Complaint Review: Keybank

I have an educational loan through keybank for around 9,000 dollars.

I knew I was exiting my grace period, and so called asking if I could receive a statement on my balance. I verified my SSN, my name, DOB, etc, but they kept telling me the address I was giving was incorrect. Finally, both I and the rep (Duane) were exasperated, and he said I didn't even have the state right.

They were showing I lived in Ohio. I live in Illinois. I have lived in Illinois since the age of 11, and have not even spent a full week outside of the state. I couldn't fathom how they could have changed my address without me telling them to, but I told him I could provide him any manner of documents that he needed to prove my residence, and he said he could not help me, and transferred me to a "Diane's" extension, where I only got a voicemail.
Over the course of the next week, I left a message with diane four times. I called Duane back, and he was more than a little rude with me, telling me it is not his responsibility to ensure another rep calls back, and that there is nothing he can do for me.

I gave up and went back to the 800 number to get a new basic rep who could help. They gave me the extension of Don Williams (around this time, I started writing down the dates, times, numbers, extensions, and full names of everyone I spoke to) who said I was now in delinquency with my loan. I paid him 95.00 over the phone, which he said paid down my loan to the point it should be at, and that I could begin making regular payments. He updated my address in the system, and I did receive a confirmation mail that I had done a check by phone. This was in August of 2006.

In the beginning of November 2006, I began getting messages on my voicemail about an account in danger of going into default with keybank. I called Don Williams, who assured me that the account was in good standing and that I was paid up.

I called the number on the voicemail back and discovered that my loan, which was supposed to be a cumulative loan of my junior and senior year in college, had been split into two loans. I went through my contract and could not find anything that spoke of this nature, but evidently, one of the loans was still going to the Ohio address (?!) and so I was not aware and was not paying on it.

I spoke with rep Dana Harris. I told her about the address problem, but because part of my contract stipulates that I will pay the bills even if I do not receive a statement, I could not pull the loan out of default. She informed that without a payment by November 10th, my wages would begin to be garnished. Granted, I am 21 - even with a job in advertising, they would make less by garnishing my wages than by allowing me to make a monthly payment.
She told me my only options were to settle the claim or put 10% down and then begin monthly payments.

I don't know about everyone else that graduates from college with 18,000 in total loans, but I don't have the 9,000 to settle or even the 900 dollars. I'm independent of my parents, who do not have that sum of money to pay me either, with two younger brothers and a business to run. My bank, upon running a credit check and seeing I'm being reported in default, would not loan me the money, even on a three month basis (for the 10%).

I told Dana all of this, and she suddenly decided I could pay 150.00 a month (only 90 goes towards the principal each month). I gave her a check by phone. The day the check was supposed to process came and went, so I called her to be sure everything was going to be okay. She told me to give it a couple days to clear, and then informed me that keybank had decided to switch what her branch worked on, and they would not be handling student loans anymore.

I called for my new rep yesterday, as for the month of December, I have not received a bill still. I do still receive bills on the _other_ loan, but not this one. Karl, my new rep, was very friendly as far as helping me do a check by phone (which is getting very tiring, because it comes with a 10 dollar fee) but when I spoke to him too about what happened previously, he said he could offer no help.

I'm at my wits end. I've filed complaints with keybank and left endless voicemails. I've gotten to the point I can't even stand the idea of calling anymore. Everyone has a different story, everyone's trying to get their bonuses for getting claims settled, and keybank seems to be such a large, convoluted company, that no one knows which way is up.

Katy
Peoria, Illinois
U.S.A.