Doorstep selling and cold calling

Petralava - good for you girl! Doorstep calling is an irritation enough as it is, but when it's scum preying on old folk its a different story. The thought makes my blood boil.

A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting my 83 yr old mum (as I do every other day).
During a cup of tea and conversation - her door bell rings.
Up she gets (bit doddery on her legs she is) and makes for the front door. I continue to smoke my cigarette, idly flicking through one of those household catalogues you get through the door. Then it suddenly dawns on me that she is been at the front door for quite a while.
Now my attention is turned to the conversation I can hear from the door. Several times I hear my dear old mum politely saying,
"No, I don't need anything, thank you".
So I start to walk up the hallway - just in time to hear her say, "get your foot out of my house, I want to shut the door"! I could see her looking backwards into the house - for me?
Now my temper was rising - I legged it up the rest of the hall, and flung open the door, to see a huge "Eastern European" lad standing there with a basket full of the usual low quality dusters and the like.
Well, I'm afraid I lost my temper . . . just a tad :]
I hurled myself at him, pushed him off of the door threshold, and politely (NOT!) asked him "Just which part of NO he didn't understand!!" He stood there with his mouth open - I think I actually scared him!! (ha ha ha).
My finale, was to spit out, with as much hatred and venom two words, ending in "off!"
Of course,what I meant to say was . . "please would you be so kind as to leave the premises, thanks awfully". Still, it had the desired effect.
I hate to think what would have happened if I hadn't been there that day.
By the way, I'm female and only 5 feet 3 inches tall.

I put my house up for sale with a local estate agent 3 weeks ago, since then the cold callers from other estate agents have been relentless !

Almost every two days I've had some guy who's driven up in his mini cooper wearing a shiny tie with a huge knot, knocking on the door trying to get my house onto their books. Don't let me get started on estate agents.

Just the other day a friendly older chap asked if I'd take part in a survey on various topics. It would have taken 20 mins of my time and there'd be no freebie.

I declined informing him that the marketing company he works for will have been paid a great deal of money to carry out the survey, so they can pay me some of it, either in the form of cash £20 per hour would do), or a gift I would find useful !

As for telephone callers, I got sick of being asked for my opinions on shampoo I've never used (or even heard of) and I don't need double glazing so I used the Telephone Preference service.

On their website, I simply entered my phone number and cut out the telephone cold callers for 12 months at a time in one go!

You can do this will mail too, but I chose not to 'cos sometimes there are good offers with mailshots.

Sweep wrote:

This works for us,

WE DO NOT WISH TO;
Buy or Sell Anything
Change Utility Providers
Answer Surveys
Or
Discuss YOUR Religion
Thank You

Doesn't work for us, sellers ring the bell and say we are trying to save you money - the gall of it!

I agree about cold-callers. It isn't on these days. A few years back I used to do a lot of canvassing for different companies and also bona fide market research door-to-door. Despite being out of work some time and seeing ads for such jobs, I won't touch them again. Over the years I've been on the receiving end of religious callers who can't take no for an answer, plus utility reps, double glazing canvassers, guys flogging shoddy wares, carpet cleaners, researchers, etc.

I personally think we have too many laws in this country but I'd vote for one banning unsolicted house callers. It's an intrusion. As has been said in this forum, if we WANT something we're capable of going out and getting it!

I know the police take a dim view of the practice. Seems odd that despite all the other issues dealt with, like speeding and smoking, nuisance callers are free to carry on. It's the same with phone calls, only I've been ex-directory for years and very glad too. I could begin another tack about corporate telesales but...enough said.

This works for us,

WE DO NOT WISH TO;
Buy or Sell Anything
Change Utility Providers
Answer Surveys
Or
Discuss YOUR Religion
Thank You

Hire a manservant called Igor with a unbecoming disability to answer your door. Acquire a reputation in your neighbourhood that strange goings-on take place in your home, and that people actually seem to disappear if they ever visit you. Hang or fit large gothic appendages, such as gargoyles, on your guttering or to the outside of your building. Make sure your front door has strange magical symbols painted on it. Only ever seem to be seen leaving your home at midnight or during the early hours of the morning. Don't make any friends. Wear black if you are ever seen in public. Talk in a low drawn out voice.

Answer the door naked in future. That should see em off.

No hawkers, no circulars, no beggars, no cold-callers, no-one! Absolutely no one should call!

I've just moved to a new house and without meaning to be big headed its worth a few quid (due to profit from my small property in the south) and this attracts cold callers.

I should put a sign up saying, big house, no money, if I need a driveway, valet, garage conversion, windows cleaned....I'll find out about one.

what you should consider doing is putting a sign up on your doorstep and saying that you dont want these people bothering you between these hours, and then list a few companies, names or other stuff!!!