So I have student loans through Salie Mae. I was a pretty dumb kid when I got them and the loan % was really stupid. I took the loans anyway. When I didn't find a job out of college I put them on forbearance still not knowing what I was doing. Soon after I did my research and realized I was really up the creek. Now I am not going to give you some sob story and tell you how much of a victim I am. What I am going to tell you is that since I have been with Salie I have discovered that it is a horrible loan vendor. They have consistently screwed up my paper work, then charged me for the screw up. They have no inner office communication, and their employees are empowered to do nothing.

Worse they have lobbyist in the government whom somehow got a bill passed that states the government would pay back and student loan the company gives out incase someone cannot make their payments. Trouble is Salie owns the collection agency as well. So no matter what they will get their 40% or you will go to jail. The hidden fees are not so hidden later on, and forget about appealing or consolidating.

With that bit of background and frustration here is the letter I received from Salie Mae.

Dear (*ahem* <Seabass>),


Paying back your student loans can be a challenge, especially in the current economic environment. Soon you may receive your economic stimulus payment from the IRS. You can use this "free" money to reduce the delinquency on your past due student loan account and help your account avoid default. Protect you and your cosigner's credit rating by using your stimulus refund to reduce the delinquency on your student loan account.

Simply log into your account on www.salliemae.com where you can make a payment and manage your account. Or, you are welcome to call us at 0010 and we will be happy to assist you.


Sincerely,

Steve *****

Default Prevention Specialist

So I sort of snapped.

Dear Steve,

While I do know you are only doing your job I have to put forth something of a response. Please know I don't aim this at you in any way and please forgive my venting in this matter.

I don't need Sallie Mae to send me reminders on how I should give them all my money. They do that every single day at Ten Am, 2 Pm, and more than twice per night with automated messages to my phone. I have written in asking and begging for help to lower my monthly payments or to find suitable options to improve my quality of life while yet paying back what I owe. Suitable options never include intrest only payments, or forebearance. With out proper explination the suggestions of forbearance is how I got myself into the terrible mess of more than half my income per year that I am in now.

I concede that it was my fault that I got here. I should have done my research, I should have taken more time in my decisions in all of this. Thanks to your company helping my efforts through college I now have a good job. However for the next ten years it might be unlikely I can purchase a home for my family or advance my credit to a decent margin. While I was given a shot at a better life I was also taken over the yard arm for 75k in lashes. I'm not a kid anymore but I certainly was back then. Your company has the chance to make hopes and dreams come to life. Turning a massive profit or tossing the losers of this rat race to the collection agency Sallie Mae owns as well just makes the whole thing seem nearly pointless.

If you can do anything with your position there Steve please make it something that gives a bit of hope to thoes that come in bright eyed and get tossed out on their butts harshly into a world we know to be very cruel. When they get to that first crap apartment looking for the first, likely crappy, job please try to help them then and there. When the bills are due that is when Sallie Mae is needed to be a good company, not on the interest rates. I don't know what that could be but even something would make Sallie Mae stand out among a very distasteful crowd.

Please don't bother writing me back. As I said this was something that isn't about you, just my own frustrations. Thank you for this letter though. I know what I am doing with my extra money now.

I'm contributing it to someone else's dreams.

Your delinquent but hopeful borrower,
<Seabass>

Shortly after I was contacted by a manager that wanted to help me with intrest only payments or forebearance...

I really hate these people.

Seaba