Selling door-to-door - community service?

RadoJo

A couple of times in the last few months we have had door-to-door salesmen (usually relatively young people) knocking at the door claiming that they are doing community service. Unfortunately they have all caught me at bad times and I haven't really had a chance to interrogate them, but I was wondering if anyone knew any more about this scheme? In what way is bothering people in their homes a service to community?

Tangible

RadoJo wrote: »

A couple of times in the last few months we have had door-to-door salesmen (usually relatively young people) knocking at the door claiming that they are doing community service.

The clue appears to be the word 'selling' which cannot represent any form of community service I am aware of. Presumably they are trying to gain credibility by telling you that, and perhaps trying to make you feel committed to whatever they offer.

One day, when I was feeling particularly unwell, someone came to my front door and as I approached to answer it, i could see the person who turned to be very young, putting on a tabard bearing a Red Cross.

I was not in the mood, and when I stood facing the person I just closed the door without speaking, and I have to admit that anyone knocking on my door has to accept the risk, and there's a warning note to that effect on the door, but I can't imagine any community service, or any other help service calling on you without prior warning, or if they do, they deserve a strong rebuke.

I would accept such claims from anyone appearing out of the blue to be a clear admission that they are up to no good. Some people may feel they must be polite to people in this situation. I have no such reservations.

bargainbetty

If they are selling anything, it is not community service. CS programmes are supervised social enrichment activities (posh name for cleaning up graffitti or working in a soup kitchen) but are not systems that enable offenders to access people in their own homes.

Send them on their way. It's a guilt trip method to encourage you to buy things - helping a young person get back on their feet etc by purchasing a few items. If they are doing this to any social housing for elderly people, then they are also targetting vulnerable adults and should be reported. (My 70 year old mum gets massively offended when I call her a vulnerable adult, as she has previously marched salesmen off the street!)

Azari

About 15 years ago there used to be a spate of young people turning up on your doorstep trying to sell things from a large bag. They would insist on showing you ID, the idea clearly being to put in your mind that this was some sort of official scheme to get young people into work. I once said I'd buy something from one of these 'erberts only to discover that they were charging around 6x the normal price for things. Needless to say he was sent away without making a sale.

This seems to be another of these cons.

Evilm

We had this about 2 years ago and called our 0845 police number. They were very interested and sent a couple of officers around trying to track them down.

it definately doesn't seem legit. Especially since the ones who came to our door claimed they'd been in Juvie (crimes undisclosed) so it doesn't seem wise to send potentially criminal or violent people* to peoples houses!

*yes, generalisation I know.

browneyedbazzi

This sort of thing isn't legit...it's an old con where at best they're lying to you with a story hoping it will encourage you to buy something overpriced that you don't need/want. Other times they are casing homes or engaged in distraction burglaries. In all cases your best bet is to say 'I don't deal with sales people on the doorstep' and close the door. Also go check your back doors/other methods of entry to your home to make sure someone isn't trying to get in while you've been distracted by the person at the front.