Jen wrote to Consumerist to let us know that the number we posted in August for student loan servier Sallie Mae’s Customer Advocate Unit is still valid and staffed with extremely helpful people.. She cut through the nonsense of regular customer service who were unable to help, then hung up on her.

Hey, I just wanted to express my thanks for posting the number for
Sallie Mae’s Customer Advocate Unit.

I had called the main number for help after I couldn’t register online to get a copy of my 1098-E (apparently, they’re only sent out automatically if the interest paid is over $600). The first guy I spoke to, “J” was talking in circles, so I asked to speak to a supervisor to clarify a few things. He promptly hung up on me. I called back and managed to speak to a guy named “M” who claimed to be a supervisor. He kept asking me if I had created an online account, I kept telling him that I wasn’t able to do so because the website claimed my loan account number didn’t match up with my birthdate or some such. Rinse and repeat about three times. When I asked him to go ahead and snail mail a copy of the form to my home, he hung up on me.

I found the Sallie Mae CAU in your archives and gave them a call. They were closed for the day, but when I got home from work this afternoon, there was a message from them, asking me to call. I did, and I got ahold of a wonderful woman named Jocelyn. She listened to what I had to say, took my information and looked up the call. She apologized, and made a note in the file, and made sure I was able to get the form
I needed.

Not a huge deal, but she made me feel like she cared about why I was calling. So, let your readers know, that yes, that number still works with good results.

That number, if you’re a Sallie Mae customer in need, is 888-545-4199.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.