Door to door sales people.

[keldaz]

One thing we've noticed since arrival here is the number of door to door sales people. Now I know people have got to earn a living but I am no fan of salespeople, and if they come and knock on my door it's fair to say they've got more chance of being the first person on Mars, over selling me anything. The lastest idiot banged on the door yesterday, so hard in fact I half expected to see King Kong standing there. ' Hello Sir' he said 'I'm from your electricity distributor, we're just calling round our customers to check you've been put our new lower tariff'. Mmm thinks I, why can't these people at least put a bit of effort into their bogus approach. Firstly the electricity distributor is ETSA, they don't bill me, my supplier does, secondly I'm slightly dubious that such a massive company doesn't know what tariff their customers are on. By this stage its clear numpty dumpty is here to try and change me over to another supplier by pretending to be mine. He's got he's carbon paper form at the ready to take my details. Luckily for me 2 out of my 4 brain cells have just woken up, but its more than ample to deal with this bloke. I told him I was more than happy to pay the premium tariff as I was a premium customer and so I expected to pay the premium tariff. That was enough to send him on his way.

My attitude is, if I want something I'll go and look for it myself, I don't need people trying to sell me stuff, so although I know its a bit naughty, I just can't help but mess with door sales or knocker types. These have included-

Broadband- I let him babble on whilst I sounded interested, then said 'I'd love it but we don't have a landline'.

Auto window shutters- I looked though the whole sales brochure making the right noises then said 'if only we didn't rent'.

Lipstick (what?) - Yes lipstick with a little light in it, OH said it was cheaper to get sent from UK than pay her price.

Church people x lots - I usually say I used to believe in God till the tooth fairy told me he doesn't exist.

Have you had sales people round and how do you loose them?

[Diane]

LOL I feel your pain!

 

I occasionally do the "dumb blonde" thing - "Oh, I don't know anything about that, my husband deals with everything - and he's not here" or try the "put it all in writing and send it to me, then I'll have a read through and get in touch with you if I'm interested" (funnily enough I've never yet had a letter...) Our house is on a corner and the most pushy sales person we had recently didn't come to the front door, they came to our side patio, let themselves through our gate and poked their head in through my open patio doors into my kitchen (bloomin' dog just wagged her tail at them - should have got a pit bull instead...)

 

My sister has the best approach to the churchy ones - she tells them she's a practicing devil worshipper and they usually beat a hasty retreat (she's not really, well.. I don't think she is.....)! Did hear of someone who saw them coming and got her OH to answer the door to them - naked as the day he was born!

 

On a serious note, apparently the powers that be are looking into a "Do Not Knock" register along the same lines as the "Do Not Call" one for phones.

[Guest tinkham_lee]

I had a bloke from simply energy knock a couple of weeks ago, he watched us come home then knocked as soon as we walked through the door. He told me he wasn't trying to sell me anything and wanted to check if I was on the cheap tariff, I showed him my bill (which arrived that morning) and he proceeded to say he could save me 2c per KW. I am in a 3 year contract and get a 7% discount which saves me more then the 2c he was promising. He never once said which company he was with or that he wanted me to change to his company, He wouldn't take no for an answer and kept asking why were happy paying a higher rate, which I'm not.

 

I have now got a do not knock sticker and haven't had sales people since, http://www.donotknock.org.au/ its free with free delivery. if they do knock and you have this sticker you can tell them they are trespassing and complain to their company and consumer affairs

[Guest ladyarkles]

I find a stiff "No Thank you" accompanied by a particularly hard stare usually does the trick.

 

 

 

~ Rach xx

[Rachiegarlo]

I just don't answer the door and hide behind the sofa and shut the curtains...... well not really the last two AND i don't answer private numbers on the telephone, it's either work or sellers. I can't be bothered dealing with people who can barely speak English down the phone when it's not something I have to or want to listen to.

[ajford]

We have a German shepherd who's as soft as a brush only a puppy, I just hold him behind the outer door pretending he's really strong and won't stop barking. They soon move away if I attempt to open the outer door. Lol

 

Lisa

[sueoc]

Yes,it is annoying.

We had two nice young people outside our local Foodland today,collecting for a Charity.They smiled and said 'Hi,we'll catch you on the way out'.I couldn't resist saying 'There's no point,i'll be skint with the prices they charge in here'!Anyway,on the way out they asked if we would like to buy a badge for the Para Olympic Team.Now this is a noble cause i agree,and i have the utmost respect for these youngsters.I asked how much the Badge is and they said $10 !No way i thought.I said i would gladly put in a couple of dollars if they had a collection tin,but they said they were not allowed to use this method.I didn't see anyone coughing up any money to them,but i'm sure if they could use the Tin Rattler style they would have got far more.I think the approach is often wrong here when people are collecting,like too greedy.

[guspjmh]

It doesn't really bother me (although I am still in UK, so it may change). I just tend to say, sorry - not interested and I don't want to waste your time by going along and listening to the sales patter just to repeat myself.

 

As you say, they are just people making a living and it can't be much fun for them.

[Guest Helchops]

The only ones I actually have a problem with is Religious sellers.

 

I don't mean people who are passionate about flogging Cheaper Electricity either - I mean the door knocking know-it-alls who tell me my family will be cursed to die in Jesus's second coming.

 

I have to admit, I talked to one while they stood out in the rain arguing over science versus the bible until I finally said, I think the world would be a better place without the human 'virus' and that shut them right up.

 

I had a lovely gypsy come to my door the other day. She actually scared me with the accuracy. She said, 'You've got to stop thinking about money and start living young man' and 'Don't worry, your mom's hip will be fine'...all things that she could have reasonably guessed based on probability...then she said, 'and the big journey you're about to undertake will be the best thing you'll do, although you'll upset those close to you'. Christ. I paid her £10 and got some good luck in exchange.

 

Good deal.

Edited May 30, 2012 by Helchops
Spelling!

[keldaz]

Love it, some great stuff posted here. Dangerous for me to read Diane's post about the bloke who answered the door naked though, thats put an idea in my head. Although its too cold, callers are usually blokes and I think it would probably have killed off the 2 old dears from a church who called last weekend. Having said that summertime, saleswoman calls? mmm no no bad idea, leave it alone brain.

[likesshopping]

Yes, we get a few salespeople at the door - but mostly the leccy companies.... I just say that Im on holiday here and my relatives are out!!!.....keeps them at bay for a while

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah

[Guest ali]

The only ones I actually have a problem with is Religious sellers.

 

I don't mean people who are passionate about flogging Cheaper Electricity either - I mean the door knocking know-it-alls who tell me my family will be cursed to die in Jesus's second coming.

 

I have to admit, I talked to one while they stood out in the rain arguing over science versus the bible until I finally said, I think the world would be a better place without the human 'virus' and that shut them right up.

 

I had a lovely gypsy come to my door the other day. She actually scared me with the accuracy. She said, 'You've got to stop thinking about money and start living young man' and 'Don't worry, your mom's hip will be fine'...all things that she could have reasonably guessed based on probability...then she said, 'and the big journey you're about to undertake will be the best thing you'll do, although you'll upset those close to you'. Christ. I paid her £10 and got some good luck in exchange.

 

Good deal.

 

Great story to tell your grandchildren there

[Guest ali]

If they ever catch me at home then they've won an olympics gold medal

[Guest Helchops]

If I ever opened the door naked in the winter here (still in the UK) my knobblies would likely deliquesce as though submerged in a pot of liquid nitrogen...

 

 

Deliquesce...That's a great word for me in the morning.

[Guest guest8040]

I've found as we're about to put the house on the market here that 'we're moving' gets rid of all household related sellers -think I'm going to be moving house for the rest of my life!