I have received a very anonymous postcode asking me to phone a Garry Tompkins at FCM Vale Park, Evesham. A "Google" search bought me to this website and I found out its a tracing agency- would anyone be able to tell me why such a group would write to me?

-- Richard McDonald (rich@macd.netlineuk.net), February 09, 2002

Answers

If you've ever had a home repossessed, or are in debt to anyone and still owe them money, then it seems as through this company have been given the task of finding you and reporting your whereabouts to whoever you owe money to.

If none of this applies to you, then it may be that someone who has had problems has lived at your address, or for some other reason is connected to your address.

I can't really advise you on what is the right thing to do, but you could just ignore the postcard. If they send another or write a letter, you can decide whether or not to take further action then.

-- pendle (pendle_666@yahoo.co.uk), February 09, 2002.

FCM stands for First Credit Management, Vale Park, Evesham. They are a debt collection company. They found me the same way, by sending a postcard, I was stupid and rang them, then I found myself paying off a credit card that my ex-husband had told me he had paid off but hadn't. Because the card was in joint names I ended up paying as they couldn't find him. That was £3,000.00. He also left other debts one being arrears on the mortgage, I have a court order for that but cannot find him. My advice is ignore it.

-- Christine Singleton (Middleforth1@aol.com), February 10, 2002.

why ignore it? what will that achieve? ring them and come to a minimal repayment plan if it is a debt incurred by you...if its not for you then whats the problem ...I would ring them

-- who knows (locate1st@hotmail.com), February 13, 2002.

Richard,

if you ring them and make an 'arrangement' that way you will have no proof of what has been said. You are better writing to them and keeping copies of the ;etters you write and receive.

-- Joy Harker (fightingback@harker.go-plus.net), February 13, 2002.

I have just received the same card myself. When I rang the number a women anwsered and I told her I had a postcard to phone a Susan Hill. I asked her what it was about, she would not tell me and said that she would transfer me to Susan who would explain. At that, my suspisions were arroused and I put the phone down. I have no bad debts so I don't know how they got my name, although a previous occupent of my property did.

-- (Stephenbnn@AOL.com), January 21, 2004.

I have been charged, without authorisation from me as far as I can recollect, £770 by "FCM PAYMENT SERVIC EVESHAM GBR". The entry in my credit card statement has a subsidiary line: "Automobile parking lots". That is a rather large amount to pay for parking! Specially as I was not even in the UK on the date that the "transaction" was supposed to have happened! So I have just reported the matter to the Security Department of the Credit Card Company concerned.

Prabhu Guptara

-- Professor Prabhu Guptara (prabhu.guptara@ubs.com), November 03, 2004.

Postcard reads: Mr Banks will be calling next Tuesday or Thursday. Please telephone 01386 425400 to confirm a specific appointment.

My advice: Dont call. They are trying to trace me for unpaid credit card bills following my divorce. I am willing to sort this out but am not in a position to do so at present.

-- Bertie Smalls (robert@nlservices.co.uk), February 02, 2005.

what is the matter with you people, you are receiving unsolicited mail and are worrying about what to do, just bin the mail, these people have no legal standing whatsoever, the debt has been passed over to them because the originator is unable to collect.

If they had any evidence that you owed the debt they would pursue you through the courts.

Do not contact these morons and only respond to official court correspondence.

you certainly do not enter into payment arrangements with the likes of collection agents. Let them take you to court and if proved you can then make a payment plan through the court.

-- frankie (frankie@btinternet.com), February 02, 2005.