I have just returned to the US from a five-week visit to friends and family in Malta, which is becoming two-yearly happening that my wife and I enjoy immensely.

I read The Times every day on the internet and read the letter from Allan Footitt (September 29) about how they tried to overcharge him on a bottle of beer at St Leonard Band club in Kirkop. When his Maltese friend then went to buy the beer he was charged 40c instead of 60c.

This is a regular occurrence in Malta. It happened to me when I went to buy a Maltese slice of ice cream from a kiosk in Mdina. The price list showed 40c and I was charged 45c. When I pointed to the price list, the answer I got was that the list was two years old and the price had gone up and he had not found the time to change it. All the time I was speaking Maltese to him. I gave him 45c but I wasn't finished with him. I went to the Mdina police station and filed a report and I must say the policewoman on duty took action right away. She asked me if I wanted to take the man to court. I declined, because all I wanted to do was expose him to the proper authorities. He overcharged me talking Maltese to him - imagine how he cheated the foreign tourists. I even wrote a letter to the Consumer Affairs and they wrote back thanking me for the interest I took in the matter.

A couple of days later I went to check the price list and found six price changes. I hope the kiosk has learned a lesson - that you can't cheat everyone all the time. After all, we all work for a living, even tourists.

We read all the time about the reduction in the number of tourists. These practices have got to stop. Greed won't get you anywhere.