Student Finance - horrible, horrible, horrible

[Bugz]

What an awful company Student Finance Direct are. Not only are they behind on all their work; work that is essential for first year and returning university students, but they're customer service is a pile of wank and tbh, they just suck in general.

I rang up today and tried to get through. 'Please enter your customer reference number and pin.' I entered them only to get 'they are incorrect.' WTF - I'm logged onto your fuckin site using the same details!!

Ofcourse, the company doesn't have any support APART from the telephone and the website is wank. So basically I can't get any support...

So I rang through a different number and pretended I was a student for 10/11 instead of 09/10. Apparently I need a solicitors letter to show my parents are separated. The thing is - we are barely making ends meet and we can not afford a solicitors' time. The lady says they would not accept anything else...

The worse of it all is - not only is the whole service delayed but I missed the deadline by 2-3 days because of the documents my mum had to find so we could send them off. Apparently people who missed the deadline last year were waiting up to January (as opposed to Sept/October) for their payments. How the hell am I suppose to feed and pay for my university studies & rent a flat without any support? Thankfully I've saved up around 2 grand that should keep me afloat for awhile but still....

guess what was the kicker however...I got the email telling me the deadline was so and so AFTER the FUCKIN DEADLINE.

zomg...I needed to get all tht off my chest! Thanks!

P.S Curse you student finance direct!

 

[tris-]

I managed 4 years of uni without them or me fucking up anything.
I dont think theyre that bad at all, but I know people have had random letters saying they owe them x thousands of pounds etc.

 

[Bugz]

AFAIK Tris, the company changed this year. So you may have had the slightly better company

 

[DaGaffer]

Sounds like a crap situation, but in their defence, I can't think of a way to prove your parents are separated other than a Solicitor's letter. There isn't really documentation for separation (even showing your parents' separate accommodation arrangements and bills etc. could have other explanations). Think you might have to suck it up and get a letter; might be worth going to the citizens advice bureau and see if there's a way to get a freebie though.

 

[old.Tohtori]

i've noticed that apart from a select few systems, every company works if both parties work with eachother.

If there's a "moron" handling your case, or if you're a "moron", things go sour.

Otherwise the "i had no problems" thing can't be explained

On the situation, you could get someone(friend etc) to loan you the money and pay them when you get what's coming to you.

 

[Fweddy]

In my experience every council/education related department is rubbish like that. It's hugely annoying having to take into account every mistake they might make along the way.

Don't give up hope though. I missed the deadline for getting student loan applications in a couple of times and still got my loan on time. I left uni a couple of years ago now so it could have gotten worse since then, but I only ever heard of a couple of people having to wait more than a week or two to get their loans sorted.

Until then get yourself a student account with a big interest free overdraft and get a job part time job sorted asap.

 

[Bugz]

Sounds like a crap situation, but in their defence, I can't think of a way to prove your parents are separated other than a Solicitor's letter. There isn't really documentation for separation (even showing your parents' separate accommodation arrangements and bills etc. could have other explanations). Think you might have to suck it up and get a letter; might be worth going to the citizens advice bureau and see if there's a way to get a freebie though.

Aye - I think it may be the only option sadly.

Worse thing is - all of the documents I sent them they haven't confirmed they have. I can imagine them contacting me in 4 weeks time saying 'we haven't got so and so.' I think I may bombard their phone line again later (through the extremely long and tiring pretending 'i'm a new student' to see if they can at all confirm the information has arrived).

 

[Ch3tan]

Aye - I think it may be the only option sadly.

Worse thing is - all of the documents I sent them they haven't confirmed they have. I can imagine them contacting me in 4 weeks time saying 'we haven't got so and so.' I think I may bombard their phone line again later (through the extremely long and tiring pretending 'i'm a new student' to see if they can at all confirm the information has arrived).

It may cost a tad more, but it is worth sending important documents via recorded delivery.

 

[Bugz]

I'm a fool for not doing recorded delivery!

My mum has managed to find a solicitors letter with both their names and discussing the situation so I'm going to send that in with evidence of two different living accommodations & a little letter from me explaining the situation.

If that fails - we'll look into getting a record of a decree nisi or whatever its called.

 

[DaGaffer]

I'm a fool for not doing recorded delivery!

My mum has managed to find a solicitors letter with both their names and discussing the situation so I'm going to send that in with evidence of two different living accommodations & a little letter from me explaining the situation.

If that fails - we'll look into getting a record of a decree nisi or whatever its called.

Confused. If your parents already have a decree nisi then you wouldn't need a solicitor's letter (that document would be enough). If they don't have a decree nisi yet, then to get one will take weeks and will cost more than the solicitor's letter.

 

[tris-]

Think you might have to suck it up and get a letter; might be worth going to the citizens advice bureau and see if there's a way to get a freebie though.

You may be able to get legal aid depending on your earnings etc. But you can only get legal aid depending on a 'topic' i.e. housing, benefits, disability etc.

 

[Bugz]

Confused. If your parents already have a decree nisi then you wouldn't need a solicitor's letter (that document would be enough). If they don't have a decree nisi yet, then to get one will take weeks and will cost more than the solicitor's letter.

haha I'm confused too.

don't worry about that part - just join me in slamming student finance direct for being bums

 

[taB]

Are these the loan people 'cos I like them. Took them 5 years after graduating to start taking any money back from me due to an admin error

 

[Bullitt]

Must admit i laughed when i got my Student Loan statement through a few months back....then one the next day.....then one the day after....then another one.

They've stopped now so i think they've caught up with how much i owe them.

Oh, and they act pretty sharpish if you start earning above the threshold to pay it back.

 

[mooSe_]

I haven't had quite as bad experience as you but so far they do pretty much suck.

 

[Bugz]

Just had an update - I've been assessed and they're sending me my finalised details now.

I hope to God they have income-assessed me, rather than not but the website is so damn crap it doesn't tell me. Just got to watch the post I guess! If they have then I take back some of my hate towards them; just they need to relay information better!!

 

[Bugz]

FFS it isn't based on household income.

What wankers.

I HATE YOU STUDENT FINANCE.

 

[tris-]

Milk them for a smuch as possible. Youll be dead before youve finished paying it back anyway.

 

[Chilly]

FFS it isn't based on household income.

What wankers.

I HATE YOU STUDENT FINANCE.

What is it based on then?

 

[tris-]

Dont forgot to check with your uni for any free grant money you could also get.

 

[Bugz]

AFAIK Tris, student finance do that all for you.

I just rang them up. They are so far behind they are granting everyone the bare min. and then working through household income etc. after to assess those who get 'extras.'

So yeah - least I've got half of it done lol

Really nice guy on the phone - restored my faith in them a bit!!

Chilly: if it isnt based off household income, its simply your university course costs and your basic maintenance loan.

 

[Chilly]

so the standard grand a term loan isnt/is enough?

You're after grants too? pah!

 

[Aoami]

stop fucking moaning bugz they've got a few million applications to process i doubt yours is top of their list just because you've got personal issues

 

[Bugz]

/sigh

welcome to my ignore list - not worth my time.

 

[Overdriven]

Bugz, you're not the only one dealing with them. Had a few issues a few weeks back with their website, even phoned them up on their landline number (0208 4tw) and they said their website was going through hell. Nothing they could do till their webdevs/techs sorted it out. It has been a bit more functional recently though; had to post a letter to them for financial proof though, website was being fubar with parent's details.

 

[Aoami]

/sigh

welcome to my ignore list - not worth my time.

freedom hater

 

[megadave]

My only problem with them is how shit their website is. Took me longer to log in than it did to fill out all the forms.

 

[Aoami]

the old website was better tbf

 

[leviathane]

Bugz, you're not the only one dealing with them. Had a few issues a few weeks back with their website, even phoned them up on their landline number (0208 4tw) and they said their website was going through hell. Nothing they could do till their webdevs/techs sorted it out. It has been a bit more functional recently though; had to post a letter to them for financial proof though, website was being fubar with parent's details.

is the phone office still in scotland?

 

[pikeh]

I had similiar problems 4 years ago before Uni, and my sis is having them again now. What a terrible system!