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Business Profile

Consumer Finance Companies

1st Franklin Financial Corporation

Headquarters

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Consumer Finance Companies.

Complaints

This profile includes complaints for 1st Franklin Financial Corporation's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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1st Franklin Financial Corporation has 380 locations, listed below.

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    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 131 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 50 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/02/2023

      Type:Order Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      June 9th of this year I was involved in a rear collision where another motorcycle hit me totaling my motorcycle. I paid the June bill but as my insurance contacted this establishment to obtain documents to allow payment a woman named ********* would take the calls and wouldnt sign a letter of guarantee because she wasnt okay with the *** of the vehicle. Progressive paid ********* to the vehicle and I had gap for the remainder after all the warranties I purchased have been deducted. My insurance agent called to say he has been trying for quite some time since my bike has been declared a total loss but the woman wouldnt sign the letter of guarantee to accept the payment so I could start gap. So I called to tell her he needed it so the payment could be made and that the gap I have could be started. She told me she wasnt doing that because she was hesitant about payment. I explained they cant get the title until the price of the bike is paid in full and she called me a liar then my mother tried to explain and she told me to tell my background noise to shut up and if she didnt be quiet that she wasnt going to explain her side because she didnt have to do that to begin with. My mom said something to her about the letter of guarantee and I said that would be my mom trying to explain and she hung up on me. We called their corporate number to file a complaint and two other companies to get help and no one would help the corporate never emailed called or anything to figure out anything about it. She had signed paperwork stating they knew about the gap insurance and she printed it out then told me she wasnt filing it that if I wanted it done I had to do it myself also lying about what a letter of guarantee is. She covered up the portion stating that only when the contract is satisfied can they get the title. We spent so much time fighting with her that theyre making me pay ANOTHER billing cycle because she wants to drop the payment down more. This company is no help.

      Business Response

      Date: 08/09/2023

      Please see the attached response.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/22/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I recently pulled my credit reports to find that an account with ******************** charged off in the amount of $2542 is incorrect. The account shows charged off as of 12/2020 with the first delinquency listed as 08/2020. However, the date of last payment reflects 01/27/22. I have no knowledge of this payment being taken and can not get any decent information from the Greer branch OR the recovery center in ******** who supposedly took my payment. I have spoken to the Greer branch 6+ times in the last week and each teller states that they have limited notes and can just see that it was a "check by phone". I was directed to the recovery center and spoke with two representatives there on multiple occasions, one of which says she took my payment. All that they can tell me was that they supposedly called on 1/27/22 and that I authorized payment of $450, $80 was said to have gone to court costs. I received a payment ledger that shows the date and time of the payment. It reflects 1/27/22 at 8:04am. However, the recovery department confidently advised that they placed the call 1/27/22 at 10:08 am. Once I told her the time reflected on the ledger, she said payment was at 10:04am (still doesn't match). I asked if there is a call recording to prove that I authorized this payment and I was told that they do not record calls. Upon asking which account this came out of, a male teller at the branch revealed my account number and said "it would have had to be this one as it's the only one we've ever had on file". Meanwhile, the recovery **** is telling me that they did not have my account on file and could not take payment without authorization. There is SO much wrong about this account but I will start here as it is the biggest issue. I was advised that they had called monthly for 2 years and just so happened to reach me that day, on a number that is not mine. I did not authorize this payment. This is fraud & illegal re-aging of debt and needs to be resolved immediately.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/28/2023

      Please see the attached response.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 07/28/2023

       
      Complaint: 20361753

      I am rejecting this response because: I have reviewed the response from the company, however, this does not provide me with proof that I made this payment. I have not received consistent information and this response echoed most of what I stated in my complaint. The recovery center stated that the call was placed at 10:08 after thoroughly reviewing the system. The representative did not change her response until I stated that the ledger reflected a different time. In the company response it is confirmed that 1st Franklin did keep my bank account information on file well after the account had been charged off, but that the recovery center process is to verify the last 4 digits before processing payment. Meanwhile, the recovery center advised the complete opposite and stated that they did not have my bank account information in their system. And while it may be the established process to verify the last 4 digits of an account prior to payment, processes are often not followed. During these most recent interactions, the employees of 1st Franklin have simply mirrored the facts that I've provided after addressing the misinformation, rather than remaining confident in their original answer. With proper record keeping, it would not be possible for the information to change as much as it has, if at all.  

      In addition, while reviewing the ledger with the Greer branch, I was advised that the insurance cancelled on 12/15/20 (single, accidental & heal, involuntary unemp, personal property) was required to be cancelled on 09/18/20 when legal was originally filed. I was advised that this was done months after the required date and that the mistake was likely the result of a new/inexperienced employee. These inconsistencies reflect that there is an error in record keeping or lack thereof. I have spoken with the employee that supposedly took the payment and even she was unable to provide anything other than "we called and you gave permission to take the payment". The company response also states that the payment reflecting 01/27/22 will not have an impact on my credit report as the date of first delinquency will not change. I am aware that the date of first delinquency will remain the same, however that is not my concern. The date of last activity as well as the date of last payment are affected by this error. This interferes with my scores and my ability to obtain credit. 

      Please provide evidence that I authorized this payment to be made on 01/27/22. The employee stating that she spoke with me and obtained authorization is insufficient, as my interactions with the company have not promoted a trusting relationship. I look forward to hearing from you. 

      Sincerely,

      ***********************

      Business Response

      Date: 08/01/2023

      Please see the attached response.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 08/05/2023

       
      Complaint: 20361753

      I am rejecting this response because: I have reviewed the response from the company. The response states that the time discrepancy was due to the account being notated at 10:08am, however, I have still not received documentation reflecting this information. This is now my third attempt via BBB requesting proof that I provided authorization for this payment and I have been very clear in my correspondence.

      Their response states that 1st Franklin does not have reason to believe that there has been any inappropriate or fraudulent activity on the account, but respectfully, 1st Franklin is not the consumer nor did they file this complaint. I have reason to believe this and have attempted to address my concerns with the branch, the recovery center, and now multiple times on BBB. If there is not reason to believe that inappropriate activity has taken place, WHY have I yet to receive proof otherwise? The documents that were attached to 1st Franklins most recent response are irrelevant to my request. The *** authorization was signed in 2019, we are discussing a payment from 2022. The copy of the vague payment confirmation attached was never received and does not provide proof that I authorized a payment to be made. 

      1st Franklin also states that they did not receive a dispute prior to this complaint. This took place during the height of the ******19 pandemic and I, like everyone else, was busy working very hard to ensure I could continue to provide for my family. It was not until I recently checked my credit report that I noticed the last payment date was listed incorrectly. Upon finding this, I had to spend hours reviewing old records and making phone calls to the company that led absolutely nowhere. I am disputing it now and requesting that the company either provide valid proof that I personally authorized a payment on 1/27/22 or remove this from my credit report. I am familiar with my rights as well as 1st Franklins obligations under the ***** one of which is reporting accurate information. This will be my final response attempting to resolve this via the BBB, however I will be pursuing this further if 1st Franklin remains unable to validate my request. 


      Sincerely,

      ***********************

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/01/2023

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I have 2 accounts with 1st Franklin. 1 of the accounts is paid off and closed, it has extended it's loan terms of 18 months. I reported this account closed to ***********. 1st Franklin's response was that it is not closed. Understandably, someone at this corporation has it confused with my other account with this company. I have no clue why the Seneca, ** Branch Manager sent me 2 UNSECURED checks in the first place when my credit file was blocked from promotional purposes in the first place. I just want 1st Franklin to fix this mistake and report to the credit bureaus that 1 of the accounts is in fact closed. This has also been reported to CFPB.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/03/2023

      Please see the attached response.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/30/2023

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Called to make a partial payment employee from ******** office told me they wont accept it because its the end of the month and they are going to proceed with a lawsuit. I have been a customer for over 10 plus years. This not right

      Business Response

      Date: 07/03/2023

      Please see the attached response.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/29/2023

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      In accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting act. The account listed below has violated my federally protected consumer rights to privacy and confidentiality under 1 USC ****. 1st franklin Account# ************ has violated my rights. 15 U.S.C **** section 602 A. States I have the right to privacy. 15 U.S.C **** section 604 A section 2: It also states a consumer reporting agency cannot furnish a account without my written instructions. 15 U.S.C. ****c. (a)(5) section states: no consumer reporting agency may make any consumer report containing any of the following items of information any other adverse information, other than records of convictions of crimes which antedates the report by more than seven years. 15 U.S.C ****s-2(A)(1) A person shall not furnish any information relating to a consumer to any consumer reporting agency if the person knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the information is inaccurate.

      Business Response

      Date: 07/03/2023

      Please see the attached response.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/15/2023

      Type:Order Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Was a month late on my payment. Called to make the payment and to see if there was anything else I could do to not let it hit my credit. ****** told me no she didnt have that authority and I asked if I contacted corporate would it be possible for them to help or they have that authority. She did not like that but gave me the number. The very next day ****** and ******* the manager filed a lawsuit for me being 1 month late and made me to pay the filing fees. I would like my money back for the filing fees. They could not even tell me where in my contract it says they have the right to file a lawsuit after only 1 month of being late. They filed the suit in 1 day. I asked them to drop it that day once it was paid and they said theyd do it when they could not making it a priority. But it was a priority to file in 1 day but not drop it?

      Business Response

      Date: 06/20/2023

      Please see the attached response.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/28/2023

      Type:Billing Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      1st Franklin Financial Corporation 95 **************** *********, ** 31525-1880 Account #: ************Hello, my name is ***********************************, and I currently hold a secured loan from 1ST FRANKLIN FINANCIAL, which is my favorite of all the secured loan I own. I mailed 1ST FRANKLIN FINANCIAL several letters informing them of my financial hardship during this COVID-19 health crisis and recession. In the year of 2022 due to extreme financial hardship and medical problems, I became seriously behind on several of my bills. Although I made a mistake by becoming behind, I have since maintained a clean track record of making payments on time, and I intend to keep doing so because I don't want to damage my relationship with 1ST FRANKLIN FINANCIAL. I am currently trying to buy a house, but I am finding it difficult to get an affordable interest rate because of the negative impact this late payment has caused on my creditworthiness. I'm requesting an Accommodation under the Cares Act.****(a)(d)(2)(A)(B) excluded any authorization or approval of a specific extension of credit directly or indirectly by the issuer of a credit card or similar device from consumer report.Pursuant to 15 USC ****e - factual information must be excluded this is a violation.I'm requesting an Accommodation under the Cares Act. Please update the late payment associated with the following account below to "Paid as Agreed" on my credit report, so I can get qualify for a mortgage with a low-interest rate & continue building my relationship with 1ST FRANKLIN FINANCIAL. Account #: ************; Late Payment Date: 30 Days Late May 2022, 30 Days Late July 2022

      Business Response

      Date: 06/01/2023

      We have received your Better Business Bureau complaint dated 05/28/2023 requesting late payments be removed from your credit report.   In response, a review of your account has been performed.  As you stated, your account was reported 30 days late in May 2022 and July 2022. Unfortunately, we are unable to remove or alter this information.  We have a legal obligation to report your account accurately and completely. 

      If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact our **************************** at ************.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/13/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      this company has only reportedm it agencies for negative reasons they definitely have not reported every month like they are going to lie and say that they have. i've been completely harassed by some of the employees there and accidentally left my wallet there once and was lied to by the woman who took my payment.

      Business Response

      Date: 05/20/2023

      We have received your BBB complaint regarding your account number **********.  We report monthly files to Equifax,Transunion and Experian.  Sometimes the bureaus dont update our tradeline for various reasons which are out of our control.  However, I have confirmed that your account has been included on our monthly files.

      A review of your account has been performed and confirms the balance remaining on your account is accurate.  Our review also confirmed that the information reported to the bureaus is accurate.  A copy of the payment history is being mailed to you which will allow you to see the late fees as well as fees for non-sufficient funds that have been assessed to your account. If you have reason to believe that the history is not accurate, please contact our **************************** to discuss this further.

      We will honor your request to no longer contact you by phone; however, the law protects our right to contact you by mail. Our company policy prohibits our branches from emailing customers.  1st Franklin Financial reserves the right to address any default in payment under the terms and conditions of your loan with **. Your account is currently due for ***** 2023. 

      If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact our **************************** at ************.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/08/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      AnsweredMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I have a loan with them and according to my credit report the payment history reported is incorrect. 6/16/22 made a payment of ******.8/5/22 made a payment of ******. 9/16/22 made a payment of ******.11/9/22 made a payment of ******. My payments was only 120 per month so the extra should have covered any missed payments.2/3/23 made a payment of ******. 2/17/23 made a payment of ******.3/31/23 made a payment of ****** and 4/27/23 made a payment of ******. At some point this should have covered any missed payments not me just paying ****** for no reason. Also, they never told me my account was charged off and charged off means non-payment when Im gave they have been getting paid. I called them today and ******** said that I was behind by ****** dollars. I told ******* if the account is in a charge off status that means Im not behind and allegedly not paying the account. However, I may have some late payments but theyre not as late as they are indicating. Plus when I make the payment by phone I need a detailed receipt not a letter saying payment received. I need a receipt with the payment date, payment amount and the balance. They are not reporting correctly and if this account is charged off why would they give me a due date it really wouldnt matter at this point. I will continue to dispute this account with them and the credit bureaus until they get it right

      Business Response

      Date: 05/21/2023

      We have received your BBB complaint regarding your account **********.  The loan contract that you signed on 06/03/2021 stated that the account was a simple interest loan.  With simple interest loans, the amount of interest due each month is determined by the number of days from the last payment date.  As you indicated, payments were made in June, August, September, and November of 2022; however, your account was already past due at that time. The account was charged off on 01/20/2023 and is currently being reported as an unpaid charge off.  The balance on your account has not been written off and a ****c has not been issued.  A copy of your payment history is being mailed to you for your review.  Additionally,we are happy to provide detailed payment receipts for any payment. 

      If you have questions or would like to discuss your payment history, please feel free to contact your local branch or our **************************** at ************.

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/21/2023

       
      Complaint: 20034585

      I am rejecting this response because:

      Sincerely,

      *******************

      Business Response

      Date: 05/22/2023

      Can you please provide a little more information as to why you are rejecting our response?

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/22/2023

       
      Complaint: 20034585

      I am rejecting this response because: I have the statement of all the payments that I have made. From your response you only mention the payments from the year of 2022. However, you failed to mention any payments that was made in February 2023 total amount of ****** dollars, March 2023 total amount of ****** dollars, and April 2023 total amount of ****** dollars. When I called 1st Franklin to let them know I will be making a payment next Friday. ******** who answered the phone said I was ****** dollars past due. I disagreed with ******** statements. As I have mentioned to ******** no one never told me this account was charged off and until after I saw it on my credit report that it was charged off and indicating no payments are being made on this account.

      Every time I speak with ******** or ****** all they do is tell me a lie. I understand I have missed payments on this account and that is not what I am disagreeing as I have made payments to catch this account up and there is no way this account is behind now. Plus, February 2023 payments came to a total of ****** dollars. So as far as this account you only answered part of my statement. I will just continue with the ****** dollars payment each month since you all indicated that I am not paying on this account.

      According to ********, she tells me charge off does not mean I am not paying. So please get someone to work there who knows what they are doing and the meaning of charge off. I promise I will not be doing any more business with 1st Franklin once I get this account paid off and I will not recommend anyone to business with this company.

      Sincerely,

      *******************

      Business Response

      Date: 05/26/2023

      Our Regional Operations Director,******************* indicated that he reached out to you and discussed your concerns.  Please feel free to contact our **************************** at ************ if you have questions or need additional information.
    • Initial Complaint

      Date:05/05/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      ResolvedMore info

      Complaint statuses

      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I had an account with this company that was in default. A garnishment was filed against me and the debt was paid in full through a garnishment filed in Dekalb County ** in 2020-2021. The amount was satisfied in full by the garnishment. The original office where I took out the loan still has an amount owed ($136) and refuses to take this closed and satisfied account off of my credit-I have called many times and get no relief at all-not even a conversation with the manager who does not return my calls. The info on my credit report is WRONG-reporting that I still owe over $1700. First Franklin is impossible as they have no corporate office or any governing body that i can contact other than the staff at this office in **** **. PLEASE help-I have been attempting to get First Franklin to recognize that according to the Dekalb Courts, I have paid my debt in full.

      Business Response

      Date: 05/08/2023

      We received your BBB complaint number ******** regarding your account number **********.  A review has determined that your account has been satisfied by garnishment.  Any remaining balance on your account has been waived.  A manual update will be sent to Equifax, Transunion and Experian to update the balance and status of the account.  Please allow 7 to 14 days for *********** to process this request.
      Additionally,our review determined that you are due a refund in the amount of $33.52.  A check will be mailed to you for this amount. 
      If you have any questions or need addtional information, please do not hesitate to call our **************************** at the number shown below. 

      Sincerely,

      Quality Assurance Department
      1st Franklin Financial
      P.O. Box 880
      ******, ** 30577
      ************

      Customer Answer

      Date: 05/09/2023

       
      Better Business Bureau:

      I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.

      Sincerely,

      *************************

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