Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation

Review: I talked to Navient and the told me that Debt Management collection systems took my tax refund without any notice or court order and then they did not apply it to my student loans balance.when I called the number that Navient gave me and it turns out that Debt Management Collection System is actually the us department of education. ..Desired Settlement: DesiredSettlementID: Correction to a credit repair

I want my refund back and credit score changed...

Business

Response:

Review: Most banking and financial institutions credit a payment on the day the payment is made, even if it takes additional days to process the monetary transfer of funds from my bank to their institution. With Great Lakes I made a payment last week. at that time, my accrued interest to date was $15. Today, I checked to see if my payment had been processed. I noticed my payment has NOT been processed and my accrued interest is now $35. This company deals with student loans. What they are doing is fraud. The payment should be credited the day it was made.Desired Settlement: Great Lakes should credit payments the day that they are made on their website or over the phone. If this change requires software of operational updates, it should be done. Other financial institution operate this way in order to protect consumers from paying unnecessary interest.

Business

Response:

Thank you for contacting us on behalf of Ms. [redacted] and for providing us the opportunityto address her concern in regard to the processing of payments she makes through our website,mygreatlakes.org.At the present time, we service Ms. [redacted]’s Stafford loan with the U.S. Department of Education(ED). Concerning the online payment she referenced, we reviewed her account and determinedthat it appears to be either the $300 payment she scheduled on November 3, 2015 with aNovember 3, 2015 posting date, or the $100 payment she scheduled on November 6, 2015 with aposting date of November 9, 2015.First, it is important to note that payments made through mygreatlakes.org for ED held loans areprocessed through a clearinghouse (pay.gov) on behalf of the U.S. Treasury. Since pay.gov isresponsible for processing payments, there is typically a short delay between the time we receiveor are notified that a borrower’s payment has cleared and the time the payment posts to theirpayment history. In most scenarios, this delay takes approximately 2 to 3 business days from thedate the payment was scheduled to post.However, regardless of the amount of time it takes a payment to process, please be assured thatpayments are applied as of the date the payment was scheduled for. For example, Ms. [redacted]’s$300 payment was scheduled with a posting date of November 3, 2015. This payment was sent toand cleared her financial institution on November 4, 2015. Even though her payment didn’t clearher financial institution until November 4, 2015, it was posted to her account as of the date shescheduled it to be sent to her financial institution, November 3, 2015. Ms. [redacted] may confirmthis by viewing her payment history, which we have also attached for her reference, through ourwebsite.Also for Ms. [redacted]’s review, we have attached the payment confirmation messages that weresent to the message center within her mygreatlakes.org account. Please note that anytime apayment is submitted online, a confirmation detailing the amount of the payment and date it isscheduled to be processed is subsequently sent to the borrower’s message center.It appears as if Ms. [redacted]’s confusion may be stemming from the payment she submittedNovember 6, 2015, but scheduled to be posted on November 9, 2015. Since she scheduled it tobe posted on November 9, 2015, it was not sent to her financial institution until 5pm CT that day.Consequently, since her loan is a simple interest loan, meaning interest accrues daily based onthe interest rate and principal balance, the amount of interest satisfied by this payment was morethan the amount of accrued interest listed on her account as of November 6, 2015.Ms. [redacted] may be interested in enrolling in Auto Pay, Great Lakes’ automated billing service,which allows for a borrower’s monthly payments to be withdrawn from a checking or savingsaccount automatically each month on their due date. Additionally, if a borrower chooses, theyhave the ability to modify their Auto Pay settings to increase the amount they would like withdrawnon a monthly basis. Since Ms. [redacted]’s lender is ED, making payments through Auto Pay whilein repayment will allow her to take advantage of the 0.25% interest rate reduction incentive theyoffer for utilizing this method of payment. If she is interested in Auto Pay, she may enroll throughher mygreatlakes.org account by clicking “Auto Pay” under the “Payments” tab.By enrolling in Auto Pay, Ms. [redacted] could be assured that future payments would be posted toher account as of her scheduled due date regardless as to when the payment cleared herfinancial institution.I regret the frustration Ms. [redacted] experienced and hope she finds the information providedhelpful. If she has any questions or concerns she may contact our Borrower Services Departmentby phoning ###-###-####, emailing [redacted], or by mailing:

Consumer

Response:

Not only have I had bad experiences with this company, I have read almost 100 horror stories on-line about customer service rudeness, ignorance, lack of knowledge, and banking discrepancies tomake sure the loan holders pay more than they should be. I don't know how this company gets an "A" on this site? If there is any way you can stay away from this loan company... Do it!! You will save yourself years of frustration!!

Review: I applied for a Income-Based Repayment plan with Great Lakes on October 7, 2013. Originally I was told by a customer service representative that it would take 2 - 3 weeks. During that time, I called once a week to find out the status and if they needed any other information. I was told each time that everyone was okay and no other information was needed. On Friday, November 8th, 2013, received a phone call from Marsha, a customer service rep at Great Lakes who I had previously spoke with. She stated that I needed to send a letter from my employer to state what my salary would be for 2013. I was confused since earlier that week, I was told that everything was okay and I should get an answer soon. The representative transferred the call to a processor name [redacted] (x[redacted]) who stated that she knew nothing about the application and would have to get with me. I was mad since I believe for almost a month, I had been given some false information on the phone. [redacted] never called me back that day since I asked her to since I was very confused and worried about the application. I also called several other customer service representatives at Great Lakes and was told more information concerning this application that it had been rejected earlier in the week and someone called me on the phone on 11/6/2013. No one ever called me on the phone since I work from home and would have received it. Also asked to speak with a supervisor and was given the name, [redacted]. She was in a meeting at the time and she never called me back. Also talked with a supervisor named [redacted] who talked to me in a very demeaning way. I believe I am getting the run around and need someone in authority to call me concerning this matter. It was been over a month since I sent the Income-Based Repayment Plan to Great Lakes and it is taking too long to process. I am going to get a letter from my employer concerning my yearly salary and fax it over today, but this situation has been handled in a very unprofessional and unethical way. I have worked with this company much in the past and never had these problems.Desired Settlement: Want someone in authority to call me and get this situation settled. It is sad that Great Lakes has to lie to cover themselves.

Business

Response:

[redacted]

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

Complaint ID [redacted]

Great Lakes ID [redacted]

Dear Mr. [redacted]:

Thank you for contacting us on behalf of [redacted] and for providing us the opportunity

to address her concerns in regard to her Income-Based Repayment (IBR) application.

I sincerely apologize to Ms. [redacted] for the frustration she experienced during her

communications with Great Lakes. We take pride in providing exceptional customer service, and

we appreciate the opportunity to learn of new ways we can improve. We value our customer

feedback and use it to provide additional feedback and training for our staff.

I am happy to advise that Ms. [redacted] has recently spoken with a Great Lakes supervisor

and was advised that her request for IBR has been processed. Ms. [redacted] will be receiving

a payment schedule for each account confirming her new total monthly payment amount of

$348.82 shortly.

I would also like to help clarify the processing time of Ms. [redacted] IBR application. When

the application was initially received on October 8, 2013, her account was in an Unemployment

Deferment, which was scheduled to end on November 3, 2013. If there are less than 30 days of

a deferment remaining when an IBR application is received we hold the IBR application for

processing until the current deferment has ended. This helps to ensure borrowers are able to

take full advantage of the time when they are eligible for no interest to accrue on their

subsidized loans. I understand that this was not clearly explained to Ms. [redacted] and I would

like to thank her for bringing that to my attention. It will help us to take steps to prevent this type

of issue from occurring in the future.

I again apologize for the frustration Ms. [redacted] experienced. Moving forward, I am

confident that Great Lakes will be able to meet all of her future customer service expectations.

Ms. [redacted] should feel free to contact our Borrower Services Department at [redacted] with any additional questions or concerns regarding the repayment of her loans.

Sincerely,

Review: I was not adequately notified my student loans had become due. I can repay my loan on a monthly basis but Great Lakes never notified me my account was due. Great Lakes had the correct address on file as well as a valid phone number but failed to call me. I did not sign up for electronic notifications. Great Lakes states that emails,may have been going to my junk email folder but I did not receive emails yet they allowed the account to go 4 months past due without a phone call or notification via mail. I became aware my account was past due when I received notification through a credit monitoring website that I signed up for as a result of the Target data breach. I promptly paid the total amount due and past due. I was denied speaking with a supervisor because "one was not available" to correct reporting on my credit report since I was never made aware my loans were in repayment. I have sent a credit dispute to the credit bureau.Desired Settlement: I would like the past due amount corrected on my credit report since I did not receive a statement and was not contacted. I am in the process of applying for a job and do not want to be impacted as a result of something that I would and could have paid had Great Lakes contacted me.

Business

Response:

April 18, 2014

Review: It took me a long time, but I am finally in a position to pay back student loans. I am no longer eligible for an income based loan, so I want to switch to a monthly payment plan. Great lakes will not let me switch due to the income based plan. I have been trying for over two months to get it set up. What they are charging me per month is way out of my range of funds. I have asked multiple times to be put on a different plan, but they refuse to work with me on changing plans, so I can afford to live, and raise my children.Desired Settlement: I would like to be put on a different plan. I have been accruing a past due balance because they refuse to work with me. I would like to go on a different plan, and slowly pay back the past due amount. However, that amount should be adjusted to reflect the lower payments starting with when I attempted to change the plan in the first place.

Business

Response:

Great Lakes has been the best loan company I've ever dealt with. I've been a little late before and never have gotten penalized I just make sure to pay 2 months at once. They never bother or call me. My interest is still at 0 for now I think because I'm still a part time student? But I'm kind of surprised. I feel much more secure with this company. They are far from crooks. I've been paying them the minimum for 4 years and I'm halfway paid off and have no complaints. Hopefully that doesn't change when the interest kicks in.

Review: I graduated on May 15, 2013. Between June 1, 2013 and June 24, 2013, I made three payments, $5000, $2000, and $5 respectively, totaling $7005. Between June 24, 2013 and October 28, 2013, I consistently checked my account thoroughly for any changes, about once a week. The payments were quickly applied to my account and the unsubsidized loans disappeared.The only loans left were subsidized loans. I was never made aware that $5500 of the total $19000 total amount of subsidized loans would be applied interest because any subsidized loans after July 2013 would have no interest grace period. I never received any letters from Great Lakes ever except for a privacy policy statement reminder. My college never sent me any letters stating anything about payments either.

In regards to the complaint, the account on the website never showed that interest was accruing on the $5500 for 167 days between May 15, 2013 and October 28, 2013. Yesterday (October 28, 2013), I checked the website like I always do and it stated that I had $15 dollars worth of loans left and accrued a total of $85 dollars worth of interest. I immediately called Great Lakes thinking that there must have been a mistake. They stated that the unsubsidized loan was definitely a mistake and trying to currently fix the problem. However, they stated the subsidized loan has always been accruing and was showing up on my account the whole time.

This is completely false. The website always stated until yesterday night that I owed no interest and no payments were necessary until November 15, 2013. Yesterday, it stated that interest amounted to 85 dollars and unsubsidized loans were still applied as well. I've been trying to persistently stay on top of my loans and making knowledgeable decisions when it comes to making payments. I was not given the chance to do this because I was given inaccurate financial information that made it impossible for over 4 months.Desired Settlement: There needs to be accountability for what happened. Even though I might have to be liable for the interest, I was never notified that it was accruing. Their website gave me inaccurate financial information for over 4 months. I was never given a chance to make a knowledgeable financial decision. And in turn someone made money off of me because of that inaccuracy. Over billing and giving false financial information to a client is improper. A refund in some sort would be appropriate.

Business

Response:

[redacted]

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

Complaint ID [redacted]

Great Lakes ID [redacted]

Dear Mr. [redacted]:

Thank you for contacting us on behalf of [redacted] and for providing us the

opportunity to address his concerns in regard to the interest accruing on his subsidized

loans during the grace period along with inaccurate interest information on our website.

I sincerely apologize to Mr. [redacted] for the frustration he experienced during his

communications with Great Lakes. We take pride in providing exceptional customer

service, and we appreciate the opportunity to learn of new ways we can improve. We

value our customer feedback and use it to provide additional feedback and training for

our staff.

Our records indicate that Mr. [redacted]’s concerns have been addressed in recent

communications with a Great Lakes specialist.

I again apologize for the frustration Mr. [redacted] experienced. Moving forward, I am

confident that Great Lakes will be able to meet all of his future customer service

expectations. Mr. [redacted] should feel comfortable to contact our Borrower Services

Department at ###-###-#### with any additional questions or concerns regarding the

repayment of his loan.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

Review: I sat on hold for 55 minutes today when I called to inquire about a simple billing practices issue. This is always a problem with this business; I've never been on hold for less than 25 minutes before I get through to someone. Even if I had all day to sit on the phone and wait for someone to pick up, my phone doesn't have the battery life. Why should I have to waste my air time when other companies have had callback request systems for years?Desired Settlement: Ideally, I'd like to have my student loan serviced by another company that can respond to my questions in a timely manner, but since I don't get to choose who services this loan, they're free to abuse me all they want. I want a call back or an email that answers the following question: If I am signed up for having automatic payments deducted from my checking account, will a payment still be deducted even if I send a check prior to the usual processing date?

Business

Response:

June 26, 2014

Review: I currently have a student loan with Greatlakes I have not received a paper bill from them only constant emails to pay the bill online or by phone also I was forced to block their numbers from calling me because of the daily nonstop calls from them including robocalls sometimes up to three times a day. I never signed up for paperless billing and with the constant scams you here about with emails I have not sent my bill and the company has yet to send me a billDesired Settlement: I would like to receive my bill via mail and have any adverse action on my credit reports cleared because the companies billing department should have sent me a paper bill in the mail and have any penalties or interest that has accrued be dismissed.

Business

Response:

I have a significant amount of student loans from completing a graduate degree program. I received notice last year that a large portion of my loans was being transferred to great lakes. Comparing Great Lakes to the 2 other loan companies I also have student loans with, I have been extremely pleased with their service. The website is easy to navigate and allows me to set up automatic payments. I get email reminders when payments are processed. Easy to see pending payments, easy to see monthly statements without waiting for them to come in the mail. The few times I have needed customer assistance I found the over the phone rep to be helpful and the response to email was reasonable (a few days). Overall, I am very happy the majority of my loans are with Great Lakes, as my experience with other companies has not been as positive.

Review: I live and am employed in the [redacted]. I would like to pay back my student loans from my [redacted] bank account. However, that's not possible. Great Lakes only accepts bank transfers from American bank accounts. According to Great Lakes the only solution is for me to open up an American bank account and pay them from there. However, you can only have an American bank account if you have an American zip code, which I don't. They won't even accept foreign transfers if I would pay the fee on my end.Desired Settlement: Accept money from my [redacted] bank account.

Business

Response:

[redacted]

Revdex.com of Wisconsin

Complaint ID [redacted]

Great Lakes ID [redacted]

Dear Mr. [redacted]:

Thank you for contacting us on behalf of [redacted] and for providing us the opportunity to

address his concern regarding Great Lakes not accepting electronic payments from foreign

bank accounts.

In order for borrowers to utilize Auto Pay, our automatic payment deduction service, to pay via the

phone or online they need to have funds debited from a U.S. checking or savings account that has

a 9-digit routing number. This information was shared with Mr. [redacted] on September 10, 2013.

If Mr. [redacted] does not have a U.S. bank account we will accept payment in the form of an

International Money Order. Another suggestion for Mr. [redacted] to make payments would be for him to

send money to a family member that does have a U.S. Bank account and have them make

payments on his behalf.

If Mr. [redacted] is unable to make payments on his account at this time, he may be eligible to suspend

payments by applying for deferment or forbearance. He may review options for suspending

payments at mygreatlakes.org.

I sincerely apologize to Mr. [redacted] for any inconvenience this has caused. Mr. [redacted] should feel

comfortable to contact our Borrower Services Department at ###-###-#### with any additional

questions or concerns regarding the repayment of his loan.

Sincerely,

Consumer

Response:

[A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response. If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

Review: THIS BUSINESS IS SENT TO TAKE MONEY FROM MY ACCOUNT TO PAY MY STUDENT LOAN AND RIGHT NOW I GOT A LETTER FROM THE SCHOOL SAYING I OWE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY WHICH MEANS THEY AREN'T PAYING IT FOR ME. THIS IS THE 2ND ROW THEY HAVE DONE THIS TO ME.Desired Settlement: PAY MY BILLS LIKE THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO AND NOT MAKE THIS HAPPEN EVER AGAIN.

Business

Response:

December 30, 2014

Review: On March 2015, I tried calling the company " Great Lakes Financial" to cancel out of the contract, I did not won't my loan consolidated, it's fine where it at "[redacted]"; I spoke with a [redacted] at ###-###-####. She said that she would cancel me out of the program.

We’ll that didn’t happen; I called Great lakes and spoke with “Kari” ###-###-####. and she stated that the information to opt out of the contract was mailed to my old address; 4328 S.E. 46th Oklahoma city Apt 17 73115. I haven’t lived at that address for at least 1 year, I tried speaking to her supervisor but no one came to the phone or returned my phone call.

I tried to call them and telling them that I nevered signed that contract and fact I nevered did received the contract. I would like to move on this matter, this is upsetting and crushing.

I would never agree to a 30 year loan. I was with “[redacted]”, they only had me for a 15 year loan. They swored that if I didn’t qualified for the loan they wouldn’t switch me to another company that was a “lie” they switch me to “Great Lakes” ###-###-####. I was never late on my loans and remained in good standing.

I’m asking that they switch me back to my original student loan provider. this is a crooked damn shame. that these people think some one would agree to a 30 year loan when all you have is 15 years with the provider that you are with.

payment reference number: [redacted]Desired Settlement: To be placed back to my original loan provider.

Business

Response:

Dear Mr. [redacted]:Thankyou for contacting us on behalf of Mr. [redacted] and for providingus the opportunity to address his concern about his Federal Student Aid (FSA) FederalDirect Loan (FDL) Consolidation Loan with the U. S. Department of Education(ED), serviced by Great Lakes Education Loan Services (GLELSI). Hisconcern, as we understand it, is regarding his request to have hisconsolidation loan unconsolidated. Great Lakes, when originating a consolidation loan, is required to perform theconsolidation as indicated on the consolidation application we receivefrom ED. Once a borrower chooses to consolidate theirloans, the consolidation application is completed by the borrower on line. At the time Mr. [redacted]’s application was completed, part of that onlineapplication process was utilizing the FSA Personal Identification Number(PIN). The PIN, which had been in use since 1998, was a four-digit numeric code used together with personallyidentifying information (such as Social Security number, name, and date ofbirth) to log in to FSA websites. Additionally,the PIN served as a borrower’s legal signature on FSA Documents as well as tomake binding legal obligations. In an effort to assist, Great Lakes referred Mr. [redacted]’s case to ED forreview. ED’s response was that Mr.[redacted] would have had to provide his PIN to a third party consolidation company,thus ED saw no grounds to unconsolidated the loan. Please understand that while we are unable to provide any additional informationregarding Mr. [redacted]’s concerns, we remain willing and able to assist himwith the repayment of his loan moving forward. We apologize and understand that this is not the outcome Mr. [redacted] desired,but please understand that a complete and objective review has been performed.Unfortunately, Great Lakes cannot unconsolidate his consolidation loan. Future requestswith regards to this issue can be made to the Department of Education FSAOmbudsman’s office; their contact information is as follows:

[redacted] Phone ###-###-####If Mr. [redacted] has any additional questions or concerns regarding theinformation provided, he may contact our Borrower Services Department by phoneat ###-###-####, through email at [redacted],or by mailing:[redacted]We sincerely apologize for the frustration Mr. [redacted] has experienced and hopethis information will be helpful to him. If you require future assistance from our office, you can reach usbetween 8:00 am and 4:30 pm Monday through Friday at ###-###-####, or by emailat [redacted]. Sincerely,[redacted]Great Lakes Ombudsman Office

Review: GreatLakes is charging me for a loan I did not receive. I never received this student loan .Desired Settlement: I want this account closed out of my name as soon as possible.

Business

Response:

Thank you for contacting us on behalf of Mr. [redacted] and for providing us the opportunity to address his concern regarding Great Lakes adverse credit reporting. Mr. [redacted] states that Great Lakes should not be reporting any information toward his credit files because he does not have a student loan with us.Upon receiving Mr. [redacted] concern, we reviewed our records and were unfortunately not able to identify an account associated with his name and demographic information. In order for us to address Mr. [redacted] concern, it would be necessary for him to provide us with additional information, such as his Great Lakes’ ID number. This may be provided to us using the information listed below.I apologize that we are unable to address Mr. [redacted] concern within this response. However, so that we may address his concern, he may contact our Borrower Services Department at ###-###-####, [redacted], or the address below:[redacted]

Dealing with this company has given me nothing but migraines and stress. I called twice today to ask them for help servicing my loan and they explained to me that they did not service my loan, and directed me back to Key Bank. Key bank told me that was not the case, that they do indeed service my loan, and in one instance called Great Lakes to ask them who services the loan. The woman at Key bank told me that Great Lakes explained that AES services my loan, which turned out to be completely false. They also told me I could have a lowered monthly payment, but failed to mention I had two days before another monthly payment was due, and that I would need to have the account current before getting these reduced payments. I am now trying to figure out how to come up with $760 just so that I can start paying $270 a month in loans. This company has no idea that they are servicing my loan has contacted me ONCE about my bill being due, through e-mail, not even a phone call or bill.

I requested finanicially necessary information related to my student loans that are financed through Great Lakes via email. A day after my initial request I was informed that I would receive a response within 48 hours. 2 business days later (4 total days) I received a response that my query would be answered within 3-5 business days. It has now been 8 business days and I not received a response to my query. This information is extremely necessary for my finances and I do not appreciate having to wait for information about money I am paying them.

Review: I sent my discharge papers signed by my doctor and I called to confirm it was there. I was told that the wrong department had it and no one has attempted to send it to the correct department or return it back to me. I sent it certified mail almost 6 months ago. I am disabled and have been going back and forth for years to resolve this issue and sent the documentation signed several times and to no avail have their been any resolve. I believe my rights have been violated and will contact my attorney if this issue is not handled in the next two weeks.Desired Settlement: Discharge my loan and bring it to a zero balance. I am disabled.

Business

Response:

Review: Request that GLHEC provide an annual statement, by mail, of interest paid on my Student Loan, regardless of the dollar amount paid. It is inconvenient to log on to their website once per year for information required for my annual tax return.Desired Settlement: An annual letter of interest paid in the preceding year, every January until the loan is paid in full.

Business

Response:

Review: I was unemployed for a several months and could not make payments on my student loan. My wages were garnished and I called to resolve the issue. I called several time, but was never able to get a live representative to speak to though the 866 number provided for students. I had to select the option for employers in order to get a live person. [redacted] and other Great Lakes representatives failed to provide all the information necessary in order to get the process going. They refused to let me speak to the person who is in charge of scheduling a hearing for a judge to decide whether or not to stop the wages. After making several calls I was able to find out what I needed to send them. I sent the information but the fax number provided was not working. I had to call them again, select the option for the employer to speak to a live person, and ask for an alternative fax number. After faxing over all of the paperwork I called to make sure they received everything and that I had everything necessary for them to set up an appointment for a judge hearing. I called back six weeks later, as they said it would take six weeks to have an appointment. When I called [redacted] said they still needed more paperwork. She said I hadn't sent a financial statement but I did. She also denied that we had spoken after to confirm I had everything I needed. When I was working I was barely making enough to pay bills. I even qualified for a 5 dollar payment because I am in such a diffucult financial situation. The garnishment is for 15 percent of my check. Now I am facing financial hardship because of the garnishment. I'v tried to explain that to them, Tried several times to speak to the person who schedules the hearing with the judge and they refused to give me a name. I don't know how I will make my rent and car payment this month, because of the wage garnishment. I am in a precarious financial situation because of the garnishment and now have to wait again for them to the form they claim is missing, but that I already sent. I will lose my car, and as a result my job if this matter isn't resolved immediately.Desired Settlement: Stop wage garnishment.

Business

Response:

January 6, 2015