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Windham Professionals

Windham Professionals review: Rude and seems like a scam 103

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Author of the review
11:18 am EST
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This company has been calling me non stop for a few yrs now, claiming that I had a student loan that was in collections that I never paid. I was young, stupid, and just got out of college and I didnt know any better. So, I started making small payments here and there regarding it. The only statement theyve ever sent me is one that is from their letterhead. I thought I consolidated all my loans with Chase Student Loans Services but they insist on me having these loans from the MA Board of student loans. One guy from there who has called me claims to be Billy Vasil or Milly Basil. He slurs his words and when I told him I was making monthly payments of $50 and thats how it was gonna be to stop calling me, he got very rude and was somewhat insulting. I dont put up with anyone talking to me like that, nevermind some guy from a collection agency. So i decided to do some research since he keeps calling and leaving harrasing messages. I was just curious what my rights were, how can I find out if this is a scam, and what can I do? How can I make the calls stop?

Thanks You

Frank Rubino

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103 comments
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Charles MjR
, US
Nov 06, 2019 5:29 am EST

These people called me and told me that they could have me arrested if I didn't pay the Balance on my Student loans. I told the guy he was full of crap! He then said hold on a minute, so he got someone else who was supposed to be his supervisor and he said that he could have the FBI at my front door in 30 minutes or less! I had at that time just started getting my SSI for my disability and it was only $380.00 per month. I told the guy that I had just started getting my SSI and I told him how much I get. So he said well guess what? I asked what? He said we are going to garnish your SSI for the next three years at $389.00 a month. I laughed and said [censored], I just told you I only get $380.00. He said yes I know and you are going to send us and extra 9.00 a month. I said I tell you what, I am going to speak with my attorney about this and I'll get back to you and I started to hang up on him. He said wait, then he told the other guy sitting there to call the FBI now! This guy had me scared, so I gave in and for the next three years I paid them $389.00 a month. This happened during Obama days. I had to borrow the extra $9.00 plus the money for the money order and stamp to send them all the money. This company should have their business license revoked by the BBB in all states! I asked the guy if I could send a check and he said NO, I had to send a Money order. After the three years was over, I was contacted by another company who wanted to know when I was going to take care of this Student loan. I told them that I had just paid Windham Collections and it was supposed to have been paid off now. These people said there was no record of paying anything on these loans. That was 7 years ago, and recently I got a call from Spartan Documents company pretending to be 100% legitimate. I thought they were so I set everything up with them to take the money right out of my Direct Express card at $189.00 a month for 5 months and then $59.00 a month for three years, something about that 3 years thing? Then after I hung up and I thought everything was good and kosher I called the guy back at the number I had for him and low and behold, the number you have dialed is no longer in service, or has been changed, etc. you know the drill! I had been had again. So as of today, they did try to take the money from my Direct Express Debit card and the payment was refused to be paid out! Thank God! I know because they sent me an email stating that the payment had been turned down and gave me a new number to call. So I called it, talked to them after I had time to check out that company on the Internet and found that they don't exist! So I had a good time with the guy telling him that the reason they didn't get the money is because LIFELOCK and Direct Express work together to keep me safe from thieves like you. He got irate with me then he threatened to have me locked up and said you know what bud do what ever floats your boat, then I hung up. I waited ten minutes, called the number back and guess what, the number you have dialed is no longer in service or has been changed, etc.! Does anyone know who the makers of the Magic Jack are? I want to sue them on a personal basis for allowing these people to use that device to commit these crimes with and force the makers of Magic Jack to make a KILL CODE to that we can punch into our phone when we suspect we are being scammed and we can shut the down, destroy not only their computers and magic jacks but their entire network!

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alexander roshinko
, US
Aug 20, 2019 4:33 pm EDT

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Brian Trepaney
, US
Mar 30, 2019 8:58 am EDT

Commercial Mananger Ken Houle. Makes you laugh. TN closed. Lost a 400 million dollar student loan contract with the federal government and my best decision ever was packing my box. Too many people believe they are great inside the walls of 380 Main. Be humble. Admit your faults and give it your best. Once you do you realize that this guy and a few of his friends got a little karma issue. Please paste below link in your browser and read about admitted child molester Ken Houle. Have a day!

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/local-news/2019/01/23/goffstown-man-allegedly-molested-nashua-girl/

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AlexD123
, US
Jun 18, 2018 2:16 pm EDT

Debt collector did not process the proper amount owed on my account (which was double the original amount since I had NEVER been contacted about it in the first place) resulting in a default of $2 keeping me from getting financial aid for college. I paid the account in full last November and they refused to send out proof of payment. Now, as I'm down to the wire applying for financial aid to further my education, I found out that a mere "$2 in default status" they were supposed to take care of in the $1006.13 they were supposed to pay to the school will keep me from getting financial aid and delay my education even further. When I explained this issue man I spoke to was rude, unsympathetic (chuckled at my issue), and insisted that even though he admitted it was an employee's mistake, I had to pay $7 to have the account truly paid in full. I did it, in desperation but I know it was fruitless.

SUMMARY: Thanks to Windham Professionals, my education will be put on hold over TWO DOLLARS.

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Dinky Doo
, US
Apr 28, 2017 7:32 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

If they are calling you, you or someone you know owes the us dept of ed for a federally funded student loan. man up and take the call. if the person they're calling for isn't you, say it isn't you and stop calling your number. if it is you, and they verify it's you by verifying your first/last name and last 4 of your ss# or dob, listen to the spiel they have to give by law and see what's up. if you have no loan, don't hang up, tell them so or the calls won't stop. if you tell them you have no loans, they'll send you promissory notes to your current address. once you have those and review the signatures on them, if it still isn't you, fill out the papers in the time frame that you have... there is a deadline on that paperwork or collections will begin again... if it is you, the is a federal loan... it doesn't go away through bankruptcy or by any other means unless you're 100% disabled. if you are, tell them so. that way they can obtain your paperwork and ed will discontinue collections once you've proved that fact. they can and will offset your refunds from federal and state, they can and will garnish your wages. they can and will offset your ssa/ssi or any social security checks you receive. they can do this without court orders because this is a federal loan. better to pay voluntary payments than to wait until they are involuntary because... surprise! you're more broke than if you had worked with them and they give you months of them calling and calling and calling for you to man up and face your responsibilities. if you took out the loan, you need to pay it back. if you didn't finish school, you still took out the loan. if the school closed, fill out the paperwork with ed to possibly have it discharged... keep your address updated or don't cry that you've never received notice of garnishment or set offs. that's your responsibility. don't whine that you were never told this was going to happen if you do not keep a current address on file. you took out the loan. be an adult and take control of the debt before it is controlled by you.

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Marcince81
, US
Jan 17, 2016 8:31 pm EST

I have been receiving on average two calls a week from "John Hurley" from Windham. This has been going on for months now. I ignored the messages, because I was already paying Windham through automatic withdrawal, and I felt overwhelmed. I couldn't understand why I was being harassed, even receiving these calls at work. One day I sat down with my Windham paperwork and called the number on the letter. I spoke with a polite woman who said I was caught up on my payments and that there was no record of anyone calling me. I continue to receive calls from this guy. It's stressful. My only guess is that it's a scam, under Windham's name. I wish someone would get to the bottom of this.

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catlover33
Culver City, US
Jun 17, 2015 8:28 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Hi, I have no defaulted student loans and no unpaid bills and these people are calling me. I have perfect credit and all my bills are on autopay. I'm reluctant to call these people back because they dont' have my home phone number and somehow just have my work number. I tend to agree with those saying they are a scam.

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e.m.b
Kingman, US
Dec 05, 2014 1:43 pm EST

Windham professional continually calls work and threatened to have me fired. Rarely ID's themselves and always threatens me.

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Sazzer
, US
Nov 12, 2011 7:08 pm EST

Was contacted today for the second time in 3 weeks and was told I was put down as a refusal of payment. Spoke to a John Riley, who threatened to bring me to court and threatened to have me kicked out of college for nonpayment of my loans.

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KT73
Whitehall, US
Apr 03, 2015 1:02 pm EDT

I must say that my experience with Windham has been just the opposite. I avoided them like the plague when they first began calling because I thought 1) I wouldn't be able to afford the payback right now and 2) Dealing with them would be a headache. I was wrong about both. When I finally decided to call them back I worked with Darryl C. and later Connie T.. Neither were at all demanding, but rather professional and understanding of my situation. We worked out a payment plan that I could afford and the transaction was seamless. I even missed a payment due to my own oversight and they worked with me to get back on track without any negativity. They've made rehabilitating my defaulted student loans easy and uncomplicated.

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educated during the recession
Austin, US
Nov 05, 2014 1:33 am EST

I find it pretty funny that a bunch of people who work in a call center are complaining about people who decided to go to school, better themselves and just so happened to graduate during a recession. Don't you telemarketers worry though, the economy will pick up, we'll hopefully get better jobs, pay more taxes, so we can pay for more social programs that many take advantage of.

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fckem
, US
Aug 14, 2014 6:12 pm EDT

How to stop and take down debt collection call centers with just your iphone

The problem – you receive multiple calls over and over from the same call center.
The solution – call them all back, only this time we are going to call them back all at once!
We are going to tie up 4-12 call center employees at a time, for as long as you like.  
This will certainly be noticed by the debt collection company management.  
After we hold their expensive call center hostage with just your cell phone, we will demand they lose the number.
If we are threatened with legal action, we will remind them that they called us, and that we are just calling them back
(just all at once :>  ).
1. answer a phone call from a collections call center, and demand that they stop calling you, then hang up.
This puts the # in your recents list on your iphone.
2. dial the # back. (it is important not to mute the line, just don’t say anything)
3. when the call gets answered, hit the ‘add call‘ button on your iphone
4. click on ‘recents‘, and dial back the same # in step 2.
5. when that call answers, hit ‘merge calls‘ on your iphone
6. now repeat steps 2-5 until you have several calls conferenced together.
I like to get about 5 or 6 agents on the phone, screaming at each other.  
Some will hang up, I just keep calling back and adding more conference calls to the same number.  
At some point the agents will figure out that something fishy is going on.  
Try very hard not to bust out laughing.
After about 10-15 minutes of tying up their employees, I usually chime in and say something like
“tell your supervisor I will tie up all of his employees for as long as I wish, and will do so every time you call me.  tell your supervisor to stop calling this phone number.  its not cost effective anymore!”
And then hang up, and try not to die laughing….

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awareofbs
Miami Gardens, US
Oct 12, 2013 2:45 am EDT

Be aware that they are trying to override the govt while on shut down. If they were govt entity they would be closed like everyone else including the department of education who is currently closed. My employer will not sign ### for you or give permission to garnish my wages so try this ### when the govt reopens and see how far you get!

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awareofbs
Miami Gardens, US
Oct 12, 2013 2:36 am EDT

Stop pretending to work for the government when they are closed for business. I can't even talk to the Irs now due to shut down so take your lies elsewhere and stop harrassing me! Department of edu. Had no such record of me owing a loan that you are trying to collect idiots!

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arizonagal516
, US
Mar 21, 2013 6:52 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

these people are rude, obnoxious, and nosy...i told them i was working with the dept of ed to pay my loans and they wanted to know what my arrangements with them are...none of your business, lady...secondly, i told them to stop calling my in laws because this is not their issue...now they are calling me all the time but not talking when i answer the phone...i can hear voices in the background and typing, but no one answers...they are very unprofessional...in this economy, i would think they would take whatever people can pay...yes, it is wrong to default...but if you are working to get it taken care of, that should be applauded---you should not be degraded and humiliated...

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Gil Hooley
, IE
Nov 07, 2012 8:22 am EST

"tools" you are a tool! the gripe here is not about the debt owed but the collection practices as a whole. I find it funny that windham employees actually are responding to messages in this board in a defensive manner. yeah, real professional! maybe you should spend your time using your "tools" and tracking down debtors instead of defending your sleazeball company and tactics. incicdently, my father didn't default on his student loan, I did. so do me a favour and quit hassling my 80 year old father!

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windhamprosnh
Salem, US
Oct 09, 2012 3:56 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Just so you all know, when you, the borrower, signed the contract for your loan, it binded you in a promise that you would repay the amount borrowed plus whatever fees incurred. I work for windham pros & can reassure you all that we are not a scam. we are sub-contracted out by sallie mae to collect debt from previous borrowers. the fact that you took out the loan in the 90's does not matter. the simple fact is if its in default & we're contacting you about it that's your problem, regardless if you were young & dumb or even if you didn't get the degree you sought after. it's technically up to you to keep your loan in good standing with your lender so the fact that we call to collect the debt that's owed even years later does not give you people the right to say we're a scam. sure there might be a few rude collectors but after being hung up on, cussed out, threatened with lawsuit, etc. some tend to get alittle hot-headed, not that it makes it ok. this economy sucks. we really are trying to help you. being rude will get you nowhere fast except for more calls, more interest/collection charges, derogatory comments on your credit report &/or garnishment. alittle hint.. ask about the rehab program we offer or unless you are really in dire straits, ask about the william d. ford program.

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Windham Collector
Orange County, US
Aug 25, 2012 6:45 pm EDT

I am a windham professionals employee. per federal law I have to advise you this is an attempt to collect a debt, and any information I obtain will be used for that purpose, and this email may be monitored or recorded for quality assurance! :} :} :}

I've read a vast majority of these and its the typical debtor attitude, nothing more. the bottom line is this folks, you willingly and knowingly borrowed (key word folks) thousands (sometimes hundreds of thousands) of dollars from the united states government and we the people (because its our tax payer dollars!) in order to obtain an education to better your futures & families. the year was 2002, and 4 years later (2006) you either obtain a degree or you didnt. however, you still took the dismemberments from your student loan regardless of graduating or now. here it is now in mid 2012 and you are making pathetic excuses & making up your own laws in an effort to persuade yourself & others why you shouldn't pay back your loan?

Let me make a few things clear first before we continue. debt collectors know the law inside and out. we have to because debtors like you exist that are looking for any way out of paying their responsibility to the tax payers. yes we can call your job, and believe me we will! yes we can call your family members in an effort to locate you, and locate you we will. you can re-locate to an island with an out house & a hammock and we will still find you, send someone to hand you a sat phone, and ask you how you wish to handle your bill. yes we can set you up to have your wages and your taxes garnished and applied to the loan! if you think we can't then by all means contact us at windham, give your account details, give us a simple rtp (refusal to pay), and tell us where you work. watch magically as the hr dept from your job hands you a notice for awg (admin wage garnishment), then call us back and get on a rhb program so you dont have to hear it from your wife that we're taking 25% of your paycheck each pay period!

Things we cannot and will not do...
We will not make threats! not only is that unlawful, but we dont have to! we have plenty of tools at our disposal to make you see the light. i've discovered that I get more done with sugar than vinegar.in other words, im there to help you, not to make you feel like a pile of dog # for picking up the phone.

This is a federal debt, which means it will not go away until you handle it. theres folks in their 70's that we are still contacting about their federal loans. we will pursue you until the day you die until you pay or get on a program! its immune to statute of limitations, and it will not be discharged by bankruptcy!

Now we understand that not everyone is bill gates and has $1, 000-$250, 000 just laying around to pay a debt from 10 years ago. we offer you a rehab program that does the following for you:
- suspends (or stops pending ones) wage garnishments from happening
- allows you to safely file your federal tax returns and keep your money
- completely removes the defaulted loan from your credit report. like the debt never happened!
- restores your title iv benefits
- suspends the penalties & fees from accruing on your debt

Your monthly payments are based on your principles and interested reflected today and in most cases we can enroll folks on this program for a mere $50 a month! for 9 months, once you make 9 consecutive and timely monthly payments, a new lender assumes control of your loan, pays it off 100%, gets you out of default, and expunges the debt from your credit report!

Ask yourself if its really worth the hassle continuing to dodge your responsibility, or if you are ready to grow up and be a responsible member of society and make an effort to repay your loan!

[protected] < — we are here to help you see a light at the end of the tunnel! you can run, but you cannot hide.

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Jennifer - haha
W. Lebanon, US
Jun 18, 2012 4:16 pm EDT

Windham Professionals called my office and asked for a former employee who has not worked for us in over five years. I notified the caller of such. He kept insisting that I must know where the employee was and how to get in touch with them. I emphasized they were calling a doctor's office and not a private home. I repeated I had no information and asked them to take me off the call list. I asked where he was caling from. He caller slammed the phone down. He never identified himself or the company he was calling from. I just happened to quickly hit *69 which re-dialed the phone. The operator answering the phone identified the company. I asked for a supervisor and was told "you have one". I related the experience and that I thought the staff was rude. The supervisor said he was trying to backtrack who made the call and to remove our number from the list. He kept saying "is this Jennifer?" I kept answering "your caller never asked my name; no I am not Jennifer." He then started asking if I was at different locations (I now know where the employee has moved to and a lot of personal information that I did not ask for) Finally, Matthew the supervisor got the hint and said he would take our name and business off the call list - we will see.

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theyllgetitwhenihaveit
tempe, US
Jun 11, 2012 12:11 pm EDT

this thread has spell check you can enter before submitting your comment. i'm just saying, many of you (especially the ones who work for the company) should use it. it'll make your argument look much more credible, less defensive, and more professional. just my humble opinion. happy monday!

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tryingtogetittogether
Austin, US
Jun 03, 2012 7:08 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I am currently dealing with them and I have had mixed experiences. Some really nice ones and then some terrible ones from management. My only real issue is that I pay $300 a month and whenever I get my statements the money deducted from the collection costs and the money deducted from my interest does not add up to $300.
Absolutely no money is being deducted from my principal.
This just seems shady.
Where is my money going?.

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Patricia Howard
Madison, US
May 04, 2012 2:08 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I was recently contacted by them and told that my laon was placed in default and that they would be taking my income tax check. Never mind that I had my student loan payment coming out of my bank account for the past two years and suddenly they just stopped taking it out for a couple of months I believe in order to place me in default status. So I was then told that I had to set up new arrangements with them and that I could not file my taxes for four months which placed me after the tax deadline of April 17 to file my taxes. However, I do not have anything in writing from them and had to give them my bank information over the phone so that they would not attach my payroll. I do not believe this is legal and have contact the student loan people at Sallie Mae and have not heard anything from them. Can someone please help me with this. It is my every intention to pay back my student loan, but I just don't believe these people are acting legally and fairly.

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excollector
Middletown, US
Apr 04, 2012 11:35 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

if you are in college your loans go in to deferment no one should be collecting on them

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serrasalmus0
, US
Feb 23, 2012 2:57 am EST

These idiots kept calling my number asking for a person that isn't there. When I asked them to stop, they kept calling back. When I called to request that they stop calling, they hung up on my while I was in mid sentence. I reported them to both the Massachusetts and New Hampshire's Attorney General, the FTC, and the BBB. I went to the police, and they said that there was nothing that they could do. I suggest sending them numerous faxes to all of their numbers, and calling the CEO Directly. Her name is Erin Zaldastani. You can email her at ezaldastani@windhamprofessionals.com . You can fax them (send more than one, that gets the message across!) at their main fax which is at [protected], their commercial collections fax at [protected], or their education collection fax at [protected]. If you want to reach the CEO directly by phone, just call their main number at [protected], press 1, and spell out zald on your keypad, and press #. You will be transferred to her direct line.

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Ghost Collector
, US
Oct 07, 2011 3:48 pm EDT

I started getting calls from this company a couple months ago, claiming I owed money to a school I attended in a different state several years ago. The first guy I spoke to was incredibly rude, aggressive and threatening. For one thing, the "debt" I allegedly owed was NOT a student loan--I have NEVER defaulted on a student loan; all my students loans are federal and in good standing. For another, assuming I did actually owe this money to the school, the statute of limitations was up anyway (in the state where I went to school). After asking several times I have NEVER received anything in writing, either from the school where the "debt" originated or the debt collection agency, nor was any of this reflected on my credit report. As of this morning I have typed my cease and desist letter. We'll see what happens, but no documentation = no debt, as far as I'm concerned.

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not always annoyed
Dayton, US
Jun 04, 2011 7:29 pm EDT

Why are loans in repayment if you are in college? Even if it is a second degree they should never be in repayment when you are in school. I would check into this.

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Durgha
doyline, US
May 31, 2011 10:45 pm EDT

i' ve have two student loans that were out in the wind (if you will)... they were on deferment... twards the end of the deferment i had to move from the house i was living in when the lady whom i was renting from gave it back to the bank... appearently the company i had the loans with went out of business at the same time i was moving so were my student loans... no one notified me about it and when i tried to check my loans online and by phone i got no were... the next thing i n
know windham is calling me and talking at me like its my fault... i made payment arrangements with them and made a point of asking if this was for both loans... the guy on the phone and his supperviser swore to me that it was... now over three months and payments later they are calling again... saying that the second loan was not really a part of that other deal and that i am delusional or something... keeps asking me for the other guy's name that i talked too and wouldn't let me go get the paper i had with that info... while he sat there trying to get me to say i was not going to pay... all i wanted to know was if they told me it was together... why isn't it together! Besides the fact that they are herassing me on my birthday... when i ask a question why can't the just give me a straight answer instead of accusations and yelling? Is there something wrong with asking questions?

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grnblud
Hudson, US
Mar 09, 2011 11:01 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

FRUSTRATED5000, we do not put the lien on your Taxes, that is the government. It's what we call IRS certification and it's a pain when it rears it's head in tax season. Setting up in the program will not take you off of that list UNTIL 4 payments are made. The IRS will not charge you if they OWE YOU money, however, if you owe the IRS you need to file for an extension no later then April 14th i believe, check the day, it might be the 15th. There is a number to call (one I dont have with me) that you can call, its the Tax Offset Line. It will promt you to enter your social and then it will tell you if your taxes are going to be seized or not, I don't know if it tells you why, sorry. But there is ANOTHER number (a lot, I know) that you can call the Student Loan Tracking 3, I believe, to see where all of your student loans have been placed. It is very possible that this one escaped the cracks.

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grnblud
Hudson, US
Mar 09, 2011 10:53 pm EST
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Like a few who have posted here. I too work for the company... Now I'm not sure what's true and what's not. But we do know the laws, and we are not able to send anyone to your home or place of employment, or anywhere near you for that matter. We work strictly out of our offices. We will send you mail, often times its to let you know where your loan is, request you to contact us, or if we haven't been successful in getting a hold of you, yes there is a letter of notice when we garnish your wages.
I like to think I'm polite on the phone, that's how my mother raised me. I've never raised my voice, and i have never cussed at anyone. In fact i have even been thanked for the help and guidance I was able to give people. Do i think some people take it too far? Absolutely. There's no reason to be rude to a person, not even if they do hate your guts...
Do i think some of you should step up? Absolutely. This is our job and we have to work it just like you have to work yours. I try to be as pleasant as i can for the people I get on the phone. And when I'm not being screamed at, hung up on, cussed out, called a horrible human being, or lied to, I think I do a pretty good job about it.
There are many options for you. Please know most of us do our best to help you. But know that we too have to abide by certain rules. Likely they wont wait a month, we need payments WITHIN the month we get a hold of you, or we risk losing your account and more fees get added to it, or you will be garnished or some such.
It is by no means an easy job, and sometimes i wonder why I do it. But when i feel like I've really helped someone i remember.
If you don't know your options or you feel you've been wronged, please send me a message. I would be more then happy to talk to you and try and help.
We don't all bite...

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FRUSTRATED5000
Lake Worth, US
Feb 15, 2011 6:05 pm EST

I recently was called by them at 6pm and answered thinking it was someone I knew. they did the same saying I had a federal student loan and they could garnish my wages and the irs has put me on some lien list. I thought I settled with ncof this summer paying them $1000 down and $400 a mth till my debt was paid. you would think they might mention I had an another loan when I had a job and did nt now have $60, 0000 in medical bills barley surviving off unemployment and getting a little well deserved tax return money back was going to help out a lot right now. guess not. they also want me to pay an additional 18.5 % of my loan to them! this seems crazy for them to charge me for a service I don't even need or ask for. they also tricked me by telling me by doing the rehabilitation loan the irs would not garnish my taxes... then a supervisor told me it would just help! what can they really legally do?

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Nelson123
Arbuckle, US
Feb 08, 2011 7:34 pm EST

I received a voicemail from this company today. The woman, Andrea, said she was my "account manager". I do have student loans but they are in good standing. Anyhow, I called her and told her my name. She read out an SSN 4-digits that weren't mine, nor was the birthdate. She said that it's another person with the same name as me so they will remove my number from the record and not contact me anymore. I hope so!

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MiniMiranda
, US
Dec 26, 2010 11:09 pm EST

Apparently, some of you think that school was free? that when you signed that promissory note, it didnt mean anything? no. it states, that in the event your loan goes into default, that balance is due in full. so when I call you from windham professionals to collect on that debt, I will sit and listen to your sob story about how its christmas time, or youre jobless, you dont have this and this needs to be paid at this time. all the while I am looking at your information, that shows where you have been in default since, oh I dont know, 2005? really? this debt has been due.. and you havent done anything to show you want to make efforts in paying off your loan. windham pros are contracted out by the clients, (ie sallie mae) to collect this debt. we do not buy it. had you done what you were supposed to do and paid on it in a timely matter, I wouldnt even have your account in my system. nine times out of ten, these $5, $25, and even upwards to $150 payments you might be willing to pay, arent even covering the interest your are accruing. so if ya want to send in tiny amounts directly to the client, knock your socks off.. but you arent doing yourself any good, this debt will sit and accrue interest, and be a nice little eyesore on your credit. anything that we mention, such as refinancing your house, is all in your best interest. I am not trying to take your money for no reason. I am simply trying to recover what you have already spent, and for some reason not felt like it was your obligation anymore. I am very polite and courteous when I call debtors. I will work through every available option for you to get back on the right track, and take care of your loan. however if you dont answer the phone, you would never know what options are out there for you to take advantage of.. its actually quite nice of the client to even allow me to do so.in some cases I have seen people settle our their loan for over half less than what they originally took it out for. the clients contract us out to do their collecting, because of people like you who dodge things you are obligated to pay. if you do not want people calling you to collect money, then dont borrow what you do not intend to pay back..in the cases of federal loans, the government can offset your taxes, garnish your wages, take your winnings from the lottery, and even take your professional license, that you used their money to get. my advice to you guys that seem to want to do nothing but complain, and say that wp is a scam.. go ahead and call sallie mae, about your defaulted student loan.. and it will direct you straight to my office.

By the way.. this communication is from a debt collector. this is an attempt to collect a debt, and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. :)

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c____________r
, US
Nov 30, 2010 11:14 pm EST

I got a loan a few years back, my parents told me they were taking care of it but never made a payment. Now representatives from Windham are calling me. I am more than willing to start making payments, but I am not willing to let them draft it from my bank account. What happens if an un-expected bill comes up that has to be paid, you pay it, then they draft their payment leaving your bank account negative? You then owe the bank a 30 dollar over-draft charge, plus the amount you owe Windham. Being that I am not willing to give them that information, they sent me a letter through USA Funds saying they are going to garnish 15% of my wages a week. When you break this down it ends up being less a month than I offered to pay initially. If you ask me Windham is a f****** joke of a collection agency. Oh and Windham Girl, look at how much our country is in debt, all that is not from loans. Maybe you should find a job in China and collect debt from the American Government. No? Just a thought.

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True Trutherson
Newport, US
Oct 20, 2010 10:40 am EDT

If a collection agency or even a bank doesn't have a contract signed by both parties then there is no debt. Next time a collection agency or bank calls you tell them to stop calling then write them a letter stating that they may not call and tell them to send you a contract signed by yourself and them as proof of debt. You will never see such a contract because it doesn't exsist. The bank creates the money out of thin air so you don't really owe them anything so if you won't pay them they sell it to a collection agency because they know they don't have a legal leg to stand on and the agency has less.

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MrKLC
Hendersonville, US
Sep 19, 2010 8:15 am EDT

As a collection supervisor for over 10 years, I can say I've seen quite a bit. I can understand the frustration on both sides of the coin. I've been on the other side of the phone when people have called me about owed money, and its not always been pleasant. There are two things that I have learned, though. Number one, no matter what the circumstances are, if you made a bed that produced debt, you have to lie in it. I can emphasize with a person's situation, and appreciate it. The problem is that the business world, as a whole, could care less. Number two, the collection agency does not work for you. They work for the client that contracts them. Why does a client contract an agency? To get the money that is rightfully, in almost all cases, owed to them in full.

When a student loan is defaulted, the balance in full is due on demand. Any payment option given is a courtesy TO YOUR situation. You can yell and scream about how you are being treated, but in my experiences, most of those shouting matches begin when the debtor becomes frustrated with the collector because they will just not "accept" what the debtor is offering. The client is not contracting us to "take whatever we can get". They are contracting us to get the loan paid in full. If you buy a car, the dealership tells you what the payments are. You abide by them, or lose the car. If you pay rent or a mortgage, the landlord or bank tells you how much per week/month it costs to stay there if you want to stay.

Now the first rebuttal to this arguement will be, "These are necessities, so I have to pay them first." In response, I can only state, that this student loan at one time was a necessity, whether you were wanting to work a certain profession, or make a better life for yourself. I believe everybody that has complained here had the full intention of paying it when they went to school. The problem is, in a lot of cases, if that dream job is not fulfilled, many people feel the obligation is no longer important so they "move on", so to speak. Others get the profession they want, and then decide their money is better for spending on some of the joys and toys of life. I'm not saying all debtors fall in this category, but it is a very common trap.

There are many programs out there to help the student loan debtor whether it be consolidation, rehabilitation, or the ICR federal program that Congress released recently. The main point I'm trying to make is as debtors (me being one myself) its not about us. As much as we would like the business to appreciate our situation, they are only going to go so far. Collectors are in the middle. They have to find a common ground between the client and the debtor. Sometimes this means the debtor gets mad because they feel they can't meet the demands, or the client suffers because they are left holding the debt. Do all collectors have golden halos over their heads? No way. As Patrick Swayze said in the movie, Road House, some people "don't have a temperment for the trade". In the same breath, when you are bad mouthing the representative you had talked to about your debt, step back, reflect, and see if there was a better way you could have handled it. If you don't like the answers the rep gave you, do some research on your type of debt. Obviously, everyone has access to the internet here, or they wouldn't be posting, so do some Google searching, and see what you can do to "seal the deal" on your default.

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nursieinri
Greenville, US
Sep 16, 2010 2:42 pm EDT

I am in default $44, 000, .00 on Student loans. I am a single mom and get no child support. I took out my loans with hope that I would be able to support my two girls with a degree in nursing and guess what. I can. I fell behind at first but when I received the call from Windham, they were a little aggressive, not rude, but to the point. Since then I have never experienced a problem with any representatives. In fact they are pleasant. I hope that my payments are truely being put towards my student loans, but they are my loans and without them I wouldn't be where I am today. Thank God I'm able to pay them. Try to think of it in a positive way. It really isn't that bad.

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Mytigodess
Nashville, US
Sep 13, 2010 9:10 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

For those with legitimate complaints against Windham, contact - www.bbb.org.

The process of complaining to them online is easy. It is also a way to actually try and get something done about them. While venting here can serve as an initial warning to those wondering who these people are leaving them rude messages, it really doesn't actually do anything other than to vent and warn others who may share your experience.

The next step may take a bit more effort - contact your local media, the state attorney general of the office which is being offensive (remember, they have several branches), and if you have the means, hire a lawyer if you feel they have actually violated your rights.

I tried in vain to get their contact information when I told them I wanted to send them a cease and desist letter - they hung up on me before I could get it all down and then contacted me a month later. I did a bit of digging after that last call...

If you do not wish to be harassed by them further send them a cease and desist letter to one of their offices:

P.O. Box 1084
Salem, NH 03079

PO Box 400
East Aurora, NY 14052

60 Normandy Dr
Lake Saint Louis, MO 63367

Phone Numbers:
Tel: [protected]
Tel: [protected]
Tel: [protected]
Tel: [protected]
Tel: [protected]
Tel: [protected]
Tel: [protected]
Tel: [protected]
Tel: [protected]

FAx
Fax: [protected]
Fax: [protected]
Fax: [protected]

e-Mail
advocate@windhampros.com
blamontagne@windhampros.com
dheimburg@windhampros.com

Of course, I still do not know what my account number is which is associated with the debt they are trying to collect, so I sent a C&D through BBB.

Keep in mind, a C&D will only mean this particular company can no longer contact you by phone. It does not make the debt go away. It means if they do call you after receiving notification otherwise, you can have cause to sue them...after an initial one-off call where they can tell you what they intend to do (sue or send it to another agency). They can sue which is most likely in the form of getting a judgement against you where your income or assets can be turned over to them until the debt is paid. What is more likely to happen, another collection agency will pick up where they left off.

If you are in the category that they refused to accept your offer of payment because it is not as much as they want, you may want to get proof of that conversation or your intentions because if they try and sue you, you can present to the judge you tried and they refused and they may have to take your offer. Otherwise, file a slo-mo payment if you are sued and you cannot pay. All that means is you show the judge you have no income (or very little) or assets and it would be too much of a hardship to pay what they want. You will be allowed to make small payments until your situation gets better.

On behalf of all of us who have been harassed by the unprofessional people of WP - I hope these are at least somewhat helpful for you to get peace of mind.

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Mytigodess
Nashville, US
Sep 13, 2010 8:31 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

In response to Slypup,

I respectfully hear you and your defense of your profession. I wished Windham "Professionals" would speak to me with the same respect. However, I often see your assumptions that the matters are valid.

In my case, I do not believe it is valid and the people at Windham will not hear it. I started school in August 2007. I am still in school. I took 3 months off when I was in a domestic violence shelter, thus homeless. All that time, I was still enrolled in schol and I got right back into school when I could. As of now, I still do not have a permanent address nor do I have an income. I get by with a little help from family and friends and let me tell you how difficult a situation this is to be in when you are a full-time student, have 2 children, no job, and major health issues.

You make it seem as if these people are rightfully collecting on debts that have been older than a few years. I have been in school for only 3 years! I am STILL a current student. I am still a student in good standing. I am still able to qualify for student loans and have since received some for this upcoming year. I have 2 years to go until I am finished with school.

They did not want to hear this from me. They were more interested in getting me to agree to pay them. Seriously, $5 a month is all I could afford and they would not settle for anything less than $150. Then they told me to get a lawyer...Really? I can't pay them, but somehow I can pay a lawyer?

So if you wonder why people avoid their calls or treat them in a rude way, what they do to people is the reason why they are treated in this manner. Personally, I refuse to speak to them. They go straight to voice mail. It is not a matter of dodging a debt, it is a matter of refusing to be treated like I do not matter.

When I do finally graduate and hopefully get a job, I would be glad to repay this debt. However, they like to rub the salt in the wounds - if you don't pay now, you will get a bad credit record and can't get a job... Great...if I can't get a job, you can't get the money. If that's the case, then why should anyone bother trying? If we are all the peons these people treat us, then why should we bother trying to look for a job, getting property or doing other things to be a responsible member of society? If we, the bottom of the barrel, are not allowed to get into the game with everyone else, then we cannot help the economy by being paying consumers. These people have just as much stated how they think we are a drain on the taxpayers...deny us jobs to pay our debts, then you will see what a real strain we can become.

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Mytigodess
Nashville, US
Sep 13, 2010 7:57 pm EDT
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Windham "Professionsals" are not a scam, they are a collection agency which collects debts in the most unprofessional manner.

I notice the attitudes of some of the defenders of the profession who, like the Windham people, already assume YOU the consumer are at fault without knowing all the facts.

I am a current student being hounded by these people. My loan should have never been in default in the first place; I was only out of school for 3 months - 1 quarter. Does Windham want to know this? No. They insist I make a payment now. Do they care that I was homeless for 3 months and do not as of yet have a permanent address? No. Would they accept a payment of $5 per month until I get better situated as I have no job, lots of medical expenses, 2 children to support and no real place to call home? No, and they said I'd better get a lawyer.

From the beginning, these people were rude to my family and friends in trying to find me. They did not ask in a nice way, but demanded information from them. They were so bad that my sister told them as such and hung up on them.

It is not always a matter of the people are at fault and deserve to be treated rudely. They are rude and unprofessional, therefore they get treated in kind. If we are in debt, I agree we should pay the debt, but not everyone is in a position to pay, especially in terms that are unreasonable or infeasible. When they sound more concerned with repayment on their own terms and will not settle for anything less, then they must not want the money very badly.

As I told them, if you do not want to accept what I can pay each month on a debt that should not be listed as default in the first place, take me to court because I will file a motion for slow-pay and you will HAVE to take the $5 a month until I get in a better station in life.

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killtherockefellers
kane, US
Sep 07, 2010 7:44 pm EDT

capitalism is gay