EAST ST. LOUIS — An man claims Merchant One allowed incorrect information to remain on his credit report after he filed for bankruptcy.
Gordon Stuart filed a complaint March 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against Merchant One Inc., alleging violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
According to Stuart's complaint, he filed for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in July 2019. He alleges that when he reviewed his credit reports from the "three major credit reporting agencies" in June 2020, the "trade line" from Merchant One incorrectly listed a "pre-petition bankruptcy debt" as past due and an open balance. Stuart claims Merchant One's error caused him to have to get a co-signer on his mortgage finance and for his car loan. He also claims he had to sign up for a paid credit monitoring subscription service.
Stuart alleges that as of Aug. 30, 2020, Merchant One continued to incorrectly report his open debt of $4,183 despite his sending a dispute to the company and informing them of the error. Stuart alleges Merchant One's refusal to correct the false information is in violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Stuart seeks monetary relief, trial by jury and all other just relief. He is represented by Dominic Pontello of Pontello & Bressler LLC in St. Charles, Mo.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois case number 3:21-CV-00246-SPM