Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation

This is a horribly run, dishonest organization that does not deserve its "nonprofit" status. Payments are applied broadly to all loans instead of to the highest interest rate unless you speak to a manager through their support email, and they still refuse to retroactively correct payments as if they were applied correctly in the first place. Like other companies, interest must always be paid first instead of principal, and the firm has financial incentive to squeeze as much money as they can out of buyers by having them take as long as possible to pay off the loan. Assuming you have the option, avoid this company for your loans. Incredibly dishonest, and I would not recommend them to anyone.

I submitted a final payment plus some to a loan and sent a message asking for the overpayment to be applied to a second loan I have. I received a reply acknowledging and accepting the request. About a week later, the payment was still pending. I called regarding the issue and was told that all payments are processed without review and that the entire payment, including the additional money, was sent to the department of education. Now I have to wait 30 business days to receive my overpayment back. None of this information is clearly written on their website. If I had just followed what their email told me, I'd still be wondering why this payment is still "pending." If a company is being paid to service loans, then they should actually do some work that requires a thought process, not hire people to mindlessly process payments regardless of the amount and/or request.

Review: This is regarding a private loan that I have with Great Lakes. I currently have federal loans that are in deferment because of my financial problems. All of the principal of my private loan to Great Lakes has been paid off by a cosigner; all that remains is interest. I put in a request to lower my monthly payments on my private loan, and instead of doing so they won't do it because I can't contact them by phone. Due to my financial difficulties I have limited phone service. They refuse to handle it via email. All required documents have been submitted and I qualify because of my low income.Desired Settlement: To lower monthly payments on private loan. .

Business

Response:

September 25, 2014

Review: Business refuses to work with customers that fully intend and are completely willing to pay with a track record of paying on time regularly who fall into really hard times and call them to work something out. Repeated calls were met with "There's nothing that can be done; you have zero options." Even partial payment would not be accepted as adequate. No new arrangement would work. Account went into delinquency, and as soon as the account reached default status, it immediately was charged off as to taxpayers, destroying our credit and ensuring they got their money either way. That's a huge conflict of interest. They had no incentive to ever work with us. They go their money, and now they want to collect from us on top of that! We want to pay, but not if they are just getting extra money they are no owed and won't reimburse taxpayers. Highly unethical-and it should be illegal!Desired Settlement: They should facilitate the removal of the "charge-off" on the credit report in exchange for our agreement to repayment terms we (lendee) work out with them (lender) and our adherence to them for a period of three months. Agreement should be in writing. Long term they and other lenders should not be charging off taxpayers. It's unethical and represents a moral hazard and a conflict of interests.

Business

Response:

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 private student loan that has defaulted.

To clarify, private student loan terms and conditions, including the different repayment and

assistance options that are offered, are determined by each individual private student loan

lender. Private student loans are not federally guaranteed and thus their terms are not

determined by federal regulations.

It is important to note that Great Lakes has not serviced Ms. [redacted]’s loan since it defaulted

(October 20, 2013), as such she is encouraged to contact her lender, [redacted], to find out

which options were or were not available for her loans. I understand she is dissatisfied with this

and encourage her to contact [redacted] directly, at ###-###-####, if she would like to discuss

her concerns further.

I apologize for the frustration Ms. [redacted] has experienced and wish her the best in finding a

satisfactory resolution.

Sincerely,

Business

Response:

Review: Change payment dates and automatic checking account deductions so they can make more money in interest. Take extra unauthorized payments causing my checking account to go into overdraft.Desired Settlement: I would like Great Lakes to take the parent as agreed without unauthorized changes. I would like a refund for overdraft fees in the amount of $105.00 and a refund on any interest accrued because of there errors.

Business

Response:

[redacted]

Complaint 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 his October 15, 2013 payment that was

returned, which caused him to incur overdraft fees.

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 show that Mr. [redacted]’s concerns were addressed during recent phone

conversations with a Great Lakes Supervisor.

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,

Review: Required FieldOh my where do I begin?

I have been using great lakes for a few years and have had nothing but problems at every turn. No two people I speak with at customer service can confirm or verify anything. All help is inconsistant.

When I first started to make payments I missed the first few payments. After receiving a mail notice of late payments I called. I was suppose to receive a coupon type booklet with each month to month payment. I never got it. They waived the late fees and sent the book. I have two individual loans and both payments were rolled into one.

I sent a money order with the coupon and they never received it. I was charged for being late.

Next I mailed a check. It was never cashed and they did not get it and I was charged again.

I called and spoke with customer service. I didnt understand the charges and at some point she said I was paying $15 a day in interest. I cried so hard I had to call back later.

When I called back I spoke to someone else who could not confirm this $15 a day charge and apologized for the misunderstanding. We decided I should make online payments. I was hesitant to this since I did not, and still do not own a computer.

I paid from my online banking account using the account number given on my booklets.

After a few months and exploring the mygreatlakes.org I learned to view my account payments and how they were being applied. I learned my first few months of on time payments were not being applied to both loans, only one and the other sat collecting interest.

I began paying both loans seperately using the two different account numbers. This worked for a little bit.

Until one time they took both of my payments and applied the wrong amounts to each account. I sent 150 & 50. They applied it as 125 and 75. My loan payments where then late again.

I called customer service and was informed they had changed my accoung numbers. (Would have been nice to know) I guess the just split ny payments how ever they pleased then.

I demanded paper statments and receipts so I could keep track better. Library computers are always full...

They refused saying they did not do paper statements. Only email notifications, All of which only tell you to visit their website.

At this time I returned to school and payments were no longer due during enrollment. I still made payments to keep up with interest.

After only a semester back at school I stoped going. That semester was completely on grants. I walked away with money in my pockets that I just used to cover interest.

When payments resumed again as normal, minimum payments went up higher. I called customer service and they couldn't explain that one.

Finally I gave in and decided to have them auto withdraw. Both loans, one payment a month.

I missed one payment in december 2012.

In february 2013 I called to lower my monthly payments and we decided on a.graduated loan. The customer service agent then told me due to the.change there was no march payment due.

After getting on my account this month (july) I noticed a charge in february 2013 "capitalized interest" and in july 2013 "bundle canceled" with a 119$ tacked right back onto my principle and no august payment to be made.

I called customer service.

They explained that my 119$ was from the missed payment back in december 2012. They just didn't charge me until now?

I was charged capitalized interest in february because I had asked to change my loan amount which changed my payments. Customer service said anytime the monthly payments are changed you must still pay the interest amount by what would have been the billing date.

So now I'm in a snowball effect, customer service cannot explain or help me with.

By charging me july 2013 for a missed payment in 2012 it will yet again change my monthly payments like my request back in march. They have removed my august payment due to the change of 119$ principal. I asked if still pay the august payment will I be chatged capitol. I could not get a straight response.

So they messed with my july payment I will be capitalized, they do not have me due for august. I will be charged a late fee even if I pay ... so eight months from now will they throw 119$ back on and repeat everything?! They cannot answer me this! I want to pay my loans, I was willing pay ahead but no one can answer my dilema.

I'm angry that I cannot get exact answers, and when I do it is different for every person I talk with.

So now I'm just going to make a payment anyways ( a larger then normal amount just incase) to august and we will see if they charge me again in eight months since no one seems to know.

Sorry for grammar errors I'm using a cell phone.Desired Settlement: A refund would be awsome, but I want justification and better explained my options and what is happening with my accounts.

Business

Response:

[redacted]

Review: Greater Lakes Higher Education took my refund money even though I had made payment to [redacted] Recovery!

The complaint I made against them Revdex.com Case No: 57338416. I contacted Great Lakes after they took my money and they said [redacted] Recovery has my account but Great Lakes contacted the IRS for my money. The supervisor that I requested transferred me to collections support after informing me that Great Lakes no longer has my account .Desired Settlement: I need this issue to be resolved! I need to know who to pay either Great Lakes or [redacted] Recovery

Business

Response:

Dear Ms. [redacted],Thank you for contacting us on behalf of Ms. [redacted] and for providing us the opportunity to address her concern regarding her student loan. Ms. [redacted]’s concern as we understand it is regarding which agency is servicing her loan.By way of some background Ms. [redacted]’s Federal Family Education Loan Program Stafford Loan is guaranteed by Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation, (Great Lakes). Great Lakes has assigned the serving of her loan to [redacted] Recovery Incorporated ([redacted]).With that being said, any payments Ms. [redacted] would like to make towards her loan should be directed towards [redacted], as that function does fall under their purview. Regarding any U.S. Treasury Offset Payments that may be processed on her account, they will show Great Lakes’ involvement due to our role as the guaranty agency.The Debt Collection Act of 1982 and the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 authorize the U. S. Department of Treasury to offset any eligible Federal payments of individuals indebted to the U. S. Government. As such, Ms. [redacted]’s defaulted student loan(s) remain certified for Treasury offset until the account is paid in full or you have established and maintained repayment arrangements.Ms. [redacted] may be able to avoid future Treasury Offsets if she contacts her loan servicer [redacted], and makes and maintains satisfactory agreed-upon repayment arrangements. Please note, Ms. [redacted]’s account was certified for offset in November 2015. The payment she mentioned was posted with an effective date of March 29, 2016 in the amount of $39.00.As we mentioned Ms. [redacted]’s account is being serviced by [redacted]. We urge her to contact them to enter into a voluntary payment plan and to avoid future Treasury Offsets. One option available to her is the Federal Loan Rehabilitation Program. There is specific information that [redacted] needs to discuss with her regarding the possibility of setting up this option.Ms. [redacted]’s account may be rehabilitated out of default after she enters into a Rehabilitation Agreement and voluntarily make 9 consecutive on-time payments over a 10 month period as required. After she has made the sixth payment she may qualify for additional Title IV financial aid. The successful rehabilitation of her defaulted student loan(s) will result in the following:- Removal of her student loan(s) from default status- Removal of the default status reported by Great Lakes to the nationwide consumer reporting agencies- Eligibility for new financial aid to return to school- Eligibility for all remaining periods of deferment or forbearanceIf Ms. [redacted] feels the offset of her Federal Treasury payment may cause a hardship, she may contact [redacted] to request an IRS Hardship packet. The packet would need to be completed and returned to [redacted] with all required supporting documentation for review. There is no guarantee of a refund.Ms. [redacted] may reach a [redacted] representative at ###-###-####.We again thank you for contacting us and for giving us an opportunity to be of assistance. If additional information is required, please by all means, contact us. You can reach our office between 7:00 am and 4:30 pm Monday through Friday at ###-###-####, or by email at [email protected], [redacted]Great Lakes Higher EducationOmbudsman Specialist

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]Since my money was taken the account should be closed no matter who has it. Since I was caused hardship the account should be closed since the amount left is under $60.00. No one from [redacted] was respectful on top of harassing me therefore the account should be closed based on money and time served!

Regards,

Business

Response:

[redacted] Lead Trade Practice Consultant Revdex.com of Wisconsin 10101 W Greenfield Ave #125 Milwaukee WI 53214Dear Ms. [redacted],Thank you for contacting us again on behalf of Ms. [redacted] and for providing us the opportunity to further address her concern regarding her student loan. Ms. [redacted]’s concern as we understand it is regarding which agency is servicing her loan.As was noted in our April 8, 2016 response, Ms. [redacted]’s Federal Family Education Loan Program Stafford Loan is guaranteed by Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation, (Great Lakes). Great Lakes has assigned the serving of her loan to [redacted] Recovery Incorporated ([redacted]).And, as we have noted in our previous response, any payments Ms. [redacted] would like to make towards her loan should be directed towards [redacted], as that is one of their functions as the loan servicer. Additionally, regarding any U.S. Treasury Offset Payments that have been processed on her account, they will show Great Lakes’ involvement due to our role as the guaranty agency.Ms. [redacted] may be able to avoid future Treasury Offsets if she contacts her loan servicer [redacted], and makes and maintains satisfactory agreed-upon repayment arrangements. Please note, Ms. [redacted]’s account was certified for offset in November 2015.It is important to note that Ms. [redacted]’s account does still have a balance of $164.75 as of April 13, 2016. As evidenced by the payment history that we have provided, the payments Ms. [redacted] has submitted have been correctly applied to her account. As we mentioned Ms. [redacted]’s account is being serviced by [redacted]. We urge her to contact them to pay off the account or to enter into a voluntary payment plan to avoid future Treasury Offsets. Ms. [redacted] may reach a [redacted] representative at ###-###-####.We again thank you for contacting us and for giving us an opportunity to be of assistance. If additional information is required, please by all means, contact us. You can reach our office between 7:00 am and 4:30 pm Monday through Friday at ###-###-####, or by email at [email protected],[redacted]Great Lakes Higher EducationOmbudsman Specialist

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]

Review: I am getting harassment calls and email and I tell them more then one time I don't have the money they need because I am on limited income and they keep calling and email about my loans I have with them and I don't work or any other income coming in to take care of what they what and I need them to leave me alone about this because I don't have that much money to give them what they need and I have no one to help me with the money either they keep tell me to ask my family for money too and my family is on limited income as while and I can not get a personal loan to take care of it please do some thing about this ASAP please Thanks [redacted]Desired Settlement: I want the email too stop and have them clear my name from all my loans because I am on limited income and they don't understand that and keep asking me to have my family help with money too and they don't get that much money either I don't know why the will not understand that. Thanks [redacted]

Business

Response:

Thank you for contacting us on behalf of Mr. [redacted] and for providing us the opportunity to address his concern regarding calls and emails he has been receiving from Great Lakes.Great Lakes currently services one Direct Loan Program (DLP) and three Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) Stafford loans for Mr. [redacted] on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Mr. [redacted]’s DLP and FFELP loans are federal loans. As such, Great Lakes is contractually obligated to abide by all federal guidelines set forth by his lender, ED, and the terms and conditions of his Master Promissory Notes, or loan agreements. Any communication we have with Mr. [redacted] about a past due loan balance is our attempt to help him resolve a difficult situation.Concerning the telephone calls Mr. [redacted] referenced, the DLP and FFELP regulations require us to contact, by mail and telephone, any borrower whose student loan account is past due. Other laws that interfere with our ability to comply with the DLP and FFELP regulations are preempted by the DLP and FFELP regulations. This means that we are not subject to any state or federal law that would interfere with performing the due diligence required by the DLP and FFELP regulations.It is important for Mr. [redacted] to note that if he finds that his monthly payment is not affordable, there are numerous options available to help him manage his account. To review his options, he may visit our website, mygreatlakes.org, or contact our Borrower Services Department. We would be happy to work with him to find an option that best fits his situation.On August 20, 2015, Great Lakes received notification from Nelnet, ED’s designated Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) servicer, that Mr. [redacted] intends on completing the TPD discharge application to have his student loans discharged. This notification prompted a hold, in the form of a forbearance, to be placed on Mr. [redacted]’s loans, effective August 19, 2015 through December 16, 2015. In addition to bringing his loans current, the forbearances postponed his payments and should allow him time to complete the TPD discharge application without having payments due. The forbearances will also temporarily stop the communications he was receiving from Great Lakes while attempting to help him resolve the past due status on his accounts. It is important for Mr. [redacted] to understand that if his loans are not discharged prior to his forbearances ending, his loans will again enter repayment and he would need to contact us to discuss his repayment options, and to prevent his account from becoming delinquent.I understand that the repayment of student loans can be a strenuous process and hope Mr. [redacted] finds the information provided helpful. We are here to assist him with the repayment of his loans in any way that we can. If he has any additional questions or concerns, he may contact our Borrower Services Department by phone at (800) 236-4300, through email at [redacted], or by mailing:[redacted]

The worst to have a student loan with. Direct Loans sold my student loan to Great Lakes and since my debt amount has not budged. I have paid more than the amount of the bill as I have done with all my private loans but still no change. I have paid off 3 private loans and this amount has remained the same since Great Lakes took over my student loan claiming I have owed a ridiculous amount of interest. When I was in school I was paying off the interest with Direct Loans and my debt was being reduce. Now, nothing I pay makes a difference. TRY TO AVOID THIS COMPANY IF YOU CAN.

Review: On February 18, 2015, Great Lakes took my tax refund of $5589. This was done without prior notice of the offset. The offset notice did not arrive at my residence until Feb 24, 2015. My loan was put in default status and given to [redacted]. I have been paying them $50 on the 15th of every month to rehabilitate my loan. I was told by the [redacted] representative that my payment arrangement would stop all future garnishment attempts including my employer and tax refund checks. When I contacted Great Lakes after I received the notice of offset, I was immediately referred to [redacted]. I have left messages for a return call from a [redacted] to discuss this further. No one has contacted me to date.Desired Settlement: I would like a full refund of my tax offset of $5589. The lack of this money has put my family in a financial hardship. My husband is currently on FMLA and I can not support my household on my salary alone.

Business

Response:

Complaint ID: [redacted]

Great Lakes ID: [redacted]

Dear

Mr. [redacted]:

Thank

you for contacting us on behalf of Ms. [redacted] and for providing us

the opportunity to address her concerns about her student loan that is guaranteed

by Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation (Great Lakes), and

serviced by [redacted] Incorporated (Performant). Her concern as we

understand it is regarding the offset of her federal tax refund via the United

States Treasury Offset Program (TOP).

Ms.

[redacted] did leave a message with Performant to call her back on February 23,

2015. Unfortunately, Performant has not

been able to connect with her as of yet.

It

is possible for a borrower to attempt to recover all or part of their tax

refund through a process called IRS Hardship Claim. In this process, Great

Lakes compares the expenses a borrower claims and supports against averages

spent for those expenses by families of the same size and income.

Our

office has collaborated with Performant who will be sending out the IRS

Hardship Packet in the mail to Ms. [redacted].

In

order for Ms. [redacted]’s hardship request to be considered, she must submit the

following information:

• Complete all items on the enclosed

Financial Statement. Provide complete

information about her family income and expenses. Do not leave any item blank. If the answer is zero, write zero.

• Provide documentation of all sources

of income. She must submit:

Two most current pay stubs for her and her

spouse, along with documentation of all other sources of income in her

household.

Last year’s 1040 Income Tax Filing

as proof of household income.

Failure to provide this information will

result in a rejection of her request.

• Provide Documentation of

expenses. Expenses may not be

considered if she does not provide documents supporting the amounts claimed.

Missing documentation may result in

a rejection of her request.

• Provide a copy of an eviction or

foreclosure notification, if applicable.

Upon

receipt of the required information, Great Lakes will begin the evaluation of Ms.

[redacted]’s hardship claim.

We

sincerely apologize for the frustration Ms.

[redacted] has experienced with the offset process and we hope this

information will be helpful to her. If

you require future assistance from our office, you can reach us between 8:00 am

and 4:30 pm Monday through Friday at ###-###-####, or by email at

[redacted].

Sincerely,

Great

Lakes Ombudsman Office

Great Lakes is my loan company. I am attempting to
Pay regularly they call me multiple times a day even after I pay them.

After graduation, Great Lakes expected me to pay back an absolutely ridiculous monthly amount (close to $1,000). When I spoke to the customer service rep they BARELY spoke English. I explained I could only pay "X-amount" until I found a good job. The rep had the audacity to ask when I was planning on getting a good job! (like I wasn't already looking).
After a year of paying what I could, they finally were willing to work with me. It was working out for awhile. Then...
About a year ago, the bills suddenly stopped coming in the mail. I called and called, asking if they could send me payments. The rep said my account no longer existed. I emailed every week, asking for bills but got no response. I tried logging onto my on-line account but, again, it said my account didn't exist. Then all of a sudden, I get a bill from a collection agency. Great Lakes, without warning, sent me to collections after 5 years of never missing a payment, never sending in a late payment.
This company is a terrible company and is run by [redacted] who care NOTHING about their customers.

Review: This company is telling me my loan is in default even though I have been paying! They are threatening me with harassing phone calls, despite refusing to correct the interest rate error that has been an issue since Goal Financial was servicing the loan. I don't even get billed! Just send my $179 pmt per month to the Wisconsin address!

I have been trying to work with this company for over a year - to no avail.

Everytime I look, the amount of the loan increases exponentially! They seem to be adding more and cannot explain to my satisfaction what is going on!

The "customer service reps" provide anything but customer service, every time I speak to someone they don't know the file, don't seem to know anything, other than making threats and being harassing!Desired Settlement: this company should be fined for their abuses of consumer protection statutes.

I want the amount due to be lowered back to when the interest rate was illegally upped.

They need to get all of the paperwork from Goal and straighten the account out once and for all

If they cannot, I want the loan forgiven!!

Business

Response:

Review: This company told me that they were putting my loan in forbearance as I am a medical resident and do not make any money. they failed to do so, and put me into collections instead. Now I cannot get out out of collections unless I pay ~150$ monthly for nine months. This amount will break me and mean that I will not eat. My other alternative was to have my wages garnished!! all this for a mistake that I did not make. Since I have no alternative I want to lodge a complaint so that at least I can air grievances. All of my medical school loans are in forbearance, they missed one, so I have to pay the price.Desired Settlement: They should honor the fact that they made an error and did not put my loan into forbearance. This should result in the reversal of my loan being sent to collections. Great lakes should try and make it simpler for people to use their services! Not harder! I want them to apologize and put my loan into forbearance as discussed.

Business

Response:

Dear Mr. [redacted]:

Review: I went into a rehabilitation program to pay back my student loans, I had every intention of completing the 9 month period in 9 months. I switched banks did an online search for the business, set up my payment plan with the bank and activate automatic payment. I had successfully paid for 7 months in a row, the bank sent the payment to different address at Great Lakes Higher Education, Great Lakes took the payment and Cashed it. They later called me and stated that the money could not be accepted towards the program I was in because it was sent to a different Address.Desired Settlement: I want to start where I left off in the payment program, where I left off as I paid my bill fair and square, Great lakes cashed the check and I was unable to receive a refund, I just want to start off with only 2 more payments left in the rehabilitation program as if the whole thing never happened.

Business

Response:

Complaint ID: [redacted]

Great Lakes ID: [redacted]

Dear

Mr. [redacted]:

Thank

you for contacting us on behalf of Mr. [redacted] and for providing us

the opportunity to address his concerns about his student loan that is guaranteed

and serviced by Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation (Great Lakes).

His concern as we understand it is that he had made his loan payments via his

new bank’s bill pay service but they were not received.

Although

Mr. [redacted] had submitted payments via his financial institution’s bill pay

service, they unfortunately were directed to an incorrect mailing address. Due to this error Mr. [redacted] broke his

original rehabilitation agreement and is required to begin loan rehabilitation

again.

Our

office has learned that Mr. [redacted] has since reapplied for new loan

rehabilitation with a monthly payment amount of $5. His next step is to sign his Loan

Rehabilitation Terms and Conditions to begin the new rehabilitation process.

We

hope that Mr. [redacted] will be amenable to the loan rehabilitation terms as

he will resolve the default status by rehabilitating his account. A borrower may rehabilitate a defaulted loan

by making a pre-determined number of consecutive, voluntary, on-time monthly

payments. The rehabilitation payments

must be reasonable and affordable, but should be sufficient to satisfy the

outstanding balance on the loan within a 10 year repayment period. The successful rehabilitation of Mr. [redacted]’s

defaulted loan(s) will result in the following:

• Removal of his student loan(s) from

default status

• Removal of the default status from his

credit bureau report/delinquencies reported prior to default will not be

impacted.

• Eligibility for new financial aid to

return to school

• Eligibility for all remaining periods

of deferment or forbearance

It is important to understand that Mr. [redacted] will remain responsible for

the collection fees should he decide to rehabilitate his loans.

We

sincerely apologize for the frustration Mr.

[redacted] has experienced with the default process and we hope this

information will be helpful to him. If

you require future assistance from our office, you can reach us between 8:00 am

and 4:30 pm Monday through Friday at ###-###-####, or by email at

[redacted].

Sincerely,

Great

Lakes Ombudsman Office

Business

Response:

Review: Hello

My name is [redacted], and I am seeking assistance on this business simply due to miscommunication, and though David over the phone was nice and understood my fustration and really wanted to help he suggested the Revdex.com as my go to for this issue. last month I had looked at my credit score for the first time online. in 2013 I was told I had no credit by my bank, and I needed a car soon for work when I was done with my year of military training. so I worked on my credit with a card and was able to pull a $13500 auto loan. I have been successful in all my bill payments, great track record of paying on time. but finding out that my 700 credit score was reduced to around 550 because Great Lakes reported late payments for many months, up to 180days. I had no knowledge I was being charged, or was going to be charged so soon after leaving school. I was not educated on these rules at any point in my education planning. they were not willing to forgive the payments when I found out and called them twice to try and work something out. I tried to meet them half way with setting up auto payments, I paid what I could afford right away. I understand on there part that they have tried to contact me and were able to get a hold of me a couple times apparently but like I said it was definitly miscommunication between us in all honesty, I would of been happy to make these payments and keep my hard work on my credit score. I tried to go up passed David, but assured me they wouldn't help with this issue because it doesnt fall under their policy. it was hard to accept those words because for 7yrs these reports will hurt my planning, my husband, myself, and our life. I do not want my credit or debt to effect my military career as well. I contacted experian as well to try and resolve the issue as others calmed the same issues online and were able to be forgiven by making deals or explaining the situation, so far I have not had it that easy haha. experian is also working on a dispute because of how the payments were being displayed by their reports as he quoted "weird." he then also suggested contacting Revdex.com as well and here I am. your all my last resource to try, and I have never filed a complaint before.Desired Settlement: I only ask for something very simply, and they still get their money, is to forgive the late payment claims. I have met with a quick payment on the discovery, as well setting up auto pay to make sure this doesnt happen again. I hope we can forgive and forget, and both walk out happy. id rather not be part of the % thats struggling with student loans.

Thank you Revdex.com for reading and taking in my complaint, as well a thank you to the individual viewing and over seeing my report.

Business

Response:

January 13, 2015

Complaint ID: [redacted]

Great Lakes ID: [redacted]

Dear

Mr. [redacted]:

Thank

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

opportunity to address his concern regarding Great Lakes past credit reporting.

On January 9, 2015, we addressed Mr. [redacted]’s

concern. After receiving his email, we were able to update the data reported to

the Credit Bureaus based on the information he provided.

We hope that Mr. [redacted]’s concern is

alleviated. Please know that Great Lakes is here to assist him with the repayment

of his loan in any way that we can. If he has any additional questions or

concerns, he may contact our Borrower Services Department at ###-###-####, or [redacted]

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.]

Thank you very much Revdex.com for helping me out with the issue. as well thank you to greatlakes for listening and reading. I do appologize for the hassel of the issue. after not recieving a response from my email I was given the time at work to contact by phone (twice in the same day) to try and resolve the issue. I was assured even after calling back with more information that there was nothing that could be done. I did request to talk to someone higher and was still assured that nothing would still happen. after that I went to the Revdex.com. shortly after I sent the complaint, I saw I had an email from greatlakes actually claiming to resolve my issue. Hi [redacted], Thank you for your recent email and thank you for your service to our country. We understand that you are requesting delinquencies reported on your account in the past be removed. Based on your military service that you have made us aware of, we are able to make an adjustment to the delinquencies reported 7/13-11/13 and 11/14, which are covered by the dates of your back-dated deferment. We are in the process of instructing the following Credit Reporting Agencies (CRAs) to remove this information from your payment history: Experian, Equifax, TransUnion and Innovis. Hopefully the CRAs will promptly display these changes to your credit files. Each individual agency determines when the adjusted data will display on your credit files. Please note that this isn't a guarantee that a correctly reported delinquency will be removed in the future. Please continue to make your payments as scheduled each month, or proactively seek options from us anytime you are in need of repayment assistance. This could prevent future negative credit reporting on your account.

Review: I filed an online application for an income based repayment plan on my federal student loans in early September 2014. This application required that I mail in a copy of my pay stub as proof of income. I mailed a copy of the pay stub to Great Lakes via USPS at [redacted]. I called Great Lakes 3 weeks later and was told that they never received any mail from me. I faxed Great Lakes a copy of my pay stub at ###-###-#### on the afternoon of October 17 2014. I received confirmation that the fax was delivered. When I called Great Lakes on Wednesday October 22nd, I was told that they never received any fax from me. The representative from Great Lakes whom I spoke with that morning told me to email a copy of my pay stub to Great Lakes at [redacted]. I asked her to repeat and spell the email address several times to be sure that I wrote it down correctly. I emailed a scanned copy of my pay stub to Great Lakes on October 22. I emailed it again on October 23rd, to be sure that I emailed it from the same email address that they had on file. Today I received notification that the emails could not be delivered. I am at the end of my rope with Great Lakes and I can't help but think that it's awfully convenient that they can't seem to find any record of the verification of my income, no matter how many times I send it and through whatever means. I am a public school teacher, I cannot afford the payments that they demand without an income based repayment plan. I qualify for this plan completely but this company's shady services are preventing me from accessing it.Desired Settlement: I need for Great Lakes to accept my proof of income through some means. I can't travel to Michigan to hand deliver it. I have tried every other means. I also need a continued forbearance on my loans until this matter is resolved. I am a public school teacher, I cannot afford the payments that they are requesting of me- I qualify for an income based repayment plan - this company is preventing me from accessing it.

Business

Response:

October 29, 2014

Review: I have requested several times for an account history on my two student loans showing the interest charges on my account whether daily, monthly, annually, etc. I have been given the run around and "they don't show that and can't provide that to a customer". I told them I would contact Revdex.com for a response. I want to see the history from the time they obtained my loans to present showing the interest charges to my account. Not the annual interest I have paid, nothing else but the interest amounts the company has charged to my two loans. I am told "it is 12.82 per day" and that is not good enough. I want to see the computerized reports of my two loans.Desired Settlement: History as described above of my two loans, showing interest charges to my accounts.

Business

Response:

July 27, 2015

Review: I have asked GL to remove duplicate entries from my creditreports, not to mention the accounts are from1998.

BRAZOS/GLELSI Dispute this item

Account Number: [redacted]....

Date Opened: 04/1998

Status: Transferred,closed.

Important Note Important Note: This item is currently being investigated.

EDSOUTH/GLELSI

Account Number: [redacted]....

Date Opened: 04/1998

Status: Paid, Closed.Desired Settlement: They need to remove both from the credit agencies because first they are from 1998, and second they are duplicate entries. This reporting is causing damage and I may take further action if they are not removed.

Business

Response:

Review: I feel awful to take this collection error all the way to the Revdex.com but I have exhausted every option. My credit has been destroyed by a mistake in the transfer process. As all of my outgoing payments will show My mother was paying my student loans out of her personal account and I would pay her cash. This was happening because she took out all the loans in my name and handled all of the paperwork because I was diagnosed with a severe learning disability my softmore year of college. In 2013 I was able to move out of my parents house on my own and I was supposed to take over all of the loans when I moved. unfortunately the loans were still being sent to my mothers house instead of my apartment. It was not until I was notified by my bonding company that my credit was being negitivly affected by these late payments. once I knew what happened I paid off the loans in full that day to try and show good faith and that I was not trying to do anything mean or irresponsible. I am truly greatful the company gave me the money to go to school for construction and better myself. But it has gotten to the point I cant move forward in life with these late payments. I paid all of the money off. I didnt try to take advantage of anyone. I thought I did the right thing by giving them all of their money back. I didnt know paying these loans off is almost worst than slowly making payments. A late payment of $437 is preventing me from buying a house for my mother and me and continuing my business. I even hired a company that said they would take care of everyuthing if I paid them but they didnt listen and just told me to keep paying and ignore the rejection letters from the lender.Desired Settlement: All I request is these 1 time late payments be removed so I can get on with my life. I am completely crippled by this late payments. I can't even qualify for a line of credit. I have been working with the SBA in Salem and he said my books qualify and cant figure out what is hurting me. The banks explained it is these late payments. Please help I cant handle what this is doing to my life.

Business

Response:

March 27, 2015