10-20 years in a maximum security prison?

Whoa, I hope you recorded that conversation- if it was a phone call. There is no such thing as a debtors prison. What state are you in and what is the name of this CC Company. Sounds like you need to report this rep that threatened you, to the corporate office.

no they can't put you in jail for owing a debt.debts are civil matters.not criminal ones.which cc company threatened this?

I know this must have been scary for you because it has happened to me but once I learned the FDCPA (and what they can and cannot do).......the last time someone did that to me I just laughed and told them they still wouldn't get their money but I sure would get 3 hot meals a day and a place to sleep, so what was their point? They hung up and of course, resold my "supposed" debt to another scum feeder who is now in the hands of the Attorney Generals office because I got them on tape threatening me.

I think we're going to see a lot more of these blatantly illegal collection tactics - which used to be pretty much confined to payday loan collectors - as the economy continues to get worse.

Collectors are working out of fear now. I heard the other day that Advanta hired a bunch of ex-mortgage reps to work collections for them. These were people making up to six figures that have ZERO chance of finding a job in their industry right now, and are brought in for $40,000 plus bonus. But here's the catch - either they bring in $100,000 a month in recoveries or they're back out on the street. So now they've got a bunch of people with minimal, if any, collections experience choosing between your families and their own. But they're also well-educated and articulate enough to make the most outrageous nonsense sound plausible. (Just like they used to when they were pushing teaser rates and 125% LTV mortgages!)

I liked it better when most collectors were gambling addicts or deadbeat dads scrambling for a bonus to get even on their own debts.

That sounds funny. Sent you to prison for not paying your credit card lol.... right.... wow. False

keep this in mind, folks--OP said it was a credit card company telling him/her that. If it was, then the FDCPA doesnt apply, and as sad as it is to say this, if it was the OC then nothing illegal took place. It is ridiculous for them to lie like that, but at present it is not illegal

It may not be a violation of the FDCPA, but many states (like Texas, North Carolina and others) have their own collection laws that do not distinguish between first and third parties. And others like Pennsylvania have laws that make it a criminal offense for any creditor to threaten criminal prosecution to collect a debt.

and you can't get "blood out of turnips" as the old saying goes. :-)

Florida is one state where you can go after the OC for making threats like that. OP, what state are you in? You should check to see if there are any laws on the books in your state, regarding debt collection, that can be applied to the OC.

Regardless of FDCPA violations or not, you aren't going to jail for not paying a credit card bill. The jails would be more overrun now than they already are if that were the case.

And you're probably be astounded at who all you'd see there.

I think I posted the story of when a CA threatened me with arrest and I asked what time the cops were going to be here. I wanted to wash the mud-pack off my face, take the curlers out of my hair, and put on a fresh mu-mu so I could be ready to go and look pretty for my booking photo.

I got nothing but stunned silence from the other end of the phone line.

I liked the post form the other day where the guy asked if he would be picked up in time for dinner.

Funny stuff!

I live in Alabama and the CC company threatening to put me in prison is Citi. I think Freaky Friday nailed it. As the economy continues to spiral downward, the illegal tactics by CC companies and CAs will increase. They also told me that Alabama was very "creditor friendly" and that Citi has law enforcement "in their pockets" so they can do whatever they want. This is despite the fact that I am currently paying them via a payment arrangement that THEY set up and authorized! They have told me some wild stories about what they can and will do. From sending out a SWAT team to putting me on the local news and telling the entire city that I live in that I am behind on payments to a credit card company! It's insane the lengths they will go to.

The state I live in is Alabama. The CC company threatening to put me away for life is Citi. I believe that Freaky Friday nailed it. As the economy continues on a downward spiral, the scare tactics by CC companies and CA's will increase. They run amok and do what they want when they want. They even told me that they had law enforcement "in their pockets" so they were untouchable. They informed me that Alabama was a state that sympathized with the creditor, so I had better watch it. On top of all this, I am paying them via a payment arrangement which was agreed upon and authorized BY THEM! They told me the payment arrangement is simply to "stop the bleeding" and I am still behind on the principle of the debt. So, because of this, I might look outside and see a SWAT team coming to apprehend me! According to the untouchables at Citi!

Oh, Citi-Bank! Don't even get me started on these crooks.

Why don't you ask them if they could just take the amount you owe out of the $400 million dollars they will be using to name that new stadium in NYC after themselves. Or, they could take it out of the $50 million they are spending on a brand-spanking-new jet plane. Or they could take it out of the salaries they will be saving on after they cut 52,000 jobs.

This is after the American taxpayers have bailed them out with our tax dollars.

I could write an entire book on these crooks, but I'll just leave it at that.

I only had time to do a quick search; however, I cannot find any consumer laws that protect you from the original creditor (OC) in AL.

Here's what I would do, if I were you. Record every freakin' phone call you have with whatever idiot you receive a phone call from at that company. I would start forwarding all the really funny ones (like having law enforcement in their pocket, sending out a SWAT team, putting you on the news, etc.) to every member of Alabama government I could find an E-mail addy for, from the Governor on down! I would also send copies to local TV news stations and see what they think about it. You might even forward it to your state representatives in DC!

Seriously, I wold be making a lot of noise if they were doing this to me. Of course, since I live in Florida, if they were doing this to me, I would have already started the process of suing them under the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act.

Just because you owe them money does not make it right for them to act this way! It would be really embarrassing for them if this kind of behavior by their collection department got out into the media.

What fun!