Progress Advocates Group LLC

We cancelled our agreement and contacted her finance Company to cancel her

This complaint harms any business providing a service.  We have an agreement that clearly states people can do the work we do on their own.  We state that on the first page in writing and again verbally.  You can change your own oil, file your own taxes, make your own business plan,...

etc.  A lot of work can be performed by people "for free".  Repeating that the Servicer told them they could do this "for free" after we worked for them is not a way out of paying us.  A lot of people do not have the time, knowledge and experience to address their student loan debts.  The Servicers never addressed their situation either as they can see from the results we provide.  To ask us to refund or not get paid for our COMPLETED services is an insult to our employees and valuable service we provide.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. ...

For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
I have been attempting to communicate with them and several emails have been sent from myself and the business. I have requested we discuss through email as their business hours are only when I am also working and cannot easily discuss via phone. They are not sending me any info via email other than to ask to speak via phone. I am taking the afternoon off today in an attempt to reach them via phone.
Regards,
[redacted]

We do not know why the client is objecting to our response.

We believe our reply is sufficient and do not argue with this kind of individual.

The complaint should be against student advocates for their failure to enroll me the correct student loan program, withholding information and false advertisement. I paid for a service that I didn't receive. Equitable acceptance is the lender in which student advocates used. Neither company will...

accept responsibility or refund me for their negligence. Both companies also have had horrible customer service and treated me with such disrespect.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
As a consumer who is/was paying a monthly fee for the management of my [redacted] loan account, I expect monthly service. The haphazard way they do business is negligent as I stated before.  If indeed, this is how they "manage" consumer accounts, then perhaps they should only collect an annual fee for their poor management services, instead of greedily taking money from unassuming people.  When a contract is signed, services are agreed upon.  Their offer to manage my account fell short of their promise.  As I stated before, had I not known to check my loan statements and catch that zero payments had been applied to the PSLF program, I may still be blindly paying money for services I was not receiving. Their business is based on entrapment by advertising.  Bogus ads about [redacted] loan relief lead those of us in deb to supply our personal information to a web based server and then they literally stalk us.  As I was informed by the Department of Ed, any one reaching out to individuals to offer a service they provide for FREE is fraud.  I stand by my complaint.  Thank you kindly.  
Regards,
[redacted]

We cancelled our agreement and contacted her finance Company to cancel her.

We notified the client that we completed our services and she had a year's worth of repayments of $0.00 under her REPAYE plan starting 10/16/16.  This is a yearly income based program.  She did not pay in full in 2016 and wanted to stretch out the repayment of our fees.  Then in 2017...

when it came time to recertify her income. she elected to do this herself.  We would re certify 2017 without charge.  11/28/17 client called and stated she wants us to stop her recertification and we told her that does not mean we work for free and she owed us our fees.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To whom it may concern, your employees are trained, dedicated and hardworking at misleading, lying to and playing on the emotions of many students who are trying to faithfully pay off their student loans, including myself.To your response #1. The original person who 1st contacted me and every person after that whom I have spoken with has stated, my loans will be and have been consolidated and I will be and have been enrolled in a Forgiveness loan program. The man who opened this account for me even called it another name, something like the "[redacted] Act". Notice, I stated, "something like" since you like to turn things around into , false statements. Even recently, [redacted] from Progress Advocates stated on September 7, 2017,  that my loans were consolidated by your company and I told them they were not!  He would not let it go! He kept defending that response. So What does " Process her program switch" mean? Let's be clear, I did not request anything from you guys. The man who first contacted me, may have given me options,  but I NEVER called you, looking for you to help me with my student loans. You scouted me out and contacted me!!!! So don't state in this dispute that I REQUESTED anything from you, like I was looking to make up my own deal with your company! That is ABSOLUTELY FALSE! Your companies' offer and promises to me were untrue, false and unrighteous and I will not do business with such people and I want to make know to others that your company PREYS on students like me, trying to pay off their student loans. That is not right and unfair! There are better ways to do business. Your company offered me 3 main things:#1. To consolidate all of my student loans. ( You did not do this! They were already consolidated in 2014 and not by your company.)#2. Enroll me into a "Forgiveness Loan Plan". (According to [redacted], who own my loan, they state you have no authority to do so, or make any other changes to my student loan. And as of today, September 10, 2017, I am not enrolled in any such program!)#3. Charge me a service fee. (An amount that I would pay you monthly until the fee was paid. A service fee is NOT an open a line of credit putting me into more debt!!!!!!!)Stop doing business dishonestly![redacted] R. Your ]
Regards,
[redacted]

Client called into our office for we were not able to submit her IDR app on time and FL already have her on different payment. We explained to client that her file was just re-assigned to us and we will take care of her from here on. Client gave us her MFL account for we need to get her on...

** status for a past due $404 that will be due on 01/05/2018. we told her that we will be taking over her account from here on to straighten things out for her. Client is also requesting us to leave her a vm if she does not answer for she is a nurse and always busy. Client sent in all documentation to us to assist her with her student loan debt, we called [redacted] on behalf of the client and we spoke to a supervisor named [redacted], he let us know f the program options for the client, we sent an email on 2/22/2018 of this information to make decision on which program the client feels is best for her and her finances, we never received a response back from the client, we are still waiting. We never stated we work along side the DOE, in all compliance calls our clients go through after initially signing up for services, we express to all client's in the phone recording that we are a 3rd party documentation preparation services that help the client get qualified for a repayment program with the DOE, our services are not for free, which the client actively is aware of and signed two legal contracts for our services a long with a phone recording of the client understanding out terms and conditions and fees, the open line of credit is the client choosing to do a financing payment plan, where the client was able to pay a small monthly fee each month rather than pay for services for four years all up front which the client also was given that option as well.

This is the copy of the agreement.  [redacted] told me that I did not need to include my husband's income to get a reduced payment amount on my student loans based solely on my income.  However, this is not the case.  They always include all income.  Also, he said that since my...

grandchildren were living with me and that even though this was a temporary situation that they would qualify as dependents.  This too was not the case.  I have additional documentation at home from the Fed Loan servicing regarding the Student Advocates request and outcomes.  I can get that to you over the weekend.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
Regards,
[redacted]

We have dedicated and hardworking employees and we apologize to them for this depiction of our services.  1)      We did not offer to consolidate her loans ( they were already consolidated).  We did process her program switch as she requested and as we...

acknowledged. 2)      Client stated to us that she is a teacher.   She wanted to be placed in a federal student loan forgiveness program.  She had that information but here it is again AND she needs to pay attention: The Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program is intended to encourage individuals to enter and continue in the teaching profession. Under this program, if you teach full-time for five complete and consecutive academic years in certain elementary and secondary schools and educational service agencies that serve low-income families, and meet other qualifications, you may be eligible for forgiveness of up to a combined total of $17,500 on your Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and your Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans. If you have PLUS loans only, you are not eligible for this type of forgiveness.   3)      Client needs to read her agreement to pay us for our fees, we are not her student loan servicer and she has that in writing. 4)      She needs to have a discussion with herself before she states she wanted to reduce her student loan monthly payments but not follow a process to achieve that.

She keeps stating that we have enrolled her into the wrong program and we have informed her numerous times that she is in the right program and that it allows for forgiveness (PSLF) proof if filed yearly. We informed her how PSLF works. She wanted to argue saying that she has talked to several people stating that that was not so. We assured her all we had to do was send in the information and her past year time would be covered as long as she has made the payments on time. She asked us to cancel sending the PSLF and told us we should not follow up.

I am with Progress Advocates for 2 years, when I signed with them for the Service they explained for me the fees and asked me if I would like to finance the fees, I understand from the reviews some clients wanted to cancel the finance fees because they wanted to submit there own application for free, it is in the contact that you have to pay the fees if the work was done for the first year and you will receive service for 3 years, I am happy as of today with the company and they helped me a lot with my student loans, I dont have time for all the hassle with the department of education, when we ask for service, as Americans we know better that there is nothing for free

We do not want to discuss this peron's finances here.  She should check her Non sufficient funds reports.

On 11/20/2015 we called this client to tell her our services got her a [redacted] approval for the IBR program with a monthly payment of 0.00. first payment to [redacted] was due on 11/15/2015 and we emailed the client to give her the update on her new repayment plan program.  She has to re...

certify her income every year to stay in the $0 repayment to [redacted].  That has nothing to do with paying us for our services and she did not pay us in full when we completed this work and still has not completed paying us which she can do at any time.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
As I stated before this company provided false information to me and told me that they was going to help me get my loans removed based on my income. I had and still is working with the government on consolidating and fixing my loan status. On top of that you are inaccurately reporting this to the credit braise as a credit card which it is not and is having a negative effect on my credit.
Regards,
[redacted]

As you can see from the complaint, the client financed the fees for our services which is a choice she made instead of paying in full.  She owes that Finance Company and just like a credit card, when you don't pay on time the balance increases.  It is that simple.  She refused our help to complete her PSLF form abd we released her from our contract.