Wiring money to Egypt

How small can you make the deposit? Can you afford to lose it? Also, isn't there travel insurance for failure to provide a service contracted? You would need to buy it immediately. I use insure my trip website to compare policies and you can read the policy before committing. Why do you think it would be fraud? I would think it morea likelihood of failure to keep in business.
I think any travel plans need to include a level of risk mitigation and preparation to lose funds.
Personally I would not be committing to anything. My plan is to research and prepare and book last minute when things are a certainty even if it costs a bit more. Having gone to Egypt 5 months after the Arab Spring, I don't think this is an area where tourism is going to rebound in a short time.

Tammy, we thought we had researched our tour too. No red, yellow or problem flags and good BBB rating until four days before we were to leave, then waving red banners from all who got ripped off in the past month. From my experience only go with the credit card. At least you have recourse. Our settlement through the Denver court system is $13.01/month each from the thief. Big Duh! We will never get our money back. Payments stop when she dies and she’s 75 y/o. Lesson learned the hard way: credit card only.
Kathy

PS we had travel insurance which would not cover theft even though at the time the travel agent was still in business and police reports were filed before claims were made. So don’t assume you will be covered by insurance.

.....Will travel insurance protect me against fraud?..... Who knows? What does the policy say or covers? Travel insurance is not a blanket but a series of specifically covered actions. Generally -- travel insurance does not cover bankruptcy of the provider or travel agency UNLESS it is specifically listed in the policy. I would trust the company but I would get a policy that allowed me to cancel for any reason. But that could be an expensive policy so you would have the weigh the premium costs against your potential losses. For me --- I would not book that trip for 21 -- too many uncertainties regarding the pandemic. No problem with 22.

I believe it is fairly common for travel insurance to cover default by a tour operator but not by a travel agent. However, policy language can certainly vary. Current conditions are unusually challenging for companies in the travel business. Companies with long histories and good word-of-mouth have folded due to the pandemic.

Hi Tammy,
I can certainly understand your concerns. "Go Luxor Tours is a small company and does not take credit cards." "I have to wire the money and that makes me nervous...." Thus far I would agree with other forum friends who have given their opinions. It is a dilemma.

When we had to wire funds in 2019 for an accommodation it was a minimal payment that we felt we could afford to lose. Although we knew people who used this service/accommodation it was still a risk.

You might want to consider an additional resource? We have used our State Insurance Commissioner in our research for questions we had during this Pandemic. So many unknowns.

Can you find a comparably satisfactory company that accepts either PayPal or credit card payments? I wouldn't get emotionally invested in any company where I have no choice but to take financial risks. Surely, there are other choices out there that would love to get your business but don't impose the same risk level (e.g. Smithsonian Journeys, etc). A company may have great reviews but I think few can navigate the pandemic and year plus uncertainty with strong balance sheets. Who knows, they may not get enough sign-ups and that particular tour could be cancelled - and you'll have to wait months before getting your money back (or not at all). Or things can turn out just fine. But do you want to wing your deposit money? As for insurance protection, no one can answer that - you'll have to parse that policy very carefully, word for word.