I like buying things off the internet. The easy way in which you bash in a few numbers, click on the button and get the acknowledgement email always goes really smoothly. Of course, buying things is one thing. Actually getting them OK is however, something else.

Another member of the family has been found to have a TV bigger than mine. Actually, this has been the case for a while now and, me being me, it started to rankle a bit. So, when I came into some money, I decided that the time was ripe for 32 inches of Sony widescreen goodness. For any americans out there,  I realise that this size of screen is just about appropriate for the second guest bedroom, but in the UK it counts as quite a hefty size believe me. I've been waiting for a while for plasma and LCD screens to get down to my price level, but in the end I decided to go for a good ole big glass tube.

Having done careful research, read consumer reports, scanned for the lowest price, Googled (yes - it is a verb now) the name of the supplier in case they had lots of hate sites and so on I clicked the button and placed my order.

The telly came today, exactly when it was supposed to. It worked for just long enough for the delivery man to get my signature and dash out of the door. It then failed. But in a way that left me thinking that it was my fault. Then it worked for a while. Then it failed. Then it worked for a different while before failing again. Then I put it back into its big box and it is now in the hall awaiting a replacement.

The company who I bought it from think I am mad. I'm beginning to think I might be going a bit dotty too. I was determined not to order a replacement until I was sure I needed one so I kept up a running commentary with them. But, having thought about it, it only has to fail to work once to be unacceptable. If I can't have confidence that it will work whenever I press the button it is no good. I hope I'll get the replacement in the next couple of days; the firm are being very good about it.

I guess it is a case of infant mortality. If these things get through the first week or so they usually last for ever. Or until I want an even bigger one.