I wonder how many
readers tolerate salespeople at their doors? Years ago people knocking on the
door were usually neighbours wanting to borrow a cup of sugar or something but
now there are so many rogue traders it’s difficult to differentiate between
good and bad salesmen. Because of this people don’t bother to answer the door
unless they know who is calling. How
sad the world has become!
Last year at Townswomen’s
Guild and again at the Women’s Institute’s ACM, I listened to talks about Rogue
Traders. Both speakers outlined some of the tricks used to gain our confidence as
well as access to our homes – all very worrying, particularly to older folk. We
constantly read or hear about pensioners who have been robbed and some who have
even been knocked about and hospitalised.
So what to do? Apart
from hiring armed guards or take ownership of a few wild dogs there isn’t much we
can do unless we lock ourselves away and have nothing to do with the outside world.
However, councils and police came up with the idea of putting notices on our
doors and the speakers at the aforementioned events gave some away. Me being a
greedy kind of gal, I took a few to distribute at the WI but not until I’d
pinched a couple for myself.
The notices are not
the same as the one at the start of this post. I have a few of those but they’re
rather large whereas the ones I have are circular and take up less space. There
are two sides: one is for the householder to read if someone strange knocks her
door, and the other is what the trader (or whoever) sees. Once the backing
paper is removed it can then be stuck to a glass door. Sadly not everyone has a
porch door so I don’t know how residents without one would manage unless they
put it in a nearby window.
It’s quite gimmicky and
I couldn’t wait to install one on my door. Here’s a couple of pictures I took.
As you see, the
notices are called DOORSTOPPERS – dead original! Note the warning to unwanted
traders: ‘SORRY, I DON’T RECOGNISE YOU, I’M NOT LETTING YOU IN’. And it
works... leastways let me say that there have been fewer callers at MY door
since the notice appeared. Did I say fewer? I’ll rectify that – in actual fact
I believe it has stopped the callers altogether. Time will tell, of course.
I don't have much problem with door to door sales people, but I still get the 'come to Jesus people.
ReplyDelete"And it works... leastways let me say that there have been fewer callers at MY door since the notice appeared. Did I say fewer? I’ll rectify that – in actual fact I believe it has stopped the callers altogether."
ReplyDeleteThat's AWESOME, Valerie! And what a great idea!
Living in a high-rise apartment building in a city, I don't get salespeople at my door. But I do remember when I was still living at home with my family and experiencing it.
However, what I do experience are restaurant delivery people who when delivering food to other apartments in my building, will often times slip their menus under my door in the hopes of getting more business.
Have a super Tuesday!
X to you and Joe
BC, you're lucky not to get traders at the door... we not only get them but (some) get pushy if we say we don't want anything. Mind you a lot have reverted to phone selling for which there appears to be no cure!
ReplyDeleteGood afternoon, Ron. I guess menus aren't too bad, at least they're not presenting you with entire meals... smiles.
ReplyDeleteHow's your weather? Do you have snow yet?
one time, long ago...i did door to door sales....and then i did business to business sales....its a tough racket...and you def get your exercise...funny i have had none in years...i do get a few religeous people and i usually sit on the stoop and talk to them...
ReplyDeleteNo salespeople, but repairmen "We're doing some work in this area, and wanted to see if we can help you with any project?"
ReplyDeleteI turn them away, but maybe I should post something like: clean my oven, unstop the toilet, look for snipes in the attic....
great sign!
We get a few sales people at the door. If I am on my own I will not answer the door. Gregg once got a salesman in who was trying to sell windows. He was inside for over an hour and became very aggressive when he realized we were not interested in the $32,000 quote. Lesson learned, no more invites inside.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I had forgotten that we get repairmen, hedge cutters and drive cleaners, as well as traders. It's worse than I thought... smiles.
ReplyDeleteDenise, fortunately we have a porch door so I can see who is there. There is also a chain on the porch door so I can talk through a 2 inch (?) gap. Gosh it sounds as though I'm paranoid.... but better to be safe than sorry, eh?
I'm so glad that's working for you! Those people are a darned nuisance. I put a notice in our front door to say we don't buy from doorstep sellers, but sadly it's obscured glass, with a leafy pattern, and it's hard to read from outside - or at least they ignore it. So it makes no difference.
ReplyDeleteJay, it certainly is frustrating. Have you a window near the door? The circular notices are quite small (big enough for traders to see though).
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good tactic to keep safe! Out here in the country we have very few salespeople. Last time we saw one was this summer when a man from down south selling tools visited my papa's shop.
ReplyDelete