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Sounding offFeeling stung? Stunned by good value? Write, text or blog your experience to us

Package plunder  Claire Anderson from Dublin got in touch looking for help after a travel company cancelled her summer holiday because the package she had chosen had been overbooked. As if that wasn't bad enough, the company was then unforgivably slow in issuing her a refund. The story begins in early February when she and her boyfriend booked and paid in excess of €2,000 for their summer sun holiday. In early April, however, they received a letter from Direct Holidays saying that, as their holiday package had been overbooked, they were the unfortunate ones who were being bumped off it.

The couple were given two options. The first, to pick another destination from the company's brochure, seemed like a good idea.

However, when they looked at the choices on offer they found that all the places they liked the look of had already been booked for the dates in question. "The other option was a refund," she writes. "With reluctance, we decided to get our money back. You can only imagine the trouble we are having trying to book elsewhere, and the increased cost.". She says this will most likely mean no sun holiday for her this year as both she and her boyfriend don't have a whole lot of flexibility and need to give their employers notice of their holidays early in the year.

"The last contact I had with Direct Holidays was on April 19th, when I mentioned I was taking the issue further. I was immediately contacted and promised that I would have the refund in the next 'couple of working days'." It is now May, however, and she has still not got her money back. "We are left in the situation where we have to take our leave and holiday probably in Ireland and without the €2,312 we paid up front! I can't tell you how upset we are."

We contacted the UK headquarters of the company to find out what was going on. A spokesman for the company was quick to hold his hands up and agreed that there had been an unacceptable delay in issuing Anderson with her refund. He apologised for the delay and assured us that it was being dispatched as we spoke (last Thursday morning).

He also said that as "a goodwill gesture" to our reader the company had agreed to offer her an additional €300 - a sum which, hopefully, will go some way towards helping her and her boyfriend find a holiday in the sun this summer. Although, if the glorious weather we experienced here over the past few weeks is repeated in June or July, she might be well advised to stay at home to catch some rays instead.

High definition, high pricesA reader got in touch recently to highlight a few discrepancies between HMV and other retailers when it comes to high-definition Blu-Ray discs. Earlier this month, he writes, Game Stop was selling several movies at €17.99 which had a price tag of €39.99 in his local HMV. He went on to say that Talladega Nights cost €19.99 in Tower Records and €39.99 in HMV, while other new releases were also selling at that price in HMV but could be had for €5 less in Xtra Vision or Game Stop. To be fair, we have often done price comparisons on CDs and DVDs, and HMV outlets throughout the country are regularly the cheapest place to buy them. However, our reader's price comparison does show how important it is to shop around.

Fly club classMax Wilson from Co Kerry sent us a mail after reading last week's piece on airline rip-offs. He points out that while an Aer Arann spokesman was critical of other airlines' charges, it is not above imposing some of its own. The airline increased the charge for carrying golf clubs from €15 to €30 per trip earlier this year, he writes. He was told this was because "golf clubs and other sporting equipment are not viewed as general baggage and require special screening and handling from our baggage handlers". He questions the notion of "special screening" and points out that the handling is the same now as it has been for the past six years.

Sunnies side upA reader was prompted to e-mail us after experiencing some good customer service last week. "I went into a Sunglass Hut in the Jervis Centre," he writes, "and the staff there were actually friendly and knew what they were talking about." In addition to a year-long manufacturer's guarantee, he also got a 30-day full money-back guarantee, and the option to replace his shades at half price if he breaks them over the next six months.

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Flatpack flakNot only did she get all that grief from Ikea and the courier, she also had to assemble all the flatpack furniture herself, which must have been the most heartbreaking part. - Stephen

Airline charges  I don't see why they can't just say how much the tickets are going to cost when all the taxes and stuff we absolutely have to pay are added on. If all airlines did it, then it would have no impact on sales and at least we would have some idea what we were going to have to pay before we started  booking tickets. - Pauline

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