ADT knocking on doors

[Sue]

Had a small group (at least three) of smartly dressed people from ADT arrive at my door today saying they were doing "security surveys" of people's homes in order to "reduce the crime rate in the area."

Not selling alarms, oh no, perish the thought.

Just a warning, people. Assuming you don't want their obviously unbiassed advice, of course :)

[catma]

They were doing Choumert Road on wednesday.

[northlondoner]

Won't someone think of the children?

[jctg]

But where was the mother?

[buddug]

What I objected to when one of them came round a couple of days ago was that he started his spiel by saying: "As you probably know, there has been a spate of burglaries in this street recently." To my knowledge this is untrue - to fearmonger like that is bad enough, but it could really distress an elderly resident.

He was also incredibly pushy, taking a step forward towards me while saying: "Is it ok if I come in?". I had to square up and say firmly that no, it was not ok, and shutting the door on him.

[Sue]

buddug Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> What I objected to when one of them came round a

> couple of days ago was that he started his spiel

> by saying: "As you probably know, there has been a

> spate of burglaries in this street recently." To

> my knowledge this is untrue - to fearmonger like

> that is bad enough, but it could really distress

> an elderly resident.

>

> He was also incredibly pushy, taking a step

> forward towards me while saying: "Is it ok if I

> come in?". I had to square up and say firmly that

> no, it was not ok, and shutting the door on him.

xxxxxxx

Yes - they were very very keen to get into my house to do their "security survey".

And scaremongering, I agree.

I'm considering getting a "no cold callers" sign now, unfriendly as it appears. It's bad enough getting constant spam phone calls despite being on the list for not getting them .... I've taken to waiting till the answering machine kicks in, to see who it is. Spam callers don't use the machine.

(BTW be very wary if you call 1471 to see who it was and get a number which is unknown to you. There is a scam whereby somebody phones, hangs up before you answer, you call 1471 and phone back the number you get, and you'll end up paying an arm and a leg to call it. Googling the number will usually tell you what it is and whether to phone it - usually not.)

[Loz]

This is such a bad idea I don't know where to begin. Knocking on doors and demanding people tell them what security you have in the house is just irresponsible. I can see the copycats getting ready now. Why risk breaking into somewhere with an alarm when you can just knock on their door, tell them you are from ADT and asking them about their security.

Frankly, the police should be having a word with ADT.

[ianr]

> This is such a bad idea I don't know where to begin.

You ask them to complete your eight-page cold caller screening survey.

[Loz]

ianr Wrote:

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> > This is such a bad idea I don't know where to begin.

>

> You ask them to complete your eight-page cold caller screening survey.

Actually, "But before that, I'd like to talk to you about God" also works a treat.

[owlwise]

I doubt they were eally from ADT. Just probably casing people's properties in order to come back another time and burgle them. I'd never let them into my home.

[Gidget]

I'd report this to Safer Neighbourhood team.

[DulwichFox]

Came to me asking about my alarm system.

Suggested some people just have Dummy boxes.

I thought at first it was ADT that had taken over from Civic and as My system had been serviced

just last week I had the paperwork to hand. But alas it was another company, but seeing the completed

service report they did not pester me further ather than asking what yearly fee I paid which they admitted

was resonable, suggesting they could not offer a better deal.

Think they were genuine. But who knows.

They know my alarm is real.

Fox

[tomk]

Yes they came to my house on Friday. They said that they 'shouldn't mention it in front of the children' but was I aware that there have been a number of break ins. I had shut the door before they mentioned the survey. He was really trying to get me to cry about living in London.

[KalamityKel]

Today's knocker apparently resembled a 12 yr old claiming to be from ADT... went away rather politely when advised he had two seconds to get off the path before unpleasantries commenced. I say apparently as I didn't see nor answer the knocked door, certainly heard it though!

No seriously he was a youngen.

[KidKruger]

Maybe these people are who knocked on my door on Wednesday 8pm-ish.

I could see 3x people through the mottled glass.

Who is it ?

Can I just have 2 minutes of your time ?

Who is it ?

Can I just have 2 minutes of your time ?

So I just walked back to still-warm dinner.

I always ask first now, to avoid avoid a pathetic waste of time.

[Sue]

KalamityKel Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Today's knocker apparently resembled a 12 yr old

> claiming to be from ADT... went away rather

> politely when advised he had two seconds to get

> off the path before unpleasantries commenced. I

> say apparently as I didn't see nor answer the

> knocked door, certainly heard it though!

>

> No seriously he was a youngen.

xxxxxx

The ones who came to my door were quite young, but they weren't children.

[Shaila Shah]

I never divulge what I pay for existing services - I always ask them to tell me what their charge will be. This is because they can easily undercut - an entry strategy - but before you know it, the price will have escalaed.

[prm]

I had a young girl, supposedly ADT rep, call on my door in Forest Hill, asking to come in to see if we qualified for some free ADT equipment that they are giving away in this area....I pointed out I already have an ADT alarm (she had failed to see it) and I also have a no-cold callers sign on the door. She apologised and said her manager had insisted that she knock on EVERY door. Although she was in uniform and badge my gut feeling is scam...but if by any chance she was legitimate I think ADT should know better than to call on people's doors (especially with no-cold calling signs on!) If someone is concerned about security the last thing they are going to do is let a stranger into their house!

[Burbage]

owlwise Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I doubt they were eally from ADT. Just probably

> casing people's properties in order to come back

> another time and burgle them. I'd never let them

> into my home.

Usually they're not. They're usually from some rent-a-knocker agency, often itself outsourced by some higher sub-contractor, given (or sold) a badge and only paid commission. That way the firms get all the benefits of shafty doorstepping (cf. any utility outfit you can think of) without having to pay employees or answer to the OFT. It's not just alarms, either, and some of the most exploitative arms-length scammery is done in the name of some of our wealthiest charities. As it's not difficult to nick, or even make, a badge, there's a parallel market in entirely bogus knockery and it's impossible to tell the difference until it turns out that you've not only been overcharged for something you didn't need, but that you never got it, either.

With the economy as it is, and with the usual suspects tied up in playing the Green Deal fraud, commissions have been driven down sharply, which means the folk who have to do this stuff (and their children, if they're sufficiently enterprising) are now playing some very desperate games. You can't help but feel a little sympathy, but you already pay for a supposedly universal safety-net and it won't hurt to give them a bit of a shove towards it.

As a rule of thumb, any situation that requires you to trust someone or believe something is a scam, and it should go without saying that you should never volunteer information on any grounds, open the door to anyone without an appointment pre-arranged in writing or fail to record any conversation, in person or on the telephone, with anyone claiming to represent anything. You can, as Loz suggests, report it to the police, but only if you've a good reason to believe they already know where you live.

[itowill]

After online researching I signed up to adt over the phone recently and they were delighted. Paperwork came through and it was then I realised it was a 36 month contract. Incredibly annoyed I hadn't been told verbally and they weren't then surprised when I called up to cancel within cooling off period with my explanation....

[dbboy]

Had the girl from ADT here knocking on the door yesterday afternoon off Forest Hill Road, she ignored the no cold callers notice and also ignored I already had an alarm. I sent her on her way.

[scotslass]

Seems they are targeting Forest Hill - in Vancouver Rd all day today. Hubbie told the guy to get lost. Then saw a group of them taking it in turns knocking neighbours doors

[Sue]

They're now in Ulverscroft Road (again).

Gleaming smiles like mormons.

Beware! :))

I told them I didn't want to talk to them, and they just laughed .....

[Nicholas Spears]

I had ADT round to my house a few months ago - and had quite a pleasant chat until I saw in the salesman's printed brochure the claim that 'One in 20 homes is burgled every day'.

When I said that was impossible, because if it was true then the streets would be full of sprinting yobs carrying flat-screen TVs and i-pads, he persisted, saying it was 'Home Office figures'.

Only a complaint to ADT head office, pointing out that the figures would mean there were around 365 million burglaries a year in Britain, secured the truth.

The true figure, a boss said, was that 'One in 20 homes is burgled every year'. He claimed it was a clerical error, and not a cynical attempt at scaremongering. The brochure would be changed, he said.

I then suggested they replace the original figure with one saying 'One in 7,300 homes is burgled every day' they did not reply.

Or do they still use the 'one in 20 is burgled every day' figure? Do tell.

[katanita]

Just had them round. They opened with "this is not a sales call". Which of course always means it is.