and the bank, but she told me that they can not waive that fee. she told me to delete my automatic debit and call back in 24 hours and that ECSI could help me to set up a payment online. I deleted the account. I went back online the following day and tried to set up the auto payment and the only date the it would allow me to select on their system for an automatic payment was on December 1, 2015 which was the next payment date. I called ECSI back on 11/10/15 and/or 11/11/15 and spoke to a different lady and explained to her my conversation from yesterday, then told her I had no choice in a date to pick on their online website for a repayment. The lady I spoke with this time told me that when I was near a computer, to call back and they would walk me through how to set up a payment and I could select their next draw date of 11/20/15 and it would pull out the amount owed of $696 and change which was my monthly payment of about $682 and change plus the $15 " late fee" that I was told I had. I did not want to wait until 11/20 to pay my bill and there was no mention of any additional late fee at this time. I was never told on either of these phone calls that I had the option to set up an echeck to pay the bill for a $1.95 fee. Both times I was told I had to change my automatic payments to come out and then I would have to go back in and adjust it to be back to the normal payments after this was taken care of. Instead of waiting until 11/20/15 to have a payment possibly pulled out of my account, but possibly not since it did not work the first time, I sent in a manual check on 11/12/15 for $697 to cover my bill and the "$15 late fee". ECSI cashed this on 11/20/15 and I received a phone call on 11/23/15 about my account. I called back and spoke with another woman who told me I owed $33.42 on my account since it was late and it was not paid before the bill went out. When I asked about the $15 late fee that I was paid, she then told me that this was not a late fee, it was a returned payment fee ( which was different from the last two people I spoke to). So then when I explained how I have called multiple times in the same month, I was told to set up an online payment to be pulled out on 11/20/15 and there was never a mention of an additional late fee, and I did not want to wait that late so imailed a check on 11/12/15, I was never advised of the option to send an echeck and I asked if this late fee could be waived due to my reputation of never missing any payments in the past or ever being late and this being an issue with the auto debit system. I was told no. I was then told by this lady that she could set up a one time auto payment for me for $714 which would be my bill of $682 + the $33 late fee, she then told me she couldn't do it since it was set up from me so she walked me through what to do and told me that I need to go in and change my automatic debit to reflect to be pulled out on 12/1/15 to pay the next bill amount + the late fee which was $714 and then when that was pulled, I would have to go back into the system and change my auto payments again to reflect what I usually pay. When I went online today 11/24/15 to do that, my account showed that I had paid the $697 but said current due was $913 so I AGAIN called ECSI back to find out why I owed this. I finally talked to a nice customer service rep who looked into it for me and confirmed I only owed the $33.42 in late fee and not to touch my auto payments, but to just set up an echeck. he told me that if I cant pay a bill, to pay as much as I can in the future because the late fee is calculated based on what is overdue. I explained I never had the issue of not paying the bill and I was on the phone with their company all month about this, but at least he provided me information that would have been helpful when I called the first time on 11/9/15. This was the worst customer experience especially for a customer who has always been current with payments. I don't even know if they hit my credit report.Desired Settlement: I would like the $33.42 back in late fees since this information was never explained to me and I was told by their own rep that I could just pay the bill on 11/20 online through auto payments and there was no mention of a late fee by anyone until it was charged on my account after they cashed my check. I don't even care about getting the additional $15 fee back due to their problem with the bank, but This is a situation where as a good customer, I am being taken advantage of and to owe almost $50 in fees in a month is ridiculous. Especially considering I had been in contact with their company multiple times. I did everything I could to mitigate the situation and still was charged a late fee.

Business

Response:

Please Note: Heartland ECSI is a third party loan servicer for [redacted]. On 11/01/2015 Heartland ECSI sent a payment request to Ms. [redacted]’s bank using the information she entered online on 10/15/2015. On 11/09/2015 her bank rejected this payment using reason code “R03” meaning the bank did not have an account that matches the account number Ms. [redacted] entered on her online ECSI account. The bank would not have a record of us attempting to draw a payment from Ms. [redacted]’s account due to the incorrect account number. The rejected payment from Ms. [redacted]’s account added a $15 “returned payment” fee to her amount due. As a third party servicer Heartland ECSI doesn’t retain any fees or interest. When Ms. [redacted] called on 11/11/2015 our representative gave her incorrect information that resulted in a $34.06 late fee. This fee has been removed from Ms. [redacted]’s account. All payment options are located on Heartland ECSI’s website which include and Instant E-check and an Instant credit card option. On 12/08/2015 we spoke with Me. [redacted] and ensured all banking information was correct for her reoccurring check payments. Additionally she stated she was satisfied with our resolution.

Review: ECSI has sent out false reports of delinquency repeatedly. The latest I have received states (in an unprofessional and harsh manner),

"WARNING-YOUR TIME HAS RUN OUT!! We have asked you to call if there was a problem, you have not done so. We have asked you to pay the amount due, you have not done so. We gave you the opportunity to file for either a student or hardship deferment, you have not done so. When we wrote you attempting to reach a satisfactory settlement on your account, we fully expected your cooperation. ....Your name is now appearing on the default list which is monitored by the U.S. Government. As a result of this default, your account has been reported to every major credit bureau in the United States".

To receive this statement regardless of the fact I have not only made every one of my payments on time, but also have paid more than the minimum, is revolting and needs to be stopped.Desired Settlement: The business has a responsibility to apologize to each loaner who has received these notices unjustly and to explain the reasoning behind these false notices and FIX THE PROBLEM so it does not happen again!

Business

Response:

Heartland ECSI apologizes for any undue stress this incidence has caused. There was an error that triggered a percentage of students with Geneva College to receive standard COHORT letters. Please rest assured these had no effect on your account. During this time your account was current and in good standing; no negative credit reporting has occurred. This system error was identified and corrected on 9/28/2015. On 09/30/2015 we notified the account holder by phone that the account is now current. Documentation regarding this error has been sent to all parties that were affected.

This company is the worst loan collection company I have ever dealt with. All other companies use a cookie-cutter website layout that works very well, but ECSI's website is decades out of date - it is mostly text-based, and the website organization is terrible. The payment options for the site are extremely limited and too expensive. On the date that I'm writing this, I am only able to set up direct deposit to come out of my account on FOUR days of the month. The fact that making a payment same-day from a debit card costs $10 and ADDITIONALLY a percentage of the payment is mind-boggling. I could understand a small $3-5 fee for convenience, but the $10+ it costs? I have never heard of a company charging so much for me to pay them. It is insane. If this company were a cable or cell phone provider, I wouldn't do business with them, and in a way, that is what I am doing.

My wife and I are working to paying off our student loans as quickly as possible, and rather than paying off higher-interest loans first, I chose to pay off all the loans that are managed by ECSI first, as dealing with this company is maddening. I am literally losing money in the long term in order to NOT deal with this company as quickly as possible; it is definitely worth the financial cost.

Review: My student loan came out of deferment in July of this year. On 7/20/15, I went online and submitted a payment of $40. I received an email the same day from [redacted] which stated "ECSI has received and processed a payment for your account." On 8/27/15, I made a $91 payment on the ECSI website, and received an email the same day from [redacted] which stated "ECSI has received and processed a payment for your account." On 9/21/15, I made a $91 payment on the ECSI website, and received an email the same day from [redacted] which stated "ECSI has received and processed a payment for your account." Today, I reviewed my credit report, and discovered that I am reported 30 days late on this account. Incredulous, I contacted ECSI to determine the source of this reported delinquency. Only then was I informed that my ECSI account was linked to a closed checking account. I was also told that I should have received phone calls from ECSI requesting new checking account information. Those calls were never made by ECSI. I made every good faith effort to maintain this account in "paid as agreed" status; however, the lack of communication from ECSI regarding the funding source is what caused this account to become delinquent. As far as I knew, this account was current. Had I known ECSI was attempting to draft my payments from a closed checking account, I would have corrected that immediately.Desired Settlement: Please remove this account from delinquent status. I contacted Customer Service today to remedy this, and even offered to pay this account in full. It was clearly not my intent for this account to become delinquent. Had I known ECSI had info for a closed checking account, I would not have been submitting payments through that account.

Business

Response:

Please note Heartland ECSI is a third party loan servicer for [redacted]Ms. [redacted] Federal Perkins Loan was in student deferment/grace until August 1st 2015 with the first payment due on 08/01/2015. The July 20th payment submitted online by [redacted] was rejected on 07/24/2015 by her financial institution. Ms. [redacted]’s bank stated the account number submitted was not recognized. An email was sent on July 24th to [redacted]’s email account in an effort to notify her of the payment rejecting. On 08/11/2015 [redacted]’s account was 10 days past due. A late notice was mailed to the address on her account.On 08/27/2015 Ms. [redacted] logged into her online Heartland ECSI account and made one electronic check payment for $40. This payment was rejected by her bank on 09/04/2015 for the same reason listed above. Also on the 27th Ms. [redacted] setup reoccurring monthly payments to start on 9/20/2015. By submitting a payment online Ms. [redacted] agreed to the terms and conditions which required her to verify the bank account information entered was correct.On 09/11/2015 a letter was mailed to notify Ms. [redacted] if her account isn’t brought current it would result in negative credit reporting.On 09/20/2015 the reoccurring ACH payment Ms. [redacted] setup online on 08/27/2015 was withdrawn. On 09/25/2015 Ms. [redacted]’s bank rejected this payment, again stating they were not able to locate the checking account with the numbers entered by Ms. [redacted]. On 09/30/2015 Heartland ECSI reported [redacted]’s Perkins Loan as thirty days past due. As a student loan servicer Heartland ECSI must adhere to laws and regulations surrounding Federal Perkins Loans and credit reporting. Since 09/30/2015 we have contacted [redacted] and set her account up on a rehabilitation program. Upon completion of the rehabilitation program Heartland ECSI will remove all credit reporting in regards to her Perkin’s loan.

Review: This company charges extra money in processing fees whenever you make a payment. I tried to pay it over the phone aand bd was told it would cost an extra teen dollars that way. She said pay it online and it would "only" be 1.99. I was charged $5.74 to pay with my debut card online. They are already getting extra money from me in the form of interest. No where in the laloan b agreement did it say I would have to pay processing fees every month .Desired Settlement: I want ecsi to stop charging the ridiculous fees to make a payment

Business

Response:

Please note that Heartland ECSI is the loan servicer on behalf of the school. Heartland ECSI does not retain any of the principal, interest, or other loanrelated fees such as late fees. The payment processing fees are notmandatory fees to make a payment on your loan and are not part of the terms andconditions of your loan agreement, therefore, they would not be identified inthe promissory note or other disclosure-type documents.Heartland ECSI manages your student loan account and processes payments on behalf of theschool. As an optional service, Heartland ECSI provides to the school theability for their students and borrowers to make online payments, which is manytimes a more convenient method. The payment processing fee is a compilationof multiple fees that are charged when making an online payment, such asInterchange and Basis Points (charged by your card provider), gateway fees(charged by the payment intermediary), and system maintenance fees (to maintainthe link between your account, the payment gateway, and the paymentprocessor). When making a payment online, payment processing fees may bebased on a flat rate or a percentage of the amount being paid. You are not required to make your payment online and there are alternativeoptions. To avoid paying the payment processing fee, you can mail a checkor money order to Heartland ECSI. You may also sign up for recurring ACHpayments which are drawn from your checking or savings account on a regularbasis. You can do this by logging into www.heartlandecsi.net.

Review: I have a student loan that is being processed by E.C.S.I. I have been charged multiple fees such as an NSF fee of $50 but I have never given any banking information to this company to even pull from. I was told that my student loan was delinquent 60 days through a mailing that was sent out on 8-25-15 but I made a payment on my loan and it posted to the account on 8-24-15. I still received a notice stating I was delinquent for 60 days. I have been charged a number of fees and when I asked for clarity I was not given why I have so many fees on my account. A company representative stated that I was 60 days delinquent on 8-25-15 but my first payment on my loan was due on 7-1-15 which does not constitute 60 days until 9-1-15. I made my July payment on 8-24-15 which should have left me delinquent less than 30 days. After calling multiple times I had to take another step to chat with a representative and the chat details are below. The representative could not tell me why I was charged an NSF fee when I just added my banking information to the account yesterday and the fee was assessed on 8-24-2015.

Rate This Chat Edit Info Print Chat Close Chat

Our Live Chat Team Member is currently retrieving your account. You will be chatting with : [redacted] (Student Loans & Receivables)

Hello

September 02,

Hello, thank you for using Live Chat! One moment please while I access your account.

September 02,

Great! How may I assist you today [redacted]?

September 02,

I received a notice from you guys stating I was 60 delinquent on my loan. I was scheduled to start my payments on 7-1-2015 because I finished school May 2015. I made my first payment on 8-24-15 which does not constitute delinquency of 60 days.

September 02,

After I spoke with a representative from your company I was told that notices was sent out to an email that is no longer active. I never received any documentation stating that a payment was due in July 2015

September 02,

I called last night and was told I was 60 days delinquent on my account. I repeatedly ask the representative why I was 60 days delinquent when I made a payment in August.

September 02,

The representative stated that I have NSF fees on my account but when I look at the account online those are from 2013.

September 02,

I am confused and feel as if this account is being handled incorrectly. I have taken further steps to get down to the bottom of this.....and will be reporting this incident to the Revdex.com.

September 02,

You are considered 60 days past due because the payment for September has been calculated. You have payments for August and September due on your account.

September 02,

That's not possible when I have made 2 payments on the account already. If I made a payment 8-24-15 that does not constitute me being 60 days past due on my account for september

September 02,

And how am I constantly being charged a $50 NSF fee. I see there is one on my account for August as well.

September 02,

Your payment that posted to your account on 08/24/15 was applied towards the payment that was due on 07/01/15 and all of the fees on the account.

September 02,

You have only been charged an nsf fee one time.

September 02,

Listen here. If the payment for 7-1-15 was taken care of how does that constitute me being 60 days past due.....and what fees are you talking about?

September 02,

You had $8.00 in late fees and the $50.00 nsf fee.

September 02,

How did I get a $50 NSF fee in August 2015 when you guys never had my account information to pull anything from in the first place?

September 02,

That's some bull.....I entered my account information yesterday in your system so that NSF fee is incorrect.

September 02,

[redacted], I am going to open a ticket to have a supervisor review your account. I do not see the reason the $50.00 nsf fee is on your account.

September 02,

Please inform your management that I have taken steps to get this rectified legally.

September 02,

I do not feel that this account is being handled in the best way.

September 02,

the representative I spoke with last night gave me false information just to get me off the phone and when I ask for clarification there was never a reason as to why I am paying such fees or why your system says I am 60 days delinquent

September 02,

How could you calculate that I am 60 days delinquent and try to factor in a future payment?

September 02,

That makes absolutely no sense to me

September 02,

I will be sure to include that in the ticket. We will contact you within 5 business days to advise you of the results of the review.

September 02,

Where is my money going if its not going to the actual account

September 02,

No I need someone to contact me before 5 days....this is ridiculous.

September 02,

Are you able to view your payment history online?

September 02,

Yes I am able to view it.....all I see is fees your company continue to add to the account

September 02,

Based on the history from 2015 I SHOULD NOT BE 60 DAYS PAST DUE......BUNCH OF BULL

September 02,

I can open the ticket to just ask a supervisor to call you if you would like. They will call you within 48 hours.

September 02,

I DONT CARE WHAT YOU DO.....I NEED SOMEONE TO CALL ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.....I AM NOT WAITING 5 DAYS FOR SOMEONE TO LOOK AT WHY I AM CHARGED FEES THAT SHOULD NOT BE ON THE ACCOUNT

September 02,

You have been reported as 30 days past due. We have not reported you as 60 days past due yet. That would occur at the end of September if the account is not brought current by then.

September 02,

ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME.....I CALLED LAST NIGHT AND WAS TOLD I WAS REPORTED AS 60 DAYS PAST DUE ON MONDAY......SOMEONE NEED TO GET THIS CORRECT.

September 02,

Great! I will open the ticket to have a supervisor call you. Is [redacted] the best number to reach you at [redacted]?

September 02,

yes

September 02,Desired Settlement: I would like my account corrected and the credit reporting taken off my account because the information reported is not accurate.

Business

Response:

The NSF fee's in question were caused by two payments being returned to HeartlandECSI due to insufficient funds one on July 8th 2013 and again on August 6th2013. The account then went into student deferment on August 12th 2013. Whenthe account entered repayment on July 1st 2015 the monthly payment includingthe NSF fees were due on the account.On August 11th 2015 you called in and a representative explained the amount dueand the reason why there were still NSF fees on the account. The representativealso explained various payment options. On 8/31/2015 we reported the account as30 days past due on behalf of the debtor since there was no payment on theaccount between July 1st and August 31st. On September 2ndwhen a supervisor was requested via live chat the supervisor returned the calllater that day. They seemed too be able to adequately explain the issue andresolve it.

Review: I had my primary loans in deferment with My primary loan company and my Perkins loan in deferment in deferment with ESCI VIA CUNY The Borough Manhattan Community College. When I submitted updated paper work to let them k ow that I have a deferment in place they told me my serve me t with was still good and I will have to submit the updated documents a month before the deferment is due to expire. I reached out to Ida Bravo prior to let her know that my mother is sick with stage 4 cancer and how to go about getting the deferment because this is what ECSI stated I should do because they don't handle those things the college does. Along with my mother Heath issues I am having some health issues of my owns also. I submitted documents supporting the deferment from Novien from October-2014-October 2015 and I even had sent papers to ECSI IN RETURN mailed them to the school and documented my account. As of 8/18/15 spoke to a rep name Kayla at ECSI WHO Stated THAT my account was sent to collections by the school. I ask her do she have a copy of the school denial of my deferment she said no because they are a outside third party billing company for the schoolDesired Settlement: I would like the company and school to take me out of collections Kayla from ECSI SAID SHE DOUBT THE SCHOOL WILL DO THAT. I had no co tact with Ms Ida Bravo who handle these accounts at the bursar office at the college

Business

Response:

Heartland ECSI received the deferment request on4.24.2015 at that time we forwarded the paperwork to your Campus. SinceHeartland is a third party billing servicer we have no authority to place adeferment or hold on your account. The deferment form submitted states “Inorder to prevent negative credit bureau reporting and account delinquencycontinue to make on-time payments until you have been notified that a defermentof forbearance has been posted.” You would need to consult with either the collection agency or the debtor ([redacted]

[redacted]) to bring this loan out of default. Once an accounttransfers to collections Heartland ECSI can no longer accept payments or setuparrangements.

Several months ago one of my student loans was taken over by Heartland. The payments I was making with the original company were a little higher than I could reasonably pay, but I always managed. This new company comes along and nearly doubles my payments, my new payments are nearly a full paycheck for me. I physically cannot pay this amount.

I've spoken to several representatives there over the last few months explaining that I couldn't make the payments and I needed to lower them and kept getting the runaround. A couple weeks ago I finally was able to get something done and the representative I spoke to said she would send me the information I needed to get the payments lowered.

I never received them.

I've now received a threatening letter from them telling me they are going to send my loan to a debt collector. I'm going to call them again tomorrow to attempt this again, but I'm not expecting much.

Review: Company put a 30 day late notice on my credit report even though I was making payments every month. I have one loan in deferment and my payments were split into both loans. I did not know it was doing this. They aren't willing to remove it even as a goodwill gesture they are ruining my credit and ability to get a job. I need this 30 day late removed. The man I spoke with on the phone lied and said if paid in full after 30 days it would be removed but he lied.Desired Settlement: Please correct and remove the 30 day late notice of my credit report.

Business

Response:

Please note: Heartland ECSI is third party loan servicer on behalf of [redacted]. On January 7th Ms. [redacted]’s called to let us know her payments weren’t applying in the way she intended them too. We advised Ms. [redacted]’s we would need 24hours to research the issue and contact the creditor ([redacted]). On January 8th we reversed the negative credit reporting to reflect “current and in good standing.” We contacted Ms. [redacted] on January 8th and informed her of the change. When this happens our normal procedure is to adjust the account so our system applies future payments correctly, however Ms. [redacted] paid her account off in full on January 15th. We do not have a record of Ms. [redacted] contacting us before January 7th. If she has any other questions regarding the above information, she should contact Tony Gump, Supervisor in our Customer Service Department, at ###-###-####, Ext. [redacted].

Review: I have called multiple times to ask them about the whereabouts of my refund. They never give a clear answer and honestly do no seem to care if I recieve it or not. They tell me to contact my bank and I have MULTIPLE times and the bank says they havent recieved anything from E.C.S.I.Desired Settlement: I would like for my refund to be sent to me. Immediately.

Business

Response:

Please note Heartland ECSI processes student loan refunds for [redacted] University. On 10/22/2015 [redacted] directed us to send [redacted] a refund. The refund was sent as direct deposit on 10/23/2015 to the routing and account number Ms. [redacted] imputed on her online [redacted] account. On 10/27/2015 [redacted] contacted Heartland ECSI twice to confirm the routing and account number she entered on the [redacted] website was correct. On 10/28/2015 Ms. [redacted] contacted ECSI to advise us she did not receive the refund we submitted on behalf of [redacted]. Our representative advised that Heartland ECSI has to wait 10 business days from the date her refund was sent before reissuing it. On 10/29/2015 [redacted] contacted us and requested a supervisor; none was available. The representative she was speaking with put in a request for a supervisor to contact her back. The same day a member of our supervisory team attempted to contact her twice. We attempted to contact her again on 10/30/2015. The supervisor left [redacted] a voicemail and sent her an email on 10/30/2015. On 10/29/2015 the refund was returned to us from her bank. They stated the account number [redacted] entered was not a valid account number within their system. That day Heartland ECSI mailed [redacted] a check for the full amount of the refund. Since we have not heard back from [redacted] we considered this matter resolved. If any other assistance is needed we would be happy to help, Please call us at ###-###-####.

Review: The information on my account is invalid. In 2013 I paid off my Federal Perkins loan dated 08/29/2008 and it shows a balance of $454. Please advise.Desired Settlement: Fix this as reported to FAFSA asap.

Business

Response:

We are happy to assist you with your concerns. Heartland ECSI is the servicerfor your Perkins loans through Carlow University. In review of your billing andpayment history, your Perkins loan was paid in full on 3/4/2013 with a paymentof $100.00. This loan was then reported as paid in full the last day of themonth, March 2013, to all three credit bureaus and the NSLDS. Heartland ECSIdoes not report any loans to FASFA. If you would like to request a copy of yourPIF letter, we would be happy to provide you with one. Simply contact ourcustomer service department at ###-###-####. Thank you for providing us the opportunityto better assist you. Regards,Heartland ECSI

Business

Response:

We are happy to assist your with your concerns. Heartland ECSI does not reportthe status of Perkins Loan payment to FAFSA. On the date in which your accountis paid in full, it is then reported to the NSLDS and the major credit bureaureporting agencies. If you have any additional questions surroundinginformation with your FAFSA, you may need to consider reaching out to yourprovider of higher education. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity tobetter assist you. Thank you,Heartland ECSI

Review: I am very concerned with having ties to this company. Customer service agents are really disrespectful and does not show compassion for their consumers. First I received a notice in the mail stating that my account is 15 days past due (which was not true) and will become delinquent. Back in October I called to find out when my next payment and I was told by the agent that it was December 15, 2015. When I called on Dec 7 the agent explained that my payment was late and was due on Nov 15, and basically assumed that I was lying. Then I was transferred to a supervisor who also assumed that I was lying and told me that a late fee was applied to my account and that she would have to "listen to the tapes". Customers should not be treated this way especially when they have access to our personal information that could ruin our credit scores. Her name was Janet and she did not want to provide me with her last name as I wanted to retain this information for my records. She only responded with her information because I told her I would report this information. I wish would have known about this company prior to obtaining any type of loans because I wouldn't have dealt with them.Desired Settlement: I would really like to end this contract/loan that I have with them and for them to please treat their customers with respect. I just want out!!

Business

Response:

Heartland ECSI, the third party loan servicer on behalf of [redacted], has reviewed Ms. [redacted]’s account. Based on this review, the following information was determined. Ms. [redacted]’s loan was in a grace period meaning that no payment was due until the end of the grace period. On June 11, 2015 and August 11, 2015, Heartland ECSI delivered notices to Ms. [redacted] advising that her grace period was ending and that the first payment would be due on November 1, 2015. On October 10, 2015, Ms. [redacted] contacted our customer service department regarding her due date. Additionally, based on Ms. [redacted]’s request, an electronic statement was emailed with notification that the first payment would be due on November 2, 2015. Lastly, on November 11, 2015, a paper statement was mailed because of non-payment by November 1, 2015. On December 7, 2015, Ms. [redacted] contacted our customer service team regarding the late fee that was assessed to her account. She was transferred to Janet, a call center supervisor. Based on our third-party servicing agreement, we must perform validation before crediting any fees on an account. After a review of the call recording from October 10th, it was validated that that representative did provide the incorrect due date. Counseling has been provided for the customer service representative regarding the incorrect information that she provided to Ms. [redacted]. Due to the incorrect payment date provided by the call center representative on October 10th, we have credited her account for the fees assessed due to the payment not being received by the due date or within the payment grace period. We apologize for any inconvenience this error has caused Ms. [redacted] and for the negative experience she encountered with Heartland ECSI. We are extremely focused on helpful, pleasant customer service and it is disappointed to know that Ms. [redacted] feels she received poor service. If any additional assistance is needed, Ms. [redacted] may contact us at ###-###-####.

Review: The loan deferment/cancellation process provided through ECSI is extremely flawed and causes extreme confusion and stress on its repayees. Representatives of the ECSI team do not seem to be very knowledgeable of the process and send mix messages to repayees. I have spoken with at least 5 different representatives, 2 who happen to be supervisors, yet my paperwork is said to still be inadequate. Due to the various errors of the representatives, my account was put in delinquency, which has affected my credit score. I have submitted paperwork after paperwork for both loan deferment and cancellation. It has now been three months and I am still being told that the paperwork that I have submitted is insufficient. I have only submitted what representatives have communicated to me, yet I am being penalized (on my credit) for their miscommunication, error and mixed messages about what is need in this process. No business should operate in this way and penalize consumers for their wrongdoing.Desired Settlement: This is my final year of loan cancellation and I have been working diligently to submit the proper forms for my years of service as a teacher. It is important that representatives of ESCI be accountable for their own mishaps. I have contacted ECSI several times (even completed forms while representatives assisted me over the phone). I have submitted forms at least 3 times and sent in official letters from previous employers several times . I am requesting delinquencies be removed from my credit

Business

Response:

Heartland ECSI processes cancellation paperwork in accordancewith Perkins loans many regulations. We apologize for how stressful thisprocess has been for [redacted]. We are internally addressing why this issue wasn’t resolvedsooner. We clearly see how this has caused undue stress and we’re taking immediatesteps to ensure this doesn’t occur with future loan holders. We have applied the fifth and final year of cancellation tothis account. The loan is now reflected as paid in full. Additionally credit reportinghas been changed to “current and in good” standing for the last twelve months. On10/31/2015 we will report the loan as Paid in Full to the major creditbureaus. We called [redacted] on 10/13/2015 and 10/14/2015. There was no answer; a voicemail was left with adirect contact number.

Review: Heartland ECSI made a negative report on my credit due to a mistake made by their representative typing in a correct routing number when I went to pay off a loan. While the loan was originally considered by ECSI as paid off, I was notified a month later that it was still due and was now overdue due to the representative's error. I then settled this issue and paid off the loan. Later when applying for credit, I was notified that I would be denied a card due to the negative report issued by ECSI. I called ECSI requesting the removal of the negative credit report but was denied after they claimed that I had been late originally, which was incorrect. No attempt to speak to a supervisor or administrator at the organization to make this right was granted, and I still have a poor credit report because ECSI refuses to consider my situation.Desired Settlement: I desire to see my negative credit report removed from my overall report (since this did not happen as a result of any incorrect action of my own).

Business

Response:

To Whom This May Concern: Heartland ECSI is the third party billing servicer for student loans on behalf of [redacted]. We have reviewed Mr. [redacted]’s account and have determined that the account entered into repayment status in March of 2016 with first fixed payment due on April 1, 2016 in the amount of $40.00. During initial set-up of the account, Mr. [redacted] selected to receive electronic bills only which would be directed to [redacted].[redacted] Below is a communication and transactional timeline of Mr. [redacted]’s account: On 1/10/2016, Heartland ECSI generated an electronic notification to Mr. [redacted] stating that his grace period will end on 3/1/2016 and his $40.00 monthly fixed payments will begin on 4/1/2016. On 3/10/2016, we generated an e-bill and delivered it to Mr. [redacted] for his first payment that was due on 4/1/2016 in the amount of $40.00. On 4/11/2016, we generated a paper bill to Mr. [redacted] for his payment that was due on 5/1/2016 of in the amount of $88.00. This amount included the April and May monthly fixed payment of $40.00 plus a late fee of $8.00. Because Mr. [redacted] became past due, we delivered a paper bill to the address that we had on file. On 5/9/2016, we generated a 45-day late letter that was delivered to Mr. [redacted] identifying the account as 45 days late. On 5/10/2016, we generated a paper bill to Mr. [redacted] for his payment that was due on 6/1/2016 in the amount of $136.00. This amount included the April, May and June monthly fixed payment of payments of $40.00 and also included 2 late payment fees of $8.00 each. On 5/13/2016m we generated and delivered a 60 day final demand. On 5/20/2016, our system logged an online transaction of $827.94 ($825.99 payment and $1.95 processing fee) entered on our web portal. The account number and routing number used for this transaction were entered directly by Mr. [redacted] through our online payment portal. On 5/27/2016, our records indicate that the payment was rejected by Mr. [redacted]’s bank due to an Invalid Account Number. On 5/27/2016, we generated and delivered an email to Mr. [redacted] stating that his payment had been rejected by his bank and provided the reason for rejection. On 5/27/2016, Mr. [redacted] called our Customer Service Department to discuss the payment that was rejected by his bank. During that call, our customer service representative (CSR) acknowledged that our system had not yet updated to reflect the rejected payment, but as a courtesy to the customer, we waived the $30.00 NSF fee that would be charged once updated. Our CSR recommended that Mr. [redacted] call back after the first of the month since the system would not be updated to show the rejected payment until that time. On 6/1/2016, Mr. [redacted] called our Customer Service Department again to discuss the payment that was rejected by this bank. During this call, our CSR misinterpreted the inquiry and indicated to Mr. [redacted] that is account was showing as paid in full and Mr. [redacted] should expect a paid in full letter soon. The CSR informed Mr. [redacted] that no further action needed taken on the account. On 6/1/2016 our system completed updating Mr. [redacted]’s account and reversed the payment previously processed of $827.94. This file update occurred 1 hour after Mr. [redacted]’s call into our offices On 6/10/2016 our system generated an e-bill and delivered it to Mr. [redacted] for his payment that would be due on July 1, 2016 in the amount of $837.32 which includes the past due balance of $809.99 ($800.00 account balance plus 9.99 in past due interest), three (3) late payment fees of $8.00, and a current amount due of $3.33 (current interest). On 6/29/2016, Mr. [redacted] called our Customer Service Department to discuss the reversed payment, the last phone call on 6/1/2016 whereby he was informed no further action was needed, and the recent bill received. During that call our CSR waived the most recent $8.00 late fee for Mr. [redacted] and set up a payment to draw on 7/1/2016 for the amount of $829.32. On 7/1/2016, we generated a due diligence call to Mr. [redacted] to indicate that his account was past due. The call instructed Mr. [redacted] to set up a payment if he had not done so already. On 7/1/2016, we processed the payment that was set up on 6/29/2016 to pay and close Mr. [redacted]’s account. On 7/27/2016, Mr. [redacted] called in to our call center to discuss the negative credit reporting that was generated during the reversal of his payment. The account was reviewed and negative credit reporting was amended back to the beginning of his initial payment on 5/20/2016. After complete audit of Mr. [redacted]’s account, Heartland ECSI has confirmed the credit data reported to the credit bureaus has been adjusted to show his account in good standing and is now paid in full. Several messages have been left for Mr. [redacted] to discuss the outcome of our research, and the change to his credit reporting. If Mr. [redacted] would like to talk with us directly, or has any other questions, he is welcome to contact our customer service team at ###-###-####.

Review: I keep getting billed late fees after my payment has been received. I reveived multiple bills on the same day in differing amounts. The phone number I was directed to for assistance was wrong and the business hours I was given were wrong

Business

Response:

Heartland ECSI is the third party billing servicer for student loans on behalf of the [redacted]. Upon review of Ms. [redacted]’s account, we have determined the following: Ms. [redacted] entered into repayment in February 2016.Her fixed payment amount is $127.28Her first payment was due on March 1, 2016 On March 11, 2016, a 45-day past due letter was sent to Ms. [redacted]. This letter should have been a 15 day past due reminder, and on March 19, 2016, a retraction email and letter was delivered to explain the miscommunication. On March 21, 2016, she contacted our Customer Service Department via toll-free phone to discuss the amount due on her account. At this time, the breakdown of charges were explained and she set up a one-time payment in the amount of $127.28. The first payment on her the account was received on March 21, 2016. At the time the payment was received, a late fee of $25.45 was already assessed on the account. Based on the Perkins promissory note signed by Ms. [redacted], late fees may be assessed for payments that are not received on-time. Ms. [redacted]’s account was brought current on March 28, 2016 and remained current until the July 1, 2016 payment was missed. Due to the missed payment, a late fee in the amount of $25.45 was assessed to the account. Ms. [redacted] did make a payment on August 1, 2016 in the amount of $280.01 which brought her account current. If Ms. [redacted] would like to talk with us directly, or has any other questions, she is welcome to contact our customer service team at ###-###-#### during our normal business hours of 7:30AM and 8:00PM EST, Monday to Friday. Sincerely, Scott K[redacted] Quality Assurance Manager Heartland ECSI

Review: I received a note from ECSI stating that my student loan account was defaulted in August 2015. I called due to the fact that I am diligent and never miss a payment. They reassured me that it was a computer glitch and it was resolved and hat my account was current and in good standing.

September 28, 2015, I received a nastily written notice from ESCI that I neglected the first notice and that they turned me in to credit bureaus. It was written in a way to scold the person for not calling and taking care of their loan.

I messaged on their site and called in to talk to someone due to the nature that if happened once and it was rudely written. I was assured that it was another error and my account was current and in good standing. I confirmed that it was from their address and I also found out other students from my college have had this problem.

My concern is the letters will continue and they will accidentally turn me in to credit bureaus. They created a ticket to explore the issue and I am to hear in 3-4 business days. They weren't very understanding of my concern, either.Desired Settlement: Some sort of conclusion, where they are cited or held accountable for it not being solved the first time.

Business

Response:

Heartland ECSI apologizes for any undue stress this incidence has caused. There was an error that triggered a percentage of students with [redacted] College to receive standard COHORT letters. Please rest assured these had no effect on your account. During this time your account was current and in good standing; no negative credit reporting has occurred. This system error was identified and corrected on 9/28/2015. On 09/30/2015 we notified the account holder by phone that the account is now current. Documentation regarding this error has been sent to all parties that were affected.

Review: This company's website is horrible, like no other student loan servicer I have had to deal with. Because I have two different loans serviced through ECSI, I have two different log-ins, for two different accounts. I was not aware of this from the beginning, so I thought all of my loans serviced through ECSI would be listed when I logged in on a single account. Because I had a separate log-in for my loan through the University of Miami (UM), and a separate one for the University of North Dakota (UND), I was only logging in to the UND account, and seeing one loan listed. I was making all of these payments on time. All of a sudden I was getting calls from a collections agency saying that I was delinquent on my loan through ECSI. I had no idea what they were talking about, since I had been paying my loan on time every single month. This is when, after numerous calls to the collections agency, University of Miami, and ECSI, I found out that I had a separate log-in for my University of Miami loan, and apparently I was already 8 months delinquent. I was infuriated. I have never been behind on a loan payment. To make matters worse, when I logged into my University of Miami account through ECSI, ECSI's website did NOT say that I was delinquent, and the current amount due said $0.00. This account information was NOT up-to-date at all considering UM had said that I was 8 months delinquent. Because of ECSI, I now have bad credit. After speaking with UM, they agreed to let me do a loan rehabilitation program, which I should not have had to do in the first place, since ECSI's website didn't even show my account being delinquent. After UM agreed to the loan rehabilitation program, THEN ECSI updated my account information on their website saying that my loan was 8 months delinquent and that the current amount due was the full amount ($1580.50). There is no way a loan can go straight from 0 months delinquent to 8 months delinquent. That doesn't even make sense. The next problem was that the terms I agreed upon with UM were that I would be making monthly payments of $100, however my account on ECSI's website did not reflect this. When I go to account balance, it says "current amount due" is $1,580.50, and when I went to "Make a Payment" and then "Direct Payment" to make my first payment under the rehab program that was supposed to be due Aug. 1, it said that "Current Amount Due" was $400.00. I have no idea where this number came from. I called ECSI back AGAIN and told them this was incorrect, this was not the amount I had agreed upon with UM. The customer service representative on the phone, Ed, said to me, "We do realize that our website is pretty crappy." What kind of customer service is that?! I should not be in this position with a delinquent loan in the first place! So Ed told me to make the payment for $100, even though the website said I owed $400.00. I went to Direct Payment and scheduled the payment for Aug 1. However, Ed told me that If I scheduled the payment on that particular date, July 20, the payment would not go through because ECSI processes payments on the 1st, 5th, 15th, and 20th every month. That doesn't make sense either. Because no where on their website does it say that you cannot schedule a payment on any of those dates. PLUS I got a confirmation e-mail from ECSI saying that the payment was scheduled for August 1st!. I even told this to Ed, and he said to disregard that e-mail because it is not true. So what he was saying was that even though I scheduled the payment on their website, AND I received a confirmation e-mail saying it went through, it would not work. This is RIDICULOUS. I decided to wait until Aug. 1 to see if the payment was withdrawn from my account. It was not. Now UM is going to think that I broke the terms of our loan rehabilitation program agreement. To make matters worse, because I was so busy dealing with this loan, for the University of Miami, I forgot that I still had to log in to my OTHER account with ECSI to pay my UND loan for Aug. 1, so now I am behind on that payment, which I have never been behind on before. This is the WORST company I have EVER dealt with. They should not be allowed to service loans until their website is completely functional and they keep clients' account information, including "Amount Due", up-to-date. They also need to seriously fix their "Direct Payment" issues. And they need to make their website user friendly, so that borrowers who have more than one loan being serviced through ECSI can view ALL of their loans through one single account. This is completely unacceptable. I want them to directly speak with the University of Miami, and fix the problems they have caused me. I want this cleared from my credit report, and I want to be able to begin making regular payments on this loan without problems.Desired Settlement: I want them to directly speak with the University of Miami, and fix the problems they have caused me. I want this cleared from my credit report, and I want to be able to begin making regular payments on this loan without problems. I want my account information to be correct on their website. I also want to make the payments for BOTH of my loans (UND and UM) serviced through ECSI for Aug. 1, without them being considered late.

Business

Response:

Heartland ECSI is a third party loan servicer that servicesstudent loans on behalf of multiple colleges, universities and the departmentof education. Perkins loans regulations and credit reporting laws regardingstudent loans do not allow Heartland ECSI to change credit reporting forbilling issues. Multiple emails were sent to alert the account holder of the impending negativecredit reporting as soon as the first payment was missed. On 12/23/2014 an urgentlate notice was mailed to the address on file. That address was updated by somebodylogging into the University of Miami ECSI account on 2/24/2014. A diluentnotice call was made on 12/26/2014 to the phone number that was verifiedcorrect on 2/24/2014 when the University of Miami online account was accessed. Lettersand calls were made monthly until 4/7/2015. At that time the account was putwith a collection agency per University of Miami due to nonpayment. When an account that Heartland ECSI services is sent to collections the onlineaccount will state to call ECSI to make a payment or go over account specifics.It doesn’t allow a user to make an online payment and it will not state themonths past due or the current account balance as it may differ to what thecollection agency has. At this current time Heartlands website will not show multipleloans with separate schools. However you must login with the “school code”.Each school has its own login since we are a third party servicer and not aconsolidation company. That is why a specific schools code is needed to login. Inthis instance we would suggest rehabilitation if the school is willing toremove it from collections. As that’s the only way to remove credit reportingfrom this type of federal loan. Since that has been done there isn’t anything elseHeartland ECSI can do in this situation.

Review: E.C.S.I. was not equipped to properly manage the payment process on my student loan account. I canceled my automatic payment plan in order to make a payment from a separate account. E.C.S.I. did not process my plan cancellation, but also processed my separate payment. As a result, I was double charged for a monthly payment and overdrafted on my bank account.

When I called E.C.S.I. to resolve the issue, I was told that there was nothing they could do because my school account was being "switched over from the old system." When I asked to speak to a supervisor, the customer service representative told me that the supervisor would not be able to fix the issue either and there was nothing they could do. After asking to be transferred to somebody who could fix the issue, the customer service representative raised her voice to me and repeated that there was nothing they could do. I was basically stuck between a rock and a hard place due to E.C.S.I.'s inept payment processing system and nobody could be bothered to fix the issue.Desired Settlement: I would like to be reimbursed for my overcharged payment. I would also like an apology for the absolutely vile customer service.

Business

Response:

The [redacted] is currently transferring to a new servicing system under Heartland ECSI. During this transitional period, a loan is unavailable to access. To ensure that you are in no way penalized for the servicing transition a 90 day grace period is instituted once the conversion is completed. During this time no late fees are assessed and credit bureau reporting is placed on hold. Anytime a representative is not able to de-escalate a student or borrower’s issue our policy is to fulfil all requests to speak with a member of management immediately. We have reviewed your call with our representative from May 4th. At the beginning of the call you requested information regarding automatic reoccurring payments setup with the previous servicer. Our representative advised that we do not have access to [redacted]’s accounts until the conversion is complete and being that automatic reoccurring payments do not transfer to our system you would need to contact the previous servicing department for assistance. When a supervisor was requested our representative stated, a supervisor would not have additional information regarding this type of issue. She let you know about the accounts 90 day grace period then reiterated that we will not have access to your account until conversion is complete. You thanked our associate and ended the call. We understand how stressful managing multiple student loans can be for students and borrowers; it is our goal to make transitions such as these as seamless as possible. Tony G[redacted], a supervisor in our customer service department attempted to contact you by phone and left a message with his contact information. If you need any other assistance you may contact him directly at ###-###-####.