Readers share their complaints and tips with CONOR POPE, including a suggestion on fitting more into your suitcase

Awaiting the arrival of Cork tourism vouchers

Helen Kahn contacted us to complain about a Discover Cork tourism promotion advertised on cartons of CMP milk in Cork. The promotion offers two-for-one deals on places of interest to children, which could lead to savings of up to €40, she says.

“I saved the 10 tokens and forwarded them, as instructed, with a stamped addressed envelope.” A month passed and the promised passes hadn’t arrived.

“I am a pensioner and my one grandchild was expected on a visit for two weeks,” she says. She sent an e-mail to Glanbia, the milk manufacturer, but got no passes. She then rang the company and was told to expect an e-mail from the person who dealt with such queries, but none arrived.

“I can’t understand the thinking behind this . . . And why the apparent refusal to communicate in any way?”

We contacted Glanbia, and its marketing director Joseph Collum expressed surprise about the nature of the complaint “given that we have already redeemed over 12,000 entries”. He said that if we put our reader in touch he would personally make sure she received her vouchers as soon as possible.

Stretching your holiday baggage allowance

Denis Crawley sent us a tip on how to make baggage allowances go further. “I am off on holidays at the end of the month and flying with Ryanair. The allowance is 15kg per suitcase. I weighed my empty suitcase at home and it is 5kg, one-third of the allowance.” His solution? “A canvas bag with wheels, bought in Penneys for €18, weighs just 2.3kg.” Sounds like a fine idea to us, as long as it’s tough enough to go the distance.

The price of a coffee and a scoop of ice-cream

Thomas McCarthy recently returned from a holiday on Achill Island and said it was “great to see the quality and range of activities that we provide for our tourists”. He did feel costs were sometimes excessive and was not pleased to be charged €20.40 for two black coffees, one cappuccino and two desserts in a coffee shop in the area. He says the high price was partially attributed to the “fact that the desserts only come with cream and when I asked for ice-cream on one and custard on the other instead of cream, I was told there would be an extra charge”.

*Meanwhile, Michael Murray and friends had a light snack in the coffee shop at the Galway City Museum and were less than impressed with prices. “We had tea for three, a coffee, a cappuccino, three biscuits and bread and butter pudding. We duly paid our €23 and we were asked was everything okay – we told them of tasteless pudding, bitter coffee and hard biscuits.” He says they weren’t interested and wonders why they bothered asking. He said that, while he won’t be in a rush to go there again, the “museum itself is great – and free”.