MODERN life without the internet is a bit like gin without tonic, Laurel but no Hardy or a boiled egg minus the soldiers.

Like it or loathe it, the net is now an integral part of our lives.

It is a great leveller. It is a new and exciting land of opportunity, colonised by thousands of astute entrepreneurs the world over.

It has changed the way many, if not most, of us work, bank, shop, communicate or research.

Its power is at times awe-inspiring. Students today can complete their homework in seconds rather than hours.

You can spend all evening chatting to your mates who live just down the road.

Or you can bid for that 3D Power Rangers snow-shaker or Only Fools and Horses furry phone cover on eBay - having not known either item existed before a few speculative clicks of the mouse.

Despite embracing this revolutionary information superhighway /virtual shopping mall with no queues, I have recently been reminded of its ability to infuriate.

As a customer, when it comes to receiving high quality service it is hard to compete with the face-to-face contact you get by going to a shop and talking to an actual human being.

When reordering contact lenses almost a month ago I was lured away from my friendly and very helpful Stroud optician by the slightly cheaper prices touted by an online shop.

This decision however, returned to bite me on the virtual bum as after a couple of weeks there was no sign of the lenses and no courtesy email to apologise for the delay.

Having emailed the company - who incidentally get full marks for speed when it comes to debiting cash from my bank account - I received a reply offering what now looks like a hollow promise to speed up the delivery or at least get back to me to say when they should arrive.

Needless to say I'm still waiting, and could be for a while.

It seems you can put a price on most things these days - look on eBay and you might find a lock of Paris Hilton's hair for £102 - but you can't necessarily buy good old-fashioned customer care.