Complaints

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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/18/2025

  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.

  First financial resources has sent me to collections for a bill for the **************************. I have absolutely no knowledge of this account whatsoever. I am not currently enrolled in a college course or program and have no signed contracts with said college. I do believe however this account (*************************) may have been opened fraudulently by another persons that used my information illegally.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/20/2025

  While we investigate this matter further with our client, FFR will be removing the derogatory **** from Mr. ******* credit report as a courtesy. This is no admission of wrongdoing. As soon as we have more information we will reach out. Thank you! 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/07/2025

  Type:Billing 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 received a collection from this company on my credit report. The original creditor is ************************** in **********. I live in **** and have never been in ********** in my life. I would like this taken off of my credit report.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/11/2025

  While we are investigating this matter further with our client, we will be removing our **** from Mr. ****** credit report. Please contact us at ************ if you have any questions. Thank you!

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/11/2025

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ***** ****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/18/2025

  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.

  This letter serves as formal notice that I dispute the validity of the alleged debt that FST Financial Resources is attempting to collect in relation to Account No. *********, purportedly on behalf of **************************. Additionally, I have discovered that your company has already reported this debt to the credit bureaus, despite lacking the legal authority to do so under Massachusetts law and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (****), 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2.Violations. Your company is knowingly reporting inaccurate and unverifiable information to ***'s, constituting a direct violation of FCRA 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2(b), which requires furnishers to ensure information is accurate, complete, and verifiable.FST Financial Resources is not registered with the Massachusetts Division of Banks (DOB), making your debt collection and reporting activities illegal.Your reporting of unverified information is causing financial harm, damaging my credit score, and exposing your company to civil liability.Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) 15 U.S.C. 1681n, you may be held liable for actual damages, statutory damages of up to $1,000 per violation, punitive damages, and attorneys fees for willful noncompliance. ************************************************************************* is not licensed with the Massachusetts Division of Banks, which is required under Mass. ************* 93, 24A. Your attempts to collect and report this debt are therefore unlawful, violating:Mass. ************* 93, 24A (Debt collector licensing requirement)Mass. ************* 93, 49 (Unfair and deceptive practices)940 CMR 7.00 (Unlicensed collection is an unfair/deceptive act under Ch. ***)Because your company is not registered, you have no legal standing to collect or report this debt, making your reporting a fraudulent and deceptive trade practice under Massachusetts Consumer Protection Law (Ch. 93A).

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/19/2025

  Mr. ******* account was turned over to our collection agency on 1/4/2024. We have contacted him numerous times by mail and phone, but he has not responded to any of our collection efforts. The demographic information that Mr. ***** provided in this complaint matches the demographic information on our account. Due to his lack of communication with our agency, we placed a derogatory **** on his credit report on 4/1/2024. We have been updating the **** on a monthly basis. With regards to Mr. ***** stating that we are not registered with the **** that information is false. We are a licensed collection agency for the state of ************* and all of our information can be found on the **** website. Once Mr. ***** resolves his account, we will update his credit report. Thank you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/26/2025

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  I am writing in response to your claim that your company is a licensed debt collection agency in the state of *************. After reviewing the official Massachusetts Division of Banks' list of licensed debt collectors as of December 31, 2024, I was unable to find "FST Financial Resources" listed as a registered entity.

   Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93, Section 24A, debt collection agencies operating within the state are required to be licensed by the *******************************. Your failure to appear on the official registry suggests that you are conducting debt collection activities without proper authorization, in direct violation of state law.

  Furthermore, under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93A and 940 CMR 7.00, unlicensed collection activity constitutes an unfair and deceptive trade practice, exposing your company to legal and financial penalties. Additionally, any reporting of this alleged debt to credit reporting agencies while operating without proper licensing may also constitute willful noncompliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) 15 U.S.C. 1681s-2(b), subjecting your company to statutory damages, punitive damages, and attorneys fees.

  Given this information, I demand the immediate removal of the derogatory **** placed on my credit report, as your company lacks the legal authority to collect or report this debt.

  I will now escalate this issue by filing formal complaints with the *******************************, the **************************************, the Consumer Financial ***************** (****), and the ************************ (***) for deceptive and unlawful collection practices.

  This serves as formal notice of your legal violations and my continued dispute of this debt. Please confirm in writing that you will cease all collection efforts and remove the credit reporting entry immediately.
  

  I have included a copy of the Massachusetts Division of Banks' list of licensed debt collectors in this response as well.
   
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *******

   

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 03/04/2025

  Mr. ******* allegations that we are not a licensed collection agency within the state of ************* is completely false. On the attachment, that he is providing, our organization is listed on row 222. We believe that Mr. ***** is making false accusations to try to scare us into closing his account and remove our **** from his credit report. That will not be happening as Mr. ***** has a legitimate debt that is owed to our client. Mr. ***** has yet to dispute that he owes the balance therefore we will proceed with our collection efforts. We are happy to update his credit report once he pays the balance in full. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/04/2025

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  I am writing in response to your latest reply regarding my complaint. While I acknowledge that your company is listed on the Massachusetts Division of Banks' roster of licensed debt collectors, this does not change the fact that I do not recognize or owe the alleged debt in question.

  Your response has failed to provide any documented proof that this debt is legally mine, nor have you met the verification requirements under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (*****), 15 U.S.C. 1692g. Merely asserting that I owe the debt does not constitute sufficient validation. I once again demand that you provide the following:

  A copy of the original agreement bearing my signature, demonstrating my obligation to this debt.
  A complete itemized accounting of the alleged debt, including any payments made, interest charged, and fees assessed.
  Documentation proving your legal right to collect this debt, including the chain of title from the original creditor to your agency.

  Until you provide valid proof that this debt belongs to me, I consider this matter unresolved, and I continue to dispute the legitimacy of your claims. Any further collection efforts without proper validation may constitute violations of the ***** and state consumer protection laws.

  Furthermore, your suggestion that I am engaging in "scare tactics" is completely unfounded. This is far from a scare tacticthis is a structured administrative process that I have followed in good faith to resolve this matter. Having provided you with multiple opportunities to prove your claim, this third letter serves as my final notice before I escalate this matter to a civil complaint. If you wish to defend your claim in court over a balance that is not mine and cannot be proven to be mine, so be it. I have done my due diligence in attempting to resolve this dispute amicably.

  Additionally, this matter has already been formally filed with the Consumer Financial ***************** (****), and I will continue escalating my complaints with the **************************************, and the ************************ (***). If this alleged debt is related to medical services, I remind you that recent **** regulations prohibit the reporting of medical debt on credit reports. Massachusetts Attorney General ****** ******** has also introduced state measures preventing medical debt from being used to impact credit scores. Any continued reporting of such debt may be a violation of these consumer protection laws and subject your company to further penalties.

  Given the absence of any verifiable proof that this debt is mine, I demand that you immediately cease all collection efforts and remove any derogatory marks related to this debt from my credit report. I will not tolerate any further attempts to collect an unproven debt, and I am fully prepared to escalate this matter to legal action, including filing a civil complaint against your company.

  This serves as my continued dispute of this debt and my final formal notice before further legal action is taken. Failure to resolve this matter will result in litigation. Please confirm in writing that you will cease all collection activities and remove this erroneous reporting from my credit file.
  
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *******

   

   

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/18/2025

  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 am not liable for this debt with ****** styling Institute. I do not have a contract with First Financial Resource. They did not provide me with the original contract. I demand this account be removed from credit report.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/19/2025

  Mr. ********** account was entered into our system on 9/3/2024. We have contacted him numerous times by phone, mail, and email but have not received a response from him. On 9/6/2024, 10/10/2024, 10/14/2024, 10/16/2024, he opened the email that was sent to him but he did not take any action to resolve his account. Mr. ******** has never requested validation of his debt prior to this complaint. We will be providing him with the validation. We recommend that once he reviews the documentation, he should contact our agency so we can help him resolve his account and get his credit report updated. Thank you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/19/2025

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. I am rejecting this response because: The information is incorrect. I have no knowledge of this debt. The debt does not belong to me. My Personal information has been misused. I am currently speaking to resolve this matter. By law a validation letter should have been sent in 2024 and never was because the debt does not belong to me. Moving forward I request this debt be removed from my credit report and cease and desist all communications from collections.

  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  Demaurion

   

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/25/2025

  If Mr. ******** feels that this debt does not belong to him, we recommend that he file a police report and send us a copy of the document so we can forward it to our client. Thank you!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/14/2025

  Type:Order 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.

  First Financial Resources, *** has called me multiple times without sending any information regarding the alleged debt or leaving any helpful information in a voicemail. I receive multiples calls per day from them from different phone numbers. I called today and they asked to speak with someone who was not me.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/19/2025

  After reviewing the information in our system, we have determined that we were contacting Ms. ***** in error, we are looking for a different individual. We have removed her phone number from our system. Ms. ***** contacted our agency on 2/14/2025, we confirmed that we were removing her phone number that day. We have not called her phone number, **************, since 2/14/2025. Thank you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/19/2025

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ******* *****

• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/11/2025

  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.

  FFR has my name under collection. They solved the case with Action Ambulance and they kept my name under the collection. I appears in my credit score.I would like them to remove my name from the collection.They have all the receipts that I have sent to them.Thank you Catilsa Hello ******* *********, One of our Account Representatives attempted to reach you by phone today regarding your account:Creditor: ************************, *** Creditor Account #: ****************************** Agency Account #: ********* Date of Service: 07/05/2023 Current Balance Due: $1,455.85

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/11/2025

  Ms. *********** account has been closed in our system per our client's request on 1/28/2025. One 1/31/2025, we sent our monthly file to all three credit bureaus and requested that the **** on Ms. *********** credit report be removed entirely. Unfortunately, we have no control as to how long it takes the credit bureaus to process our file. We recommend that she contact the credit bureaus and file a dispute with them. Thank you!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/30/2025

  Type:Customer Service 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 am not liable for this debt with FST FINANCIAL RESOURCES, I do not have a contract with FST FINANCIAL RESOURCES. They did not provide me with the original contract as requested.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/30/2025

  Mr. ******* account was turned over to our collection agency on 11/7/2024. We have contacted Mr. ***** numerous times via email and phone but he does not respond. Due to his lack of communication with our agency, we have placed a derogatory **** on his credit report. We are happy to help Mr. ***** resolve his account. We recommend that he contact our agency at ************ or he can view his account information on our Virtual Agent: *****************************. Thank you!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/30/2025

  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.

  I am not liable for this debt with ***************************************, I do not have a contract with First Financial Resource, they did not provide me with the original contract as requested.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/30/2025

  More information will need to be provided in order for us to give a proper response to this complaint. We are unable to locate an account for Mr. **** with the address, phone number, and email address that was provided. We recommend that he contact our office at ************ so we can help him resolve this matter. Thank you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/30/2025

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  FFR has reported a collection to my credit report, if they are unable to locate the account (that I have no knowledge of) then I demand it be taken off my credit report. I have no responsibility to reach out to a collection agency to assist them validate or invalidate an incorrect debt that they have no record of.

  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  *****

   

   

  

  Business Response

  Date: 02/03/2025

  Mr. **** will have to provide a copy of his credit report and license in order for us to research this matter. As previously stated, we are unable to locate an account in our system with the information he has provided thus far. Thank you!

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/29/2025

  Type:Product 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 receive calls from this place every day. They do not state who they are calling, who they represent, amount they are calling about, or what debt they are trying to collect. Very frustrating. It feels like a scam!

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/29/2025

  After reviewing the information provided in this complaint, we have determined that we have been contacting Ms. ****** in error, we are trying to locate a different individual. We have removed Ms. ******** phone number from our system so she will not receive any more calls from our agency. Thank you!

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/30/2025

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #********. I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved. 
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/21/2025

  Type:Customer Service 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 am not liable for this debt with AWARD BEAUTY SCHOOL ***, I do not have a contract with FIRST FINANCIAL RESOUR, they did not provide me with the original contract as requested

  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/22/2025

  Ms. ****** account was turned over to our collection agency back on 9/3/2024, we have contacted her numerous times by email, phone, and mail. The email address we have on file matches the address that is in our system so we can only assume that Ms. ***** received the emails and chose not to respond. Due to her lack of communication, we placed a derogatory **** on her credit report. On 1/20/2025, Ms. ***** contacted our agency requesting additional information regarding her account. During the conversation, she confirmed that the date of birth we have is correct, but the mailing address was incorrect. We will be sending her the requested documentation as soon as we receive if from our client. Thank you!