Thread: SWAY costumes ??

Hi all,

For about a month, I've been receiving emails every now and then, from this supposedly vendor in Cairo... does anyone know anything about them?? It all sounds too good to be true, therefore sounds fishy.... Here's the email:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Free Costume offer from (Sway)
Sway wish you a beautiful day this is our especial offer for you and its only coming from SWAY.
4 Belly dance professinal costumes plus one FREE COSTUME for only $ 950 including chiffon veils and head and arms bands from our web site or from your designs with FREE SHIPPING to anywhere and not just that its also with the measurements you need for any further information we will have the pleasure to answer you.

your gateway for belly dance shopping - Homeyour gateway for belly dance shopping - Home
E-mail:_ Sway20072001@yahoo.com

our prices and quialty cant be compared

Thank you
Much respect
Mohamed Abdo

all there photos are from hanan's site...wouldn't trust it

I get those same emails and was pretty sure its a scam.

If this is who I am thinking of, it's somewhat legit. I have purchased costumes from him before, but I would only do so if I could see the costumes in person. Some are really nice and others are so-so. It's hard to tell if this is the same guy, though, when every other dude is Mohamed or Mamdouh! :)

I am sad to say that it has been five months since my dance partner and I sent $750 to Mohamed Abdo for 3 costumes. We have waited this long because we wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt (with his numerous excuses). Although he told us that he had made and sent us the costumes twice, he was unwilling or unable to give us details such as tracking number, scan of the receipt or even the phone number and address of the shipping company (so we could find a tracking number) despite NUMEROUS email requests to do so. We even offered for a friend of ours who was in Cairo, to meet up with him and help. Some months ago we asked for our money back but he said he'd remake the costumes and send again before New Year. Recently we asked for the return of our money again. He now says that the post office has found the parcel so I asked for him to send them but to email me the correct tracking number immediately as well as the scan of the receipt - no reply!
The photos on his website are of Hanan Mahmoud's costumes. If you go to her website you will see that they are hers!
We are also aware of two dancers from Canada who have sent over $1,000 US dollars and have recived nothing.
Faye

Hi Faye,

So sorry this happened to you :(
I do appreciate the warning and hopefully this guy will get what he deserves....

I also got mails form him. I sent a picture of the costume that I wanted and he made it for me. He sent me a pic of it hanging on a dummy- it looked perfect. so I paid for it- never got it. He said the courier/postal service lost it and after waiting another three weeks he said he made another one and would post it. He gives lots of excuses and promises that he'll send the costume or the money, but nothing ever arrives and now he's not responding to my emails at all. (I have a horrible supicion that he went around Cairo looking for 'my' costume, took a sneaky picture with his mobile and pretended that he'd made it. What a scam artist!) But, on the other hand, I also contacted Venus dance in Canada ( He uses her as a reference on the Sway website) and she said that she had ordered a whole lot of baladi dresses from him and there was a slight delay due to Eid but she Did get them. She suggested that he has too much work from all his advertising and is struggling to keep up. But then he must just tell us. We're reasonable people. Anyway, anyone else out there who may be tempted, Be Carefull. Tanaya

I have posted many warnings about him. I have lost $500 my dance partner has lost $250, another two Canadian dancers I know of have lost over $1,000 and another two dancers I know of lost quite a bit to him in other ways.

The costumes he advertises are Hanan Mahmouds costumes. Have a look at her website and you will see that they are identical. He used to work for her and when he left, took the photos with him.

Venus probably bought from him (Hanan) when he worked for Hanan Mahmoud. Apparently Hanan doesn't speak English so when he worked for her, he would have been speaking to the English speaking customers himself. I know some more details and stories about this man from people who have known him in Egypt.

He no longer emails me anymore either. I sent my money to him in September.

Faye

I was thinking of maybe lodging a complaint with the Egyptian Emabassy (If we even have one here is SA) or contacting the police in Cairo. At least we could try to stop him from scamming any others even if we get no joy ourselves. SA revenue is extremely interested in any financial transactions and I had to get All his personal details including his ID number to send him the money. Perhaps we could make life a bit uncomfortable for him??

Tanaya yes if you have any ideas. I have come to a dead end. I followed it through as far as I could with Australia. In the end I was passed on to an Egyptian website which was like the equivalent of consumer affairs. I tried to fill in a form on that website but it wouldn't let me send. I think I gave up then. It has been months for me, I sent my money in September. If you have any good ideas, or get any response from anyone please keep me informed. Good luck and keep me posted if you get anywhere. I've been making posts on facebook, and he is well aware that I am spreading the word.

Oh my goodness, he said he was dead!!! This guy is very strange. He told me a few funny stories too. He said he was a lawyer but his last email he told me he was in the process of getting a loan because he didn't have enough money to send me the costumes! Not much of a lawyer if he can't come up with the shipping cost to send three costumes. He is on face book too so if you've been ripped off by him, please post on facebook to let other dancers know too. He joins belly dancer's face book pages and then starts advertising on their wall. Faye