I am a current online college student who has a chronic illness. A few years ago, at my father's insistence, I got a private loan while attending a physical university. I knew very little about loans, and thought the loan was just part of the other government loans I had signed up for.
Unfortunately, during the semester, I became very ill and had to drop my classes because my degree was not offered online, and I often had to lay down. I placed what I thought was all my loans in forbearance. My grandfather who is very ill now with a heart condition and in his eighties was the co-signer on the private loan.
About 2 years later and unable to work still due to chronic illness, I enrolled in an online school to try to finish up my last year of classes.By then, a servicing company called ACS had began to handle my loans.
They had sent me letters stating that my loans were in deferment and knew I was in school from their computers. Nevertheless, they insisted that I had to have a verification of enrollment from my current university for my private loan about 3 weeks ago.
I told them I would take care of it, but before my school was even able to send them the verification, they had already paid off my loan and placed it in default without even telling me.
I found this out because a family member contacted me that a company named MRS was harassing my grandfather and being rude to him. He is a very sweet and pleasant man to everyone. There was no need for MRS to be so mean to him.
Mrs wouldn't give out their business name upon calling him. The person that called identified himself as Brian Larson and gave the phone number of 8009324491. Please keep in mind these people never once sent me any paperwork showing they have a legal right to collect a debt from my grandfather or me. They never contacted me prior to contacting my grandfather.
As soon as I received Mr. Larson's number, I called him to inquire about this matter and see who was actually owed the debt and if it could be placed in deferment until I graduated at least.
Mr. Larson refused to answer any of my questions, though I was professional and respectful with a pleasant, calm tone. (I am in a communication class with a 96, studying to be a Human Resources Manager and was trying to showcase my talents).
The problem is that my newly learned skills did not amount to anything. This man was indeed very rude, speaking over me, yelling, snide, and refused to listen to anything I had to say. He refused to give me the company's name. I then asked for a supervisor, he refused that as well. Then he hung up on me.
I called back he did the same thing as before. Mind you, the whole time I was pleasant and spoke in a calm respectful manner. I was not going to let these people reduced me to their level, which I found to be very childish and highly unprofessional.
I called back again, and I got an operator or receptionist that identified the business as MRS Associates. I thanked her, and asked to speak to Mr. Larson's supervisor was almost as rude and unprofessional as he was. Her name is Christie Nicholson. She spoke over me, interrupted me, and yelled at me, and refused to mail me proof of their legal right to collect the debt or that they were hired by New York Mellon & Trust.
Luckily, throughout all of these conversations, I had 2 witnesses that heard them yelling through the phone. I say luckily, because I just found out that MRS called my grandfather again, and this time lied to him that I was yelling and screaming to them.
The biggest problem of all is that I do not know who has my loan or who the debt is even owed to at this point. ACS claims it is UBS Financial. Christie Nicholson with MRS Asssociates claims it is New York Bank of Mellon and Trust. However, what concerns me is that I called both of those institutions, and both claim that they have no information on me and do not have dealings with MRS associates.
Now, I find that this MRS company is "shady", and there are numerous complaints against them. Bank of New York Mellon & Trust seems to have a very good reputation. I cannot imagine why that institution would want to associate itself with an unprofessional, vile, possibly fraudulent company such as MRS Associates.
I have written a letter to MRS that I am sending tomorrow certified mail requesting proof of their legal right to collect the debt and have also requested that they do not contact anyone other than me and then, by mail only. Does anyone know how to stop these people? Please help! They are unscrupulous, and are literally trying to upset my grandfather who has heart problems!
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