Ephesus Deluxe you WILL go to carpet factory

You WILL go to a carpet or leather sale pitch!

 

I had asked in advance for Gizem in advance because I think from the reviews the experience with her is totally different.

 

With so many tour choices I would suggest you go elsewhere. Although our guide was knowledgeable the tour we paid for (from their web site) wasn’t we got. We made one stop to Ancient Ephesus (did not enter the Terrace Houses or see the Temple of Artemis) and were TOLD that the second part of our tour was a carpet demonstration.

At one point one of the couples had to ask when we would be able to leave??? We returned later than scheduled to the ship because we were kept at the carpet factory. No one bought anything and spending money on a half day tour and taking over an hour on a sales pitch was not what we signed up for. We heard the full day group had insisted on no carpet demonstration so they were taken to a leather demonstration!

 

Ephesus & Terrace Houses (Semi-Private)

 

 

- Visit the Temple of Artemis

- Ancient Ephesus

- Terrace Houses

- Free time for shopping

- At the end of the tour return to Kusadasi port

 

Duration: 4 hours

Thanks for this information. We have a tour scheduled with ED in about 2 weeks. I just emailed them to again tell them we do not want to do any shopping. What a disappointment for you.:mad:

Thanks for this information. We have a tour scheduled with ED in about 2 weeks. I just emailed them to again tell them we do not want to do any shopping. What a disappointment for you.:mad:

Pushkin,

The ruins were impressive and after getting through the very uneven and challenging walk we were still pleased to have seen everything that we did. I just had to shake my head because outside of the van prior to the tour we all agreed we had no interest in a carpet demo and then no one challenged the guide when he informed us it was part of the schedule. Traveling is interesting and sometimes you don't want conflict.

I firmly believe several of the "agencies" in Kusadasi that arrange tours are owned by the merchants associations.

 

If no one stands up for what was agreed upon, you WILL get offloaded to a demo of some sort....

 

I notice you list your tour as "semi-private" -- not sure if it makes a difference but when I have been on PRIVATE tours in Kusadasi, I have insisted on no shopping stop of any sort in my initial request, in my final confirmation, AND when I go over the schedule with the guide/driver at the start of the day.

 

Your tour does list "free time for shopping" so perhaps that is their sneaky loophole. :cool:

 

All of this aside, however, you should ask them for at least a partial refund if you did not see all of the sights listed for your tour.

All of this aside, however, you should ask them for at least a partial refund if you did not see all of the sights listed for your tour.

I agree with this (although I doubt they will get anywhere with that). Especially since the tour description on their website says "The price includes […] all entrance fees", which means they paid for the Terrace Houses, but didn't get them.

From experience - I have always printed out my itinerary as agreed upon with the tour operator BEFORE we even leave home online. This is with private tours though so with a semi-private tour (not even sure what that is) you may not have as much control…… who organized the tour ? Was it a tour-share with someone on your roll call ?

 

We always use EKOL (4 times) and we have never had a problem with sticking with our itinerary OR (in one case) changing it up a bit to accommodate my mother in law who was in a wheelchair ……. (as a side note we have NEVER had a problem adjusting our schedule with a private tour anywhere) Of course we always use tours that you pay at the end….. guess that would hold some weight !

 

The other good thing about having it printed out is it will have all the info on where to meet, who to call if someone is not there (never had that happen) the itinerary, the cost (what is covered and what isn't) and all the information needed to have a great experience.

 

If for some reason something doesn't go as planned - you pull out the agreement and insist on what was agreed upon. And, as an added incentive, let them know you will be reviewing and posting your experience online if they resist. AND I don't think I would use Ephesus Deluxe :eek:

Something is not quite right here. If this is a private tour, then you (or whoever arranged it) negotiate with the operator about what you do and do not want to see or do. In Kusadasi I decided to go with the lunch at the carpet factory. The lunch was very good, the carpet demonstration was educational and interesting. We all walked out with absolutely no hard sell.

 

For another day on this cruise in Antalya I stipulated no carpet or factory tour and they agreed. They stuck to their word.

 

I think you needed to have the description of the tour in writing and then made them stick to what was promised.

Edited October 3, 2015 by maryann ns

Something is not quite right here. If this is a private tour, then you (or whoever arranged it) negotiate with the operator about what you do and do not want to see or do. In Kusadasi I decided to go with the lunch at the carpet factory. The lunch was very good, the carpet demonstration was educational and interesting. We all walked out with absolutely no hard sell.

 

For another day on this cruise in Antalya I stipulated no carpet or factory tour and they agreed. They stuck to their word.

 

I think you needed to have the description of the tour in writing and then made them stick to what was promised.

 

Thank you all for taking the time to respond.

 

I was able to get a refund of half of the tour cost which I believe was fair so I give them credit for that. Again, our guide was knowledgeable and we did see the ruins.

 

It was a group tour arranged on their website by each individual party with a guaranteed departure so we had a small group. As I mentioned, we discussed a potential carpet factory stop among ourselves as we started out and it was my understanding that no one was interested.

 

I am frankly in awe of those travelers that can travel with seamless ease. I have read post by CruiseMom and others who describe things as being simple to do. I love to travel but have found that no matter what you think and how much you plan things will happen. In my mind we (my not so agile mother and I) would arrive, disembark, meet our guide and be whisked off to the perfect day. Reality is sometimes different. I had moments on the trip when I wasn’t sure what day it was or country I was in.

 

For those of you familiar with Kusadasi it is a very busy place that can be overwhelming. We disembarked and I struggled to find our name on the placard (they are lined up against a board). Once we met our guide we again were challenged to follow him and maneuver the curbs, vendors, and traffic to meet our driver. At one point we tried to get into the van and were almost hit by another van which was backing up.

 

I questioned the guide about the itinerary and no one chimed in to dispute the carpet factory. I am not confrontational by nature when I am home and comfortable let alone when I am off my sleep schedule and maintaining a blood level of equal parts pinot grigio and hollandaise. I chose to deal with issues after returning home rather than obsess (as I am prone to do) while traveling. I had read all the reviews and had taken time to message with some folks from TA who had taken tours with Ephesus Deluxe. The best laid plans…

 

Safe and happy travels to all

Something is not quite right here. If this is a private tour, then you (or whoever arranged it) negotiate with the operator about what you do and do not want to see or do. In Kusadasi I decided to go with the lunch at the carpet factory. The lunch was very good, the carpet demonstration was educational and interesting. We all walked out with absolutely no hard sell.

 

For another day on this cruise in Antalya I stipulated no carpet or factory tour and they agreed. They stuck to their word.

 

I think you needed to have the description of the tour in writing and then made them stick to what was promised.

 

We were a party of 12 and went to Ephesus on a private tour last week and went to the lunch/carpet demo. The lunch was great...outside under shade with wine and good food. The carpet part was interesting and we felt no pressure either. The area was so relaxing.

A true bummer but avoidable. And the problem is not just Ephesus Deluxe (a company with a good reputation) but most of the legit tour companies in Turkey. So here is the reality. The tour companies (and the guides) profit by taking their charges to certain places such as carpet factories (real or pseudo), jewelry factories, pottery factories, specific restaurants, etc etc. These establishments either kick back money and benefits to the guide and their employers or can even be owned by the tour company.

 

So what to do? When you book a private excursion you are the boss! Just pound this into your head. When we ran into a similar issue with a different tour company we simply told them NO! When the guide resisted we made it clear, NO! The guide had to finally relent. But DW and I were on our own tour (just the two of us with our own guide/van/driver). If you are with a larger group on a private tour you all have to hang together on the issue and say NO!

 

The Turks are terrific entrepreneurs and are very good at resisting anything that will reduce their profit (this is why they bargain for everything). It is often necessary to be assertive and very definitive. When you say NO....it means NO. Once the guide understands this you will be fine. In our case we made it clear to our guide and driver (2 different people) that we had no intention of being dragged to any "shopping place." We also told our guide we wanted to spend more time at Ephesus (this was our 3rd visit to the ruins) and get a more comprehensive tour...which is why we had specifically requested a guide who had special training in Archaeology (ours had 2 degrees......Ancient History and Archaeology). And before somebody asks how to hire our guide, he is long gone from Turkey and the last we heard works as a guide somewhere in Russia.

 

Hank

Edited October 15, 2015 by Hlitner

That's the thing, you can be the boss if it's just you and your traveling companions, but with a small group organized on your roll call, you are with strangers and the tour guides know how to take advantage of this, too. In fact it's likely that no matter what everyone agrees to ahead of time, some people in your group probably are not totally against the idea of a shopping stop.

 

I have to say that the OP was the victim of a particular egregious case, and I would be furious if I bought a tour including the Terrace Houses and they were left out of my tour in favor of shopping. It is unfortunate that the entire group apparently followed the guide obediently right past the Terrace Houses and exited the Ephesus site without any protest. That would have been the right time to demand what you all paid for.

 

Getting half the money back after the fact is better than nothing. I hope the OP contacted the others in the group to tell them to ask for the same compensation. The situation is not necessarily Ephesus Deluxe's fault. I have no idea how this specific company operates, but many tour outfits draw from a pool of independent guides and it's really the guide who decides whether to respect their obligations (to the company they are working for that day and to the customers in the van) or to line their own pockets. This is why people can book tours through the same company but have wildly different experiences. ED needs your feedback to know not to work with this guide again.

That's the thing, you can be the boss if it's just you and your traveling companions, but with a small group organized on your roll call, you are with strangers and the tour guides know how to take advantage of this, too. In fact it's likely that no matter what everyone agrees to ahead of time, some people in your group probably are not totally against the idea of a shopping stop.

 

I have to say that the OP was the victim of a particular egregious case, and I would be furious if I bought a tour including the Terrace Houses and they were left out of my tour in favor of shopping. It is unfortunate that the entire group apparently followed the guide obediently right past the Terrace Houses and exited the Ephesus site without any protest. That would have been the right time to demand what you all paid for.

 

Getting half the money back after the fact is better than nothing. I hope the OP contacted the others in the group to tell them to ask for the same compensation. The situation is not necessarily Ephesus Deluxe's fault. I have no idea how this specific company operates, but many tour outfits draw from a pool of independent guides and it's really the guide who decides whether to respect their obligations (to the company they are working for that day and to the customers in the van) or to line their own pockets. This is why people can book tours through the same company but have wildly different experiences. ED needs your feedback to know not to work with this guide again.

 

Agree and you have done a great job focusing on the real problem. DW and I have been doing extensive travel/cruising for a long time (over forty years) and learned many years ago that we normally prefer to be by ourselves doing our own thing. We seldom take tours but there are some exceptions. On our third visit to Ephesus we decided to hire an expert guide with the hope that we would gain some new insight (and it worked well). The cost of hiring the van/guide/and driver from EKOL was a little more money when not split among a group, but we preferred to pay the extra money rather then have to deal with a group of strangers where one or more may not have been good company (or perhaps they would think we were bad company).

 

But with groups (especially strangers) there are usually "issues" and folks learn to compromise. We prefer not to compromise and hence usually avoid the groups :). The few times we are in a group we fall in line like the other sheep :(. As to the Terrrace Houses, visiting Ephesus without going into this extra exhibit is a major crime! Guides will often try to limit your time in the ruins (they are not making extra money) to take you "shopping" of for a "meal" (some might say they are taking you for a ride. When we were young a naive we first went to Ephesus on a Princess bus tour and the guide rushed us through the ruins so she could lock us in a "jewelry factory." Princess later refunded the tour cost to all participants. But it scarred us for life with the result that we became expert independent travelers (been to about 100 countries).

 

Hank

"Scarred for life" might be a little dramatic but I know what you mean. P

We used Ephesus Deluxe, specified no carpet tour and we were given exactly what we requested. In fact, our guide Essa was the best we have EVER had in any country. It was our FAVORITE tour and we could not have asked for more. I would recommend them to anyone.

We used Ephesus Deluxe, specified no carpet tour and we were given exactly what we requested. In fact, our guide Essa was the best we have EVER had in any country. It was our FAVORITE tour and we could not have asked for more. I would recommend them to anyone.

This is why it's important to recommend not only the tour operator, but above all the guide (first and last name, preferably), and if you want that guide again (or if you hope for others to be able to use them), it's best to provide a direct contact for them. That way you can find out if they are available and ask them the best way to book with them. And if they are not available, they may be able to put you in touch with a recommended colleague.

 

If you book through a big tour company and leave it all up to them, you never know who you're going to get, and even with a well-reviewed outfit like ED, there is always the chance of what happened to the OP happening to you.

Edited October 17, 2015 by hawkeyetlse

Our guides name was pronounced "E-sah" and spelled Essa. I had the itinerary we had requested nailed down prior to us leaving and I printed it out. I got pooped out before our time was over and sked him to take me back to the ship to rest. The rest of the family agreed that we would all go back a bit early, but told him it wouldn't affect what we were going to pay. He was disappointed. My Grandson was in college and is very interested in the history and ruins there. He and Essa had discussed and talked the entire day. Essa asked what I felt I needed. I said I wanted to be able to return to the ship and put my feet up, sit in air conditioning and just relax. He brightened up and said, "I know the perfect place for us to go to next." I was ready to cry but discovered that Essa had called a very small museum, known to the locals. He paid our entrance, spoke to an employee, motioned me to come with him. There was a leather club chair with an ottoman and Essa brought an ice cold bottle of water to me. He looked at my Grandson and said, "Come with me. I'll show you the really good stuff." They spent the rest of the time pouring over items recovered at a site and and the rest of the family tagged along. It was an afternoon my Grandson has never forgotten. Essa even told him about intern programs at some of the digs for college students. I left the museum rested, rehydrated and got to hear all the details at dinner that night on the ship. Essa was an older gentleman. He told us he was Muslim, but had two degrees in history and Christianity in the United States. His English was perfect and he honored our every request. I hope he hasn't retired and some of you get to spend a day with him. He's heavy on historical facts, so if that doesn't interest you, he might not be the right choice, but if you're there to hear about the history of the region and all the ruins, there is none better than Essa.

Edited October 17, 2015 by griffy116