New year, same crap

Happy new Year, folks. Second of January (the first being passed in post alcohol-binge haze) and already my phone has rung with the happy sound of marketing eejits. Bank I deal with: hi, it's such and such from MammonBank International, Mr Gordon, can I verify your date of birth and address details, please? Me: er, why? Bank: I need to verify your details before I can talk to you. Me: I don't randomly give out my details over the phone to anyone who calls. Is this an out unsolicited marketing call to offer me some new deal? Bank: I really need to verify your details... Me: because I haven't called you and I don't want any new loan extensions or anything else right now so I have no wish to go through any palaver over names, DOB details etc just to hear some sales pitch I didn't ask for...

Second of January and already the poor souls who work in call centres are phoning the nation offering more stuff we don't want or how to improve you financial situation by taking out an even longer loan with them... I mean, come on, it's the second day of the New Year, even if I was wanting their extra services (I don't, I'd rather clear the existing one frankly) I doubt I'd have put any thought into it at this point. This is one of the reasons I often let the answering machine deal with calls before 8pm, although since the same bank left about 4 messages before Xmas which I didn't reply to they obviously can't take a hint.