Scams to avoid in Egypt
Here are 3 common scams to avoid in Egypt. There’s nothing wrong with buying a knock off but make sure you aren’t paying the price of an authentic item.
The first is papyrus paintings, they are beautiful and you can find knock offs for cheap. The real ones are hard to rip and heavier. But if you see one that tears easily and are flimsy on the sides it’s not real papyrus.
The second scam to avoid is anything alabaster. In order to tell if the alabaster is real shine a light through it, you can use the light on your smart phone. If the light illuminates through the object it is real and if it is fake it will be opaque.
The third scam to avoid is essential oils, people may market these as high end perfumes but its really diluted essential oils. The oils I sampled were not the same ones I took home.
Not everyone is trying to scam you, just be aware there are a lot of knockoffs and the local guides may warn you. On the other hand they may take you to places where their connections will sell you items. But now you are aware if what scams to avoid in Egypt and will have a better idea of what locals may try to sell you.
#TravelTip Souvenir shopping is the perfect time to practice those negotiation skills! Ask for 30-50% off the asking price, that’s what our guide recommended!
How to AVOID monkey business
When visiting Egypt I often felt I was being played. One of the hotel staff told me to try and avoid monkey business when booking attractions or buying items but he actually ended up doing that. Monkey business is pretty much people saying or promising one thing but then delivering another, here’s how to avoid it.
Step 1:
Th first you can do to avoid this is : Do you research, have in mind what it is that you want to do and an idea of how much things cost. If you are purchasing an attraction from a stand or agency try to have an idea of how much you want to spend or what your budget is for each attraction. If you go in blindly they will charge you as much as they can.
Step 2:
Be crystal clear, when booking services make sure you are asking all the questions. What exactly is included in the price? is food included, if so what kind? do they accommodate dietary needs? For attractions, ask if transportation is included, if so is it to and from your stay? where is the pick up location? Ask everything to make sure you are getting your money’s worth and in the know.
Step 3:
When traveling abroad its important to confirm what type of payment is accepted, cash or cc. Sometimes there are fees associated with your form of payment, especially credit cards. Check the cancellation and refund policies if this is an excursion you are booking before hand.
When booking excursions there was often a processing fee for paying with my credit card on the agencies behalf, so keep that in mind. Note: Always pay in the country’s currency exchange rate.
Step 4:
Next you need to negotiate. It doesn’t need to be hard, you just have to keep in mind two things. The first thing is, its just a question and the second thing is you CAN always walkaway. Get over the idea of coming off cheap or not valuing services. The more you travel the more you’ll see how common it is and how normal it can be. Here are 3 simple ways you can ask for a lower price,
- I would love this option___ but can you do it for “X amount”?
- If I purchase multiple can you give “X amount of items” for “X price amount”?
- I’ll buy it for “X amount of money”.
Happy Saving!
