Tourist scams in Delhi, You need to avoid

 

Tourist scams in Delhi

Delhi is  a  very heart warming city which gives  you  the varieties of experiences and is a place containing rich cultural heritage and Royal architecture. New Delhi is highly significant  from historical point of view. This place saw rules of many rulers. So much violence for the  sake of Political power.

A tourist visiting Delhi will find lots of places to quench the thirst of  their wanderness. Grand and magnificient buildings will amaze you. The stories related to the historical places can give you goosebumps.

The place has a lot to offer but One can have bad experiences also due to the scams  happen in the  City. To avoid these scams a tourist should be aware about the scams and not fall in any such mishap.

Here I am telling you the different scams happening in the city so you  can be aware If you visit the city and save yourself from any mis- happenings:

 

1. Auto Rickshaw drivers

They will tell you that the place you want to go: attraction or shopping place, is closed because there is some mela like suraj kund mela is going on because It’s a special day of the week. Than they will take you to their choice of shop where they have a fixed comission for bringing customers.

2. Good Looking guy:

If you found a smart looking guy following you try to talk to you ,trying to be friendly or someone trying to sell something to you, in and around Cp, lajpat nagar ,karol bagh or pahargunj area, be cautious they may be gang of touts ,you can also found them in some cafeteria or in a good looking restaurant or in a bar, wearing neat and clean cloths, looks tidy , there main motive is to cheat and become friendly with you and then there main work start ,to teach or guide you for a official tourist information office of government of India or Shopping for handicraft shop.He will take you to the official govt tourist office or shopping centre or hotel. This all are fraud so keep your eyes open , good presence of mind will keep u safe from the bad intentions of touts.

3.Train scams – If the train you booked got cancelled or delayed you can be ripped off by touts agents with excessively high pricing when they direct you to their linked 'agency'. These scams are prominent around the new Delhi railway i.e paharganj, kamla market and old Delhi railway station i.e Chandni chowk.

4. Airport Taxi 

As soon you will arrive New Delhi airport a lot of taxi drivers will try to take you to your hotel. If you will get trapped in that scams then they will take you some cheap quality hotels mostly near paharganj and they will get some commission.

5.Paid Blessings -

Baba log (Hindu holy men) will commonly approach tourists and ask if they want a blessing. They may tie a red holy thread on your wrist and now they will ask for huge money. Also, be aware of fake sadhus who approach tourists and ask for donations. Never feel bad to refuse to pay such an amount in situation like this. Only give what you feel is reasonable. These scams are active near old Delhi railway station and near some temples.

6.Begging scams

It can be heartbreaking to see a "mother" with a sleepy baby in a sling begging for money at traffic lights. Still you should not pay as this is somekind of a business in which they earn a lot. Also they don’t bother to earn even when so many women are doing work in buildings and constructions to feed their baby.

7.Shopkeepers –

When a shopkeeper see any foreigner they simply overprice their article . A simple way to avoid this is to only go to “fixed rate” shops. If this isn’t possible then you will need to bargain. Learn to bargain like an Indian.

8.Saying your hotel has moved or closed: A tactic is to say that your hotel has closed or moved and then take you to a slightly differently named hotel where they get a commission. Again, know the address of your hotel and have their phone number handy in case you need to have them explain directions to the driver and yeah never forget to take receipt from hotel receptionist otherwise it will cost you double.

9. exchanging money carefully.

Exchanging money can be risky and customers like to be involved. The airport exchange places are usually fine but they do rip you off. I personally like ATM’s the best because they are safest and have some of the best exchange rates.

10. SIM cards for your phone unresponsive:

It’s little difficult to get sim card and typically involves a lot of paperwork and other hassles. If you don’t fill out that paperwork but someone sells you a SIM, there is a good chance it’s a used or defunct card that simply won’t work. So better purchase sim from permanent shop.

In order to avoid the scams: Get a local SIM with data and get a GPS app that work offline. Do your research before arriving.

If you are thinking to visit Delhi and don't want to be scammed  by the high charging Taxis and Autos  than you can  Book a Self drive car in Delhi. 

I hope this  article helped you in informing you about the scams happening in Delhi. Follow my blog to get more travel related content.