Sallie Mae Bank
Reviews and Complaints

I co-signed a student loan for my son. Sallie Mae kept calling me at home and the callers were not very nice and tended to upset me after a major heart attack. I then wrote them and told them not to call me at home anymore. Now they have cut me off of all communication regarding the loan and continue to put bad ratings on my credit score. They have refused to take my son to court over this matter and are ruining my life. Is there anything I can do to get off of this merry-go-round? Please advise soon.

Sallie Mae's customer service is a joke. Forget trying to talk to someone that even speaks english.

I was recently charged twice on my bank account. So I call them to try and get my bank account straight..hah. They pretty much tell me too bad, you may get a refund, you may not. Fax us a letter and a bank statement we'll get back to you in 7 days when they clearly said " I do see where we charged you twice." Then refund me! It's really not the difficult. Thank you Sallie Mae.

It’s hard to think about what is the right thing and what is the wrong thing to do. I feel like I’ve always tried to do the right thing for myself and those around me. Why, then, does it feel like everything I’ve accomplished in recent years is a mistake? In 2002, I did what most high-school graduates do: I applied for college. I was accepted into the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, which meant relocating from Tampa, Florida to Plattsburgh, New York. I suppose this was my first error in judgment.

Going to college is great, no doubt about it. I chose to go to a school out of state (way out of state), though, which meant a greater cost of tuition. Not only that, but my financially not well-off parents apparently made too much of a combined income for me to be offered any sort of support to help pay for college.

Immediately, I was thrust into the world of student loans. My parents and my brother did their best to help me out when I first started my college career, but soon enough I had built my own positive credit and was able to acquire loans in my own name.

That sure felt nice. I was financially independent from my parents. I was learning and growing on my own. I was becoming, or was preparing to become, a functioning, important part of society.

And then I graduated.

That’s supposed to be a time for great joy, right? Celebrations and parties. Pats on the back and hand shakes from those who have taught you for the past four years. A first step into the “real world” where you could find a good job. A job that would put everything you’ve studied for the previous four years to work. A job that would help you sustain an adult life.

Now, I realize that you’re not guaranteed a firm landing feet-first as soon as you receive a diploma. I didn’t expect, though, that it would take two years for me to find a job that applied even a hint of what I had studied each day.

So, there I was. Finally. A job that I enjoyed in a field that was related to my degree. Things were looking up, right?

Wrong.

Because I still didn’t make enough money to cover the costs of my growing student loans. The main problem? Loans through Sallie Mae. A company, who I’ve found, through research online and from word-of-mouth, is one of the most customer unfriendly loan-servicing companies around. A quick Google search of “Sallie Mae Complaint” will bestow upon you a bevy of sites chock full of people voicing their displeasure with this company.

I could be one of them. I should be one of them. Each month, Sallie Mae expects me to pay them in excess of $400. That comes out to be a third of my paycheck each week. That doesn’t sound so bad, until you factor in some other things. Things like rent, groceries, bills... oh, and let’s not forget – my other student loans.

I spoke with Sallie Mae. I tried to tell them that there was no possible way that I could afford that payment each month. I tried to tell them that I just didn’t make enough money to make ends meet. I tried to work with them to lower my payments. I tried. They didn’t. Every response was a canned response. Every solution came from a playbook intended to drive my debt up even further while I flounder.

I’ve met with a student loan advisor whose advice to me was: “You need to have more money. Or marry someone who does.”

Solid advice.

I sought out additional employment, and I’ve finally come across it. Now I work two jobs – one full-time, one part-time. From 9 to 5, I have a day job where my degree is put to use. From 5 to 9, 10, or 11 PM, I wash dishes. Is this it now? Are fourteen hour work days the American Dream?

It might be, but I wasn’t done there. I’ve now got a third job! A design job on a project-by-project basis. 24 years-old with three jobs, and I’m still not sure if I’ll be able to fully support myself. Maybe that’s it? The unending stress and helplessness that comes with being a college graduate? Is that the American Dream?

I know that I’m not alone. I know that I’m not the only person who is affected by a loan company keeping them from experience a life that is free of doubt and sadness. I know that I’m not the only person trying to work with a company to set some sort of realistic payment plan to work on paying off a debt.

I know that I’m not alone. But maybe nobody else knows that. Maybe other people in my shoes don’t know that there are others just like them. Maybe the people who would fight for us don’t know that there are enough of us out there who are struggling. Maybe the people who are holding us down need to know that there is a better way. Maybe the people who outrank them need to see that there is something happening that just isn’t right.

I’m not looking for an easy out. I’m not looking for a way to get out of paying my loans back. I’m just looking for a way to pay my loans back. On time. At a rate that I can afford without having to decide if I’d rather not buy groceries this week or not pay a bill.

I thought I had it all figured out. High-school. College. Graduation. Job. I took all of the right steps. I did all of the right things. Still, I win and lose. I succeed and fail. I take one step forward and one step back. All at once. Every day. I am going nowhere with these problems looming over my head.

If this is how it is supposed to be – if this is the American Dream, then I hope that I wake up to a better reality.

Corey Collins
Plattsburgh, New York
[protected]
[protected]@gmail.com

Well, actually I think that all entire loan sharking/leg breaking business in the entire world is managed and maintained by the Sallie Mae educational money lending system.

Even when a student pays their loan off, Sallie Mae retains that student for further use... they ruin your credit ratings, hold on to your name and address...just in case you might be dense enough to use Sallie Mae for another loan and then they really have you, for years to come.

My experience with the Sallie Mae educational loan system was like walking the plank and while the Sallie Mae sharks swim furiously underneath!

Sallie Mae, has a kept a student loan on my 3 credit reports for the past 22 years! I defaulted on the loan in 1985, because Sallie Mae refused to acknowledge the original payments, so I stopped paying them until they recognized the 1985 payments. I have since paid the loan and SM will NOT REMOVE the loan from my credit report! This is after I have a telephone conversation stating they would. Now, Transunion has changed the date of the default from 1985 to 2006 and states that Sallie Mae is telling to keep the loan on my credit reports for another 7 years.. THATS! 29 years of this loan with a $2, 000.00 balance (now paid 100%) on a student loan. SALLIE MAE, is no better than a LOAN SHARK SERVICE and the 3 credit bureaus are their LEG BREAKERS...

I wish I had another SALLIE MAE loan, so I could NOT PAY IT ALL! I think that everyone should stop paying back SALLIE MAE, because they lie, cheat and deceive students, take their money and then destroy their credit anyway. SALLIE MAE IS SUBSIDIZED LOAN SHARKING!

I defaulted on a Sallie mae loan yes things happen so I made arrangements to be on a payment plan 460 for 3 months then 250 for 4 months then 2 payments of 1600.00 bucks to settle the loan I worked over time on my new job to get the money and it hurt... I was told I would get a letter saying the loan was settled called after the funds cleared they said it would take a few weeks will I checked my account I still owe 3200 bucks and I am getting the run around.. they are saying that Sallie mae does not do settlements and I need to keep making payments mind you my next payment is not due until 2010 but I can still make payments to Sallie may on a loan that is suppose to be defaulted how is that when I try to talk to them about it they keep hanging up the phone on me or giving me other numbers to call...when I call there collection side I was told that the money I paid was not a settlement but a good faith payment WTF?

so after paying 6300.00 on a 5000.00 loan I still owe 3200.00...also they are saying my next payment is do 2010 ($115) but I also owe collection fees of ($213) also due in 2010 when I asked how is this I got another number to call.

I contaced Sallie Mae May 1, 2007 after the sudden death of my 23 year old son, whom had a student loan with them. I was told to send the death certificate to them and that they would handle everything. We sent the death certificate certified mail to them in May of 2007. I personally had taken out a parent loan for my son and continue to make payments to this account. In July of 2007, I received a refund check from Sallie Mae that stated payments received after death. I assumed that the loans had be clear due to death. I received no other correspondance from Sallie Mae. On the anniversity of my son's death this April 2008, I received a telephone call from someone identifying as someone from Sallie Mae, asking me for my social security number. When I asked why, he said I had to pay $1500 or I would be in default for my loan. I explained the situation to the man and he said he would have to get the floor supervisor on the phone. The floor supervisor got on the phone and told me I had to give him a credit card number or my bank account number so I would not be in default on the loan. When I tried to explain the situation to him, he stated he didnot have to listen that I was a deadbeat and need to pay. Again I tried to reason with this man and he told me I should be ashame to let my son's memory to be that of a deadbeat. I told him that I did not do anything over the phone and to mail me whatever I need to look at. He stated I had to pay now and they did not deal with mail. At this point I am extremely upset and ask his name, he told me it was Brian. I ask for his last name and he told me he did not have to give a deadbeat his last name. I ask for a number to call back and he gave me a number and the hung up on me. I then pull my papers on the loan and call Sallie Mae back. When I gave the automated voice my account numbers it stated there were no loans with this number. When I finally got a person on the line, he again told me there were no loans with this account number. I had to give him my social number for him to find any information on me. After relaying the information to the man, he told me not to worry that if may have been fraud and that they would probably call again over the next 5 days, but not to pay anything. My family and I left for the weekend to remember the death of my son. On Saturday as we were eating, I received a phone call on my cell, from the collection department of Sallie Mae ( I had never given them my cell number) they preceeded to inform me that I was going to be in default on the note if I did not pay that day. I told them that I had talked to Sallie Mae the day before and what they had told me. At this point, my other son who is a 3rd year law student grab the phone and told them how many laws they had broken by harassing me and not informing me of the status of the loan be for now. They stated that it was not their intention to harass me and that they would mark that I would not pay. On Monday, we started receiving letters that I was in default. To this date, we are still trying to resolve this matter.

Worst call center reps EVER, ANYWHERE. They must not take notes when they talk to you, because the next time you call, they have no idea what you're talking about. They will not acknowledge the fax you send them, and if they do, the next time you call they'll insist they didn't get it. They'll tell you you owe them money, you pay it, and they still bombard you with phone calls. You pay them, they insist you didn't pay them what you were supposed to. You speak with a supervisor, they tell you one thing, in a week, month... it's as though the conversation never took place. You cannot contact supervisors directly. You'll almost never be able to understand the reps due to their heavy accents and fast talk. They'll steer you wrong everytime, and give you inaccurate information and empty assurances.
Make Sallie Mae your last LAST last resort for loans. i recently consolidated some other student loans with American Education Services, and WOW, it's like night and day: the people at AES are great! And no late payment fees (for at least a month i think). they make paying back your loans easy as pie. with sallie mae it's like pulling teeth from the ### of the the incredible hulk - on steroids. And i'm pretty sure these people are totally scamming people out of money left and right. I can't believe they're not being prosecuted for something.

I have trying to ask a general question, but no one seems to be able to help me without my sons information. IT IS A GENERAL QUESTION! When I finally got through to someone I was frustrated because I had to go through numerous buttons on the phone and I picked the one that could hopefully get me to a live human being. I finally spoke with two people (with very strong accents), so I asked to speak with someone that speaks English and they hung up on me! I NEED ANSWERS and this is frustrating!

April 06, i tried to medically defer pmnts, smf said no, another co tried to take over loan, smf said no. In june 2007 i tried to pay off loan, smf mailed my ck back to me- no reason, i called, customer 'lack of' service said "your info does not match any accts here" i tried to pay via internet, my pmnts keep getting reversed, smf said my bank can not locate this acct, my bank says acct fine, smf has the wrong bank to the wrong route number- i told them ! They wont take a credit card they have stalled me for answers for over a year ! Now i have 3000.00 in late fees, all i want to do is pay off my loan ! I have documentation of all of this, therefore, smf may not sue me for this posting !

My son did not graduate until July from NMSU. I had six months after his graduation to begin paying this loan. We had and even put the loan I have on my son's list to pay back. I had to get the loan for him to finish college. Sallie Mae refused to put this on his list for all loans to become one loan. All other loans for colleages are doing this. I read of all the compliants from Sallie Mae lieing about loans that were never processed and this happened to my son. Sallie claims he recieved money and they can't even give us the back of the checks Shawn Pinion is my son. Even asked for two other checks and Shawn never recieved, but NMSU signed for and not Shawn and Sallie Mae still wants money he never recieved. We are sueing and going to court for this. Sallie Mae calls our work and they call our home not once but over 12 times in a day at times. They are to stop calling my work or I will sue them for this also. I will help my son pay back some of his loan, but I have to get two bills paid off before I can begin this. I am sick of Sallie Maes phone calls and harassment. There are laws for comsumers. I want a stop put to these calls and the rudeness on how they treat customers. They are hateful and rude to no means. It is bad enough our young men and women have to go into debt to get a head in life for an education. I know there are alot of problems with Sallie Mae and they need to be corrected. I will go to the Attorney Generals Office and Higher up the chain of command on this company.

Thank you,
Mrs. Pinion
[protected]

Sallie Mae / Student Loans Customer Service
www.salliemae.com

I became disabled in July 2005. This year, I finally got disability and received a good amount of backpay. I owed my landlord for back rent, which was the agreement we made, she would let me live there, as long as I paid her back when I got my disability.

I paid her through my banks electronic payment system, bill pay, but I accidentally sent it to Sallie Mae instead. I owed them about $1,300, which was on a loan that had been deferred because of my hardship status. I sent them $4,000, which was the amount that I was supposed to send my landlady. A few days before I sent it, I had requested a disability exemption from them, which means that they cancel the loan as long as I never work again, which, unfortunately, is going to be the case. My bank said that if money was owed, there was no way they could get the money back that I'd sent electronically... GRRRrrrlll.

When I contacted Sallie Mae, everything was fiiinnneee. Yes, they would send the full amount back as long as I wrote a letter explaining the details. I immediately wrote the letter saying that I'd transferred money to the wrong account, etc., I called them weekly asking what was going on. I was told several times that the whole amount would be credited back to my bank account. Well, low and behold, about a month went by and they had taken out the amount that I owed them. When I called back, I talked to yet another supervisor who told me that I would soon be getting a letter explaining the reason why they took the money. The "letter" came a few days later and it basically said, thanks for paying off your student loan we appreciate your business. UGH!

Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were. ~~ Cherie Carter-Scott