Fake Duty Free in Hurghada

Pincher

Just got back from Hurghada, Egypt.


Got sold some fake cigars and cigarettes.


I know it's bad outside, but I thought inside the airport it should be relatively safe. After the passport control, but before the fast food section, there were several Duty Free shops before you get to the fast food area.


I went into the first one on the left. The prices were OK, and I had some US dollars, so I paid cash. My suspicion was aroused when they refused to give me a receipt, and they tried to fob me off by saying the shopping bag was good enough. I should have demanded my money back, but I thought how can they get away with fake goods inside the secure area. Past the food area, the waiting area was air conditioned, and the shops look more like Gatwick.


Any way, got home, tried the cigarettes and cigars. They do have tobacco in them, but the aroma and taste are obviously wrong.


Whilst on holiday, I bought an alabaster lamp shade for about £10. I have no problems with the price, but they packed it so badly, that it chipped during transit.


The actual resort I stayed at was top notch, but then it's a German hotel chain. The minute you step outside the sanctuary of the resort, it's consumer hell. And yet, there are people I know who go to Egypt year after year, so maybe I just need to get wise.


So, is the trick with duty free simply to buy in the air conditioned area?


VISA
===


The US$25 visa thing is not that bad.


I was supposed to find a rep, but because my plane ticket had Red Sea Holidays on the stationery, I just went to the Red Sea desk, who appeared to have me on their list. Paid £20, and went through passport control. The rep was shouting for me in the Baggage Claim. As it turns out, only my plane ticket was through Red Sea Holidays, and my rep could have got me the visa for the "correct" price of £18. I probably would have ended up paying £20 any way, because it certainly doesn't look like anybody had a mountain of sterling pound coins that would be needed if everybody paid with £20 notes.

tomtontom

Brand cigarettes etc have different compositions in different locations - how are you sure they are fake?

budgetflyer

As soon as you mentioned "sanctuary of hotel" you gave the game away.
Outside the distilled luxury of your All inclusive resort, is EGYPT.
People are hustling , just to put a bit of food on the table

Pincher

I have been smoking and travelling enough years to know the difference between fake and local blend. I hate the American Benson & Hedges, but I wouldn't call it fake.


It is an interesting variation on fake, though.
The Eastern European and Chinese fakes are virtually devoid of real tobacco, but this one does have some tobacco in it.
The packing density is bit looser than the real thing.

Pincher

budgetflyer wrote: »

As soon as you mentioned "sanctuary of hotel" you gave the game away.
Outside the distilled luxury of your All inclusive resort, is EGYPT.
People are hustling , just to put a bit of food on the table

Silly Billys.


They are sitting on a gold mine, and they are squandering it. What other country has so much heritage for show? The Nile Valley is very fertile, and there are stores near me in London that import Egyptian fruits, and they are good.
The beaches are lovely, too.


The really bizarre thing is, the ice cream is terrible.
A hot country like that, I would have thought ice cream would be a top seller. I suspect if I could work out what is wrong, I could make billions. Power cuts?

tomtontom

Pincher wrote: »

I have been smoking and travelling enough years to know the difference between fake and local blend. I hate the American Benson & Hedges, but I wouldn't call it fake.


It is an interesting variation on fake, though.
The Eastern European and Chinese fakes are virtually devoid of real tobacco, but this one does have some tobacco in it.
The packing density is bit looser than the real thing.

So you're assuming they're fake because they're different to what you've had before. It's generally better to have actual proof before accusing somewhere of selling fake cigarettes.

(Having checked the Hurghada forum on TA, most regulars actually advise buying at the airport, which would contradict your assertion.)

Pincher

Pincher wrote: »

So, is the trick with duty free simply to buy in the air conditioned area?

tomtontom wrote: »

(Having checked the Hurghada forum on TA, most regulars actually advise buying at the airport, which would contradict your assertion.)

So, haven't been to Hurghada airport, and probably don't even smoke.


My problem is precisely because I thought the airport duty free was safe. If I think there is a Trading Standards office I could send a sample to, that will get my money back, it will be in the post straightaway.

mgdavid

Pincher wrote: »

.........
So, is the trick with duty free simply to buy in the air conditioned area?.........

IME 'the trick' is not to smoke, and not to buy fragile or breakable souvenirs.

Pollycat

Pincher wrote: »

Silly Billys.

They are sitting on a gold mine, and they are squandering it. What other country has so much heritage for show? The Nile Valley is very fertile, and there are stores near me in London that import Egyptian fruits, and they are good.
The beaches are lovely, too.

The really bizarre thing is, the ice cream is terrible.
A hot country like that, I would have thought ice cream would be a top seller. I suspect if I could work out what is wrong, I could make billions. Power cuts?

Never ceases to amaze me when people go to a foreign country and then complain about how they do things there.

Going4TheDream

Pincher wrote: »

Silly Billys.


They are sitting on a gold mine, and they are squandering it. What other country has so much heritage for show? The Nile Valley is very fertile, and there are stores near me in London that import Egyptian fruits, and they are good.
The beaches are lovely, too.

They should be a wealthy country agreed but the current political landscape hasn't helped the tourist trade, which after oil and gas, is Egypt's biggest source of income. Its not a case of squandering it, they just don't have what they used to.

I have been going to Egypt on and off for about 20 years and have never seen it as bad. I was out in November and was advised by Egyptians NOT to travel to Cairo, in the past they have said, yeah its ok. Now that the Rouble has dropped I can also see the numbers of Russians going fall off as well, as Sharm, particularly, is very popular with them.

Caz3121

What proof do you have that they are fake?
I am a smoker and a traveller and although always buy the same brand they are very different depending where they are bought. Those bought in some European countries are fairly similar to those bought in the UK, the ones bought in the US or Far East tend to be very different (seem much stronger/harsher) You can compare the tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide figures on the side of the packet and see the differences depending on where bought
so "the aroma and taste are obviously wrong" may just be that "the aroma and taste are obviously different to the same brand bought in the UK"