THERE is a book out on the market called ‘Enshittification’ by Cory Doctorow and it is a fascinating insight into the manipulations of online platforms and services such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Amazon.

Once they offered us so much, then, once we are hooked, they shift their emphasis onto pleasing the business customers.

They push advertising and sponsored products on us, and basically end up giving everyone a crap, heavily ad-driven, two-tiered experience (ooh they could work for Labour!).

It’s entirely in line with the descent of customer service standards in this country. Didn’t it all used to be so much better and more pleasant?

At present I’m waiting for a garage to ring me about a car I’m interested in. They’ve ignored three emails so far today and yesterday three promises that they’d ring back and I’m ready to tell them to stuff it.

Same with MAC cosmetics, who owe me a refund for goods I didn’t receive. Parcel arrived empty.

They told me to take a photo of it. ‘What the hell is that going to prove?’ I said, as I could have just taken out the lippy and said it had never arrived. They approved me a refund, then cancelled it. A month later, I’m still chasing it even though it was once again cleared.

Bought shoes for a pal’s wedding. They arrived a totally different design to the ones I’d ordered ‘because the ones I wanted were out of stock so they sent me the nearest’. WTF. I sent them back for a replacement. Same shoes came back. I ordered from another firm – the right design landed… in the wrong colour.

Try and complain and you have to talk to a ‘chatbot’ who can’t understand your query. What happened to just being able to ring someone and get everything sorted?

However, talking of customer service, may I redress the balance and commend the young lady called IEva (excuse spelling) in Curry’s down Harborough Hill, who we always seek out.

Pure efficiency. If Elon Musk wants to do something valuable for the world and save everyone’s blood pressure, please forget the rockets, just clone this young lady a million times and put her in charge of every customer service point on the planet.

I was hacked online this week. Couldn’t get into my Twitter account. I know how it happened. I had a private message from a blogger friend who asked me to vote for her in an award thing.

When I tried the link it wouldn’t work. Days later I was locked out of my own profile. The hackers flooded all my contacts with the same ‘vote for me’ message.

Then posted a picture of ‘me’ standing beside ‘my new Bentley’. I wouldn’t have known but a pal emailed to congratulate me about how well I was doing and could she have a ride in it (ha! I wonder if she’ll be as keen to ride in my two-people, second-hand Smart car if the garage ever ring back).

They’d used my head on the photo, but everything else was fake, including my much longer legs, all apparently to convince people I had earned my fortune with crypto.

Thank God I got my account back. But I will never press on another link and you all need to watch it.

And if you are in any doubt something is dodgy, change your passwords!

RIP magnificent Penelope Keith. Margo was the best thing about the Good Life. I always thought Tom and Barbara were insufferable!