Driver gets runaround after rental car charge

thriving development. I like to get here by scenic boat from downtown, ambling down the River Taff.

The onetime world capital of the coal industry, Cardiff was nicknamed “Coal-opolis” during the steam-powered Industrial Revolution when Welsh coal was recognized as the world’s finest. But by the mid-1960s the last shipment left Cardiff and, like many blue-collar British towns, the economy slumped severely.

The Docklands have since been revitalized with stateof-the-art facilities (such as the impressive Wales Millennium Centre, built for the performing arts) that sit side by side with restored historic buildings and a futuristic government center called the Senedd.

Cardiff also can be used as a springboard to some of the most interesting sights in South Wales. Just 30 minutes away is St. Fagans National History Museum, the best look anywhere at traditional Welsh folklife. This 100-acre, open-air museum, currently in the midst of a $42 million renovation, has more than 40 carefully reconstructed and fully furnished historic buildings from all corners of Wales, as well as a “castle” (actually a Tudor-era manor house) that offers a glimpse of how the other half lived. The workshops here feature busy craftspeople eager to demonstrate their skills. Each house comes equipped with a local expert warming up beside a toasty fire, happy to tell you anything you want to know about life in this old cottage.

Romantics should consider seeing the beloved Tintern Abbey, immortalized in verse (by William Wordsworth) and on canvas (by J.M.W. Turner). Founded in 1131 on a site chosen for its tranquility, it functioned as a Cistercian abbey until it was dissolved under Henry VIII. Few ruined abbeys are as big, as remarkably intact and as picturesquely situated. Most of the external walls of the 250-foot-long, 150foot-wide

A: AAA should have quoted you a rate that included all taxes and fees. If this was an error, then your travel agent should have assumed the responsibility for its error and covered the difference. Instead, AAA punted to Priceline, which punted to Hertz — and no one took responsibility for the incorrect price quote.

In a case like this, it really helps to have a strong paper trail, including the initial price quote and the correspondence between you, your agent, Priceline and the car rental company. And fortunately, you did.

The correspondence you had suggested that everyone was confused. First, Priceline couldn’t find your reservation. Dining: Getting around: Tourist information: www.visitcardiff.com church still stand, along with its exquisite window tracery and outlines of the sacristy, chapter house and dining hall. The daylight that floods through the roofless ruins highlights the Gothic decorated arches — in those days a bold departure from Cistercian simplicity.

Wales is often overshadowed by its neighbors England and Scotland, and South Wales is often passed over for the more dramatic

QThen it promised to look into the problem. Then it blamed an unspecified problem with Hertz. Maybe this is what you get when there are too many agents making your reservation. Off-topic, am I the only one who thinks it’s a little strange for your travel agent to be using an online travel agency like Priceline for car rental reservations?

Fortunately, I have executive contacts for all of these companies — AAA, Hertz and Priceline — listed on my consumeradvocacy site: castles and scenery in the north, but in the Cardiff region you’ll get a great dose of history and a glimpse of its bright future — all with a lilting Welsh accent.

I rented a car through AAA in the summer and received a contract for $386. When I picked up the car at the Hertz rental counter in Bend, Ore., I was charged $458 — $72 more than my contract. After the trip, I contacted AAA, and it put me in touch with Priceline about the rental.

Priceline told me to send it the contract and the rental receipt and it would have Hertz honor the contract price. When I asked Hertz why the amount was different, a representative said my contract did not contain a summary of charges listing the weekly rate, fees and taxes. Without the weekly rate on the contract, Hertz didn’t know how to charge my contract amount.

I first contacted AAA for the details, and the company found it unusual that my contract did not have these details. Was it Priceline’s fault that the details were not included? I was in touch with Priceline a few times, and was told that it would contact Hertz. However, I never heard from Hertz. Can you help me get my $72 back? one of those contacts should have fixed this for you.

AAA should have quoted you the correct rate. But your agent made an honest mistake. This is nothing like those “gotcha” charges you find on your hotel bill, like a mandatory resort fee. Still, it felt wrong, and you were well within your rights to ask for a refund.

I contacted AAA on your behalf, and it cut you a check for $72.