WHO EXACTLY is allowed to PHOTOCOPY PASSPORTS?????

gozer · Dec 18th, 2003, 22:00

The story is this, and we have received a few different opinions, but anybody w/ true and correct, legal info...???

My friend and I arrived in Delhi, and we were met at the airport by a representative of the travel company through which I arranged airport pick up, first night hotel lodgings, 3 different train trips, and a flight from Jaipur to Udaipur.

When we got to the hotel, we stopped in the lobby to settle our bill for the tickets, pick up, etc. The tour company rep told us to give our passports to some assistant to the guy behind the counter at the hotel, so that he could run down the street and photocopy our passports. (they didn't have a photocopier at the hotel)

The guy was gone for awhile, and we felt VERY uncomfortable letting someone take our passports to copy. NEVER would I let anyone do this in the States, but the rep told us this was necessary.

WHY?????

Couldn't he have just written the numbers down like everyone else on the rest of our trip? The tickets were paid for in FULL, and already purchased in our names, with our correct info.

Any clarification would be great..... Thank you.

bijapuri · Dec 18th, 2003, 22:06

smells fishy, agreed- you got your passport back, ya?

gozer · Dec 18th, 2003, 22:14

yes, we got them back.

but for our first night in India, it sure made for some remembering of every bad thing we had read about!

Bij - has that ever happaned w/ your passport?

rahul · Dec 18th, 2003, 22:41

that sure does smell fishy. I would recommend that you inform or talk to some one of authority, if you know or can trust someone. Otherwise the best would be to inform US embassy on return. After September 11th you must be very careful with your documents. They may try to make false copies of the passport, though its unlikely.

Also try to stay in more reputable hotels..four stars or five stars are good...Avoid cheap areas...You can also inform Indian Police.

bijapuri · Dec 18th, 2003, 23:11

HELL no! In fact, I actually like filling out the register. It's rare anyone reads them when you are doing so. I put all sorts of gibbrish down. Once, during the peak of the war in Vietnam, I put down I was coming from Hanoi. A few hours later I realized there actually was a group of N. Vietnamese in the same hotel!!!

Nowadays, though with all the terror stuff, I usually play it straight.

LuAnnandJawahar · Dec 19th, 2003, 00:32

If you (the travel company)don't have a copy of the passport, you can't prove that you didn't just make up the numbers/names/ages, etc. It is for the company's protection really. We prefer to have a photocopy to put with the client's file for a number of reasons. One of which is, for example, Jet Airways comes and says--how come you are selling so many discounted fares? Are you abusing the system and selling them to people over 30? They will take the photocopy as proof that our clients were under 30. Also we like to take some precaution against clients giving us a bad travelers check or credit card. In case of any kind of dispute, it is good to know you have the clients true particulars. Unless ofcourse, they are traveling on a forged passport.

On the other hand, we ourselves would never let anyone walk away with our passport. We would simply say, "sure, lead me to the photocopy machine and I'll copy it for you."

Were we arranging both plane and train tickets for a client (in fact, it could have been us for all we know!) we would definitely ask if we could photocopy the client's passports if at all possible.

gozer · Dec 19th, 2003, 01:16

I truly appreciate all the serious responses - it has been on my mind since it happened. In retrospect, it was totally stupid, on our part. I mean, who lands in another country, and one hour later, hands their passport to some kid to run out the back door to photocopy?????

And too true - since 9/11 things have changed our awareness, of our own vulnerability.....

I won't play the game of "What If" since as far as I know, as of yet, there have been no repercussions to what happened.

A fine lesson - hang on to your passport.

Merchant · Dec 19th, 2003, 01:26

The hotels are required by law to record your passport and visa information when you check in. Usually, they just write the numbers down in the register next to your name. How is making a photocopy of your passport dangerous? It's the same information; now the hotel just has a grainy black & white picture to go with it.

pooch · Dec 19th, 2003, 01:49

Yeah like half them lot have mentoned here nothing to worry about as long as all your pages within are intact on self inspection. Lucky for me I have a residential permit which has all the PP and visa info so I am just required to hand over the same for "xerox" purpose.

Colin · Dec 19th, 2003, 01:55

I agree, so what if they do have a copy of your passport? What can they do with it? If they wanted to take away your credit card now that would be a problem, they could possibly swipe it half a dozen times and you would get a big fat bill months later for jewels and carpets you had never seen!
Look after your passport but never let your credit card out of your sight!!

LuAnnandJawahar · Dec 19th, 2003, 02:46

Quote:

Originally posted by trvl_in
Sending a hotel staff rep on a runner can be taken as a vaguely VIPish sort of thing, suggesting that your arrangements are so c(o)mplex, and so grand, that official records must be taken at the outset.

Very insightful, though I don't really think that is what was going on here, and, I doubt his motivation was to improve his bargaining position. BUT it is such an "Indian" thing to do, isn't it? Maybe this preoccupation with paper trails and bureaucracy (I'd rather change money with any Joe Schmo on the street that go to a regular bank) is a leftover from the British??

Ever shopped at the Cottage Emporiums in Delhi or Mumbai? All those little chits of paper they give you in place of the items you selected during your shopping spree are transformed into manageable shopping bags of tidily wrapped packages, that arrive at the delivery desk the same moment you do -- and not one item will go astray or be broken.

The system works.

bijapuri · Dec 19th, 2003, 03:04

come to think of it, when we ordered out plane tix last week, we faxed photocopies of ID's and credit cards. it was just going to the next village, tho . . .

originals never left our mitts, though

Dr Funkenstein · Jan 3rd, 2004, 16:51

I know how uneasy you must've felt, gozer. In Thailand it seems to be fairly common practice to hold on to your passport as a 'deposit' when you rent a motorbike.

I was always very dubious about this but always had it returned with no problems when I returned the bike. However, as I'd often rent a bike for a week or longer, it made me feel pretty odd to be without my passport for such a long period of time.

I found that one way to avoid this was to return to the bike shop after a day or so saying you need your passport to withdraw some money from the bank. A perfectly legitimate reason that should get you your passport back no problem. You then just hang on to it until you return the bike.

beach · Jan 3rd, 2004, 18:03

I have a piece of advice given by someone experienced (boss!). This has got nothing to do with someone running away with your passport. Imagine that you have lost it by yourselves during a taxi ride or a walk. I’ve been asked to carry a set of photocopy. Leave one at the office. One at the hotel and one with yourselves along with the passport. So if the passport is lost you are not totally lost. If someone wants a photocopy you give the one you are having. Many hotels require this as a requirement.
Having a scanned passport copy at your email account is also not a bad idea.

wonderwomanusa · Jan 3rd, 2004, 18:34

My hotel in Hyderabad kept my passport to photocopy it; they said it was for the "C" form which goes to the Foreigners' Registration Office. Later that day, I asked for it back and they said they'd return it when I checked out. Seems they have a lot of conferences there and routinely keep peoples' passports "safe" -- after all, your normal conference attendee doesn't have the experience safeguarding documents as we do.

The next day I asked the gal who'd checked me in for my passport. She looked surprised, so I explained that I needed it for train reservations -- and just never gave it back to her.

Dec 18th, 2003, 22:00	#1
gozer Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: LA Posts: 52	WHO EXACTLY is allowed to PHOTOCOPY PASSPORTS????? The story is this, and we have received a few different opinions, but anybody w/ true and correct, legal info...??? My friend and I arrived in Delhi, and we were met at the airport by a representative of the travel company through which I arranged airport pick up, first night hotel lodgings, 3 different train trips, and a flight from Jaipur to Udaipur. When we got to the hotel, we stopped in the lobby to settle our bill for the tickets, pick up, etc. The tour company rep told us to give our passports to some assistant to the guy behind the counter at the hotel, so that he could run down the street and photocopy our passports. (they didn't have a photocopier at the hotel) The guy was gone for awhile, and we felt VERY uncomfortable letting someone take our passports to copy. NEVER would I let anyone do this in the States, but the rep told us this was necessary. WHY????? Couldn't he have just written the numbers down like everyone else on the rest of our trip? The tickets were paid for in FULL, and already purchased in our names, with our correct info. Any clarification would be great..... Thank you. __________________ If you want a friend, feed any animal.....

Dec 18th, 2003, 22:06	#2
bijapuri laid traps for troubadours Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Priustan Posts: 2,601	smells fishy, agreed- you got your passport back, ya? __________________ Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. Barack Obama lookit me!!!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bijapuri/ Utube fuzzy logic: http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bijapuri&p =r

Dec 19th, 2003, 00:32	#6
LuAnnandJawahar Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Delhi/U.S. Posts: 663	If you (the travel company)don't have a copy of the passport, you can't prove that you didn't just make up the numbers/names/ages, etc. It is for the company's protection really. We prefer to have a photocopy to put with the client's file for a number of reasons. One of which is, for example, Jet Airways comes and says--how come you are selling so many discounted fares? Are you abusing the system and selling them to people over 30? They will take the photocopy as proof that our clients were under 30. Also we like to take some precaution against clients giving us a bad travelers check or credit card. In case of any kind of dispute, it is good to know you have the clients true particulars. Unless ofcourse, they are traveling on a forged passport. On the other hand, we ourselves would never let anyone walk away with our passport. We would simply say, "sure, lead me to the photocopy machine and I'll copy it for you." Were we arranging both plane and train tickets for a client (in fact, it could have been us for all we know!) we would definitely ask if we could photocopy the client's passports if at all possible. __________________ Reject violence.

Jan 3rd, 2004, 18:03	#14
beach Lost in translation Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: India ! Posts: 2,232	I have a piece of advice given by someone experienced (boss!). This has got nothing to do with someone running away with your passport. Imagine that you have lost it by yourselves during a taxi ride or a walk. I’ve been asked to carry a set of photocopy. Leave one at the office. One at the hotel and one with yourselves along with the passport. So if the passport is lost you are not totally lost. If someone wants a photocopy you give the one you are having. Many hotels require this as a requirement. Having a scanned passport copy at your email account is also not a bad idea. __________________ Hampi info

Jan 3rd, 2004, 18:34	#15
wonderwomanusa Maha Guru Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 3,259	My hotel in Hyderabad kept my passport to photocopy it; they said it was for the "C" form which goes to the Foreigners' Registration Office. Later that day, I asked for it back and they said they'd return it when I checked out. Seems they have a lot of conferences there and routinely keep peoples' passports "safe" -- after all, your normal conference attendee doesn't have the experience safeguarding documents as we do. The next day I asked the gal who'd checked me in for my passport. She looked surprised, so I explained that I needed it for train reservations -- and just never gave it back to her. __________________ The map is not the territory. --Alfred Korzybski

Dec 18th, 2003, 22:14	#3
gozer Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: LA Posts: 52	yes, we got them back. but for our first night in India, it sure made for some remembering of every bad thing we had read about! Bij - has that ever happaned w/ your passport?

Dec 18th, 2003, 22:41	#4
rahul Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Posts: 51	that sure does smell fishy. I would recommend that you inform or talk to some one of authority, if you know or can trust someone. Otherwise the best would be to inform US embassy on return. After September 11th you must be very careful with your documents. They may try to make false copies of the passport, though its unlikely. Also try to stay in more reputable hotels..four stars or five stars are good...Avoid cheap areas...You can also inform Indian Police.

Dec 18th, 2003, 23:11	#5
bijapuri laid traps for troubadours Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Priustan Posts: 2,601	HELL no! In fact, I actually like filling out the register. It's rare anyone reads them when you are doing so. I put all sorts of gibbrish down. Once, during the peak of the war in Vietnam, I put down I was coming from Hanoi. A few hours later I realized there actually was a group of N. Vietnamese in the same hotel!!! Nowadays, though with all the terror stuff, I usually play it straight.

Dec 19th, 2003, 01:16	#7
gozer Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: LA Posts: 52	I truly appreciate all the serious responses - it has been on my mind since it happened. In retrospect, it was totally stupid, on our part. I mean, who lands in another country, and one hour later, hands their passport to some kid to run out the back door to photocopy????? And too true - since 9/11 things have changed our awareness, of our own vulnerability..... I won't play the game of "What If" since as far as I know, as of yet, there have been no repercussions to what happened. A fine lesson - hang on to your passport.

Dec 19th, 2003, 01:26	#8
Merchant Maha Guru Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: New York Posts: 2,079	The hotels are required by law to record your passport and visa information when you check in. Usually, they just write the numbers down in the register next to your name. How is making a photocopy of your passport dangerous? It's the same information; now the hotel just has a grainy black & white picture to go with it.

Dec 19th, 2003, 01:49	#9
pooch Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Middle East <---->India Posts: 384	Yeah like half them lot have mentoned here nothing to worry about as long as all your pages within are intact on self inspection. Lucky for me I have a residential permit which has all the PP and visa info so I am just required to hand over the same for "xerox" purpose.

Dec 19th, 2003, 01:55	#10
Colin Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Pai, Mae Hong Son, Thailand Posts: 208	I agree, so what if they do have a copy of your passport? What can they do with it? If they wanted to take away your credit card now that would be a problem, they could possibly swipe it half a dozen times and you would get a big fat bill months later for jewels and carpets you had never seen! Look after your passport but never let your credit card out of your sight!!

Dec 19th, 2003, 03:04	#12
bijapuri laid traps for troubadours Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Priustan Posts: 2,601	come to think of it, when we ordered out plane tix last week, we faxed photocopies of ID's and credit cards. it was just going to the next village, tho . . . originals never left our mitts, though

Jan 3rd, 2004, 16:51	#13
Dr Funkenstein Joolay !!! Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Manali, Himachal Pradesh Posts: 854	I know how uneasy you must've felt, gozer. In Thailand it seems to be fairly common practice to hold on to your passport as a 'deposit' when you rent a motorbike. I was always very dubious about this but always had it returned with no problems when I returned the bike. However, as I'd often rent a bike for a week or longer, it made me feel pretty odd to be without my passport for such a long period of time. I found that one way to avoid this was to return to the bike shop after a day or so saying you need your passport to withdraw some money from the bank. A perfectly legitimate reason that should get you your passport back no problem. You then just hang on to it until you return the bike.

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