ComplaintsforStudent Debt USA, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  09/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have sent three emails and a text requesting cancelation because they are not providing me any services in return. All 4 methods of communication have received zero response. Emails were sent 8/27/2023, 9/1/2023 and 9/20/2023 after the took the $35 payment from my account and still had not responded. Since I was not receiving a response by email I also texted on 9/20/2023 and again received no response to my text.I do not want to continue paying for services that are not being received and cannot even get a response after repeated attempts. I have not heard from them since February 2023

  Customer response

  10/07/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  

  Business response

  10/13/2023

  We will certainly provide a refund.  We knew that there wasn't going to be anymore extensions or any reason as there was the in past 3  years.  Things have been crazy.  I started using my personal Student Debt USA account because there were so many emails.  I'm sorry for the trouble.  I will do everything I can to make it up to you, but I will start with the refund.  ****

• Initial Complaint

  09/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been using Student debt USA since 2019. I paid a fee up front to handle my loans and a 35 dollar a month payment to keep me so I didn't have to do the paperwork. When covid hit I could of canceled but continued to make payments so when repayment started they would help me. I have called 3 times emailed at least 10 and texted at least 6 and have never received a response. I received a response from a gmail that looked like a phising scam. I would not give private information, but they never asked. I want reimbursement 35/month times 3 years for not helping (if they would of helped as they debts start I could of been okay) and for people not to get scammed.

  

  Business response

  05/19/2024

  Hi ****,
  Im really sorry for the trouble and frustration you've been dealing with lately.

  Could you please give me a call at your earliest convenience? You can reach me on the ************ phone number or directly on my cell at ************. I know it's Sunday afternoon, but itll be easier to tackle your concerns with a direct conversation.

  Since I dont have access to your servicer's account, our hands are tied. However, once we gain access, heres what we will do:

  Review Your Repayment Plan: Well check out your current plan to make sure its the best fit for your financial situation and goals. We also want to maximize any forgiveness benefits.

  Verify Payment Drafts: Our team will ensure your payments are being correctly drafted from your bank account, avoiding any discrepancies that could affect your loan balance or interest. We also want to monitor this for any forgiveness program conflicts. Making payments on time is very important.

  Audit Qualifying Payments: Well audit your payment history to make sure all qualifying payments are counted towards forgiveness programs like PSLF, if youre eligible.

  Update Account Info: Having your updated login info is essential for us to access the necessary details and make timely adjustments on your behalf.
  Can you confirm... Do you go by *********************** or *******************?
  This is the login info we have for your Mohela account. Please let me know if you have updated it: (username: htebbe89 password: Noahs@2017!)

  We can act quickly, but some of it does depend on how quickly your loan servicer responds. Without access to your servicer or FAFSA accounts, our hands are unfortunately tied, but once we have what we need, we can work together to get everything sorted.
  Looking forward to talking with you soon!
  Best regards,
  
  ***********************
  Managing Director
  Student Debt USA
  ************

  Cell: ************

• Initial Complaint

  09/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I've been a client with this company since around 2017 or 2018 to handle the paperwork related to my student loans. At first, they were great, but beginning in early 2023, they stopped answering calls, texts or emails. In Early 2023, they continued to double charge my account and it took weeks to receive any communication from them. Now, I'm getting different letters from ****** and I've been trying to reach out to them about the status of my loan for months now with no way to contact them. They do not answer the phone, don't respond to texts, and I've emailed them multiple times. I've even left voicemails and I've heard nothing. I want to cease services with this company and I do not know how to go about doing so if I can't get in contact with them. I've tried everything and it's been almost 2 months now. I will not recommend this company to anyone. I've taken back my MOHELA account and see that 22 months for my PSLF isn't even applied when I've done my part to get my paperwork completed and sent in. I regret working with his company and would like to speak to anyone who can help me remove my payment information and private information with this company.

  Customer response

  09/17/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint. I've been trying to reach out to this business since May 2023. I have not received any verbal or written communication since April 2023.

  

  Business response

  10/07/2023

  I can't see the complaint. However, I hope it has be resolved.  The past few months have been increasingly difficult since the payments have restarted in October.  We thought we had contacted everyone about the amount of payments due each month, but we must have missed the person that filed this complaint.

  Customer response

  10/10/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  

  I am not satisfied with the help I've received from this company after reaching out so many times. I still have not received any refund of the $35 processing fee for the months I could not get any help or response regarding my loans (July and August). Someone finally reached out to me towards the end of September and I stated that I wanted my account to be closed out (Sept 22). I still haven't received any confirmation that my account was closed out AND another payment of $35 was taken out of my account the first week of October when it wasn't supposed to be. I was told that someone will reach out to me regarding a refund, and that was almost a week ago and I still don't have any refunds yet. So in all, I'm still not receiving clear and consistent communication regarding my account being terminated and I still haven't received any refunds owed to me even after being told that I will receive the refunds. 

  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  Angellena

   

   

  Customer response

  10/10/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  

  I am not satisfied with the help I've received from this company after reaching out so many times. I still have not received any refund of the $35 processing fee for the months I could not get any help or response regarding my loans (July and August). Someone finally reached out to me towards the end of September and I stated that I wanted my account to be closed out (Sept 22). I still haven't received any confirmation that my account was closed out AND another payment of $35 was taken out of my account the first week of October when it wasn't supposed to be. I was told that someone will reach out to me regarding a refund, and that was almost a week ago and I still don't have any refunds yet. So in all, I'm still not receiving clear and consistent communication regarding my account being terminated and I still haven't received any refunds owed to me even after being told that I will receive the refunds. 

  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  Angellena

   

   

  

  Business response

  10/11/2023

  I apologize for your trouble!  I personally worked on your account.  The amount and date it is due was sent to the email we have listed.  We have been emailing everyone over the past few weeks with that same information.  It might be possible that it was sent to a spam folder.  It either came from ********************************** or *********************

  Customer response

  10/11/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  

  I've checked my spam folder for months with nothing from you all. I've called, emailed, texted, used any possible form of communication and didn't receive a response until the end of September from someone named ***. I am still not satisfied with the services I've received from you all, and I'm quite tired of the email communication and it taking days to receive a response from ***. I've asked several times for someone to give me a call. I've asked several times for my account to be CLOSED and for me to receive a refund for the months of July and August (I couldn't get in contact with anyone from this company) as well as a refund for the recent payment that was taken from my account this month around October 4th. I emailed *** showing him that a payment was taken from my account 2 weeks after I requested that my account be closed. I have NOT received confirmation of my account being closed and I have no received any refunds after being told by *** that I will receive processing fee refunds, and I have the proof to show that. I've been about 3 weeks of dealing with *** and I am still not satisfied because nothing has been done to resolve my issue. 
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  Angellena

   

   

  

  Business response

  10/23/2023

  You are right.  Your refund was delayed.  We will be sending a refund worth of 5 months...and this is just to start.  Once we have refunded the correct number of months, we will delete your banking information so that you will not be charged again.  I am sorry for your trouble. 

  Customer response

  10/23/2023

  And when should I expect this refund? The person that I was communicating with via email is no longer responding to my emails and it has been 2-3 weeks since I received any communication from him. I've already had to contact my bank to get a refund of the processing fee for the month of October. The communication with this company is extremely inconsistent. 

  
  
  Regards,

  Angellena

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  08/28/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Student Debt USA continues to take ***** a month out of my bank account but will not respond to calls, texts or emails. They have not been servicing my loan for almost a year now and I have lost ****** and continue to lose money.

  Customer response

  09/08/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint. I had to close my checking account and open a new one to get the withdraws from my account to stop. I tried to place a block on the withdraws but that did not work and I still have not heard anything from the company via phone, text or email. 

  

  Business response

  03/27/2024

  Hi ********,

  I hope this message finds you well. I want to personally express our sincerest apologies for any frustration or inconvenience you may have experienced recently regarding your account with us. We understand that we have fallen short of your expectations, and for that, we are truly sorry.
  
  Upon reviewing your account activities, I noticed that we have been actively working on your account since inception, with various actions taken, including sending SMS notifications, updating contact data, and sending multiple emails regarding the need for login information and recertification processes. Most recently, on Oct 10, '23, we noted the urgent need for your servicers login details to proceed with necessary account updates.
  
  Please understand that these actions were taken with the intent of ensuring your account is managed accurately and efficiently, especially concerning the requirements for loan servicing and recertification processes. Our team has been dedicated to keeping your account in good standing and working towards meeting your needs as effectively as possible.
  
  To address your request promptly, I have personally confirmed the closure of your account to ensure no further charges are incurred. Additionally, I will ensure that a confirmation of your account closure is sent to you without delay.
  
  Your feedback is invaluable to us as it helps us improve our services. If there's anything more we can do for you at this moment or if you have further concerns or suggestions, please do not hesitate to let me know directly.
  
  Thank you for your patience and understanding. We appreciate the opportunity to make things right.
  
  Warm regards,

  *************************

  Customer response

  03/28/2024

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. 
  

  Hello,

     I never received an email in October. I called, emailed, texted and got no response from your company so I had to completely shut down my bank account and open a new one to keep your company from pulling more money from for services that were not delivered. 

  
  Regards,

  ********

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  08/21/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have been calling, emailing, and texting to get more information about my account through this company. I have not received a single message back. If I have to do the work of finding things out myself Im not sure what Im paying them each month for. If I do not hear from them I want info about terminating my contract.

  Customer response

  09/01/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.  Since reporting to the BBB I have again tried emailing, texting and calling and have had no response. 

• Initial Complaint

  08/11/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I have used Student Debt USA to assist with student debt. I have paid my debt in full and have been continuing to receive two charges a month for $35 each. This has been going on for nearing two years now. I have reached out to the phone numbers on their website to try and resolve the issue to at least cease the payments but have been unsuccessful. I receive the charges of $35 around the *****th of each month as well as the *****th. Estimated amount they have charged me as I have tried cancelling their services is $1,260. I would like a reimbursement of the money paid to them considering they have not been providing any service due to the debt is paid.

  Customer response

  08/23/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

  

  Business response

  03/27/2024

  Hi *****,

  Firstly, I want to extend our sincerest apologies for any inconvenience and confusion you've experienced with our services. It's clear that we've fallen short of providing the service you deserve, and for that, we are genuinely sorry.
  
  Upon reviewing your account, it's come to our attention that although your loans were forgiven in June 2023, our system erroneously continued to charge you. This oversight is not up to our standards, and I've personally ensured that your account has now been canceled, guaranteeing no further charges moving forward.
  
  To address this immediately, we've initiated a refund for the overcharged amounts from June 2023 through February 2024. The refund amount of $280 has been processed by our system. While the processing times can vary, please allow a few business days for this amount to reflect in your account.
  
  Regarding the second charge, it appears to be linked to the management of your spouse's loans. We have no record indicating a request for cancellation of this service. However, we understand that misunderstandings can occur, and we are more than willing to rectify the situation. If it's confirmed that there was an intent to cancel services, rest assured, we will expedite a refund for those charges as well.
  
  To ensure we manage this matter efficiently and accurately, could you please confirm whether there was an attempt to cancel the services for your spouse's account? Any additional information or communication you could provide would be immensely helpful in resolving this promptly.
  
  Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly for any further questions or concerns. I can be reached at ************. 

  *************************

  Director of Operations

  Student Debt USA

• Initial Complaint

  07/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The business was to provide debt relief to teachers and public service officers. They simply delayed my payments to the federal government and did nothing with my payments. I still owe the exact same amount as I did when I started this. I emailed them several times and they continued to debit my account. I'm a teacher and thought this was a legitimate way to reduce my payments and pay off this debt.

  

  Business response

  11/27/2023

  Hi, I'm sorry for the confusion.  We never delayed any payments.  Payments were on hold for 3 1/2 years as a result of the covid forbearance.  No one made any payments during that time, but the months still counted towards your 120 payments needed to receive public service loan forgiveness.  The $35 is our service fee for maintaining your account.  If we had known the covid forbearance was going to last over 3 years, then we would have done things different.  However, it kept getting extended every 6 months or so.  If you would still like us to give you an update on your PSLF count, we will gladly do so free of charge.  Thank you, ****

• Initial Complaint

  06/27/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In October of 2021 I requested to no longer receive services and no longer be charged by Student Debt USA due to the little they did for my account yearly and lack of knowledge and response when I contacted them. They verified they received this and I no longer will be charged, however it is almost July and they are still drafting my bank account and provided no refunds. I contacted them again in March to let them know that they still were continuing to charge me while providing no services to which they apologized and said they would refund and discontinue, however, that clearly has not happened. I am unable to get in touch with anyone via phone, and am awaiting yet another response as to when they will refund me and stop continuing to charge me monthly.

  

  Business response

  07/06/2023

  Hi, I'm sorry for the trouble. I believe the issue has been resolved.

• Initial Complaint

  03/14/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I have been going back and forth with this company since June of 2022. I have spoken to several people via email correspondence. I finally received a refund for extra fees in ************** the extra charges have started again ************* even though I have emails stating that this issue was handled and my account was deleted. I was refunded in Feb for that fee and then charged again in March. I would like for the extra processing charges to stop being charged from my bank account when I have asked several times. I also have emails stating that things were handled but they have not been. This issue has gone on since June 2022 and it is very frustrating.

  

  Business response

  03/20/2023

  I'm sorry for the trouble.  When we switched to a new accounting manager, there was confusion on what was needed to completely delete an account.  I believe it is taken care of as of 5 minutes ago.  I can send a refund for the extra charges as soon as I know how much.  I will then delete the refund account and there will not be any way to charge you again.  Once again, I'm sorry for the trouble we have caused.  ****

  Customer response

  03/20/2023

  [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.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved.  I will email Student Debt USA (****) and let her know the information needed for the refund. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *************************

• Initial Complaint

  02/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  In 2018, I began doing business with Student Debt USA in order to get assistance with paying off my student loans. It was going great. I had access to my student loan account and the company was great at communicating via email. Now (in 2023), they will not return my emails, calls or texts. They also changed my login information to my student loan account so that I cannot access my account. I want to cancel their services but the address on my contract is an apartment. The *******, ** address is what appears to be an abandoned building, and the other ****** address on *************** does not list Student Debt USA as a business in the building.

  

  Business response

  02/23/2023

  I'm sorry for the trouble!  We often have to change our client's login information for sites related to student loans.  We have to be able to log into those sites to do our job.  The vast majority of our clients accept this, so we don't inform our clients when it is necessary to do so.  We certainly provide the log in info when asked and we can send it to you today.  The situation with our location is a result of covid-19.  We had to change to a remote company, and we have multiple addresses.  The ****** address was from our offices before covid-19 and we had mail sent there.   Every other address is related to where our employees now live.  We are currently in the process of having everything sent to the ******* address.  We were hoping to move back to the ****** office, but it looks like it will be unnecessary since we hav been remote for so long.

  Customer response

  03/04/2023

  [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.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************

*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. ↩