Am I being paranoid?

I have gone through this before, and speak from painful experience. The typical shopkeeper would not know, since to them it is inconceivable that a phone could go without usage and recharge for that long.

OTH, if your phn no: has been given to many a folks in India, it makes for interesting situation comedy when someone calls the reassigned number

Dave...

If you go to India as i do, think about the following. It works for me..

Get a lifetime sim.. When you go home just make sure you have some credit on the phone and use it once a month to text someone, either a friend in India or your UK number to keep it active.

Open an Indian bank account and pay for your trains through this account. You can also remit to your Indian account when the rates are good, in preparation for your next trip.

I think Irctc takes Amex

I hadn't considered opening an Indian bank account. How easy is that to do? Don't you have to prove identity and address like you do here? Most things in India seem more complicated than they are in the UK.

Stopped taking non Indian Amex just over a year ago.

Opened mine in Goa with HDFC Needed...

5000Rs
ID - Passport and Visa
UK Address - Driving license
Indian address - Good friend who owns a shop, This was for the bank to send me my ATM Card, cheque book and Pin number, this could take about 10 days (mine was about 4 - 5 days)
Photograph

Thanks for the info Mike. It's food for thought. On another thread it has been suggested that The man in Seat 61 has come up with a solution for booking direct with irctc that requires neither an Indian phone or card/bank account. I haven't seen anybody on IM reporting that they have successfully used it yet.

http://www.seat61.com/India.htm

My thought would be that, and unless you happen to have gotten all hoochie-coochie with them in your communications, I'd be looking for another hotel.

It's probably just y'r usual innocent friskiness (or of course some interesting side-business they have going on, if they try this with every client), but, come on. Next thing you know they'll be running in without knocking to help themselves to your drinks and cigarettes, I'm not kidding, either. One has to be pretty firm with such folks. (btw And then the freaking audacity to ask you for effectively a US$ 100 advance! It's hardly a chocolate bar they're asking for, no. Or, indeed, to ask you for anything, period. Wonder what exchange rate they'll come up with if they repay you in Rupees, btw.)

But seriously, no matter what considerations aside, would you accept this from an Australian hotel? Then why on earth do it in India?

I like this idea. There is a State Bank of India branch in Chicago where I could open an account....smart, dude!

thanks Machadhina, i agree totally.

I hadn't thought about a bank account or lifetime sim. Will explore this further. Do you know what documentation I need to have in order to get a landline installed into my house & a TV cable. Would it depend greatly on where in India ? I am in HP and have a feeling things are done differenly in Goa?

I would say go to a different hotel. If you are a woman then change for sure. It is a lot of money to hand over without a guarantee of getting it back. If you had met the guys a few times and had an understanding then it'd be a fine thing to do but it doesn't sound like that to me.

I would agree. But Caryn has long arrived in India & perhaps already returned from there

Right thanks for that I didn't really clock the date.. So hope she's alright then!

Guess it's the lawyer in me but this seems like a potential crime ... Buying duty free then "selling" it without paying the duty. I've read enough stories about the Indian police to know that I don't want to be involved with them. My motto is "there are two places you never want to visit when traveling ... the hospital and the police station!"

The writer in me says this would make a great thriller ... Naive tourist suckered into committing a crime on arrival in foriegn country ... Scammed by customs agent, police and "hotel" employee ... ... ... lies, extortion ... Your imagination is the only limit!!

I hope OP had sense enough to change hotels ...

I didn't unfortunately and it was the bain of my trip trying to find another hotel in delhi. i searched the web on many ocassion. I had paid to stay there 3 x by the time he'd asked me for that 'favour' and it was non refundable.

the following day after arriving I paid for the taxi which had picked me up from the airport. I put 1000 rupees on the counter and turned around to get something out of my bag and and saw out of the corner of my eye the night manager swipe the money into the drawer. fortunately i saw it and told him i saw him do that and he asked the 2 other 'staff' members standing there did he give me the money and fortunately they said yes.

the 2nd time I visited i had a better room but woke up to find the window was broken and open.

the 3rd time ... there wasn't one. I met a lovely Swiss girl who told me about Jyoti Mahal in Delhi - heaven. Service, clean, huge rooms. central and smiling staff and aesthetically beautiful - shame is was for my last night.