Being Scammed - Why Not Me

OceanTragic

I'd read loads about the potential scams and felt pretty confident I'd recognise a scam as it started.

But in Jaipur no-one asked me to buy any jewels.
No-one asked me why don't foreigners talk to Indians.
No taxi/auto driver tried to get me to go to their friend's shop.
I never got taken to the side entrance of any train station to be told my ticket wasn't valid.

Only one auto driver replied with a price of 'as you please' so I said Rs5 before he gave me a decent price - Yes I overpaid but I didn't care for the pittance (to me) that it was.

Fatehpur Sikri was child's play: I didn't give any donations or buy any clothing to be distributed to the poor and only bought a couple of items that I wanted, at a price I wanted. I almost never went there after worrying about the scams and stuff but it turned out to be a real highlight of the trip.

Agra too was easy, the single 'scam' was the guy outside the fort telling me his mineral water was Rs100, so I went to another guy and said 'Rs15 for water', bought it and smiled at the Rs100 guy.

I feel unwanted, what's wrong with scamming me?

PEEK

did you wear Dhoti or any traditional indian dress which gives the look as if you know all scams!!!!

Hal

I think it's because IndiaMike had prepared you so well that your look of confidence sent all the touts scurrying.

You should have been with me my first trip. Tout magnet.

jituyadav

Ha..Ha..sorry but i can’t stop laughing. Reminds me of an incident when one of my friends did not want to go to a pub in Delhi alone saying that everyone just falls on women and she hates it...she came back all depressed because not a single guy approached her .

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Boston123

Hi,

So now you miss being scammed, eh!

Maybe its time for some entrepreneur to set up tours where you will be guaranteed a certain level of scamming. Money back guarantee, if you are not scammed enough !

Hal

Great idea. And for you sir, today this service is Rs 500 only!

Digital Drifter

Chief, you feel all cocky now, eh?

Wait till you LOSE your ticket or miss your bus and then see the wolves baying.....$$ in their eyes.

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karuna

Nope, I've never had any of those things happen to me either, Ocean, except being asked why I don't talk to Indians, but I don't think that's a scam as such, it's a line from a tout.

It wasn't some kind of scam that made Fatehpur Sikri irritating, it was the persistent would-be guides. Jaipur it was the persistent shop salesmen. Agra it was...well, Agra.

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Haylo

That is a very good point, after reading up on here before my first trip, I just ignored the touts thinking "Nope, you'll need to go bother someone else, you simply don't apply to me" - and apart from a couple of persistent guys trying to sell me something at Agra, I haven't had any hassle at all.

Ha! This was funny*; one guy at Agra tried to sell me a leather bullwhip, so badly made it was ludicrous, one crack and it would have fallen apart. I looked him in the face, smiled and said "You don't want to sell me that, because I know how to use it" and he stepped backwards so quickly, I couldn't help laughing. You could almost feel sorry for the poor chap!

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Nick-H

That I would love to have seen!

OceanTragic

I combatted this by taking the first guide that seemed to know his stuff. Once we'd got one no-one else bothered us. The guide also did a good job of telling the sellers to leave us alone. Of course thought he was actually a Fatehpur resident and had to show us the "things made by my family". A quick "no thanks" and we moved on.

I was so glad that Fatehpur Sikri turned out good because I'd missed it 13 years ago when our coach was diverted off the Jaipur-Agra road. It was a hell of a day though: Taj at sunrise, Sikandra then Fatehpur Sikri.

OceanTragic

That would have made the touts run away for sure

HollyPea

Hi OT,

Was just wondering how much you paid for a guide so I know what to expect!

Thanks

OceanTragic

Hi HollyPea and welcome to IndiaMike.

Being a westerner who'd only just arrived in India a couple of days before I paid way over the odds. I think I paid Rs400 including tip for four of us and the tuk-tuk ride from the car park and back. We actually had two guides, one that showed us the old town of Fatehpur and one that showed us the royal buildings at Sikri, but it was all in the one price.

Now I'm sure many could tell you that Rs400 is far too much and they would have paid Rs0.5 - okay maybe a little higher - but to me it's about £6, for four of us, that's £1.50 each, or a bottle of coke each.
Spending £6 meant that I really enjoyed my Fatehpur Sikri trip, although perhaps doing it at the hottest point of our third day in India - and after visiting the Taj at sunrise and Sikandra (which is lovely) - wasn't the best idea in the world.