How to Beat Doorstep Callers

pulliptears

paddyrg wrote: »

Great that the small independent courier paid by the job at 40p/drop has to spend their time and money calling you... Alternatively throw the package over the fence ;-)

Thats what I was thinking, in fact, I can envisage the thread in a few months time

**name of courier** threw a parcel over my gate and it's damaged!

Seems a lot of hassle when a small, laminated print out of this:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/no-more-junk

Does the same job.

meer53

Paul_Varjak wrote: »

If you have failed to spot a bogus caller it is because you fail to question and verify what doorstep callers tell you. Next time someone comes to your door I suggest you answer that door with a more enquiring mind.

When i have callers at my door, i don't question them as to their credentials, i just politely tell them i'm not interested in whatever they may be selling. I have other things to do.

Paul_Varjak

pulliptears wrote: »

Thats what I was thinking, in fact, I can envisage the thread in a few months time



Seems a lot of hassle when a small, laminated print out of this:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/no-more-junk

Does the same job.

I actually have a similar sticker to that on my door currently.

Although the Trading Standards Institute came up with the idea, many local Trading Standards departments (including our local one) took legal advice and decided they would not issue such stickers because they considered it doubtful that such a sticker was enforceable. For similar reasons, many Trading Standards departments do not operate NO COLD CALLING ZONES - they are simply unenforceable in law.

Many doorstep callers are clearly aware of this and have even been instructed as such by the companies they work for. The result is that the stickers do not have the desired effect and many people ignore them or simply claim they never noticed the sticker on the door in the first place.

I would loved it had the stickers worked .but they do not. More and more doorstep callers are ignoring them in the knowledge that the chances of any prosecution is virtually nil. To my knowledge, no trading standards department (not even those that do endorse the stickers) has even considered prosecution simply on the basis that the stickers have been ignored. And that information comes direct from my local Trading Standards!

Paul_Varjak

meer53 wrote: »

When i have callers at my door, i don't question them as to their credentials, i just politely tell them i'm not interested in whatever they may be selling. I have other things to do.

If everyone did the same there would be no bogus doorstep callers. The problems is that there are too many elderly and and vulnerable people that fall victim.

pulliptears

The sign works perfectly for me, and on the odd occasion someone knocks anyway I look through the window, ascertain I don't know them and don't bother answering.

Still simpler than recreating fort knox.

Paul_Varjak

pulliptears wrote: »

The sign works perfectly for me, and on the odd occasion someone knocks anyway I look through the window, ascertain I don't know them and don't bother answering.

Still simpler than recreating fort knox.

If you still have callers, the sign is clearly not working then.

pulliptears

Paul_Varjak wrote: »

If you still have callers, the sign is clearly not working then.

Caller. I've had one this year.
I'd suggest it works perfectly fine. One cold caller (who incidentally I ignored) in 6 months doesn't really warrant the difficulties of putting up locked gates

Paul_Varjak

pulliptears wrote: »

Caller. I've had one this year.
I'd suggest it works perfectly fine. One cold caller (who incidentally I ignored) in 6 months doesn't really warrant the difficulties of putting up locked gates

Then you are lucky. I have had two callers since last Friday, though one of these was when I was at my elderly neighbours' house installing a new high security lock at their request.

meer53

Paul_Varjak wrote: »

Then you are lucky. I have had two callers since last Friday, though one of these was when I was at my elderly neighbours' house installing a new high security lock at their request.

I think they're targeting you as they know how angry it makes you. I couldn't tell you the last time i had anyone knock at my door trying to sell me something.

Paul_Varjak

meer53 wrote: »

I think they're targeting you as they know how angry it makes you. I couldn't tell you the last time i had anyone knock at my door trying to sell me something.

Trolls have an inability for reasoned argument. They also have bad memories.