Roland Ma v. Stripe Inc.

CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Washington
DecidedNovember 4, 2025
Docket2:25-cv-00864
StatusUnknown

This text of Roland Ma v. Stripe Inc. (Roland Ma v. Stripe Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Roland Ma v. Stripe Inc., (W.D. Wash. 2025).

Opinion

1 2 3

4 5 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 6 WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON AT SEATTLE 7 ROLAND MA, CASE NO. C25-0864-KKE 8

Plaintiff, ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT’S 9 v. MOTION TO DISMISS AND DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION TO SEAL 10 STRIPE INC,

11 Defendant.

12 Plaintiff Roland Ma1 filed this suit against three defendants, including Stripe Inc. 13 (“Stripe”), under the Federal Arbitration Act (“FAA”) and the Fair Credit Reporting Act 14 (“FCRA”). Two defendants have since been dismissed, and Stripe now moves to dismiss Ma’s 15 remaining claims. Because Ma has no right to invoke the arbitration agreement he seeks to enforce 16 against Stripe and cannot plead the elements of an FCRA claim, the Court will grant Stripe’s 17 motion and dismiss Ma’s claims with prejudice. The Court will also deny Ma’s motion to seal and 18 direct the Clerk to strike the sealed records from the docket. 19

22 23 1 Plaintiff is subject to a vexatious litigant order. See Ma v. Dep’t of Educ., C19-1112-JCC, Dkt. No. 77 (W.D. Wash. filed Feb. 9, 2021). After complying with the order, he was granted leave to file this suit. In re Roland Ma, 24 MC21-0015-JCC, Dkt. No. 36 (W.D. Wash. filed May 7, 2025). 1 I. BACKGROUND 2 A. Procedural History 3 Ma filed his initial complaint in May 2025 against Stripe, American Express Company,

4 and “Third-Party Defendant Mr. Douglas Chan Chak Man[.]” Dkt. No. 4. Shortly after filing and 5 paying the filing fee, Ma amended the complaint to update his alleged damages. Dkt. No. 6. Ma 6 then voluntarily dismissed his claims against American Express Company. Dkt. Nos. 27, 29. After 7 providing an opportunity for Ma to object, the Court also dismissed the “third party claim” against 8 Douglas Chan Chak Man. Dkt. No. 43 at 1. Stripe is the only remaining defendant. 9 On June 23, 2025, after providing Ma multiple opportunities to provide an explanation 10 (Dkt. Nos. 33, 34, 42), the Court found “Plaintiff issued subpoenas to third parties without Court 11 approval in violation of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 45(a)(3) by affixing Court staff signatures 12 and the Court seal on documents without permission” and sanctioned him under Rule 26(g). Dkt.

13 No. 43 at 2–3. The Court prohibited Ma from engaging in further discovery without leave of the 14 Court and ordered him to withdraw any outstanding discovery requests. Id. at 3. The Court also 15 reserved ruling on further sanctions including dismissal under Rules 37 and 41. Id. 16 On July 11, 2025, the Court granted Stripe’s motion to dismiss. Dkt. No. 53. The Court 17 dismissed the FAA claim because “Plaintiff does not clearly identify what claims Plaintiff seeks 18 to arbitrate, the existence or contents of any arbitration agreement between Plaintiff and Stripe, or 19 any facts surrounding Stripe’s alleged refusal to participate in arbitration.” Id. at 3. The Court 20 also dismissed the FCRA claim because, “[a]s pleaded, it is unclear what Plaintiff requested from 21 22

23 24 1 Stripe, the basis for Stripe’s obligation to provide the requested information, or what Plaintiff seeks 2 as a remedy.” Id. at 4. The Court granted leave to amend to cure these deficiencies.2 Id. 3 Ma immediately filed a second amended complaint (“SAC”) (Dkt. No. 54) and a motion 4 for temporary restraining order (“TRO”) and preliminary injunction (Dkt. No. 55). After complete 5 briefing on that motion (Dkt. Nos. 57, 63, 64, 67), the Court denied the motion for lack of 6 irreparable harm. Dkt. No. 68. 7 There are now two motions pending before the Court. Stripe filed a motion to dismiss the 8 SAC. Dkt. No. 71. Ma responded (Dkt. No. 78), and Stripe replied (Dkt. No. 82). Also pending 9 is Ma’s motion to seal certain “MasterCard records.” Dkt. No. 75.3 The records are currently 10 sealed. Dkt. No. 79. Stripe responded to the motion to seal (Dkt. No. 80), and Ma replied (Dkt. 11 No. 81). Ma also filed a combined surreply to his own motion to seal and Stripe’s motion to 12 dismiss. Dkt. No. 83. 13 B. Relevant Facts4 14 Ma alleges he is “the sole owner and operator of Handsomeland & Co.” Dkt. No. 54 at 1. 15 He alleges he “created and registered the Handsomeland & Co. account with Stripe[,]” agreed to 16 the Stripe Services Agreement (“SSA”), and entered into a Stripe Capital Loan Agreement 17 (“SCLA”)—all “on behalf of Handsomeland & Co.” Id. at 2–3. Stripe states that it provides 18 19

20 2 The Court also acknowledged an exhibit provided by Stripe that evidenced Ma falsely stated in an arbitration filing that this Court had granted his motion to compel arbitration. Id. at 5–6. To cure this “extremely concerning” 21 conduct, the Court ordered Ma “to submit (by U.S. Mail or email) a copy of this order to the JAMS arbitrator or administrator assigned to case number 5160000863” and “file proof of such delivery on the docket by August 5, 2025.” Id. 6–7. In a July 26, 2025 declaration, Ma attested to his compliance with the order. Dkt. No. 73. 22 3 The Court denied Plaintiff’s request to shorten time on this motion. Dkt. No. 77. 4 The parties both ask the Court to take judicial notice of certain documents outside the SAC. Dkt. Nos. 72, 74. 23 Because the Court does not reach arguments that rely on these documents and is able to resolve the pending motions on the pleadings and briefs, it declines to take judicial notice. See Ecological Rts. Found. v. PacifiCorp, 738 F. Supp. 3d 1239, 1248–49 (N.D. Cal. 2024) (declining to take judicial notice of document unnecessary to resolve the 24 instant motion). 1 payment technology services to eligible merchants selling goods and services online or through a 2 mobile device. Dkt. No. 71 at 5. 3 Ma claims Stripe’s handling of various chargebacks “fall squarely under the arbitration

4 provisions of both the SSA and [SCLA] because they involve services provided by Stripe, 5 including chargeback handling, dispute resolution, and merchant funding.” Dkt. No. 54 at 5. He 6 alleges he attempted to commence arbitration under the SSA and SCLA but that “the American 7 Arbitration Association refused to administer arbitration proceedings involving Plaintiff due to 8 unrelated matters.” Id. 9 II. MOTION TO DISMISS 10 A. Legal Standard 11 In evaluating a motion to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), a court 12 examines the complaint to determine whether, if the facts alleged are true, plaintiff has stated “a

13 claim to relief that is plausible on its face.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 570 (2007). 14 The Court “consider[s] the allegations collectively and examine[s] the complaint as a whole.” 15 Wilson v. Craver, 994 F.3d 1085, 1093 n.5 (9th Cir. 2021) (citation modified). A claim is plausible 16 if plaintiff has pleaded “factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that 17 the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009). 18 “Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, 19 do not suffice.” Id. 20 B. Ma Has No Right to Arbitration Against Stripe 21 Ma’s first cause of action seeks to compel Stripe to arbitrate claims related to the 22 chargebacks. Under section 4 of the FAA, a “party aggrieved by the alleged failure, neglect, or

23 refusal of another to arbitrate under a written agreement for arbitration may petition any 24 [appropriate] United States district court ...

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