SCAM ALERT
SCAM ALERT — STAY AWAY!
We booked the Red Tour through this company linked with Reva Hotel, and it turned out to be nothing more than a polished scam. While the tour guide played their part well, the real goal was clear — to rip tourists off under the pretense of cultural experience.
They dragged us to Sultan Ceramics for a so-called “pottery demonstration,” which was nothing more than a sales trap. We were fed a load of crap about “masterpieces” and “original designs,” all while being manipulated into overpaying. Prices were sneakily marked in DOLLARS, not lira — a cheap trick to confuse and downplay the cost.
We were quoted $475 (a jaw-dropping 18,272 lira) for a small 20 cm piece. After playing the fake haggling game, they oh-so-generously dropped it to $150 (5,738 lira), making us feel like we got a great deal. Turns out, the exact same item is sold in the local market for 1,500 lira — before bargaining. That’s less than a quarter of what we paid.
This isn’t tourism — it’s straight-up exploitation. Avoid this tour company like the plague. I will be reporting this scam to the Turkish tourism authorities and urge others to do the same. Don’t let these thieves take advantage of you.