Fed-Ex deliveries: Yes, FedEx and UPS are very well known for being over-zealous with collecting duty, tax and whatever else on packages sent from the US. I've heard my share of stories.

The only practical advice I can give to people buying stuff on eBay is this: don't buy in the US, and if you do, don't let your package be shipped by either FedEx or UPS. I have never paid a single cent of tax, duty or VAT on my purchases and it didn't involve asking the sender to mark the merchandise as a gift or to lower the actual value on the invoice. I've bought a lot of gear on eBay from locations like Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, China and Canada. Shipment was always handled by DHL or ordinary postal service. - Lucas

The origins of beer

This beer scam has been going on for donkey's years. We've all seen the ads extolling the beechwood aging and rocky mountain deliciousness of premium foreign brands from Holland, Denmark, America and Australia. But all those lagers we're so familiar with are in fact brewed under licence here in Ireland. What we're really getting is a kind of globalised, tasteless swill that no self-respecting Dane or Dutchman would touch with a bargepole. What I can't understand is why the advertising standards crowd aren't on to the brewing majors. Clearly if a lager purporting to emanate from, say, Holland comes from Cork, then isn't that a deception? - Philip Donnelly

Cola reviews

As a result of your tests, shares in Coca-Cola have dropped and the American economy has been rocked further. Put the words organic, botanic or bio in the name and you can't go wrong. You can fool some etc etc. - Gerry Murphy