India Tour, You May Face Kashmir Shawl Scam

By: Kazi Musa, SAVED News International Correspondent, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Personally, I never experienced any kind of scam or fraud in travel. A short story I am going to share with all. I love to visit historical places to enjoy the architectural structures of ancient times. India has plenty of historical places which were mostly established in medieval times. So, I went there to satisfy the appetite of my mind. Some of my friends suggested that I buy some Kashmir Shawl (chuddar) because the Shawl carries the heritage of India.

What is Kashmiri Shawl:

Kashmiri Shawl is very precious because the producers use looms from a special type of goat. Those rare species of goats are only available in Kashmir and the surrounding area of the mighty Himalayan. The soft and light characteristics of the Shawl make it exceptional.

Now I come to the point that I faced to purchase this unique thing. I went to a gorgeous outlet who were selling only Kashmiri products like this. They displayed several types of Shawls and all the Shawls are very eye-catching and bright. Reportedly, a little bit expensive also. I bought one Shawl and the price was $100. Whatever, I was happy enough to buy it because in the other shop the price was almost double. Furthermore, the Shawl was also looking a bit shabby than this one.

When I came back to the hotel, one of my friends wanted to see what I bought. I was even very eager to show the glittering Shawl. But alas! My friend said the Shawl is just fake. He added that the price of this glittering Shawl is just 10 or maximum of 15 dollars.

I was not satisfied, as I tested that product and went to a government authorized Kashmiri products shop. They also found it as a fake product. They said Kashmiri Shawl is not so polished and glittered but very soft and very light.

Next-Day:

The next day I went to that shop and expressed everything about their product. They didn’t even care about me and my statement. I wanted to return the Shawl and they didn’t allow me to return and pointed out that sold products are not refunded in this shop. They were very humble when I bought it but today, they just got reversed.

If you visit India you may face Kashmir Shawl Scam, so take a lesson from here.