I found a leaflet while putting my suitcase away -

The Shop is called LOTUS and gives the address as

Naama Bay
Plaza Mall
In Front of Back in the USSR club

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE

sorry if this post should be in the warning thread

its called Lotus, i found a leaflet while putting my suitcase away!!!

Scoobylid sorry to here about your bad experience at sharm airport, I wonder if this has happened to anyone else?? Its best you kept your cool and just walked away. To be honest I don't think this sort of thing could happen very often as I am sure we would have heard about it before now, I think! These guards may have just been trying there luck and you were the unfortunate person at that time they picked on. Please don't give up on Egypt so soon, it was mine and my wife's first time to Egypt recently, had the usual harassment but nothing else to complain about. Once again sorry to hear of your bad experience.

Roybert

Sorry you had a bad experience, but your views ARE needed to give some balance to the forum.
I wrote some very negative things about Sharm recently and was expecting to get "shot down in flames" for it, but on the contrary everyone was pleased to read a different opinion. Everyone responded to my trip report with sincerity and empathy. Im sure you will be treated the same.

My Husband has heard that when mobile phones are handed over while going through the scanners, some people have had their sim cards stolen so I'm going to remove mine just in case. Not sure where to put my money now

Scooby, i think that sort of thing is in most tourist areas, and you might find the carribean could be the same, when we were in Barbados we went out in a hired jeep and basically got road-blocked and were forced to buy some touristy tat for a ridiculous price, in your own familar surroundings you would tell these people where to get off, but in an area you don't know you have to think of your safety.

The most annoying thing about this is that you would give a pound to anyone who needed it whether here or in Egypt, but its the principle and we do not accept that sort of thing within our society and thats what makes it a shock.

Thanks for the replies guys n gals. And thanks to the mods for keeping it here for a bit, but, if you think it should go in the Airport section, and people will read it there, then great. The more people that read it and take note, the less people will be ripped off. Why cant we just go and visit these places and be left alone?? We go on holiday to unwind, and de-stress, but this sort of thing and, "running the gauntlet" past shops, is more stressfull than being at work. I was sick of hearing "My friend, my friend" Arrrggghhhhhh. If Bognor was warm and sunny all year round, i'd go there Thanks again

I am glad that you have mentioned this incident and although it is only 1 quid its the principle of the matter that counts. Although it is such a small amount and seems very petty I would urge that you do in fact report this matter. I have posted some addresses on the thread about the incident of locking guests in shops and I would suggest that you complain to those addresses. It seems that with this sort of thing happening, the hassling from the luggage and toilet attendants, and the visa problems we need more people reporting on their experiences to these authorities as I doubt that they are reading this forum ( they should - they might learn a thing or two ! ). This might help clean up Sharm Airport a bit !

Bunnigirl... Briar might have to remove that name as they may be scared that they will be sued.

But please do report the matter to the addresses I listed above.

I am sure that the name of the shop we went in wasnt called LOTUS, our shop was in a Bazzaar mingled with other shops.

I was thinking that you usually expect the odd bit of hassle and the odd scam, which you can walk away from, but another worrying part of this story is that the security guard/s seem more interested in scamming a few quid off holidaymakers than getting on with the priviledged job that are paid to do, they are also abusing their authority, you're not going to argue over a quid with someone who has a pistol at his side and also the fact that he could make a lie about you which could stop you from travelling.

They might give these guards guns and batons but half off them haven't got a clue about airport/airline security procedures, they give the impression that they are thorough with their xray checks but they then make simple errors further on.

I left my mobile phone in my bag and it wasnt stolen, it goes through the scanners so quick and you can see if anyone pilfers with it, just be vigilant when letting your belongings go through.

phones should go through the scanners anyway,
i've seen passengers place them with change etc at the side of the security archway, and then pick them up after they have "cleared", if you keep having to go back because you set off the alarm this gives someone the chance to do something like Pippy mentioned, but once again the reason phones go through the scanner is not to stop someone nicking the sim card, but for more obvious security issues. Simple error!!

I do tend to agree with the point about security guards etc abusing their positions. On my first trip to Egypt, I was taking a photograph in Karnak temple - not indoors, but in a shady corner - when the automatic flash went off.

A Tourist Police Officer rushed over, seemingly very irate, and led me to one side. I was expecting some kind of one-the-spot fine, but, in fact, for a baksheesh handout he showed me a better angle for the picture, even unlocking and dropping a barrier so it wouldn't show in the picture.

It amused me at the time, but with hindsight - what a wonderful thing that is! - he was wrong to do so.

Hello to you all

My husband was locked in a shop in Luxor back in May, when he was out trying to find a pharmacy to get my perscription filled...

I did post regarding the incident at the time...I must admit it has put me off going back to Egypt again - which is a bit of a problem as I am doing a degree in Egyptology

The day we flew to Cairo, our tour group consisted of just us and another couple - we all made it clear to the tour guide at the beginning that we didn't want taking to the market at the end of the trip, and he agreed - we even had a discussion with him about how all the hassle was having the opposite effect to the one intended, and we were buying LESS because of it...

what happened at the end of the day - we were taken to the market. I would have rathered an extra hour at the Museum than to spend it being hassled for crap I didn't want...but they have you as a captive audience and can do what they like

same shop!!!!

Guy was large build, we took a phot of him. when it was developed, he had put his head down in the shot, so that you cannot see his face.!!!!

Yep Perfume, youngish bloke stocky in build, very friendly, but the man in the shop was very tall and thin with a moustache....

red/burgendy velvet cloth all over the walls and table and glasswear on shelves throughout - and the shop was very just like a small room??

Must be the same....
Dee

I do tend to agree with the point about security guards etc abusing their positions.

Me too. On our first trip to Egypt we were taking photos in Luxor Temple when a tourist police officer came over and started showing us better positions to take photos etc. We were getting lead further and further away from civilization and in a shady corner out came the photos of his wife and family. We gave him about £7 and made a hasty exit. He had a gun and who knows what he could have said or done. Nowadays we are more wordly wise and try and make sure we don't get into situations like this. It didn't put us off Egypt just made us more aware.

same here, as soon as we got off the plane and went through customs the guard asked for passports and showed us egyptian money in his other hand,and when hubby tried to take the money off of him as a joke, he got quite cross, he waved us through and then he didnt even look at the rest of the families passports. the gold shop on the hotel grounds was no better, he told us one price, when we said that we didnt have enough money to buy, he had phoned his uncle, and next minute we are in his car going to get the money out of the bank, we were stupid and nieve. and frightned, we got the money and when we got back to the shop the price had doubled what he said in the first place. we didnt buy from him, and we had witnesses. on another occasion went to buy a gold bracelette, door locked, spent £7oo english pounds and was very glad to get out of shop, they kept offering exspensive jewellery then taking husband to a corner of the room and saying your wife is wonderfull, she deserves it, look at her face, when we didnt want it the boss left and the boy in the shop took over, but he would not tell us the price, getting very peeved of by the third hour, due to haggling and not getting what he wanted, then when i finally decided to get a bracellete i liked, they tried to add on extra money for his services, but he had already told us he was single, got a new car, house, money. but he tried to say that was not true, he really had a family and children. what a con. payed by credit card and he wanted to know my husbands pin number so he could do it for him, hubby said no, and had to go behind the counter to do it. still not sure if we got ripped off or not.
even going to the valley of the kings, the toilets were guarded by two men one holding toilet roll and offering for money, but when refused they wouldnt let me go to toilet until i pushed up the stairs. he did grab me and pulled me back and offered his toilet roll again. i declined and said i had my own, i finally went to the toilet and then a man chucked water down the loo. and i left. even in the tombs i kept getting asked if i british and when i replied i was, they grabbed my arm and took me ahead of the queues and showed me more hyroglyphics. i tried to turn and go back without looking at them. it was very nerve racking. but i wished they had left me alone to look at what i wanted to look at. choc.
by the way we have an egyptian friend who lives over the road from us, he is appalled at what they do to tourists, he warned us before we went. we are there to have a holiday not get hassled. the sights i will never forget, but that also goes for the hassle.