These sheets were just like they said

I find it difficult to avoid a bargain, especially if it is something that in any case I am in need of. At Super-Sol (Sufersol) recently I came across a pile of sheets amongst which I found some marked Microfibre and most important they were sized as 90cms X 200cms. Microfibre as a material for sheets is new to me and to my surprise they cost me only NIS19.90 each as I had a Sufersol Visa Credit card. According to the internet:"Microfibre sheets can be made from wood pulp or polyester and nylon polymers. Microfibre sheets are very thin but are strong and exceptionally smooth and comfortable". So far I can underline every word and add that after you wash them they remain unwrinkled and very soft and light as a feather. If you know of other practical uses of MICROFIBRE material then share it and I will put the information out.

The Victory food chain recently opened in Herzliya Mall in place of Mega, and when you visit I strongly recommend you take your reading glasses with you – if you wear them! Following the custom of so many ‘Supers’ these days, all the bargains are very clearly marked in large figures. However, don’t be distracted by this. Make sure you read the small print on the label. Having read and understood (!) labels on one set of food, I recommend you read the labels on other foodstuffs carefully. For example, bargains on fruit might not be the same as those on meat. By the way, when I was there, there were trolleys only from one of the entrances. I was using a different parking entrance and that meant I had to walk to the far side of the store to get a trolley – and presumably return it to the same area.

Thanks to ESRAmagazine reader Gordon Bloch for this observation:

I read with interest your Consumer Watch in 188 with regard to "When it's worth remembering prices". I use Dr Fischer U-Lactin cream and for years I requested a script from my doctor and had to travel to the Kupah chemist in Herzliya, where the script was valid to buy my cream. Since then Meuchedet have opened a pharmacy in Raanana and the price of the cream is about 40% of the regular retail price. I paid NIS18.00 whereas the "normal" price is NIS55.00! Quite a saving.

My recommendation is to check and buy from your Kupah chemist which is often much cheaper than the pharmacy chains.

Why is it so difficult to find out information?

Lately it seems to have become a big problem to get the correct phone number and talk to some of the big companies here in Israel. I was on the market to buy a No Frost Freezer. Having found one that was interesting at Machsanei Hashmal with the name ‘Electra’ on the door – I wanted more information than the salesperson could give me on this particular machine. So I took the phone number that was printed on the advert on the freezer door and, lo and behold I got one of those answering machines that give you a list of possibilities that just repeat themselves ... and you cannot talk to anyone. So I rang Bezeq to get the phone number of Electra. What did I get? One number for Electra and two for Tadiran! The new Electra number gave me four choices, none of which are for sales. I finally got through to another department and was told that Electra does not have a Sales Dept. phone number (!) and that I can get all my information only from Machsanei Hashmal and Shekem Electric, so I was back to stage one.

I then telephoned Machsanei Hashmal in Raanana and asked if they had Electra freezers. The answer was yes, but when I asked if they had a particular model the answer was no-they do not give this information – I have to come to the store! We seem to be back-tracked 20 years in getting information.

For those who are interested, I finally did buy the Electra No Frost Freezer (probably made in Turkey) for one particular reason - other than size, it has metal wire shelves and not glass.