Why I ask, with my aching head cradled in my hands, why do companies INSIST on having a telephone number as well as your e-mail address?

The reason as is increasingly obvious, is purely so they can pester you without it being deemed as cold calling.

The can instead pester you with that most wrongly of named things, "The Courtesy Call."

It is NOT a courtesy - it's a bl**dy invasion of my privacy.

They mostly don't need it as the result of your enquiry is usually presented immediately on line. I don't need it emailed to me as well and I don't need a follow up telephone call before I've had time to draw breath.

The most recent example of this is by the Big Yellow Storage company.

We looked on line at their website to check a price for a storage unit for a few weeks.

To do this first off they have the nerve to ask you WHY you need to hire storage. What's it to them?

Sadly you can't say something like "To hide Granny's remains until the heat dies down" but I wish you could.

Then you get to locate your nearest store.

Then you get to select a storage unit size (that's worth doing just for the visual stupidity of it!) Then they ask your name, postcode, email address and telephone number If you're an honest sort of person you fill it all in correctly. I suggest that you at least put in a fake telephone number and most probably a fake email address.

The reason being that if you don't they will telephone you within 24 hours for the ubiquitous courtesy call something which it most certainly isn't and then start bombarding you with offers on savings if you take a storage unit at this very instant.

The moment I get someone start a telephone conversation with "Good afternoon this is just a courtesy call....." I jump in quick and say "Oh no it bl**dy isn't. It's an intrusion that I haven't asked for. Go away" and I hang up.

But they all do it.

BT do it (about the only thing they do do in fact). The Gas and Electricity companies do it.

Every so-and-so under he sun does it the moment you make even the slightest enquiry of them.

WHY? I've made my enquiry thank you kindly. If I want to take it further then I will do....IN MY OWN SWEET TIME.

I do NOT need pestering by some spotty faced, just post-pubescent, ill-fitting sports jacket wearer.

If I WANT your company's services then I will approach you again myself.

Wasting my time on the phone (and also chasing me up by email) is hardly likely to make me rush out and use your services. It has the completely opposite effect in fact.

So Big Yellow et al, this has just been a courtesy blog to respectfully ask you to blog off!