Which companies ignore 'no cold caller' signs?

[Andymoney]

I feel sorry for anyone employed to go door to door. It's a rotten job, so I would never get angry with them. People who do it voluntarily to promote their own agendas, religious, political, or whatever, I have less sympathy for.

I have a home made "No Cold Callers" sign. It goes on to say "If you still knock and try to talk to me, you are agreeing to pay me five pounds for every minute of my time". They are entering into a contract. Sadly many do not trouble to read it before they knock, but they usually read it while they're waiting. The response varies from running away (partial result), to telling me they now apologise for knocking (even better), to telling me they really like my sign and it made them laugh (takes all sorts!).

[ismeval]

Originally Posted by glock339

Hi there I'm a Firefighter & part of my duties sometimes include going around streets, knocking on peoples doors to offer them free smoke alarm fitted & also an informal fire safety chat only if they want it as well.

I have seen these signs a few times while out & about & have wondered whether I should be knocking on their door or not? I think most people do not mind but I do wonder if I should be?

Well I would be more than happy to talk to firemen if they knocked on my door .... I have smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms etc, but unfortunately there are still some folks who do not bother with this - so yes I would welcome any advise and hope others would do the same ..

Valerie

[Maz101]

I work from home and the local postie and parcel companies can see me, and I am a firm favoroite to take in the neighbourhoud parcels - I have no issue with this. However, my working day consists of conference calls and I really do not want to be disturbed whilst at work. I have a sign about cold calling and it has not worked. But what really annoys me is the incredulous looks I get when I've answered the door and said 'sorry I can't speak to you, I'm at work'. Why do they think my semi -scruffy jeans and t-shirt mean I couldn't possibly be doing anything important and try to argue with me. I have created my own sign on the back of some of this forum and I'll see how it goes.

[MothballsWallet]

Can we add Clothes Aid to the list as well please?

[ismeval]

If the 'clothes aid' folks are leaving bags then I use the bags as bin liners .... I did see a report recently on TV which said most of these are bogus and the money does not go direct to a charity, so much better to take clothes etc to an actual charity shop

Val

[Stephen Leak]

Originally Posted by glock339

Hi there I'm a Firefighter & part of my duties sometimes include going around streets, knocking on peoples doors to offer them free smoke alarm fitted & also an informal fire safety chat only if they want it as well.

I have seen these signs a few times while out & about & have wondered whether I should be knocking on their door or not? I think most people do not mind but I do wonder if I should be?

Personally, I'd much prefer you to cold call, than have to "hot call" one dark night.

[ismeval]

I think we all would .... firemen do a fantastic job and quite often at risk of their own lives ....

Val

[Artymum1]

Talktalk are awful for ignoring our sign , also for some reason charities seem to think it doesn't apply to them , when I point out the sign they often look shocked and say something along the lines of ... But I'm collecting for cancer/ hospice/ children ! I don't care !!

[MothballsWallet]

Some more additions:
Macmillan Cancer Support (doorstep chuggers)
Save the Children (also doorstep chuggers)
Treating Children with Cancer (I've withdrawn implied right of access from these guys, sent them a penalty charge invoice, threatened them with court, and they still put bags through the door periodically)
Clothes Aid and any charity that hires them

[PinkLipgloss]

It seems a lot of cold callers are not aware that they are indeed "cold callers".

Perhaps people should put up a sign that says:

ONLY knock/ring if:

- you have an appointment
- you are a postal worker/courier with a recorded delivery/parcel for me
- you are a personal friend/family member

If you are none of the above you are a cold caller and not welcome!

[yayo]

Add the Mark Group to the list of "it dont apply to me guv" idiots - claiming to be giving not selling insulation - as if! Also claiming to be working with blessing of local council. Check out the list of complaints about their workmanship if tempted.

[JDAdams]

Originally Posted by yayo

Add the Mark Group to the list of "it dont apply to me guv" idiots - claiming to be giving not selling insulation - as if! Also claiming to be working with blessing of local council. Check out the list of complaints about their workmanship if tempted.

Hey, me too! Just had the Mark Group's whole "we're not selling anything" speil, whilst the girl was looking nervously at the A4 laminated MSE sign stuck beside the door. Also had the RSCPA yesterday whilst I was rushing to finish up a video edit for work - they do great work, but I do wish they'd respect the notice, it's big enough!

[Hecates Daughter]

Originally Posted by JDAdams

Hey, me too! Just had the Mark Group's whole "we're not selling anything" speil, whilst the girl was looking nervously at the A4 laminated MSE sign stuck beside the door. Also had the RSCPA yesterday whilst I was rushing to finish up a video edit for work - they do great work, but I do wish they'd respect the notice, it's big enough!

My husband just answered the door to them and they asked to look in our loft! He sent them away, but I was concerned to see one of them (male) enter a house where we knew there to be an elderly lady who has dementia and lives alone. I went outside and confronted them, and they still tried to tell me they were not selling anything, and over 70's could get free insulation, all the usual spiel about being sent there in the same breath as mentioning government schemes, as if trying to add some air of legality. I asked him for details of the company, and will contact them direct, but this is very concerning.

[cov_lad]

I have had several charities and a person offering 'free' insulation
Worst is Cancer Research who say they don't count as cold callers?!?

It just makes me never want to donate to the charities which surely is the opposite as to what the charities are wanting.
I have reported some of them direct to the charity involved with no response

[janiebquick]

Originally Posted by darren_lane

As a Jehovah's Witness I go door to door giving a message of hope along with nearly 8million others around the world.
I don't think it's fair to put us in the 'cold caller' bracket. We do not solicit money or want anything from the householder. On the contrary, we offer a message of hope and free bible studies to anyone who wants one.
We do not charge for anything!
We may appear a bit pushy sometimes but please realise that we believe our message is extremely important.
We hear "i'm not interested" quite a bit but a lot of the time it is just a reaction. And if the right questions are posed people very ofetn ask us more questions.
A firm (but nice) no thank you and we will be on our way.
We mean no inconvenience and one day may be able to help you.

Not fair to put you in the cold caller bracket? It's perfectly fair. What do you not understand about 'I don't want you calling at my house'?

[retiree]

Please add ADT alarm systems to your list of miscreants. Twice in a week despite MSE and similar Safer Neighbourhoods/Metropolitan Police 'No Cold Callers' signage.

[Irritat]

I recently went for an interview but was not aware it was a cold calling company that worked for love film until I was on the second interview and "observing" an "employee" (I say that because he kept referring to himself as self employed) 0.o

He kept telling me how good the money was etc, I wasn't buying this from a man who was excited to get his bus money back at the end of the year...

I watched countless people slam the door in his face, watched people tell him they weren't interested, watched him enter someones house while I waited outside for 40 minutes. I left this interview before it was up on moral and financial grounds.

The reason I'm posting this experience here is because of some of the things I watched him and his group do that I felt was completely disrespectful.

1. The No Callers signs - are scoffed at and unless are the official looking yellow ones will knock anyway. (have a feeling if i wasn't there he would have knocked on the official ones too)

2. Your Distress is made fun of when your dog escapes or the baby is crying or your shift patterned partner is woken (When he made light of this and joked I felt physically sick.)

3. They think it's funny that you don't trust them. :S

4. They used a term at lunch that I didn't quite understand (why it was funny) COWS - cannot operate without spouse (Just don't talk to them)

5. This is a warning - some of the lovely young ladies and gentlemen will ask you if you have any DVDs from Love Film (if you say you are already subscribed) that need returning/posting back. They seem genuine, but from what I've seen they swap them among themselves and are not trustworthy.

[john haynes]

Originally Posted by DavidLaGuardia

Then leave the catalogue out then Einstein.

If I have ever forgotten to leave it out and they have knocked, I have just given it back and they havn't tried to sell me anything. I hardly think that's cold selling and if you are peturbed about it, you really need to get over it.

Someone is trying to make a living in what is quite a passive way and there is no wasted junk mail if you give it back.

I so agree David, all this is a bit over the top. Curry houses and pizzas and all the rest of the rubbish can be interesting, silent, and so chuckable, my sign has been up for years and tatty and for the rare one that knocks I silently mouth and point to my ear 'I am deaf', they look embarrassed and leave, the callers on the phone are the worst

[scooby75]

Originally Posted by maxmiler

Irish bloke called. He wasn't selling anything either. Just pointing out that there was moss on our roof and that some of our roof tiles were slipping.
Moss?? So what!
And I asked him to show me the slipped tiles. Couldn't find any that had slipped.
His accent was neither Northern nor Southern Irish accent (have family and friends in both), so I reckon he was what is laughingly called a traveller.

For the benefit of anyone who may not be aware, you should not entertain people who do this more than anyone else. Generally they will do little or no work, and anything that is done will probably require further money to fix. Usually work is not required anyway.

You will not get any cancellation rights, and more than likely the charges quoted will multiply by the hundreds. Elderly and vulnerable people are often driven to the bank to withdraw thousands, and repeat visits are made for either by the same people or others who have been made aware that you are an easy target.

If you do get such a caller, just say no thanks and close the door. If you can, call the police to pass on details.

As for those who have "No cold call" stickers, when you get a call, just point to the sticker and ignore them.

[rickbonar.]

Cold calling is about to become a whole lot worse!

do read the article in the link below from The Independent that says the government soon plans to scrap "the pedlars act" which is supposed to be a legal barrier for doorstep sellers and salesmen.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...g-8347582.html

Our no cold callers signs won't be of any use if this goes through..