Thanks, Tosh.
I tried the email address a few times, with no success. So, hoping to embarrass somebody at Toshiba into doing something illegal, like helping a customer, I sent a simple plea for help, with the letters at maximum size, bold. I did this every few minutes throughout the evening. The following day I received a reply, which said, "Technical Support in the UK is provided via the telephone as this the method the vast majority of our customers prefer and have requested."
So, when they say, "If you are connected to the Internet, for example, a support professional can answer your questions in e-mail or an online chat session," they lie.
The telephone number they quote cannot be reached from outside the U.K., at least, it always has been unobtainable when I've tried. I believe that is normal with 0870 numbers.
Another novel pitfall they threw at me: I was logged in to their website, trying to wade through their mess, and they asked me to log in again (no question of time-out, or anything like that). When I did so, they told me I was in the wrong country. Other than the U.K. there is only one country it could possibly be, and that was not on the list of countries they provided. Good, eh?
Anyway, the person who sent me the email asked me to give him the details of my technical problem, and I have just sent him a description. I've been here before, so I wonder if I'll receive a reply.
So, chaps, I cannot recommend too strongly that you do not touch a Toshiba computer, even with somebody else's extremely long barge pole.
Thanks again, Tosh (McCaber, of course, not iba).
PS Anyone want to buy a newish Toshiba laptop? Going not too cheapish? The picture on the box is fantastic. After sales service and technical support up to Toshiba's incredible standards.