I recently had a postcard sent to me by the above company who claimed that they had a parcel for me. I can't find them via the yellow pages etc. Are they a tracing agent?

-- dw (dw@lincom.ndo.co.uk), December 20, 2001

Answers

Ring them from a call box and ask if they provide skip tracers...pretend you need one.

-- Too scared to say (iwasduped@yahoo.com), December 21, 2001.

I've been having enormous fun tracking down companies like this - post up all the details you have - address? phone no? reference no? Meanwhile...DON'T phone them and give them any (correct!) ID...

-- Melody (mbc109@york.ac.uk), December 28, 2001.

The phone number is 01977 700888 I rang them and ask for there address and was told it was India Building, Castleford, Yorkshire, WF10 5AA. However I can't find any referance to this address via the royal mail web site etc. I then rang a freight company which were listed also in castleford, I asked them if they had heard of 1st call freight surprise surpise they had not heard of them! Sounds very suspiscious to me!

-- dw (dw@lincom.ndo.co.uk), December 31, 2001.

They are skip tracers, debt collectors and servers. I asked a man who knows. Really can't say more.

-- Too scared to say (iwasduped@yahoo.com), December 31, 2001.

Thanks for the info, If anyone can find their true address I would be interested. As I travel around a lot it would be interesting to give them a surprise visit sometime!

-- dw (dw@lincom.ndo.co.uk), December 31, 2001.

Have a look on Companies House Website and see if you can find them on there. If they are not there don't even bother with them.

-- Christine Singleton (Middleforth1@aol.com), January 01, 2002.

I have since found out that they are private detectives, calling themselfs 1st call private detectives ltd. of Leeds, Yorkshire. Beware if you get a postcard from them!

-- dw (dw@lincom.ndo.co.uk), January 20, 2002.

I know 1st Call very well if anyones interested... its not illegal to do what they have done with the postcard

-- who knows (locates1st@hotmail.com), February 13, 2002.

I'm reassured to be told that what these companies are doing is not illegal but then again a flea doesn't break any law when it sucks blood from a host but that doen't mean it's not a parasite!

Best Regards,

-- Tony Hayter (Tony@Hayter.com), February 13, 2002.