WHEN Spectator's colleague bought a new washing machine on interest-free credit from Northern Electric just over a year ago she was given a swipe card to enable her to make variable payments, at her convenience not theirs, at several outlets in the market town where she lives.

This worked well for about three months, until the machines refused to accept the card, with no explanation given.

On her rare forays into Darlington she called at Northern Electric, only to be told the account had been taken over by NPower and she could only use the card at the electricity board or via payment slips at a bank.

Choosing the payment slips, she was given two to be going on with. Others promised in the post never materialised.

No great problem, just keep remembering to take cash and card on the rare trips to Darlington.

This was working reasonably well until last month when, after having a further payment accepted without quibble by Northern Electric, she received a snooty letter from Clydesdale Financial Services, which declared itself responsible for her account, telling her not to make any more payments to Northern Electric because they (Clydesdale) would not be responsible if they went astray.

This time she had the option of paying by telephone, which involved pressing options without speaking to a human voice, or of requesting payment slips for her local bank. She gave up trying to request payment slips after hanging on the telephone for ten minutes, listening to inane muzak.

However, a successful payment made by telephone - no mean feat when trying to listen to the options when the buttons are on the handset - then churned out the wrong balance, resulting in another ten- minute wait to speak to "customer services, how may I help you?"

Well, customer services, the colleague may be helped by letting her use her swipe card at the corner shop not 50 yards from her home again, or restoring a gas and electricity showroom in Barnard Castle. In her dreams. Isn't progress wonderful