I tried to use the Cox and Kings website for a visa as a US citizen. My CKGS regional office is San Francisco but I live in Los Angeles. The process was quite confusing when it came to how to pay, as their "order form" stipulates money order or cashier's check - however you seemingly can pay by credit card online. So, I paid by credit card for both the Visa fees and the Courier fees. Lo and behold, the site did not produce the courier receipt . Unfortunately, there's no way to retrieve it if you didn't get the original receipt - the re-print requires the airway bill number that was on the receipt which I didn't have. Of course, they also don't email the receipt like any e-commerce transaction from 1997 onward does.
So, I paid them about $210 and there's no way to send the stuff to them. I've emailed and called to no avail. Now, my only course of action is to chargeback on my credit card and cancel my tickets and lose $400 for the cancellation / change fee for 2 tickets.
After reading this whole thread, it seems to be more hassle than reward in trying to get this to work. I'll go perhaps next year or so when they roll out the visa on arrival program for US citizens. Many of my Indian friends whom I work with have told me that when it comes to bureaucracy India is a real hell hole, and now I can see why they say that.
For this year I'll go to a more organized country that doesn't hassle tourists with these bureaucratic processes, thinking of going to Thailand instead now since they give 30 day visas on entry.
This level of ineptitude by a company representing the Indian government is shameful and should be considered fraud.