Lads ‘selling cleaning kit on doors’

[Jamma]

Couple of likely lads knocking doors earlier this evening, claiming to be from ‘rehabilitation project’ and trying to sell cleaning kit to raise money to get into a hostel. Not really putting much effort into trying to hide that they casing local houses around the library area. 

So be it, be aware.

But my question is what to do in such circumstances. Should I contact police - who? how? - or the council or something? Would appreciate advice.

[Sue]

There are several threads on here about door to door sellers with similar false stories, but I don't know what the thread headings were or how to find them.

Someone else may have a better memory!

No idea who to contact, possibly the police non urgent number, can't remember what it is, sorry.

Edited April 18 by Sue

[sandyman]

4 hours ago, Sue said:

There are several threads on here about door to door sellers with similar false stories, but I don't know what the thread headings were or how to find them.

Someone else may have a better memory!

No idea who to contact, possibly the police non urgent number, can't remember what it is, sorry.

Can't imagine the police can do much about suspected casing of houses - sadly they don't seem able to do much even when thefts have been caught on camera. But no harm reporting - they supposedly use this data to direct future resources.

[skylorikeet]

They are not from 'rehabilitation schemes'. There are no such schemes that sell door-to-door. I have checked this myself with the probation services and been told by them that it's a scam. Trading Standards say: “Don’t deal with cold callers. Full stop. At the most innocent, they’re selling overpriced goods. At the more sinister end, they're assessing the potential for more serious crimes". It wouldn't hurt to report to the non-emergency number, 101. As Sandyman says, the police may use the information to direct future resources.

[alice]

door to door selling has been around for years. It is not illegal. 

[Sue]

2 hours ago, alice said:

door to door selling has been around for years. It is not illegal. 

The point is that these door to door sellers are doing it under false pretences, and claiming to be part of a project that doesn't exist.

[alice]

I suppose my thinking is that such ‘sales talk’ does not change the quality of the product or the price. 

[Sue]

3 hours ago, alice said:

I suppose my thinking is that such ‘sales talk’ does not change the quality of the product or the price. 

If memory serves, there was rather more to things than that.

Young people were being coerced in some way to sell these things by the people running the scam.

I am guessing the relevant forum threads no longer exist, as this has been going on for decades round here, and I imagine in other places as well.

[ianr]

https://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/search/?q=ex-offenders&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=3 is probably a good start.

Edited April 18 by ianr

[Pugwash]

Contact your SNT (police). An old friend of mine (now deceased) was a 'victim' of a door to door scam some years ago. He mentioned it to our local SNT police officers who found that several ED residents had been visited by these ;salespeople. It was arranged that my friend asked the scammers to return on a certain day and time when he had some money to purchase their goods. Police in plain clothes outside in street watching. with a uniformed officer in the house - scammers returned and were arrested.

[alice]

Just wondering- what were they arrested for? If you remember 

[sandyman]

Presumably more than selling overpriced dusters. 

Edited April 19 by sandyman
Soelling

[Pugwash]

It was so long ago, my friend died about 5 years ago and his wife last October.  Demanding money with menaces?  They were quite pushy and appeared to be targeting older people and those living alone. 

[KidKruger]

I had these aggressive men visit a few months ago, one of them threatened me physically and broke my gate. Quite scarey. All for insisting I have a choice whether I buy or not. When I mentioned it on here, some total idiot said I brought it on myself 🤣🙄