We represented a young lady who opened a retail credit card to try and build her credit reputation. Being her very first credit card, the client was apprehensive about using her card.
Months after opening the card, the client received a statement reflecting a balance of a little over $300 for purchases which included groceries and gift cards. Never having used her credit card before, the client contacted the retailer to dispute these charges. Despite providing proof that she never used the card and it was physically impossible for her to make the purchases since she was at work nearly 30 miles away from the retail store at the time of the purchases, the retailer persisted and began reporting derogatory tradelines on her credit report.
Because the client’s informal attempts to resolve the dispute were unsuccessful, she had no choice but to retain a lawyer and file a lawsuit to vindicate her reputation. After depositions of the representatives from the retailer and credit reporting agencies and motions for summary judgment by both parties, the case resolved without the client having to pay anything out-of-pocket. The retailer eliminated the debt, deleted the derogatory tradelines, paid the client a confidential settlement that was enough to finance her college education, and paid for her attorneys’ fees and costs.
