Pressure selling

Arthien

1886 wrote: »

Why put yourself in this situation in the first place?

We never answer the door unless it is somebody we know, the same goes for the mobile. I have a look out of the window, see it's somebody I don't know so I don't answer the door

The British Heart Foundation had a Chugger come round to my Dad's house when I was there last week. When his Rottweiler appeared at the window they soon did one lol

I think it was mainly the fact that my husband is very easily embarrassed, he would never just sit in the front room, knowing that people were at the door and they had seen him. And you never know, it might have been one of our neighbours and he wouldn't have wanted to be rude. Then, once he'd seen that it wasn't anyone he knew, it was too late and he felt obliged to open the door.

I've posted a message on their FB page but I think it's got lost amongst all the pro/anti-RSPCA arguments that people seem to be having, so I may give them a call instead. I just can't believe that they thought what they said was ok, like 'all of your neighbours have already pledged their support, so now it's just you we're counting on'!

Arthien

teffers wrote: »

I find the multi-purpose phrase "!!!! off" works best.

This would have been more or less my phrasing, if it had been me who answered the door and not my husband

RedBern

Might be worthwhile contact your local Trading Standards office and ask whether you could be in a 'no cold calling' zone. Reputable companies won't disregard the 'no cold call' signs, and it should stop this type of activity.

BigAunty

I have put a sign up at my door along the lines of 'No hawkers, charity reps, religious/political reps,.' etc. You can buy them off ebay for a pound or two. The sign is effective.

In London I was plagued by religious callers and energy sales people but the straw that broke the camels back was a guy giving out what he said was a local healthy living magazine like it was a freeby (I assumed it was from the council) and then tried to charge me for it after he pretty much shoved in my hands.

In Scotland, I was plagued by trades people offering to quote to do my garden, brick work, roof, chimney breast, etc. Also, bizarrely, I had milk, bread and fish sellers pop by. I also got chuggers who annoy me even more greatly by asking me to justify why I'm not prepared to contribute to them. But the straw that broke the camels back for me was the brazen 'mattress' scam whereby a guy makes out he's just had a failed delivery to a neighbour and due to a mix up he has a spare one that he simply wants to give away as the warehouse won't be able to sell it on. Then he opens up the back of the van that is stuffed full of memory foam mattresses and then says 'it cost x quid for a double, x quid for a king'.

Arthien

RedBern wrote: »

Might be worthwhile contact your local Trading Standards office and ask whether you could be in a 'no cold calling' zone. Reputable companies won't disregard the 'no cold call' signs, and it should stop this type of activity.

Thanks, I'll try this. I found living out down a long dark country lane used to be enough to stop this sort of thing, but since we moved we've had a lot more unwanted callers. I'm going to get a 'no cold-callers' window sticker too. I'm just hoping they didn't go round all of our neighbours, but I'm going to check this evening.

ska_lover

These people are only doing a job, so while I have never been rude to a large degree, I will firmly say no and shut the door whilst they are still chatting on.

Most of them will refuse to listen after the intial 'No I am not interested' and I just say those words and shut the door immediately

Contessa

I do donate to charities but I don't like door stepping. Recently someone from the RSPCA came round and I simply said "I'm not an animal lover" He looked surprised but said "Sorry to have bothered you" and left.

Try it, it worked for me.

I'm a truthful person except when people are trying to doorstep, guilt trip, con, scam or chug me etc.

Hermia

Contessa wrote: »

I do donate to charities but I don't like door stepping. Recently someone from the RSPCA came round and I simply said "I'm not an animal lover" He looked surprised but said "Sorry to have bothered you" and left.

Try it, it worked for me.

Sadly, that didn't work with the Christian Aid lady. Several people in my road said, "I'm an atheist/Sikh/whatever so I prefer to give my money to secular/Sikh/whatever charities", but she just kept coming back again and again and again. She visited three times in one week!

Errata

A straightforward 'no thank you' and simultaneously closing tne door usually does the trick. But as suggested, contact RSPCA, police & etc about these chuggers.
It's been suggested some kind of sign indicating 'no cold callers' is effective - it is, it tells door knockers a vulnerable person lives there so it's like putting out the welcome mat for them.

jaylee3

Urgh, I HATE cold callers, and they don't even care about the charity they are collecting for; they get between £50 and £80 for every person they sign up. THAT is why they're doing it: not because they care for the charity, or what it's collecting for!

I also detest the RSPCA, and have found them useless whenever I have had dealings with them. Many people I have spoken to say the same. Also, it's a well known fact that much of the money collected, does not go to the animals in need. (When this happens next though, I would call the police, as they may have been scammers: they sounded very aggressive to me.)

I have had various animal charities try and stop me in town, and they say 'do you care about animals?' Last time my husband said, 'no I hate animals, unless they're on my plate!' (He didn't mean it of course, but he gets sick of chuggers as I do.)

The charities coming to your home however, are a different kettle of fish: they are invading your privacy, and disturbing you in your personal sanctuary. It's out of order. When someone comes to our house, we open a little window at the side, and say 'yes???' and if it's a chugger, we say 'no thanks' and shut the window.

They did used to be a LOT more persistent, but I think they have to stick to certain guidelines now. EG; I don't think that chuggers can chase you down the street now. And this has happened to me many times!

And it's particularly bad when they prey on the elderly. My friend who is in her early 50s lives in a bungalow, she is brassy and assertive and is not intimidated. It shocks the cold callers, because they expect bungalows to be full of frail and scared elderly people.

Now I'm not saying ALL elderly are vulnerable before anyone jumps on me, but some are, and these people know this, and that is why they prey on them. In my line of work, I get to hear about many elderly who have been talked into paying for things they didn't want to pay for, and that they can't afford, by pressure salespersons coming to their door.

It should be outlawed. They do my head in. And I don't care if they're 'just doing their job' as someone said. If they are badgering people in their HOMES, then it needs to be stopped.