Door to door salesmen

[JamisJockey]

This popped up in a fishing forum's BS section. Long thread about Gypsies of all things, and how many of them participate in scams, especially post storm scams.
I posted my impressions of door to door sales and it was lauded as very good advice, so I thought I'd pass it along here.
This is more how to protect yourself from being scammed, or being involved with sub par people.
I make it a policy not to do business with anyone that knocks on my door unsolicited. Period. If I need some sort of service, I will open up the phone book and call for quotes.
Scams are quite commonly commited by con artists who simply go door to door, cruising for the next victim. They often have lines such as "we had extra paint and will paint your house for $$$", usually cheaper than you could ever get it done. They either take your down payment money and never show back up to do the work, or they just use sub-par materials.
Another issue is just who are you allowing to work on your property and maybe come in your house?
Anyways, just thought I'd share.

 

[Guillermo]

I rarely open the door for someone I don't know.

My neighborhood has lots of petition drives, people inviting me to their church, solicitors, political canvasers etc.

A door knock is a request for one to answer and more often than not the answer is "no" at my house.

 

[DERGLOCKINMEISTER]

A door knock is frequently a first step for a burglar to determine which houses are empty. I dont tolerate door to door salesmen. and I never miss an opportunity to tell them. In most communities there are laws against this type of intrusion , and I am always suspicious of anyone who engages in it. My standard comment is " I want you to leave , and my next door neighbor the deputy wont take kindly to you bugging him either . Usually enough for him to pick another street to do his business.

 

[StrikeFire83]

Door to door sales, as a viable business model, is by and large dead. In the rare occasions I do respond to these people through a closed door, the conversation is usually: "I know you're not earning a decent living from this, you should find another line of work."

 

[JamisJockey]

I'm a SAHD and am home alot. Most of them visit on the weekends or in the afternoon during the summer. I rarely get any kind of door knockers during the day. Anyone out on the street during the weekday, when most people around here are at work, gets the extra stink eye from me.

 

[Fishbait]

Door people are at gunpoint times two from a pair of locations in the house between me and spouse. They are unable to see into any of the windows. The cameras help out there.

We dont get many door people anymore. And little do they know. I think a few years ago we had one come up our road lost. He was given directions through the wall itself via intercom and sent on his way.

Note for criminals. You knock, we have a certain time to complete our drill for home defense; go away and live a good long productive life.

 

[millertyme]

There are legitimate door to door salesmen. I was one for a summer. I worked with a group of about 40 guys and girls, all of us college students looking for summer employment selling alarm systems for the second largest alarm company in the US. I got the same kind of responses all the time. I usually laughed it off and proceeded to talk to a neighbor. If you guys think everyone approaching your house is a potential criminal, no wonder people talk about the social fabric of America deteriorating. You may or may not be interested, but if the individual is polite you should be the same. That's not to say you shouldn't be prepared. Nothing wrong with that. You just don't have to be an ******* about it. If you don't want people knocking on your door move so far away as to guarantee that anyone doing so has the maximum potential to be simply lost.

As a rule of thumb, we never went out knocking on doors Monday - Friday during the early part of the day, typically before 2 or 3 in the afternoon. First of all, that would be counter-productive and a huge waste of time. Second of all, that would be shady. So if someone comes knocking when Average Joe is supposed to be at work, then bay all means treat him as such. IF there's evidence that suggests that you are there, it warrants them approaching you. After all, that is how I made the money I needed for my family to survive the following school year.

I know that's how criminals case neighborhoods. That why so many people have alarm systems. When you're not there the camera's won't call the cops, neither will your firearms or your dog. In Memphis, where I worked for a summer, people were breaking into houses to steal dogs - pit bulls, German shepherds, whatever. It might not be the way you choose to help protect your home, but in Memphis something close to 60% of the homes had alarm systems and a large number of them were bought from and installed by door to door salesmen, all of whom had been fingerprinted and background checked before being allowed to work there.

 

[StrikeFire83]

^ I don't think there's any reason not to be nice to a door to door salesman through a closed door. Covering everyone who comes to your door with two guns through tinted windows is a little silly to me, but to each his own. A good steel or solid core door and a camera system so you don't have to bend over in front of the peephole is enough for me.

As for alarm systems being effective, uh, if you've ever done a ride along with your local PD you'd know how much attention they pay to alarm systems. The only thing I can see being helpful is a panic button that calls the monitoring center, as they can contact the authorities for you. But as for me, a loud sonic alarm connected to outdoor lights and my firearms is home defense enough for me.

 

[JamisJockey]

There are legitimate door to door salesmen. I was one for a summer. I worked with a group of about 40 guys and girls, all of us college students looking for summer employment selling alarm systems for the second largest alarm company in the US. I got the same kind of responses all the time. I usually laughed it off and proceeded to talk to a neighbor.

To be blunt, they are on my property uninvited. Just because I live in the suburbs, there is nothing that gives someone the right to randomly enter my property.
That said, I'm not rude to door to door sales people. However, for every one legitimate door to door, there are probably 3 or 4 shady types that come by. Selling meat from unmarked trucks, offering lawn services with no lawn truck anywhere in sight, and a number of other people who I'd rather not have on my property. I'm polite, but very clear, that I don't want them there.

Scammers, criminals, and people operating businesses without proper licensing (and insurance!) give legitimate door to door sales people a bad name, and have ruined it for you. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

If I peek through the window and they look really scummy, I won't even open the door.

I won't be pointing a gun at anyone through the door, but I'm not going to answer the door unprepared, either.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I don't answer the door if they don't look right.

 

[Hatterasguy]

I knock on peoples doors all the time, but I'm never looking to sell them anything. Thats how I find good deals, I ask them if they want to sell their property or house. I'm a builder, in a fairly built up area. If they have something I want to buy I won't hesitate to ask if it might be for sale.

Usualy they are not interested, but a lot of times they ask me for my number and I leave them my card; sometimes I get calls back and end up buying their house.

I meet some cool people that way. One guy was really into fishing and guns and I ended up talking with him for like an hour on his front porch. Turned out we fished a lot of the same lakes. Another old WW2 vet liked me so much that when he died he told his kids to sell the place to me, which they did.

 

[millertyme]

if you've ever done a ride along with your local PD you'd know how much attention they pay to alarm systems

Agreed. One of the reasons why I had a hard time taking my job seriously. I only did it for one summer, made a little money, had a lot of fun, and made a bunch of friends of people that didn't live in a constant state of paranoia. Even if my presence in the neighborhood doubled the population of white people on that street.

for every one legitimate door to door, there are probably 3 or 4 shady types that come by

If that were true then you would have my sympathy for living in a neighborhood that is notoriously tageted by dirtbags.

Door people are at gunpoint times two from a pair of locations in the house between me and spouse

Really? That's probably not even legal. That's like methamphetamine paranoia. And what if the individual were after your identity? Shooting them would put you behind bars for quite some time and your right to own, let alone possess and point, a shotgun would forever be revoked. If you actually feel that threatened why not build up a wall around your property and get it legitimately zoned as private property so that any unsolicited entry would be grounds for execution? Oh, I know why. That wouldn't be legal, either.

 

[SpotlightRanger]

I alternate my time between a private no soliciting neighborhood and a place out in the country off by itself. I have not had a legitimate sales caller in about five years.

When we did get one I would normally interrupt their pitch and try to sell them personal and household items that we were trying to get rid of. After a while they would get annoyed and either leave or try to understand what I was doing. If they tried to understand I would ask if they understood just how annoying it was when people were trying to sell you things you don't want.

 

[mljdeckard]

I have a sign on my door. "No Soliciting. And yes, I REALLY mean it."

NO ONE gets to come into my home without prior acquaintance. Even church contacts, I ask them to call us in advance so we know they are coming. I don't remember the last time someone knocked on my door out of the blue.

 

[545days]

I had a door to door salesman come to my home last Saturday. I risked everything by ordering Girl Scout cookies from a four foot tall potential home invader.

 

[Dr.Mall Ninja]

I have worked in door for cable and telephone companies, If you are having a hard time finding a job you will take what you can get, I did make 500-600 dollars a week when I was in High school doing it, some guys make thousands a week, so its not always that bad of a job if your skilled. Looking back it is rude to knock on somebodies door announced and push them with all you got to buy something, although that doesn't warrant aiming a gun at them.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

A "No Soliciting" sign eliminates most of them. If they still knock after that they are not only bothering you in your castle they are disobeying your direct request not to peddle their wares to you. Don't expect a polite homeowner at that point.

 

[paintballdude902]

i answer if they look respectable but i also have a gun on my hip


besides.... i like girl scout cookies

 

[MarineOne]

I had one person selling magazine subscriptions knock on my front door and then ring the door bell. Strike one.

I answered the door with my XD .45 in my back pocket since I don't have a decent left handed holster for it (yet) and used my foot to block the door. I asked him if he had saw the "No Soliciting" sign I have posted, along with a picture ID and proof of his soliciting license as we're in city limits and its required. He plays dumb and tries to laugh it off, but all he's really done is tick me off. Strike two.

Then he asked the most insane question I've ever been asked ...... "Can I use your bathroom?". You guessed it, strike three.

I nicely told him he had a very limited amount of time to find the city limits as he was breaking the law by not having the required license and no picture ID to go with it, and that I would be calling the sheriff. About a minute later, a big white Toyota Sequoia with Colorado plates picked him up and they left the neighborhood.

I don't know if he was legit or not, but I made sure to get the plate number.



-K

 

[shenandoah]

With the economy being in gross disarray, there's a lot of guys home during the day looking for side work....If we don't know you, we don't open the door...my Rottie growls like a disgruntled TRex. Guns are always the last resort, but always nearby and ready. Hope you called the sheriff with a description, sounds like a home invasion attempt.

 

[Mark F]

I agree. If some uninvited person knocks at my door I simply don't answer it. I'm also armed.

 

[Fishbait]

Millertyme, the laws in my state allow for visitors and guests. If we allow them to be welcome. But if they are not welcome (Salesmen, soliticators, criminals etc) and that door gets broken in then it is what we call a home invasion. At a very minimum burglary. Unfortunately every home around ours are armed and some fly the Do not tread on me flag. We dont get too many of these visitors.

I resent your implication about drugs. We do expect Meth Heads to be getting in any way they can and unfortunately that will not end well for anyone. Meth is a serious problem in our area.

Decades ago I lived in a apartment complex (BIG. MISTAKE.) and a magazine runt sales boy managed to get entry and cased the entire joint that contained one mattress and one obsolete TV. By then it was too late, it was a invader. Magazines were only a ruse.

I threw him out. And then moved out and bought a home years later.

Wife has her own room where she is safe in the home. That door is secured and nothing gets through unless it is me, Big Momma, police or EMT. She cannot see anyone at the gate.

However I can and I hold a concealed carry permit and use it with a IWB holster and never open door for anyone I dont know or recognize.

Criminals knock on homes in the middle day time while people are at work. No dogs bark + no answer means Criminal will now break in.

Unfortunately we are retired and live at home 24/7 we look like a very quiet house but... some people have discovered it is not so. Police are only moments away in our area. Fast enough to assure that these visitors get checked over.

There, I have elaborated my position a bit further. I hope that you can see where we are coming from.

We consider Sales people obsolete because there isn't NOTHING in this world that can be bought and paid for with a few mouse clicks and a sufficient credit card online.

Regarding the truly lost gentleman, he was pretty close in address numbers. Just enough off to come up our road. We were nice to the Gentleman and sent him on his way. He presented absolutely no threat with his body language, speech and other signs. However we watch carefully the back door the safe room and so on because there could be more than one. Ruses and decoys are a real danger to us.

 

[shenandoah]

Beware of dyslexics holding a gnu---must have T shirt. That's not to say I don't answer, I just don't open it...if somebody needs help, I'll phone the appropriate authority.

 

[fireside44]

there is nothing that gives someone the right to randomly enter my property.

Actually, you are wrong.

Door people are at gunpoint times two from a pair of locations in the house between me and spouse.

For most citizens, this is beyond paranoia. "Nuts" would be more accurate.

Maybe if your place is remote, posted "no trespassing" in accordance with the law, has a gate blocking the driveway, and your enemies are numerous. Otherwise you don't have a very good reason for this.

"Never point your gun at anything you are not willing to shoot or destroy."

 

[SSN Vet]

Guy going door to door selling books raped a woman in her home in the next town over two summers ago...

my policy for the familiy has changed.

Keep both storm door and egress door locked...

tell people "no thankyou, I'm all set"

Do not let anyone in for any reason, unless you invited them.