And now I know why credit cards inflate their interest rates

I got a card with Juniper Bank, Apple’s financing company, about a year ago. Soon thereafter I tried to access it online and couldn’t create an account. I called them to find out why and I was able to learn that my social security number is wrong. As I don't know what the wrong number is, I only know the right number, they won't give me my account information - I can't confirm that I am me! I asked them to fix it, they said ok. They didn’t. I called back - “please fix it,” they didn’t. I wrote - same story. And on and on it went.

After many months I was getting pissed and called up again to discuss their incompetence - and the kind man on the phone said:

“Hey, it’s not your social right, so don’t pay the bill.”

I was rather confused and he explained, “If it’s not your social it’s not your credit report so what are they going to do to you if you don’t pay the bill. It’s not going to show on your credit if you don’t pay it, so just stop paying and maybe you’ll get their attention. If it doesn’t, then consider it compensation for your trouble.”

I know that it’s not legally sound advice for me to hand out to you, but I’m thinking that since their employee told me to stop paying my bill - and yes, it was one of those recorded conversations so they can find it - I may have some ground to stand on.

I wish more customer service agents would commit their companies to letting you off the hook for your credit card debt.