BISMARCK — A federal judge in Georgia has ordered Glasser Images, a defunct Bismarck photography studio, to pay almost $1 million in a lawsuit connected to credit card disputes involving former clients of Glasser Images.
The lawsuit was brought by PayJunction, a California company that provides merchant card payment processing services to various entities in the United States.
PayJunction's suit against Glasser Images and its owner, Jack Glasser, claimed that at the time Glasser Images closed its doors in late 2021 the company had incurred more than $720,000 in unresolved chargeback liability that negatively impacted PayJunction.
"Chargeback" is a financial services term that refers to claims credit cardholders may make if they feel they haven't received products or services they paid for.
The suit stated that Glasser Images' closing prompted many clients to dispute their credit card bills and Glasser Images didn't have enough funds to cover the disputed charges, leaving PayJunction, as the independent sales organization, liable for paying off claims, which it apparently did in many cases.
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The suit further claimed that Glasser Images had refused PayJunction efforts to assist the company in responding in a timely fashion to chargeback claims, which PayJunction said could have reduced liabilities involved.
A federal court in the Middle District of Georgia Columbus Division, where PayJunction filed suit, issued a default judgment in favor of PayJunction in the amount of $977,241, which included attorneys fees.
A number of cases have also been brought against Glasser Images and/or Jack Glasser in small claims court and the North Dakota Attorney General's Office has an ongoing investigation aimed at determining whether illegal activity occurred.
In response to a request for comment on the federal court judgment, Tim O'Keefe, an attorney for Glasser Images, issued this statement:
"We are grateful that nearly all Glasser Images customers have been made financially whole in the wake of our going out of business.
"We will continue to work with our vendors — including credit card-related operators like PayJunction — as we figure out our next steps forward."
