Questions
*** The Concept ***
What is a an Online Expo?
An Online Expo is just like traditional expos that get organized in Hotels or Exhibition Halls, its a place where you can shop and compare between several projects, get exclusive offers, and purchase your dream property. We made all of this possible online, we brought all the exclusive discounts to you, and you can compare and pick the best property and book it completely online using your credit card. Just like you typically pay a refundable reservation fee at exhibits to benefit from the exhibit special offer, we allow you to pay a small refundable fee of 1,000 EGP online to take advantage of the deal, and if you change your mind in 7 days for whatever reason you get you initial booking fee back.
I have many questions, how can I contact the sales team?
We are witnessing unprecedented demand during the online expo, and Aqarmap team cannot handle the volume of requests for information at this point. However, we have prepared for you a list of detailed and important questions and answers to assist you in taking the decision to book online. After booking, you will be able to setup an appointment with the Developer sales team or have a phone conversation with them, and all your questions will be answered in full details. Obviously, you will not sign a contract and pay until you are 100% satisfied and interested, and if you change your mind within 7 days of placing your order online, you will be able to cancel the booking and get a full refund. This service will help us give the best customer service to the serious customers who will book online.
*** Outside Egypt ***
This service was mainly built for buyers from outside Egypt. If you are an Egyptian expat, or if you are non-Egyptian and want to buy a home in Egypt, this service is the perfect solution for you. Previously, 85% of the bookings we received were made from outside Egypt. The buyers were a mix of Egyptians and Non-Egyptians, and they came from all kinds of countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Yemen, USA, UK, France, Spain, Italy, and Russia). Where ever you are, you are more than welcome to book online with us.
What happens after I book if I live outside Egypt?
After you pay with your credit card, you will get an email receipt as a proof of payment, and the receipt will contain the contact info of the developer's sales team. You will be able to communicate directly with them by Phone or Whatsapp. Obviously, we expect that you might have some extra questions that you would need to ask before you sign the official contracts, and they will be there available to help you.
How will I sign the contract and pay from outside Egypt?
We have worked with the Developer to provide the most flexible solutions for our buyers outside Egypt. Obviously, you can send a relative or a friend who has a power of attorney to complete the deal on your behalf; however, we understand that sometimes this is not an available option for you, or maybe you just want to complete the transaction directly without involving anybody else. Therefore, the Developer will be able to send you the contracts via DHL or Fedex to handle the signatures, and the payment checks can be also delivered via DHL or Fedex.
I do not have a check book that is issued by an Egyptian Bank?
Typically to buy an off plan unit using installments, you must provide checks from an Egyptian Bank; however, we found some solutions for you. You can pay the full price in Cash and benefit from the Cash discount, or some developers might allow you to pay the first few years by wire transfers; however, once the developer delivers the unit to you after a few years, you will have to provide checks from an Egyptian bank to pay for the remaining amount or maybe settle the remaining amount with cash.
What if I want to cancel the booking within 7 days?
Just like you booked online, we will be able to help you cancel the booking online, and you will get your full refund as long as you cancel with 7 days of the booking date.
Will my Credit Card work, its not issued by an Egyptian bank?
Yes, we use Amazon's payfort system and it supports payments from Credit Cards issued by Banks outside and inside Egypt.
*** Trust & Concerns ***
How can I validate that this service is legitimate and that the developer approves it?
Aqarmap has been in business for more than 7 years and have helped millions of Egyptians find their dream homes. This alone makes us adhere to the highest levels of integrity and professionalism. However, we feel that this is a healthy question to ask, and we encourage you to reach out to the developer and contact them directly and ask if they approve this service or not. This exercise is healthy since it will also help you learn more about the developer too. We have offered this service 4 times before in 2018, and we are now excited to expand it with more developers.
Is this developer trust worthy?
Aqarmap works with developers who have a reputation in the market and who have built and delivered other projects in the market. However, you should not rely on Aqarmap, and you should definitely do your own homework. The golden rule of developer reputation is first how many projects have they built and delivered in the past? Did they deliver on time? Did they deliver the right quality?
Are the discounts offered real?
Yes, all offered discounts have been verified and checked by Aqarmap Team to make sure that there are no fake discounts. Aqarmap deals with reputable developers that it has existing business relationships with; however, we also concluded our own due diligence and verified that all prices stated are real, and that all discounts offered are real. Some discounts involved also different payment terms to optimize your savings.
Why do the developers offer these discounts?
If you have participated in traditional exhibits before, you know that developers announce offers to achieve higher sales. We are doing the same exact thing here; however, we have negotiated on your behalf to make most offers in the form of actual discounts. The developers agreed to provide these discounts because they are interested in achieving higher sales through Aqarmap Online Expo, so technically you are getting a bulk-deal discount since you are buying along with all other Aqarmap Customers. Such discounts and offers cannot be obtained if you try to buy from the developer directly by yourself.
Should I research this developer and check the legal papers before signing the contract?
Of course, you must do your homework and engage a lawyer if needed to make sure that all the paperwork meets your needs before signing.
Is this service secure to use my Credit Card on it?
Yes, the service is 100% secure, and it uses the latest SSL certificates technology to protect your credit card information. We actually do not process the payments at Aqarmap, the payments get processed via Amazon Payfort Credit Card service.
*** Booking Process ***
How can I book a unit exactly?
First you have to register your name, phone, and email. After that, you have to wait for the expo to start, you will see a counter that is counting down, once it finishes you will be able to book your unit. Please note that the expo duration is very short and once it starts there will be another counter showing when it will end, so make sure that you book your unit promptly.
What happens after I register?
Before the expo starts, registering allows you to get email and SMS reminders before the expo starts and allows you to book a unit when the expo starts, so it is very important to register. After you register you just have to wait until the expo starts, and you can properly use this time to learn more about the developers and the participating projects.
Why I cannot see the discounts before the expo starts?
All developers will be offering exclusive discounts that have been verified by Aqarmap team, you just have to come when the expo starts and you will see all the discounts.
What happens after I pay the initial booking fee?
Once you pay the initial booking fee, you will get an email receipt as a proof of your payment, and this email will contain the contact info for the developer sales team. As soon as you get the email, contact the developer's team and they will setup an appointment for you in their sales office to learn more about the project and complete the transaction. If you are outside Egypt, the sales team will also walk you through their process from buyers who live abroad.
Will I know all the unit details before I book? Such as location, floor plans, view, etc.. ?
Typically, you will be able to select the unit type, unit size and unit price. Obviously, there are many other details that you care about, such as view, floor plan, location, floor, etc.. and the developer sales team will be able to help you with all these details after you book. Our main objective is to help you lock this discount and benefit from it. If after you book you find that the unit does not fit your needs you can pick another unit from the same project or just cancel your booking and get a full refund.
Can I change a unit in the same project after I book?
Yes, you can always change the unit you booked as long as the change is in the same project and the same developer. You can do the change once you are touch with the developer sales team.
Can I book more than one unit in the same project or different projects?
Yes, you can book more than one unit in the same project or in different projects; however, you will have to pay an initial booking fee for each unit. This might be a great idea if you want to buy more than one unit or if you are not sure which project you want to buy a unit in. You can book in several projects that interest you, and then buy the one you like the most and cancel all the other bookings.
Will the initial booking fee get deducted from the unit price?
No, the initial booking fee is the cost of using this booking service; however, if you cancel the booking within 7 days you can get a full refund.
Is the booking considered an official contract?
No, the booking via this service is not an official contract between you and the developer. This just a tool to allow you to benefit from the exclusive expo prices. Once you get in touch with the developer sales team they will walk you through the process of signing the official contract.
*** Payment Issues ***
I tried to book with my credit card, but the payment did not go through, what should I do?
Please try again, or try using another credit card. Sometimes payments do not go through due to limits on cards, limited remaining balance, or card compatibility. If you tried all options and you still have an issue, email us at: expo@aqarmap.com
What should I do if I did not get an email after I made the booking?
Please check your spam / junk folder to make sure that the email is not there. If you did not get your email, do not worry, we have a backup copy of your receipt, email: expo@aqarmap.com and Aqarmap team will assist you.
*** Other Questions ***
Is there a guarantee that I will be getting the same unit size and price after I book?
The chances are highly likely that if you book a unit you will get the same unit size and price; however, in the case that does not happen for any reason, you will be entitled to your full refund. Do not worry, we have worked with the developer to make sure that our customers get priority in selecting their units, so you should be fine.
Is this really the lowest price for this project or can I get a cheaper price somewhere else?
Yes, this is absolutely the lowest possible price you can get for this project from the developer. Aqarmap team has verified that the developer does not sell to other individual buyers at any lower price.
How will I select my actual property after booking?
Once you connect with the developer sales team, they will walk you through the process of selecting your actual property on the master-plan and that will be done in parallel with signing the official agreements and taking care of the payment.
What is Aqarmap's role in this service?
Aqarmap is providing this online platform to help you as the buyer reserve units at exclusive prices from the developer. Aqarmap does not operate in this transaction as a broker, advisor, consultant, partner, or any third role. The agreement will be between you and the developer, therefore we highly recommend that you follow the common due diligence when buying a property from any developer.
Can I change the name of the buyer after the booking is done?
No, the contract will be written in the same name of the buyer who originally made the booking.
Can I sell my booking to someone else?
No, it is not allowed to sell or gift or give up the booking to someone else, and if that is done, it will not be honored.
Why does the online expo start at a specific time and stays open for a short time? Why is it not just open at all times?
We have more than 1 million loyal customers at Aqarmap, and the online expo event typically offers a very limited supply of units. We want to give all our customers the same opportunity to benefit from these exclusive offers. Therefore, we inform all our customers at the same time, and then we announce the time, and first come first serve is usually the fairest way to handle such offers.
How do I know if I am registered successfully?
When you register we send you an email confirming your registration success, if you did not get this email check your spam/junk folder, if you still cannot find it, try to register again, or try using another device or another email.
How can I prepare myself for the actual booking?
First of all, learn about the developer by asking around about them to make sure that they are reputable. Aqarmap does its own homework, but you should not rely on Aqarmap's research and you should do your own research. Once you feel comfortable with the developer, discuss the opportunity with your spouse or whoever is involved in the decision to make sure that you are all on agreement, because once the expo starts, the units will get booked very quickly and there will be no time for research or discussions. Finally, make sure that you have several credit cards ready and that they have limits and balances that are higher than the initial booking fee. Other than that, just make sure that you come 10 minutes before the expo starts, and get ready.
