The price of parking in the newly opened Dundrum Town Centre is causing concern to one PriceWatch reader. David Schulman writes suggesting that the "pricing system for car parking is designed to ensure that there will be a shortage of return visitors". While he commends both the width and availability of the parking spaces, it is the fees he has a problem with. It costs €2 per hour for the first two hours to park in the centre, writes Conor Pope.
"That would add a lot to a shopping spree but it can be lived with and, I suppose, it deters all-day parkers who could use the Luas into the city."
If you stay for three hours, he says, the price climbs to €9.00 with additional hours costing a further €3.00 each. "So, if you park for 1 hour and 59 minutes you pay €4.00 but park for 2 hours and one minute and you pay €9.00. A two-minute over-park costs €5 extra - in a large shopping centre where you might well be several hundred metres from your car park."
Whats More
Grace de Burca from Galway writes to inquire about the cost of text messages she has started receiving when she makes 11811 calls to directory inquiries. In addition to being given the number over the phone she also gets a text message with the same information.
"While it is handy to get the number delivered to my phone, I wonder what the cost is? I'd hate to be paying for a service I didn't sign up to," she says.
Well, the good news is she's not. PriceWatch contacted de Burca's mobile phone operator, Vodafone, and was told that neither eircom, which runs the 11811 directory inquiry service nor Vodafone, which operates a similar 11850 number, charges any extra for delivering the text messages.
And finally a tale of two Gareths and the merits of shopping around. Gareth Keely from Dublin writes in response to a complaint last week about the cost of the DVD box set of the fourth series of The Sopranos. Last week Gareth Allen wrote to say he had paid €85 for the box set. Keely, however, says he was able to buy the same item in an Xtra-Vision outlet two months ago for just €35.
Stonewall Kitchen Bourbon Molasses Mustard
€5.50 for 226g, €24.26 per kg
Highs: Available from Avoca outlets, this is a high-end mustard. It has won an Outstanding Product Line award at the "International Fancy Food Show", billed in the US as the food Oscars. It does taste unique and is very sweet.
Lows: Dark in colour and gloopy in texture - some people might find it overwhelmingly sweet. It tastes virtually nothing like you would expect mustard to taste and it is remarkably expensive.
Verdict: Hardly that outstanding.
Star rating: ***
Cottage Delight Wholegrain Continental Mustard
€3.10 for 200g, €15.50 per kg
Highs: This tastes decidedly French. It is nicely presented - albeit in a deliberately homely fashion - and has a fairly substantial kick, thanks to the inclusion of chilli and black peppercorns.
Lows: The most prominent taste is vinegar, which is a bit off-putting. In the face of this vinegar onslaught, the somewhat feeble mustard seeds have no chance to shine. It is hard to escape the feeling you're paying for the packaging.
Verdict: Not much of a delight.
Star rating: ***
Lakeshore Wholegrain Mustard with Guinness
€1.95 for 170g, €11.47 per kg
Highs: This is excellent. It is neither too sweet nor too vinegary and while the Guinness is discernible, it is subtle. The mustard grains are good and crunchy and there are no artificial colourings or flavourings. It is widely available, produced in Ireland and it is the cheapest tried.
Lows: It is almost impossible to fault. The actual jar reviewed was missing its best-before date. But given the longevity of the product, it's hardly worth mentioning.
Verdict: Very hard to beat.
Star rating: *****
Colman's Wholegrain Mustard
€2.09 for 155ml, €13.48 per litre
Highs: This looks comfortingly familiar - at least when it's still in the jar. It is also widely available and pretty cheap. It tastes okay and would not be amiss on the grandest of sandwiches. It smells fantastic and while it is not unlike Colman's classic English mustard, it will not blow your head off.
Lows: The jar's contents look pretty dreadful. It is anaemic and excessively gloopy and the taste of vinegar may be a little strong for some people's tastes.
Verdict: Pretty average.
Star rating: ***
