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Sallie Mae

Gillian of Manchester, United Kingdom December 8, 2009

I have a consolidated private student loan and two federal consolidated loans with sallie mae since 2002. originally, one of my private loans was cosigned with my grandmother before i consolidated. (incidentally, on that loan i signed on a 4% rate and received an 8% rate on my second disbursement without ever accepting the change - at that point you're already enrolled and held hostage, right?)

I consolidated the private loans some time ago and was assured my grandmother would no longer be cosigner. The reverse happened - now she is listed as a cosigner on all of my loans (at least that's the reason they give for harassing her). I am in school and repeatedly send in the paperwork for in school deferment only to have them *lose it*. the form is unavailable on their website by the way - i had to be transferred to India in order to have it emailed to me.

If I am a few days late my grandmother gets nasty phone calls where they tell her that i don't have the right to move away without paying my debts and that they don't know how to contact me. this is a lie as i am constantly calling them on the deferment issue and verifying my address and contact number every time. they even have additional contact numbers for me in the states to call before they call my grandmother. they are picking on an elderly lady because they know they can upset her and get to me. why, i don't know. i'm doing the best i can and they have failed me every single time. when i called to complain about this issue, the representative hung up on me.

Patricia of Avon Lake, OH December 8, 2009

I co-signed a loan for my nephew several years ago. He has been servicing his debts for 3 years now, but has fallen victim to the H1N1 flu. He has been hospitalized and in a state of unconsciousness for two weeks. I have tried calling and emailing Sallie Mae to make payment arrangements on his accounts. They will not speak to me - even about the loan to which I am legally liable should my nephew not regain consciousness! This company should be dissolved and the loans purchased by real lenders with a real ability to actually serve in a servicing capacity. I can think of no other company that treats its customers so poorly, provides so little value for the cost of its "service", and continues to survive. Isn't there ANYTHING we can do to stop this monstrosity from continuing??

Carolyn of Bellefontaine, OH December 2, 2009

My son is attending DeVry in Columbus, Ohio and is scheduled to graduate in 2011. DeVry set him up with Sallie Mae and I co-signed a loan for 17,000.00 @ 3.25% on 8-2007. In May 5, 2009 we got a 4700.00 loan but when we found out that they were charging 11.85% interest and that he would have to pay back 14,900.00. I borrowed money at a better interest rate and paid it off in July. They put 300.00 on it in June and in July I paid, as requested, 4772.99 of which they put 136.02 on the aforementioned loan.

I found out I was going to get laid-off. So I started paying on the first student loan in Feb. 2009 that I co-signed and in Aug. 2009 I paid 300.00 and it hasn't been applied to the 17000.00 yet. I have called and e-mailed since Sept. and they said they have it and 4 different people have turned in a request to have it applied but it hasn't been.

While researching this I found that back in March, 2009 I sent 500.00 in and only 62.50 was applied to the only loan I have with them. The checks only have my name on them and not my son's. They said that they applied the money on my son's other accounts. How can they take my money and put it on someone elses account. They wouldn't let me see his account until I got permission but they can put my money on his account without my permission? They have my money and I am still getting charged interest on the loan when they have 737.50 of mine that hasn't been applied to my account, back in March, 436.50 and in August, 300.00.

All together for the first loan of 17000.00 @ 3.25%, I have sent in 3036.02 and they say we still owe 16,304.92. I have called and complained about the money that they have cashed from my checking account and have not applied to my account. They even asked for a copy of the cancelled check front and back. This tells me that they don't have the check. Someone at Sallie Mae cashed the check for it to show up on my checking account. They have been giving me the run around all this time.

Today they sent an e-mail with the account information and told me all I have to do is simply log on to the account and I could see this. That's how I found out about March's payment of 500.00 with only 62.50 being applied to my account. For Aug. payment, they still don't show that they ever received it but my bank activity shows that they cashed in on 8-11-09. Banks like this one gives others a bad name. Can anyone help me with this?

Michelle of kekaha, HI December 2, 2009

They continue to use my social security as an account #, they scream at me and don't let me talk. They won't let me file a deferrment even though I have beenlaid off from my job, i filed bankruptcy and lost my house this year, they don't care! My BK was discharged on July 15, they said my payment is past due and has been for 6 months, but yet i never get a letter in the mail saying that and i just keep struggling to pay the 50 month and they keep calling me saying i am past due, yet the paper i get in the mail says please pay 50, so i do.

I can't win. I am struggling to rebuild my credit, and because of the carelessness and improper billing practices, I just kept paying what the payper statement told me to pay, all the while they had me as behind 30 days, yet never put that on the paperwork.

Maria of Ludlow, MA November 25, 2009

My son took out a student loan for college for which I cosigned. He has not been able to get a full time job. I'm a single parent with a full time job. However, after my mortgage, insurance, utilities, etc. sometimes the payments are a bit late. I have explained this to Sallie Mae repeatedly. They call every day, 2 or 3 times per day. I tell them the same thing. I will pay the loan by a certain date. They still call every day. I explain the same thing to them every single day. I don't dispute the loan, I promise to pay by a certain date. Today, after I spoke to them last night to let them know I was going to pay it today. They called me at work! If this isn't harassment I don't know what is.

Sandra of Providence, RI November 18, 2009

My student loan was transferred to Sallie Mae. At the time, I was paying 50 per month for my student loans. Once Sallie Mae got a hold of my loan, they started charging me over 230 per month. I cannot afford to pay that much per month. I have a son I pay child support for as well as rent, food, car insurance, and other bills. I cannot afford to pay that much.

I tried several times to have them lower the payments but they said that its too late for that. I filled out the paper to lower my payments and they said I wasn't approved for it because it was too late. They have put my loan on forebearance a few times but whats the point? I can't afford their monthly charge.

Because of this situation, I can't further my edudcation. I'm afraid my income tax will be taken & my wage garnished. I live paycheck to paycheck and I can't get a second job due to the bad economy. I am singla and can't afford to live. I am constantly stressed out this situation which has no resolution. I can only afford 50 per month. I need help.

Marcos of Orlando, FL November 16, 2009

I'm a current senior college student in Florida. I started to get student loans to at least get an education and not be part of the fallen ones with frustration, but after several years Sallie Mae has become a monster. I have couple of loans that I have to start paying 6 months after graduation, recently I started receiving calls that I owe 321.00 dollars, and I'm delinquent 33 days...I told the lady that I'm still in school and that I’ll be graduating in 8 months, she said that, out of the loans I had, there was one that I had to start paying while I’m in school... but I said why would you guys call me 33 days after the "due date" and tell me that I'm late. Off course they want to get some late fees, but 33 days??!!

anyway after I picked up the first call, there has been numerous calls harassing my behind saying that I owe, that I’m in the internal collection files, and in 33 days more I will be at the real collection agency...this is unreal. After receiving all these calls, I talk to "Customer Service" I explained what was going on, I will talk to the school and try to get this fix, and that I could be a mistake, to please stop calling until I go to the school, the lady said " Sir, this not your schools' problem, this is your problem, are you going to take care of this???Oh that's right!

People who don’t know Sallie Mae... SALLIE MAE has a Customer Service line where they can be nice with you...and they have a collection line where they call, put you on hold, asked you questions, and then treat you like "CACA". I couldn’t agree more with these people complaintning about this company. Our economy is tough, and monsters like Sallie Mae are not making it easy. Unfortunately this is a major issue and the government needs to get involved, because this is one of the big factors of why our economy it's the way it is. I bet if I told my 4 friends about Sallie Mae behaviors they will step back and not go to school. Not very smart right! But I like a good friend I feel like I have to say it, and advise them.

Corrine of Trenton, MI November 16, 2009

Hi everyone, I have had NUMEROUS problems with sallie mae, since graduating college. I have 40,000 dollars in student loans from this company, and upon graduating I was unable to obtain a job in my field within the "grace period". I have spoke to SEVERAL people over the course of the past year, and every time I go to put my loan in forebearance, something happens. Either my money is taken and put towards the loan itself, or the money is taken from my account, but sallie mae has no account of receiving the money (coincidental I suppose), or the person on the other end lies to me and tells me my forebearance has actually GONE through, and that I am in the clear..(which in fact was a big fat lie and my loan acrued over 2,000 in late charges that are currently being tacked to the butt end of my loan).

Anyways. After feeling like I am the only one in the world dealing with this huge monster, I did some homework. It seems like 80 percent of the people who have loans through sallie mae are unhappy, disgruntled and harassed. I am taking a stand not only for myself, but for everyone who has, and is currently having problems with sallie mae. I have started to piece together a book with not only my accounts and hardships with sallie mae, but that of many others. My goal is to educate the public on what they do to people so that our youth will choose to go through other loan providers. Its stressful enough finding jobs in this economy, sallie mae will drive a normal person insane.

Stephen of West Liberty, KY November 11, 2009

After multiple issues with Sallie Mae, we decided to obtain a local bank loan to pay them off entirely. Sallie Mae signed for the certified mail containing a bank check in the amount of 12,884.78. They only posted 2,884.78. Calling the 888 customer service line resulted in no correction of their mistake.

marcy of la puente, CA October 30, 2009

Sallie mae is unfair in their practices and consumers need to be aware!! My problem started back in july when I injured my back at work. From july to Sept I paid my student loan payments on time but in Late september bills started to pile up and I found myself with not enough money to cover my OCT 5th payment of 639.00. So on Sep 29 2009 I faxed in a forberance form and paid a 50 forberance fee. The sallie mae policy for forberance stated that I be current and paid the prior month payment (which I had done!!)to qualify for a forberance. 14 days later on oct 14th I called salliemae after hearing no response from them regarding the forberance, to my shock the fax number on the forberance form is INCORRECT!!

They went on to tell me that no application was recieved and no forberance had been processed, the rep then went on to tell me simply faxed the application yet again and everything will be taken care of...on oct 20 after still hearing no reponse I called sallie mae yet again. Now I am yet again shocked to be told my forberance was DENIED because now my payment from oct 5th was pass due!!!

After I explained that I was on worker's comp and was going to have back surgery and really needed the forberance the rep told me to fax a written letter stating my situation and copies of all the fax confirmations from previous faxes for consideration, and wait yet again! still no response from sallie mae so I called on oct 20th Spoke with someone else who said he would email the forberance department( since no one can talk to the forberance dept. directly) to take a second look at my forberance because according to this rep I have 10 days grace and had until oct 15 to be offically "past due" and i faxed the second forberance application on oct 14th he said give them a week to process...so I waited yet again.

Meanwhile I was contacted by a "collections" rep who was rude and mean!!! when I tried to explain the whole mix up with the forberance she told me "I will MUTE your call, so that I can tell you no forberance will be processed because you are past due!!!" After that she would not listen to anything I had to say, eventulally after trying and trying to get a payment out of me, she told me I will mark you account as "refused to pay and refer to ombudsman!!" then she went on to HANG UP on me!!!! I never refused to pay I simply wanted help with the forberance for 3 months and NO ONE wanted to help!! Right now I get so many collection calls that I am looking to change my phone number!!! So today oct 29th I called sallie mae for an update to the email back on the 20th, and I am told that nothing came of that email and i was told for the 2 million time that because I was past due I would not get a forberance!! I thought a forberance was for those times I cannot pay so can someone please explain to me WHY I have to be current to get approved ????!!!

So today I borrowed from my elderly father (also my co signer) to make the payment. Now sallie mae is happy but i'm left here in tears with not even enough money to live on. My next payment is due on Nov 5th and I applied for forberance again today after makaing the payment!!! I was assured that this forberance will be processed but I will just have to wait again!!! I wanted to make all this known because I wish I would have read the posts on this site before taking out a loan with sallie mae! I just want others to know my story and to know don't do any business with sallie mae because they are unfair and the goverment should put a stop to them!!!

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