i dont think it was a tesco job smiffy.
Anyway, "Because they want to make sure your serious about it before they send you out the letters" heart surgeons have to be serious about their vocation. Would you expect them to have to hand over any money before performing surgery just to make sure they weren't going to play banjo with your vocal chords?
Send them the money if you really want to know, but if (and probably when) they screw you, i just hope that you will then learn your lesson. I did something similar, im sure many people do, even though people were telling me that it was a con. Until i saw it for myself though i wanted to believe it. Silly me.
But think about it. theyre going to send you �50 worth of information? are they using gold ink or something?
Remember. they are trying to make money. Them more they give you the less they keep. I doubt thats what they want