No Solicitors - Please!

[Whispering Winds]

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We have crazy Lucy the dog, and she is so crazy sounding no one wants to come in the drive, the UPS guy left a package in the middle of the driveway one day. She isn't really mean, but she acts so crazy, its scary and while she aggravates me, its sort of nice and sometimes hilarious too . . .if you ignore her she gets all whiney and apologetic and then wants to lick your hand, so some of the regulars have her figured out, but the UPS guy has a bad leg and I know he didn't want to have a foot race with this dog acting like an idiot. HA!!! I have our numbers both home and cells on the do not call list, and so far so good. . .I also had a guy come to the door last year with an aerial, and I didn't really want it, because it showed my DH's tarp covered piles in the back yard because of tearing a shed down, and he wanted $125 for it, and I simply didn't have it . . . told him I had $65 in my pocket and he took it. I was glad I did buy it though, as I love this place and when we get the pile cleaned up and the sheds done, it will be one of sheer delight to look at it and KNOW the piles are gone and we have sold a lot of stuff that DH thought he just had to have . . .

 

[Judy]

No way would I buy something from someone I do not know who approached me, in any format, in this market climate. That's like opening and answering an unsolicited email attachment. Foolish to even consider, these days.

I remember my mother buying from the Fuller brush man, the Avon lady, the vacuum cleaner salesman, even the encyclopedia salesman. Actually, she sold cosmetics at one point -- probably in about the 1940's. Those days are gone. (Sorry, Mahonri.)

I am on the federal no call list. I do not answer the door if I am not expecting someone. I do not talk to anyone on the phone who I do not recognize, unless they address me by name and announce their identity in the first sentence; I just hang up the phone.

Recently, a couple of women drove up and got out of their car; I had come out on the porch to see what they wanted; don't remember why, but I felt I needed to check it out. As they approached, I asked if I could help them, and one of them said something about having come to relieve me of my discomfort, or distress, or some such wording. I turned around without replying, and went back in the house.

I should probably string them along a bit, but I am just not that fast on my feet. To those who are good at this, more power to you! And to those who feel this is too impolite, realize that they gain nothing by your listening for five minutes, then saying no; you are wasting their time, as they have actual suckers to call or visit.

 

[Boyd]

I also have a couple of jehovah witnesses stories

They always stopped out either late christmas eve or early christmas morning. One year they stopped out the night before after I put the little ones to bed early (8pm). I was a little t'd off because I was putting together an intricate toy and their knocking just about woke everyone up

They were back 1st thing in the morning where I had fallen asleep on the couch after putting the loot together.... There i was in my bathrobe and jean shorts, hair sticking up and to not wake everyone up I invited them in.

This time the gentleman brought reinforcements, a little boy about the same age as mine. I was so mad. I sort of made him feel uneasy because I pulled out one of the "stashed" pistols that are kept up high out of sight and out of reach to all and made sure the clip was loaded before putting it behind my belt

That was the last trip from that church, and I've only had the Mormons stop out once.... Those guys were pleasant and respected that I am already strong in my faith. they left me some reading material which i did appreciate. Door to door salesmen don't stop around out here at all. I guess its because there's only like 7 houses on the road, and we all have large mean looking dogs

(im not going to tell them that mine are big babies though)

 

[Judy]

Boyd, I love the pistol thing!

I used to live in a "resort community" where the back door was nearer the street, because the front of the house faced on a canal leading to the ocean; every block had both a street and a canal, and the living areas faced the canal. I was about 28, living with my retired folks while I went to nursing school, and did some shift work at the hospital as a nurses' aide. I worked evening or night shift, and slept in the back bedroom, nearest the street, which had an outside door. JW often woke me up, for many months. Nothing I tried to stop them from doing this made any difference; I have never in my life accepted literature from such people, or even engaged in a conversation with them. Why they never figured out that my door was not the front door is beyond me. It was really quite apparent if you looked around a bit; the whole town was built the same way. No one else in the area had any trouble figuring it out....

 

[Judy]

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I ignore them. Nothing to say. They must think they are invisible to me.

 

[DuckLady]

I know people who go door to door for whatever have a reason for it. But what gets me is when "No, thank you" is not taken for an answer.

Whether it be a kid selling to raise money for his school, someone selling door to door to make a living or someone coming to talk to me about religion because they feel it is the right thing to do, I do understand. But "No thank you" means "No thank you".

Though as a person who is fascinated with and read alot about Henry VIII's break with Rome, I had a lot of Bible learning in my brain. Once I had the opportunity to confound and run off my landlord who came over one Christmas season to save me from the error of my ways. He was a nice man, so I let him talk about my Christmas decor and why it was wrong. Then I pulled out my bible and asked him to show me where it said I was wrong. Then we got to other subjects. Each time I either asked him to show me or I showed him why I didn't agree with him. Finally he gave up and headed to his car with me following him with Bible in hand. Finally he turned to me and said that even though we didn't agree, he respected that I just didn't run him off, but backed up my arguments. And we parted on good terms with mutual respect.

I don't do that often. Just sometimes.
And I do end up buying fundraiser stuff. Just because.

 

[Up-the-Creek]

Soliciting is a thorn in my side. I absolutely think in this day and age that there is no need for it.
If you want a magazine, buy it on the internet. (or anything else for that matter)
If you want religion, the closest church is easy to find, google it.It isn't like we are living in a third world country and never have"heard the good news." (Sorry)
If you have no children in that particular orginazation,..why would you want to donate to it??? This should be left up to the schools and the parents that have children involved.
If I feel the need to donate my hard earned money, it wont be nobody at Krogers getting it or any fruit loop knocking on my door.
My home is my sanctuary, no soliciting allowed,...not unless you want chewed on by four big dogs!

 

[redhen]

I dont get mad at the people selling the stuff (its just their job..) unless they get pushy..which usually happens ...but i DO try to be nice until they push me.

 

[Judy]

Quote:
But you are wasting their time even discussing it with them, if you are not going to consider buying from them, which I will not.

Yes, it's their job. That's why you should let them use their time to find someone they can get somewhere with. I doubt they appreciate spending five minutes listening to "no."

 

[Judy]

Quote:
Yup.

But please don't tell anyone that my dogs only want to be petted....