Back-peddle much?

So, there I was yesterday, working on my wedding dress at home on one of my days off. My cell rings, and when I look at the caller ID, it's a 703 number.

Hmmm, I wonder... Who would be calling me from out of state?

I answer, and lo and behold, it's Sallie Mae.

Now, while I'm getting mildly worked up about the fact that they've contacted me after I expressly told them NOT to, the person on the other line is reassuring me that this is not a collections call. In fact, her name is Mary Fedder, and she works with Sallie Mae's "communications department" (i.e. the PR people).

Apparently, due to the fact that I've been speaking with Businessweek, and the fact that they look particularly cruddy - and in light of the recent investigations that the government has begun due to their questionable practices, she was calling to find out if there's anything Sallie Mae can do to help me... Why? Because "Sallie Mae is dedicated to assisting all their customers, especially those faced with financial difficulties.".

Trust me, it was all I could do to NOT laugh in her face. I succeeded, barely, to contain myself as she proceeded to explain that, while she didn't have authority to access my account, and while she couldn't promise anything because she didn't have that power, she'd like to talk with some people to find out what options would be available to help me.

She suggested a co-signer, which I blew out of the water. I refuse to put any of my friends or family through what they've put me through - and further more, they can't afford the crappy terms anymore than I can. She also asked what I'd done to try and alleviate the situation - so, I mentioned the fact that I'd attempted to consolidate the loan to lower the interest rate and payments - and was refused... Because I didn't make enough money.

She says she's going to be getting back to me by next Friday. We'll see what she has to offer, if anything.

~M