Isn’t it incredible, the amount of junk mail we receive these days? Even with a fairly high filter level my computer inbox still needs to be cleared on a daily basis and as for unsolicited letters, well, I don’t think that our large corporations and organisations have really taken on board worldwide concern over the decimation of the Amazon rain forest.

BT write to me on a regular basis,  both by letter and email, inviting me to sign up for a broadband contract which is very nice of them, except for the fact that I actually signed up nearly 2 years ago, in June 2011! After continuing to receive further weekly invitations to sign up I sent off an email saying that I was already with them but, of course, it had no effect.

 I suppose I should now telephone BT and put them straight but why should I? It would be ok if I could speak to a human being but communication these days is preceded by a journey through a minefield of questions and pressing of buttons as we attempt to negotiate an automated answer service. I appreciate that this isn’t the right attitude but like all of us, I have better things to do.

I also heard from British Gas this week, again by letter and email, asking me to book my annual boiler service and again, it’s good to know that they too have me in their thoughts. However, unless somebody has, without telling me, reduced the length of a year from twelve to four months I don’t think my annual service is actually due until next January!

I ignored their first two requests but when the third arrived I thought I would play them at their own game. So, I dutifully entered my full name and special code into my website account to book a service and guess what happened? I received a message straight back informing me that my service was not yet due!

I’m sure we all have similar tales to tell, not just about BT and British Gas, but about a whole host of modern companies and organisations who boast and advertise constantly about how efficient they are. What can we do about it, I wonder? Probably nothing, is the sad answer.