Door-to-door salesmen

[nutty]

Has anyone else been receiving calls from door-to-door salesmen from a (supposedly) homeless persons group?

We received our second visit last night. I opened the door the first time when a guy came a couple of weeks ago and politely told him I wasn't interested as I don't agree with door-to-door selling. He moaned a little and then went away.

My wife opened the door last night and being a softy (which I love her for) gave the guy 5 mins to listen to his patter. Hearing that buying a dishcloth would keep a young person out or prison she offered to buy one (I suspect partially out of the guilt he was deliberately trying to instill and partially just to get rid of him, as he has gone on about how selling an apron would get him a bonus and make his mum really happy). At that point he announced the cloth was ?7.99!!!

Enter me at this point and tell him that we won't be buying anything as I don't agree in door to door selling and apologise for wasting his time. He then proceeded to direct a tirade at me about how he only took this job to stay off the streets as his mum had begged him too and finishing by calling me a tight b*stard.

This pretty much demonstrated why I normally don't give these guys even a couple of minutes, as he left feeling me guilty for wasting his time (ridiculous I know) and slightly in fear he would come back later to get some revenge!

Is this kind of selling even legal? Or does anyone know if these guys really are linked to a homeless association?? I suspect not but even though I'd like to ask for a better look at their identity card and dial any phone number on it, I suspect that might just open me up to more of the abuse I got on my doorstep last night.

[mockney piers]

I've often wondered about these guys. Their tattered id things have a certain neglected look of officialdom about it. They turn up in a van and blitz an area, and they're not mugging or robbing, and they seem pretty earnest, but seriously, the prices are daylight robbery. If anyone has any knowledge about this I'd love to hear it so I know where I stand in future (ie feel guilty for not buying a 3 pound jay cloth or not)

And they really shouldn't launch into a tirade. A chap tried to get on a bus with his harem of four rather embarrassed looking girls, without paying. When the bus driver politely asked for payment (I'm pretty sure his girls were probably young enough to get on for free anyway) the lad started punching the drivers cab and screaming something about how he had to get ot the hospital because his 'wife was having a miscarriage'.

The driver was wonderful, just sighing and rolling his eyes and waiting patiently for him to leave. The girls were actually mortified by his bizarre behaviour, and we had a good chuckle together once he'd gone.

But both incidents - remember that post above ;) - are indicative of this whole world owes me a living attitude. I know teenagers are prone to it at the best of times, so am I just getting ready for pipe and slippers or is it getting worse?

[spooniferous]

Nutty don't lose your nuts. Calm down, take a deep breath. I expect you've been up all night sweating about this.

Let's get the facts.

Does anyone know about the legitimacy of these guys?

How do we check it on the doorstep without doubt?

I too am reluctant to part with my money to the door to door guys. How do we know they are being bonest?

The door to door mans passionate reaction makes me think that he was being honest. Jump into his boots for a moment. If he is trying to do the right thing and make his life better but noone trusts him I too would get frustrated.

[buggie]

I had a guy knock on the door about 6 wks ago offering me fish freshly caught from South Shields - wondered if he'd got lost on the way to Newcastle!!

[snorky]

see also Geordie door to door fish salesman , as well as speakers from the back of a white van bargains

[nutty]

spooniferous - you may be right - but his reaction only made me trust him less. He made me feel really uncomfortable. I never actually accused him of being dishonest - I just told him i didn't approve of door-to-door selling and he went off on one.

[katietatie]

I had the same people knock on the door and feed me some a line about having previously being in prison and this being a legitimate way of making a living. I was guilted (is that a word?) into buying some of the aforementioned jay cloths which had the name of the organisation in the packet. I googled the organisation name and nothing came up...... Does this mean that no such organisation exists or perhaps they're just not very technologically switched on?

[Muttley]

This crowd sounds like the same bunch that have been operating for years. If it is the same lot, then they come in by minibus from Essex, and are dropped off to cover all the streets in the area. The operation is not legitimate, the people behind it use it as a chance to make undeclared cash. The teenagers that they get to do the door-knocking are almost always well coached in how to do the patter, but invariably rude, bordering on aggressive, when told you aren't interested. I've found the best way of dealing with them is to stop them before they get a chance to launch into the hard-luck story, tell them we had somebody come last week, and there's nothing in their selection that we want. "Thank you, good luck" and close door. (The excuse 'sorry, the baby has just woken up I'm going to have to go' usually works too, though I prefer using that one with Jehovah's Witnesses. Needless to say, there doesn't actually have to be a baby in the house to pull this one off.)

[nutty]

katietatie - what was the name of the organisation?

[katietatie]

Sorry, I've been racking my brains but to no avail. In my defence it was a while ago....:-$

[mockney piers]

Thanks Muttley, I know where I stand now (behind the security chain clearly)

[Keith]

Guys have you not been brainwashed into asking for ID and then calling the No. on it. A legitamte organisation or door to door sales person will have no problem with this and the minute it becomes a problem to your new found doorstep friend close the door and phone the police. If the old folk can do it, so can you all.:))

[nutty]

Well - as I said I would normally just tell them to go away. The way this guy spoke to me last night when I questioned him would put me off asking to look at anyone's id more closely!

[alba]

The Geordie fishsellers is a well-known scam operating across London. The fact that haven't just driven through the night trying to earn an honest penny by selling it to the good burghers of London wouldn't really matter if their fish was any good. The fish is always old and often has gone right off. A well known North London scam (haven't heard of it in East Dul so far) is the man holding a motorcycle helmet and claiming he's out of petrol and for whatever reason has lost his wallet. On the subject of the door-to-door cloth sellers there was a documentary a while ago about a group - they operate all over the country, certainly not on behalf of any charity. And again if the products were either any good or reasonably priced it wouldn't matter. I guess the old saying a fool and his money are soon parted springs to mind. Being rather foolish myself - I handed over a tenner to a woman knocking on my door in east dul late at night, introducing herself as my neighbour from about 9 houses up, with some sob story I fell for. I was torn between thinking -what if she's genuine and I've left a neighbour in the lurch.... mmmmm needless to say she's not my neighbour.

[Muttley]

I, too, fell for the "I'm your neighbour, I need ?10" scam a couple of years back. The line was that the guy was locked out of the house and needed a cab to get back to his office to get his keys, or some such twaddle. He came across so naturally, and I was so gullible, that I handed over the tenner, even though alarm bells were ringing in my mind. Afterwards I warned the neighbours, yet he still had the nerve to try it again about a week later on a house a few doors down, and again got his tenner. If that scam is ever attempted again, it's easy enough to say "don't worry, my brother is a policeman, he'll be able to get into your house, I'll just give him a call he only lives in the next road...". If the person is genuine, they won't have any objection to this line.

[ratty]

It's a scheme for young ex-offenders and part of their early release package. They come round a bit too much for my liking but what's a tenner ffs. I SAID FFS!

[Huguenot]

So Muttley reckons it isn't genuine, and rattipuffs reckons it is?

Ratty - you work in this field, can you give us any idea about who the real ones are, and how we identify them?

I do have enough tea towels to clothe an elephant now.

[ratty]

I am not 100% sure of it. The first time they came round I sent them off with a flea in their ear. Then my wife told me they were genuine and it was a scheme, so now I always get something off of them!

I threw the labels away last night but I might do some digging!

[nutty]

If it is genuine, the prices are criminal and they need a lesson in manners! ;-)

[ratty]

I have to say they are always polite to me! Probably cos they know I am a soft touch!

[jim_the_chin]

i've also googled the name on the j-cloth packets in the past, and at that time found that it was a company which was going into liquidation or something like that. nothing to do with charity at all. i'm much more sceptical now. i tend to use the 'no cash in the house' response.

(and, no, i don't remember the name of the company)

[spooniferous]

Are there any legitimate schemes? I am a little sceptical about phoning a number on their ID card as proof of ligitmacy. The card might be fake and just be the nmuber of their mate.

If there are legitimate schemes surely there's a better way to get them back on the straight 'n narrow than flogging over priced household goods. Couldn't they teach them pest control or some such trade. I've heard that ED is overrun by foxes.

[spadetownboy]

only one way of dealing with people who cold call for any reason,tell them to foxtrot oscar and shut the door.

[yellowandyboy]

We had the same guys round twice within days. They always give the story of being dropped off in a van and that they only have a short period of time before they are picked up again. I found an interesting story about them on a shopper blog

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/blog/index.var.3884.0.a_man_came_to_the_door_last_night.php

The blog mentions the company as 'Enterprise Y-P'. Does this sound like a familiar name to anyone? It also mentions loads of spelling mistakes on the id card. Worth checking in detail next time.

[beth]

If it's a geninue charity, all charities need to have their charity registration number on all publicity materials and any information they produce. You can also go to the Charity commission website and look up by name or by charity number any geninue charity.

There is also a problem with businesses set up to collect used goods and then selling them on who make out as if they are charitable organisations and put leaflets and plastic bags through our doors. This has really effected legit charities such as Great Oremond Street who do geniuely do collections in the local area. If you get any information about collections, please check the information carefully. If there is no charity registration number, it is not a charity that is taking your goods that you are donating.