Please help me help myself.
I have a private K-12 loan through Sallie Mae for my child's private school education. I started making payments in March 2007. I was using their online system to pay but payments always got applied late and I had to "talk" back and forth with them to get them to correct. Got tired of the back and forth so I decided to do it through my bank's autopay so I would have back-up. Problem is I GOOFED in June. I added them to the bills to be paid but stupidly forgot to send the payment. I realized this last weekend while balancing my checkbook and I called them Monday to tell them I goofed, that I was sorry and that I was sending the June payment Wed (which put me 34 days late) and the July payment would come at the beginning of August but before 30 days late. The customer service rep told me that was fine and was very understanding.
Horror story started yesterday. Got a call at work, informed the collections person that I had already contacted customer service earlier in the week and that my account should already have notes. I told her the June payment was made Wednesday and that the July payment would be in at the beginning of August and the August payment would be in on time and I'd be back on schedule. I also told her that I was not to receive telephone calls at work unless they were directly related to work. She began the threats and degrading comments ("we'll report you to the bureaus and you don't want that"; "what a loser you are, can't even pay your bills") and I told her I was disconnecting the call.
Got a call this morning from Sallie Mae and told the rep the same thing. She told me the June payment hadn't been received and I told her that in fact it had been sent electronically and that they need to apply. She told me that at 45 days past due they will report to the bureaus. I again told her that the June payment was there, the July payment would be in before it was 30 days past. She cut me off and told me that I was at 37 days past due, that she doubted the July payment would be in before my 45 days is up, the calls won't stop, and I'll be at the bureaus in 7 days then she hung up.
I called the bank and they're showing the money is at Sallie Mae so we're calling back Monday because of course the number Sallie Mae called from isn't answering but going straight to voicemail. Bank told me they will fax over to Sallie Mae the electronic funds transfer tape.
That said, what am I missing? How can they count my July payment at 45 days past due when it won't be 30 days past when the payment is made? Can they legally couple the June with the July payment and count it as past due?
What else can I do, proactively, to make sure I am not improperly reported (I realize that the June can be reported as 30 days late and won't dispute that because it's my fault for the oversight but my concern is the threat to submit two payments as 45 days late).
I have worked hard to get myself out of the ditch, thanks to this site and advice from you guys, that I had previously created through mismanagement and right when I see the light and have things under control here comes this nightmare.
Please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!