What are the different scare tactics that collection agencies use?

Answer by  malone (4817)

Read the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act online. It details what collectors can/cannot say. There are restrictions about phone calls, time of day and claims they can make as to action against you. If it's valid, it's not a threat.

Answer by  CJ98 (127)

Scare tactics might include the threat of repossession, wage garnishment, bank levy, humiliation by contacting your neighbors and a lawsuit. Debt collectors are limited on what they can and cannot say to debtors. If they step over the line and break one of the rules in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, then they can be sued.

Answer by  tamarawilhite (17883)

Collection agencies may threaten sending someone to jail, though you cannot face criminal penalties for civil debt. They can threaten repossession of items they cannot rightfully take.

Answer by  johnresa (2455)

One of the biggest ones is telling you that they will be prosecuting you if you fail to make arrangements. That can happen but it usually only happens with huge debts. They also tell you that this will effect your credit in a huge way when sometimes depending on the debt it will barely effect it.

Answer by  janeplowmanwindstreamnet (292)

Most collection agencies threaten wage garnishments, arrest, taking your car, freezing bank accounts, lawsuits and such. Some even tell you to call friends and family and borrow the money to pay the debt. They can garnish your wages if there is a judgement, and only in some states.

Answer by  Roland27 (16334)

They want their money and I've seen creditors that will do just about anything to get it back. They will often times harass you, threaten you with legal suits and make you feel really bad about yourself. However there are laws against such behavior, not like anyone follows them, but they're there.

Answer by  tamarawilhite (17883)

They will threaten to sue you, which requires weeks of court dates and a judge. They threaten to garnish wages, for which there are legal limits to how much they can take. To threaten to put you in jail for not paying is a criminal act in itself.

Answer by  John (9008)

The marginally legal ones include destroying your credit score, suing you, or reporting your debt to professional licensing boards. Illegal ones include having you imprisoned or telling your employer.