Pricewatch: You spot the prices, we ask the questions

Joe O'Neill from Dublin has been in touch to complain about what he regards as scrooge-like overcharging by a taxi driver in Dublin. Struggling home from town with two supermarket bags filled with food and presents, he decided to splash out on a cab.

"After I'd got settled into the back of the car I looked at the meter and saw that the driver had added an extra charge of one euro on to the charge of €3.40. When I asked him what it was, he told me it was to cover the cost of the bags." O'Neill says he pointed out that the additional tariff was supposed to be for luggage and not shopping bags, "but the taxi driver was sure" the extra charge had been applied correctly. "I couldn't see his rate card as I was sitting in the back but he told me that the extra charge on the card covered all bags and not just suitcases, which I thought was the case."

A couple of days later, in a different taxi, O'Neill was sitting in the front passenger seat where he was able to read the rate card which said a 50 cent surcharge could be imposed for each piece of luggage up to a maximum of €1. "Can grocery bags be considered luggage or was I just being ripped off?" he asks.

When we contacted the Carriage Office in Dublin it pointed us in the direction of the back of the fare card which clearly states that no charge should be imposed for luggage "not exceeding two feet in length". According to the card this covers attaché cases, bags, satchels, parcels, packages or other similar articles, which seems to indicate quite clearly that Kelly was quite within his rights to be miffed by the luggage tariff.

We got in touch with the Garda Press Office who stressed that in the event of such a dispute the passenger should pay the fare in full, get a receipt, take the taxi driver's badge and plate number and lodge a complaint in writing with the Carriage Office.

What's more . . .

LAST-MINUTE GOODIES A small Dublin-based hamper company is still accepting orders for Christmas and is offering entirely organic hampers at prices ranging from €40 to €400. Orders for Feelgood Hampers, www.feelgoodhampers.com, from outside Dublin can be placed up until December 19th while orders from the capital will be accepted until the 23rd, although the owner says she can't guarantee that the festive fare will be left as Christmas Day grows closer.

And if it's a prize-winning Christmas tree you need, visit the organically grown Kavanagh Christmas trees at the Leopardstown Race Course. Kavanagh's can arrange delivery, and will collect your tree and have it recycled, "for a small charge".