ComplaintsforSallie Mae

• Initial Complaint

  03/01/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They are the worst loan service I have ever dealt with. They are pushy and not helpful when I call them, they just immediately transfer me to my case manager, who is rude most of the time. I am trying to get help but they don’t seem to care to help me. They put you in these “payment lowering” programs and then say they follow up with emails about your payments you have scheduled. Well I have zero emails showing it. I can’t express enough how bad Sallie Mae is. They fit you with their interest rate making you pay outrageous monthly payments. I should have never gotten a loan with this so called “company”! Your business practices suck and you hire people are a blatantly rude and leave threatening voicemails how they will not help you if you don’t call them back 5pm EST. I work for a living trying to pay back the loans that I got from you! I don’t have time to sit on the phone for 40 mins during the day. I’m sick and tired of the harassment I get from them. They should be ashamed to suck college students and grads students dry. With my loans I am not second guessing if I am going to grad school cause they just keep harassing me about what I owe. You should not be allowed to call and harass 15 times a day and *** should be disciplined for the way he speaks to me on the phone. He is pushy and makes me feel stupid for answering the phone or for even calling them to get my loans situated. This place needs to be shut down and everyone sued for what they do to students after they graduate. Avoid them at all costs

  

  Business response

  03/25/2024

  Thank you for your message. To protect the privacy of our customers, we responded directly to the customer. Please allow enough time for the customer to receive our response, sent via the U.S. Postal Service.
  
  Regards,
  Office of the Customer Advocate
  

  Customer response

  03/27/2024

  Better Business Bureau:

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

  **In order for the bureau to continue to assist you, you MUST provide your view on the matter or your complaint will be closed as answered.
  
  
  
  
  Regards,

  Complaint ID: 21369176

   

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  02/29/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I get multiple phone calls daily on making a payment to Sallie Mae.

  

  Business response

  03/08/2024

  Thank you for your message. To protect the privacy of our customers, we responded directly to the customer. Please allow enough time for the customer to receive our response, sent via the U.S. Postal Service.
  
  Regards,
  Office of the Customer Advocate

  Customer response

  03/11/2024

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my complaint and have determined that this does not resolve my  issue.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. **In order for the bureau to continue to assist you, you MUST provide your view on the matter or your complaint will be closed as answered. Their response was to notify me that they will respond later.  I am waiting additional correspondence from from Sallie Mae. Regards, Complaint ID: 21364357    

  

  Business response

  03/22/2024

  Thank you for your message. To protect the privacy of our customers, we responded directly to the customer. Please allow enough time for the customer to receive our response, sent via the U.S. Postal Service.
  
  Regards,
  Office of the Customer Advocate

• Initial Complaint

  02/07/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In January of 2022, I was able to unilaterally secure a forbearance as the cosigner of my brother's student loan due to medical issues. (As far as I know, I've been the only one paying this loan up to this point.) Before a similar request around December of 2023 (when my debit card happened to get compromised), I was denied repayment assistance due to making such a request too soon. However, online support staff refused to seriously consider the matter due to a sudden and arbitrary policy requiring both parties to the loan to make a joint phone call for these matters. There have been no prior notice that such a policy has been implemented, and it's believed that all who have been asserting said policy lack the authority to change Sallie Mae's policies in any way. Online support staff refer back to the January 2022 forbearance as the source of this policy, but all they can find is a passage that merely allows Sallie Mae to change its repayment assistance policies at any time. As I tried to explain to Sallie Mae's Consumer Advocate, requiring my brother's involvement in this matter is expected to trigger his anxiety disorder and result in an counterproductive phone call (or anything else that might involve his direct involvement). To the extent that this policy somehow doesn't violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, there are more efficient communication methods that Sallie Mae apparently refuses to make use of, which would include an efficient way to receive whatever documentation might be needed (and a way to bypass the scheduling and timezone conflicts that Sallie Mae has somehow failed to pick up on trying to do everything over the phone). Even so, it appears that even the worst emergencies isn't enough to overcome this unnecessary and unannounced policy. In any case, the damage has been done, leaving me to take proportional actions should Sallie Mae choose to pour salt on our wounds instead of making this right.

  

  Business response

  02/27/2024

  Thank you for your message. To protect the privacy of our customers, we responded directly to the customer. Please allow enough time for the customer to receive our response, sent via the U.S. Postal Service.
  
  Regards,
  Office of the Customer Advocate

  Customer response

  02/28/2024

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my complaint and have determined that this does not resolve my  issue.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.A direct response to the BBB complaint is improper, as evident in the attached copy of the business's letter. Nothing here is sensitive enough to warrant such unnecessary safety measures, which insults the BBB's preexisting efforts to mask sensitive information in public-facing complaints. This level of incompetence is not unexpected from someone who can't even appreciate the scheduling problems that come from the timezone difference in effect. Nevertheless, these attempts to defend unnecessary and counterproductive policy at issue, which harm students with so-called invisible (read: mental/psychiatric) disabilities and obstruct their cosigner's ability to keep accounts current, continue to frustrate. If the business seriously believes that such sudden and arbitrary don't violate the Americans with Disabilities Act in even the slightest, that can be (and will) be tested in the appropriate venue. In the meantime, the business's prior response to funds taken away by fraudulent activity under the relevant policy (does it even really exist? I doubt that anyone that has been pushing it even has the authority to make policy changes) has caused preventable harm and added salt to preexisting wounds. The business can either to learn how to (properly) utilize the various communication methods to collect the info and/or documentation to actually process a (perhaps retroactive) request for repayment assistance, or perhaps spend more than the underlying loan is worth defending itself from an overdue ADA lawsuit (and claims resulting from any related credit and credit reporting mischief). Either way, this whole thing could've been prevented had the business chosen (emphasis on the word "chosen", since the business previously processed requests from just the sole paying cosigner) to respond to unforeseeable circumstances the same way other, more competent lenders do.As such, if the business would rather continue refusing to even try to make things right, then I will continue to pursue every remedy available to make us whole and even fight for similarly situated borrowers (other people with anxiety disorders and/or other invisible disabilities) and the cosigners that care for them. Accordingly, it's up to the business to decide whether it wants to be smart about this and, at the very least, repeal the supposed policy in a similarly sudden (here, last minute) manner.Regards, Complaint ID: 21258726    

  

  Business response

  03/15/2024

  Thank you for your message. To protect the privacy of our customers, we responded directly to the customer. Please allow enough time for the customer to receive our response, sent via the U.S. Postal Service.
  
  Regards,
  Office of the Customer Advocate

• Initial Complaint

  12/31/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I moved to a new state to help out a family member while she was sick. Due to me having to move out of state I had to quit my current job. When I moved to the new state I hit a financial hardship because I was in the process of looking for a new job. During my financial hardship Sallie Mae was not very helpful at all. I explained to them my situation on why I could not keep up with my payments they did not care at all. They would not change my minimum payments they basically told me there was nothing they could do for me. My current payments were a little over a hundred dollars per month but due to me not having a job I could not keep up with those payments. I asked them if they had any programs or if I could pay a minimum payment of $50 each month and they told me that I could pay $50 each month but they would still report my account to the credit bureau as delinquent. Since I have been looking for a job for 2 months my credit score has dropped more than 100 points and they will not help me at all. They will not put me on a better repayment plan and they said I am not able to make smaller payments. They only want me to make full payments or they will keeping reporting my credit as delinquent.

  

  Business response

  01/22/2024

  Thank you for your message. To protect the privacy of our customers, we responded directly to the customer.
  
  Regards,
  Office of the Customer Advocate

  Customer response

  01/23/2024

  Better Business Bureau:

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

   

  Sallie Mae said there was absolutely nothing they could do for me during my time of struggle.  

  **In order for the bureau to continue to assist you, you MUST provide your view on the matter or your complaint will be closed as answered.
  
  
  
  
  Regards,

  Complaint ID: 21075673

   

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  12/29/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They call me very late at night with all different phone numbers that state they’re someone else. They also have contacted a family member about personal loan information that the family member should not have heard as it’s no one’s business. They also reported my payment as late without warning when I’ve always received a warning in the past.

  

  Business response

  01/16/2024

  Tell us why here...Thank you for your message. To protect the privacy of our customers, we responded directly to the customer. Please allow enough time for the customer to receive our response, sent via the U.S. Postal Service.
  
  Regards,
  Office of the Customer Advocate

  Customer response

  01/24/2024

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my complaint and have determined that this does not resolve my  issue.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. **In order for the bureau to continue to assist you, you MUST provide your view on the matter or your complaint will be closed as answered. An apology is not enough. I’m still receiving calls and many emails per day saying absolutely nothing informative. This is harassment and I’d like it to stop. They’ve contacted people who have nothing to do with my account about this which is ILLEGAL and goes against their policy. They say they’re here to “help” but cannot do anything for me. Instead they report inaccurate information causing my credit to decrease which is not fair to their customer and clearly shows they do not care and want to keep people in debt forever.  Regards, Complaint ID: 21070121    

  

  Business response

  02/08/2024

  Thank you for your message. To protect the privacy of our customers, we responded directly to the customer. Please allow enough time for the customer to receive our response, sent via the U.S. Postal Service.
  
  Regards,
  Office of the Customer Advocate

• Initial Complaint

  12/26/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On 11/28 we mailed payments to completely pay off my sons student loans in the amount of $68, 364. This was due on 12/19. This payment included almost $12,000 in interest and an additional check to cover the one day of interest because the checks were overnighted (as instructed by the customer service rep we spoke to). When checking our account to verify it was paid off on 12/13, there was one balance not paid. Three of the accounts were paid off and negative balances were on all of these accounts as well. We again contacted Sallie Mae and were told after almost an hour on the phone that the issue was clearly an error on their part and it would be resolved and there would be a balance of zero by 12/24. The case number for this call was 105-321-09. When checking the balance on 12/25, we still owed $87 and $65 of this was interest that had been accruing. Again we had to call to attempt to solve the issue and are awaiting a call back. This is upsetting and disturbing business practice from a company that deals mainly with college age kids, who I can imagine many have no idea what level of incompetency they are reliant on for managing significant debt that will affect them for decades. The sacrifice was made to be able to scrimp and save to make this payment was significant and for this company to cause distress and aggravation due to their incompetence and mishandling of our money is incomprehensible. Clearly a closer look needs to be made into the corporate integrity and money management of this large company that is unable to manage one simple pay off.

  

  Business response

  01/19/2024

  Thank you for your message. To protect the privacy of our customers, we responded directly to the customer. Please allow enough time for the customer to receive our response, sent via the U.S. Postal Service.
  
  Regards,
  Office of the Customer Advocate

  Customer response

  01/22/2024

  Better Business Bureau:

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

  **In order for the bureau to continue to assist you, you MUST provide your view on the matter or your complaint will be closed as answered.
  
  
  
  
  Regards,

  Complaint ID: 21056510

   

   

   

  

  Business response

  02/08/2024

  Thank you for your message. To protect the privacy of our customers, we responded directly to the customer. Please allow enough time for the customer to receive our response, sent via the U.S. Postal Service.
  
  Regards,
  Office of the Customer Advocate

• Initial Complaint

  09/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I am in my second year of using the lending service Sallie Mae. In this time I have made many calls to there customer service department with the same issue. This issue has caused me to pay late fees on my interest payments a couple months. The issue is I get locked out of my account (online and on the app) and forced to reset my password. The first couple times I willing took the blame for this by thinking I must have forgot. At around the third time I was locked out and forced to reset my password I re-entered it and it said I was not allowed to use that password because it said it was previously used. So I wrote down the password and took a picture of it. The next time I went to make my payment I used the exact same password I had recently reset and it denied me and locked me out. I then called the customer service and after a painfully long wait and complicated call with the automated voice system I was transferred to a real person. Whom told me to reset my password again (even though I just did). Yet I did as they said and went on with my life. The next month I went to pay I was locked out again. I called customer service (now irritated) and told them whole problem. Instead of trying to fix the problem I was told to reset. After an hour of being transferred around and being made to feel like an idiot I gave up and reset. This I made sure my new password was read outload to me multiple times and I took a picture of when I entered it and wrote it down. Then I asked the representative if it was fixed and was promised of such. Well today I went to pay my interest payment and I entered the correct password that I wrote down and took a picture of and even had saved in my google passwords and was denied access and asked to reset again. This a recurring problem that has cost me money and time and is unacceptable. It needs to be fixed.

  

  Business response

  09/19/2023

  Thank you for your message. To protect the privacy of our customers, we responded directly to the customer.
  
  Regards,
  Office of the Customer Advocate

• Initial Complaint

  08/19/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  They will not allow me to unsubscribe in an easy way from their emails and they are spamming me which is against the law

  

  Business response

  09/06/2023

  Thank you for your message. To protect the privacy of our customers, we responded directly to the customer.
  
  Regards,
  Office of the Customer Advocate

  Customer response

  09/19/2023

  Better Business Bureau: I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my complaint and have determined that this does not resolve my  issue.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. **In order for the bureau to continue to assist you, you MUST provide your view on the matter or your complaint will be closed as answered. Hello,In response to your email below.  This has not been resolved and I still have received communication from Sallie Mae to this date. Regards, Complaint ID: 20496251    

  

  Business response

  09/27/2023

  Thank you for your message. To protect the privacy of our customers, we responded directly to the customer. Please allow enough time for the customer to receive our response, sent via the U.S. Postal Service.
  
  Regards,
  Office of the Customer Advocate

• Initial Complaint

  08/17/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Sallie Mae is a fraudulent corrupt business. I was seeking assistance with lowering my monthly payments due to debt to income. What they do is force you to do a soft credit pull all they say is that it so they can access your debts but really they're pulling your current credit and raising you interest which they do not disclose... last mont) my interest was 11% after yesterdays call it's 14%!!! When is someone going to hold these people accountable. They need to be in court this is wrong what they are doing to people.

  

  Business response

  09/14/2023

  Thank you for your message. To protect the privacy of our customers, we responded directly to the customer. Please allow enough time for the customer to receive our response, sent via the U.S. Postal Service.
  
  Regards,
  Office of the Customer Advocate

• Initial Complaint

  08/10/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I am a cosigner on my son's student loan with Sallie Mae. I made a manual payment on June 15, 2023. Sallie Mae sent me a notification that this payment was "rejected" by my bank due to insufficient funds, which was not the case and I have provided evidence from my bank to Sallie Mae that this payment was sent to them from my bank account and they have verified that they have received my documentation. I have made SEVERAL calls to Sallie Mae and spent countless hours on the phone with them trying to get this issue resolved only to be told "oh it wasn't sent to the monetary department and it's being processed by the monetary department". I have repeatedly asked for return calls to be updated on the status and have never received a call back. As of August 10, 2023, this is STILL NOT RESOLVED. It has been almost 2 months and I would like this money that I have clearly paid credited to my son's student loan account.

  

  Business response

  08/18/2023

  Thank you for your message. To protect the privacy of our customers, we responded directly to the customer.
  
  Regards,
  Office of the Customer Advocate

  Customer response

  08/29/2023

  Better Business Bureau:

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to my complaint and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.  I have spoken to them directly and they finally resolved my issue but only after I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau 

  Regards,

  Complaint ID: 20453410
  

   

   

   

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩