Tour guides can be a big help when you are on a foreign country. However, there are times when this friend of ours turns into foe. Here are some signs that will tell you if your tour guide is ripping you off:
1. The tourist guide asks you for money while you are on tour. When you choose a tour guide, it is expected that all the fees have been covered when you have made an upfront payment. Also, it is expected that you do not have to shell out any money since you have settled the fee that covers the tourist guide’s ‘package deal’. However, there are some tour guides that will try to coerce money from you. They would ask for more money saying that the prices of the tickets have gone up or there have been some additions on your itinerary. That is why it is best that you prepare yourself for things like these and don’t give in, no matter how persuasive the guide can be. There are also times when guides will be asking you to pay for their lodging. You should not do so unless such conditions are stated in the contract that you have signed.
2. The tourist guide speaks in a different language as yours. When choosing a tour guide, one of your primary considerations should be the language used by the guide. Also, it is best that you ask the guide to always speak in the language that you understand. Why is this so? If your guide speaks in the native tongue and you have no idea what he is saying, it is easier for him to make deals that he will use to rip you off. Because of this, it is best that you make an effort to familiarize yourself with some of the most used local phrases. In this way, you will be able to decipher each conversation your tour guide makes.
3. The tour guide asks for high commissions or tips. Tipping etiquette vary from one place to another, In Egypt, an extravagant amount of your money will surely be given to tips. Most tourists rely on the tourist guide to tell them how much tip they should be giving. However, there are instances wherein the guide connives with the waiters, busboys and the likes so they can get fat cash from you. This is why it is best that you do some research before your tour so that you will be able to know when you are being ripped off. Also, most tourist guides work on commission basis wherein they will persuade tourists to buy a ‘special souvenir’ in a certain store where they are affiliated in.
4. The tour guide takes an off the beaten path that looks suspicious. Since you are not familiar with the place, it is quite easy for the travel guide to make up and invent special sceneries and attractions. Since you are ‘adventurous’, you will definitely be excited about what’s in store on these attractions. For times like these, it is always best that you have your phone with you. Also, try to know the contact numbers of the local police so that you can call them at anytime.