I, like many others, defaulted on my student loans. When I got a little older and realized just how bad this is, I started looking in to ways to get my loans out of default. I called my original lendors, who were very nice but couldn't help me because they had sold my loans to a collection agency, Van Ru. When I heard Van Ru a light went off in my head. I had been getting 800# calls on my cell phone for months, but no voicemails. When I called these numbers back it was for Van Ru. Van Ru said they didn't know who I was or the nature of the call.
So, I called Van Ru to inquire on rehabilitating my student loans (I had been given a lot of helpful information from my original lendor, thankfully!) but was told that my only option was repayment in full. No one that answers the phone at Van Ru speaks standard English, so it was difficult for me to understand them. And a little amusing that the people who are collecting on my student loans can't speak!
So, after getting no where with them on this call, I did more research into my options for getting my loans out of default. There are many! The government wants their money any way they can get it! So, turns out that even though Van Ru had purchased my cell phone number, they claim that they didn't have my address. Funny, since my phone bills go there. The property is in my name. Utilities are in my name. Cable, you got it, in my name. They claim they couldn't find me! My drivers license has had my correct address for as long as I can remember!
I told Van Ru I wanted them to mail me correspondence. They claim to have mailed me several things. Funny, since I had just given them my address! Anyway, I told them to mail me information on loan rehabilitation with affordable and reasonable monthly payments. They wanted payment in full. So, I filed a complaint with the student loan ombudsman that I am trying to work something out and they are not willing to work with me.
Van Ru then called my parent's house! They couldn't find my address, but they found my Mom who has a different last name. Hmm. I happened to be there when they called and the woman was, again, speaking some sort of ebonics that I could not understand. I told her I needed to speak to someone that spoke standard English and she set the phone down and was yelling in the background to "aks" another coworder to help me. I told her that would only correspond via mail and hung up.
In the meantime, I had filed a consolidation on my loans. My loan will go back to the federal government. I will have reasonable and affordable monthly payments. And I will be able to understand the person at the other end of the phone.
Oh, the woman at van ru also said my loans had been in default for over 15 years. I told her to check her math. I am in my 20s!!! Idiots. They call early moring, late at night, Sundays, don't leave messages, don't know who I am when I call back, claim my phone number is bad when I'm sending a text right now, claim they don't know where I am when all my bills come here, did not offer me any repayment options available, called my family AFTER I had filed for a loan consolidation and they will not be in charge of my loan anymore. Stupid stupid stuped. If you are going to use the phone to collect education debts, know how to speak.
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