Apr 10
21
Nelnet Refusing Calls from VRS Customers
I owe money in college student loans to two entities: one is the government, and one is Nelnet. I’m notoriously absent-minded, so it isn’t a surprise when I forget my password to a site. Up to date, I’ve been making my monthly payments via Nelnet’s website.
Until now, that is. I forgot my password. So I called Nelnet.
Nelnet, a college loan financing company, has been refusing to process my calls. They are demanding that I print out a form, sign it, and fax/scan it and send it back to them if I want to be able to call them via VRS. I tried to speak to a Nelnet supervisor about this, but the Nelnet supervisor was very uncooperative, and said policy is policy– they do not permit third party calls, even if it’s the VRS.
I was having problems signing on their website to make my usual monthly payment, so I called them to reset the login on the website. They refused to, in spite of my providing them with all correct self-identifying information, claiming they cannot reset the login due to the call being a third party call. I then asked to pay my balance so it would not be past due. They declined to accept the payment due to it being a “third party call”.
I don’t have a fax, nor a printer. Which means if they email the form to me, I have to go to Kinko’s just to be able to print it out, sign it, then fax it back to them. I could use my workplace fax machine, but I don’t feel comfortable using my job’s equipment for personal purposes. I’m sure I could get permission, but I’d rather avoid it when possible.
This seems quite unfair– I’m unable to pay my balance either via website or via phone. I cannot mail in my payment because I’m required to have the Nelnet bill stub so they’re able to process the payment properly.
While I could do this– seems like too much hassle, and very unfair– how is this functional equivalency when any hearing person can easily call them and have their call processed?
I may be mistaken, and feel free to correct me if that’s indeed the case, but such a practice is a violation of the law (either ADA or FCC policy, not sure which one, if not both). I’ll have to do research to find out what law the incident is in violation of, find out reference numbers, so I can write Nelnet a letter explaining their situation.
I attempted to contact my state (California) attorney general to see what they can do to contribute towards a resolution of my situation, but their Public Inquiry Unit call center was apparently closed early. So I called my local Congressman Tom McClintock’s district office. Someone there picked up, and after I explained the situation, the person said they knew someone who worked at the State Attorney General office, and asked for my contact information. I provided it to the person, and the person said they would pass along my information to them and that they would be in contact with me.
They also added that because it was a private corporation, the Attorney General was the only one that could assist in this matter, that the Congressman was only able to deal with governmental agencies.
The VI that was processing my call when I called the congressman at the end of the call suggested I contact the Federal Disability Law Center in Washington, DC to see what options they could offer me, so I will be calling them tomorrow.
I also emailed the National Association of the Deaf (and also renewed my membership, since I had let it lapse) to see what options or advice NAD could offer.
I have a few weeks before I’m very much past due, at which point if a resolution has not been reached, I’ll probably just cave and just ask my manager for his okay for my using the fax machine for personal use.
If you guys have any ideas on how to best handle this, feedback would be appreciated.
Posted in Deafness Personal The Corporate Scene by .
