Try to picture this: you’re already hurting. You’ve got $5 in the bank—honest pocket change — and you’re concerned with how you’ll be able to afford food and your bills. And then, out of the blue, without even knowing it, Sallie Mae comes along and swipes a staggering $2,500 from your account, leaving you nearly $2,500 in the hole.
And then, out of nowhere, you’re stuck. Your debit card is declined. Your account is in overdraft. Chase, your bank, will not credit it back. And you’re just sitting there wondering, How am I going to eat or get the essentials over the next 60 days?
What happened? Here’s your side of the story
Your student loans were already a burden on your finances. The payments were astronomical—$2,500 a month for private loans—and you’d gotten to the point where you couldn’t possibly afford to make them. You called Sallie Mae in good faith to inform them that you were in trouble and to ask if they could work out a deal. Instead of offering you a break or an equitable departure, their representative told you to let it bounce and then try to negotiate once it’s been sent to collections.
But bounce instead… Sallie Mae bullied it through.
Your account got pushed into a massive overdraft of -$2,495, and now you’re where you don’t want to be.
Your bank, Chase, wasn’t much help either
Naturally, you called your bank in desperation.
How can a debit pull out more money than you even have?
However, Chase explained that they were unable to do anything.
They explained it wasn’t up to them; the automatic withdrawal took care of itself, and that’s all.
They explained you’d need to wait 60 days with an account frozen, and then you could be eligible for a payment plan—a faint ray of sunshine in a bleak world.
How Reddit rallied around to help you
Individuals who identified with your situation.
Dozens of Redditors dove into your post, offering help, sharing about their situations, and brainstorming plans for how you could pay for food and your bills.
Some folks Venmo’d you directly, no questions asked, just to ensure you had enough money.
Others advised that you immediately
✅ Open a new bank account at a different institution.
This way, your paycheck and any subsequent deposits won’t be deposited in your overdrawn account.
✅ Turn off or cancel automatic payments and overdraft.
So businesses can’t draw out more than you have.
✅ Change your direct deposit ASAP.
So your paycheck isn’t disappearing in a black hole.
Your small wins: Disputing, freezing, support from strangers
The good news is you managed to dispute the $2,500 withdrawal with Chase. That’s a good first step in the right direction.
And you safely opened a new account, which will prevent future deposits from being siphoned off.
Meanwhile, strangers’ generosity and food banks sustained you.
They instructed you to Venmo them, not because they sympathized with you, but because they understood how wrong and daunting your situation was.
Where you are now: Treading cautiously forward, but hopeful
You are today:
✅ Waiting to see if you landed a full-time job.
✅ Getting unemployment benefits, hopefully soon.
✅ Surviving on food banks and the kindness of good souls.
✅ Rebuilding your financial life, bit by bit.
Your takeaway: It’s okay to ask for help, and people will support you
Your story highlights a beautiful aspect of the human spirit—when you fell, others came in to pick you up again.
Reddit, a stranger society, opened its wallets and hearts to you.
Banks are unfeeling, and corporations are motivated by profit at any cost, but some people care—and that counts.
Final thoughts: Your next moves
Here is a recap of what you need to do next:
✅ Create a new checking account as soon as possible (done, you’ve already done so).
✅ Turn off or stop automatic payments.
✅ Transfer the direct deposit to the new account immediately.
✅ Dispute the withdrawal with Sallie Mae and your bank.
✅ Call legal aid to talk over your options.
✅ Call food and financial aid agencies if you need them.
You’re doing it
This is a tough spot to be, but you’re not a victim.
One step at a time, you’re rebuilding and taking back.
And you’re not alone—there is a whole community that is supporting you.
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