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OT: Door to Door Salesmen

U

UNMChusker

Walk On
Mar 31, 2009
121
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18
First things first I don't want this to become political. Some kid just came up to our door, its dark outside and our lights are off, and wanted us to give him money to "keep him out of gangs". I didn't want to be a jerk but I let him say his spiel. He was rattling off "keep me out of gangs", "keep me off drugs", "find a cure for HIV", "some of my relatives have cancer". I was like wtf, kid was making no sense and made me nervous as hell as he was slurring his words, and rambling obviously. Didn't call the police but maybe I should have. Kid was definitely running some kind of scam. I wasn't a dick to him but was curious how people on here handle it. So how do you guys handle that situation?: A part of me wanted to say "If you want to earn some extra money you can watch me clean my 12 gauge Beneilli"

This post was edited on 3/1 8:11 PM by UNMChusker
 
Could have been testing the water to see if anyone was home. Here in Columbus we had a group going around knocking on doors if someone answers they asked if they could use phone or for some random name of a person. If no one did they called in the van and robbed the place
 
Well the first thing is I would never have opened the door in the first place, especially after dark. Unless I'm expecting someone that's the rule. Second depending on how persistent he was I would have called the police and let them deal with it.
 
Dark outside, would never answer the door. Outside of that, I'd ask for a permit and if they had one, listen to their pitch. Without a permit, politely decline to listen and tell em to have a nice night.

Few years back, we bought something off someone selling D2D, he had a permit. Some green colored cleaning chemical, 2 bottles purchased. First off, this dude had a sales pitch like no other. After we bought the stuff ($20 total), we researched it online & it had good reviews. Best stuff we ever bought. A different dude came around right before this past football season started, selling the same stuff. I told him to save his voice and get me 2 bottles.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
 
Originally posted by c2o:
Did he have black eyes?
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LOL
roll.r191677.gif


how refreshing someone who knows about this stuff.

probably why i love your posts c2o. always injecting something unique and humorous. you'd make a great husband.
wink.r191677.gif
 
Originally posted by HuskerTimOmaha:
Dark outside, would never answer the door. Outside of that, I'd ask for a permit and if they had one, listen to their pitch. Without a permit, politely decline to listen and tell em to have a nice night.

Few years back, we bought something off someone selling D2D, he had a permit. Some green colored cleaning chemical, 2 bottles purchased. First off, this dude had a sales pitch like no other. After we bought the stuff ($20 total), we researched it online & it had good reviews. Best stuff we ever bought. A different dude came around right before this past football season started, selling the same stuff. I told him to save his voice and get me 2 bottles.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
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I think I met that dude and the kid was a natural born salesman. He was pretty tall and maybe in his early 20s. I bought some of the cleaner too. If the right person were mentor him and help him polish his game, the sky would be the limit. He was that good, but raw.

I think some older guys round up a van full of kids, pick up some beef jerky and M&Ms and then go around neighborhoods hawking it and a future for the kids. It's a crappy job, but I admire the effort so I'll usually buy some.

Last summer we had a couple good looking blonds from Estonia selling kids educational materials for grade schoolers. I think some US company must have tricked them into coming because once they get here, they were stuck. One girl was going for it, but the other girl had a deer in the headlights look. She was not thrilled to be in Omaha on a July Saturday morning.
 
Originally posted by HuskerTimOmaha:
Dark outside, would never answer the door. Outside of that, I'd ask for a permit and if they had one, listen to their pitch. Without a permit, politely decline to listen and tell em to have a nice night.

Few years back, we bought something off someone selling D2D, he had a permit. Some green colored cleaning chemical, 2 bottles purchased. First off, this dude had a sales pitch like no other. After we bought the stuff ($20 total), we researched it online & it had good reviews. Best stuff we ever bought. A different dude came around right before this past football season started, selling the same stuff. I told him to save his voice and get me 2 bottles.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
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That "stuff" is great!!

When the guy came to our house, I was mowing the yard in my old Nikes that I had used for 5 years. The guy cleaned them with the "stuff." Wow!!
 
Originally posted by HuskerJack95:
Originally posted by HuskerTimOmaha:
Dark outside, would never answer the door. Outside of that, I'd ask for a permit and if they had one, listen to their pitch. Without a permit, politely decline to listen and tell em to have a nice night.

Few years back, we bought something off someone selling D2D, he had a permit. Some green colored cleaning chemical, 2 bottles purchased. First off, this dude had a sales pitch like no other. After we bought the stuff ($20 total), we researched it online & it had good reviews. Best stuff we ever bought. A different dude came around right before this past football season started, selling the same stuff. I told him to save his voice and get me 2 bottles.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
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That "stuff" is great!!

When the guy came to our house, I was mowing the yard in my old Nikes that I had used for 5 years. The guy cleaned them with the "stuff." Wow!!
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The "stuff" they are selling is really good cleaner. No doubt. Problem is them salesman have a don't take no for any answer mentality. We got tons of complaints all over the county for those guys, and one night one showed up at my door. He puts the bottle in my hands and wouldn't take it back. He continued on forever, and wouldn't leave. I finally set the stuff down and shut the door in his face. Two days later I was dealing with one who had been called in by numerous citizens in the west side of the county. Super nice guy who I told the sales pitch to. He laughed and said the kid was a really great salesman. Then his a-hole partner showed up with his hands in the air saying "hands up, don't shoot". I'm rambling. 90% of them sales guys are crooks. Send them packing. Buy a bottle of cleaner once in a while. Buy a candy bar if they have them on them. Everything else, send them packing.
 
Given the situation you describe, I would have answered but not opened the door. Daytime, I might open the door, maybe not.

We had someone come to our door trying to sell Omaha steaks recently, I told them once nicely we weren't interested and to leave. He tried to talk to my wife and I said I asked him nicely to leave once and if I had to say it again it wouldn't be nicely. He got the picture and left.

Some people use the door to door thing as a way to case houses for burglaries. I know some people are honest and are really trying to sell stuff to make a living, but working with criminals everyday has made me a bit more paranoid and cautious.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
 
One more story about door to door sales....

A couple of years ago a girl (approx 16 or so) came to my front door opened the storm door and started banging on the main door itself. It was about 6:00 PM so it was still broad daylight. Well I didn't open the door instead I opened my garage door and I went out through that door and stepped out on the driveway about 30 feet from her and told her to stop banging on the door and step away from the house immediately. This totally startled her, I also told her that one of these times if she does that at the wrong house she's going to get shot.

She immediately panicked and went running around the corner to her "partner" and brought him back and stated that I said I was going to shoot her (I don't personally own a gun but I have absolutely no problem with those who do so legally) which of course was not what I said. They then threatened me so I called for police help from my cell phone right then and there. They immediately took off around the corner but I kept an eye on them until the police arrived and sent them after them.

In the meantime I figured out that they were working for the World Herald trying to get new subscribers so the following morning I had a nice conversation with the folks at the OWH and they reassured me that they had instructed their door to door sales people not to open any doors when soliciting and that they (the solicitors) had committed a major no no. The gentleman also told me he knew who they were and his next phone call would be to fire them.

Side note it's seems rather obvious that a good number of these folks can't read (or at least they ignore) the "No Soliciting" sign I have on my front storm door.
 
When I am not expecting anyone and the doorbell rings, I answer the door with at least 2 of my 3 Great Danes by my side. People tend to get through their spiel pretty quickly and don't argue when I politely ask them to leave.
 
I've heard that pitch lots of times, but it's always been on the subway.

For those of you wondering, here's how you handle EVERY situation:

Unless somebody has directly threatened you, calm the f*** down.
 
Originally posted by Aksarben:
One more story about door to door sales....

A couple of years ago a girl (approx 16 or so) came to my front door opened the storm door and started banging on the main door itself. It was about 6:00 PM so it was still broad daylight. Well I didn't open the door instead I opened my garage door and I went out through that door and stepped out on the driveway about 30 feet from her and told her to stop banging on the door and step away from the house immediately. This totally startled her, I also told her that one of these times if she does that at the wrong house she's going to get shot.

She immediately panicked and went running around the corner to her "partner" and brought him back and stated that I said I was going to shoot her (I don't personally own a gun but I have absolutely no problem with those who do so legally) which of course was not what I said. They then threatened me so I called for police help from my cell phone right then and there. They immediately took off around the corner but I kept an eye on them until the police arrived and sent them after them.

In the meantime I figured out that they were working for the World Herald trying to get new subscribers so the following morning I had a nice conversation with the folks at the OWH and they reassured me that they had instructed their door to door sales people not to open any doors when soliciting and that they (the solicitors) had committed a major no no. The gentleman also told me he knew who they were and his next phone call would be to fire them.

Side note it's seems rather obvious that a good number of these folks can't read (or at least they ignore) the "No Soliciting" sign I have on my front storm door.
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You sound paranoid.
 
Originally posted by TheBeav815:
I've heard that pitch lots of times, but it's always been on the subway.

For those of you wondering, here's how you handle EVERY situation:

Unless somebody has directly threatened you, calm the f*** down.
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I was thinking the same exact thing.

I will actually be shocked if I drive home today and I DON'T see about 15 kids running for their lives from some house that they tried to sell a candy bar too...
 
It may sound like paranoia, and each situation is different. In my case I see it more as being cautious than paranoid, but I can see where people might see me as paranoid.

As an example, I won't sit with my back to an entrance in a restaurant, or even in a situation where my back is not to the wall if I can avoid it. Being a correctional officer, you are taught to analyze your surroundings and place yourself in the safest positon possible where you can see as much as possible. After awhile it just becomes a survival instinct. Go to the link below about the Dartmouth murders in 2001 for at least part of an understanding why I am cautious answering the door, and remember I work with juvenile criminals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Dartmouth_College_murders#First_murder_attempt
Posted from Rivals Mobile
 
Originally posted by HuskerTimOmaha:
Dark outside, would never answer the door. Outside of that, I'd ask for a permit and if they had one, listen to their pitch. Without a permit, politely decline to listen and tell em to have a nice night.

Few years back, we bought something off someone selling D2D, he had a permit. Some green colored cleaning chemical, 2 bottles purchased. First off, this dude had a sales pitch like no other. After we bought the stuff ($20 total), we researched it online & it had good reviews. Best stuff we ever bought. A different dude came around right before this past football season started, selling the same stuff. I told him to save his voice and get me 2 bottles.

Posted from Rivals Mobile
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What is the cleaner called?
 
Originally posted by kchu5ker555:

Oops. Guess I crossed a line somewhere.

I like the green cleaner too.

Did it go completely off the rails and I missed it? Oh well. These things do happen.
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Originally posted by TheBeav815:

Originally posted by kchu5ker555:

Oops. Guess I crossed a line somewhere.

I like the green cleaner too.



Did it go completely off the rails and I missed it? Oh well. These things do happen.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Dunno. I thought we were having a logical, respectful exchange.
 
Originally posted by kchu5ker555:


Originally posted by TheBeav815:

Originally posted by kchu5ker555:

Oops. Guess I crossed a line somewhere.

I like the green cleaner too.



Did it go completely off the rails and I missed it? Oh well. These things do happen.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Dunno. I thought we were having a logical, respectful exchange.
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We were, but we'd be kidding ourselves if we didn't admit that on an internet message board, that makes us the exception and not the rule. It would probably be asking too much to expect everyone else to respect the sanctity of our discourse.
 
None of the above holds a candle to the census bureau.

I answered the last census correctly as required as I always have in the past.

About 6 months after I sent it back in, they sent me something called the American Community Survey.

It was about 30 pages of questions. Things like how many toilets are in my house, what kinds of health or mental problems my kids have, how far it is to my friends' house. What time do I go to work in the morning, how do I heat my home. How much time I spend online / what do I do while on there. If you could think of a stupid question it was on there.

Also included was a letter explaining how I was compelled by law to answer these questions to the best of my ability.

So it found its way into the circular recycle bin.

2 weeks later another one came and I had to sign for it. I called the office listed and talked to a drone there who was reading from a script how this was part of the census and I was required by law to comply.

Which I didn't.

I could never get through to a supervisor. It was always a new drone when I called them. 5 different people visited my door out of the 7 visits so threatening them with trespassing wasn't working.

THIRTEEN MAILINGS AND 7 VISITS TO MY DOOR LATER it was finally over. I finally got through to someone in charge who started reading me the same script citing some law congress had passed. I told him that I had a log of the 20 contacts they had initiated to date on this and that the next step was going to be with the courts.

So he says "So you are declining to participate?"

I said "yes"

He said "OK have a nice day".

And I haven't heard from them since. But everyone involved, the people at the door, the people on the phone, was like talking to Dilbert's boss. Over and over. Only it was a different boss every time. I think it's intentional and they just wear people down eventually.

Let's just say I'm dreading the next census.
 
Originally posted by gw2kpro:
None of the above holds a candle to the census bureau.

I answered the last census correctly as required as I always have in the past.

About 6 months after I sent it back in, they sent me something called the American Community Survey.

It was about 30 pages of questions. Things like how many toilets are in my house, what kinds of health or mental problems my kids have, how far it is to my friends' house. What time do I go to work in the morning, how do I heat my home. How much time I spend online / what do I do while on there. If you could think of a stupid question it was on there.

Also included was a letter explaining how I was compelled by law to answer these questions to the best of my ability.

So it found its way into the circular recycle bin.

2 weeks later another one came and I had to sign for it. I called the office listed and talked to a drone there who was reading from a script how this was part of the census and I was required by law to comply.

Which I didn't.

I could never get through to a supervisor. It was always a new drone when I called them. 5 different people visited my door out of the 7 visits so threatening them with trespassing wasn't working.

THIRTEEN MAILINGS AND 7 VISITS TO MY DOOR LATER it was finally over. I finally got through to someone in charge who started reading me the same script citing some law congress had passed. I told him that I had a log of the 20 contacts they had initiated to date on this and that the next step was going to be with the courts.

So he says "So you are declining to participate?"

I said "yes"

He said "OK have a nice day".

And I haven't heard from them since. But everyone involved, the people at the door, the people on the phone, was like talking to Dilbert's boss. Over and over. Only it was a different boss every time. I think it's intentional and they just wear people down eventually.

Let's just say I'm dreading the next census.
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That's weird.

I had a very different experience where some moderately hot chick paid me $50 in cash to do some sort of consumer survey. She sat there and asked me all the questions and when we were done, she literally handed me a $50 bill. There was a book of information I could complete and send in for another $40 or so. I don't think I ever finished it.

I'm gonna guess it was no coincidence they hired a decent looking young woman to do that job. She probably has a MUCH easier time getting the door opened for her.
 
Originally posted by HuskerTimOmaha:
Dark outside, would never answer the door. Outside of that, I'd ask for a permit and if they had one, listen to their pitch. Without a permit, politely decline to listen and tell em to have a nice night.

Few years back, we bought something off someone selling D2D, he had a permit. Some green colored cleaning chemical, 2 bottles purchased. First off, this dude had a sales pitch like no other. After we bought the stuff ($20 total), we researched it online & it had good reviews. Best stuff we ever bought. A different dude came around right before this past football season started, selling the same stuff. I told him to save his voice and get me 2 bottles.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
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FYI - non profits don't require permits.
 
Ok, which one of you was it...

@MeanStreetsOMA: Something about a salesperson from Teens for Tomorrow who says a homeowner threatened him with a gun.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
 
How do you handle the kids selling magazine subscriptions? As soon as I tell them no thanks they start in about how they want to stay out of gangs, etc. Really try to guilt you in to buying something. I think they just bus these poor kids from town to town. I played golf with a guy once and it sounded like he was a manager of a group of these kids. Put them up in cheap hotels and sent them out each day.

If I had any confidence the subscriptions were legit and the $$ would actually go to the kids I would be more inclined to help. Anyone ever purchase a subscription from these kids and have it show up?
 
Today, there isn't any reason to give someone the benefit of the doubt. Don't open the door if you don't think you can control the situation.
 
Originally posted by c2o:
My Mom sold vacuum cleaners door to door.
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Respectfully, that was a different era. Hard damn job also, my hat is off to your mom.

With folks that can't or won't work, pill & meth heads & just plain thieves, opening that door boosts the odds of bad things.

Off the subject somewhat, but my wife & I have noticed the increase in panhandlers at Interstate rest stops. Now, we stop at McDonald's & leave with coffee or iced tea. Whole lot safer. Hard to defend yourself taking a leak or with your pants around your ankles. I'm not paranoid, awareness is more the word.
 
Panhandlers have been on the increase significantly in Omaha over the past year. I see them at intersections in parts of town where I've never seen that sort of thing going on. I've often told my wife that a goodly number of these are just a put on (and it is in some cases), it's a great way to get money tax free. I said I suppose when I retire I could let my hair and beard grow out and stand around with cardboard sign telling everyone I'm homeless and the like.

I wish the police would crack down on this though. I've seen them chase them off near 76th & Dodge but nowhere else.
 
Let's take a straw poll: Post the story here of anyone you DIRECTLY know, by name, person you interact with, who has ever had somebody ring their doorbell and then attack them or rob the place.

Hate to break it to you, but 99 times out of 100, people who try to convince you that you're about to die or have all your stuff taken are trying to sell you something.
 
Beav, I agree completely that 99 times out of 100 nothing bad happens. I'd even say maybe 999 out of 1000. But I'm just cautious because I don't want to be that 1 time. I admittedly probably see the world as more dangerous due to my line of work.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
 
I had a funny experience with a Door to Door Steak Salesmen a few years ago. I was randomly at my in laws house feeding their dogs while they were out of town. Their house is immaculate and in an area with a lot of wealthy neighbors. Apparently, this area is prime location for meat sales.

This dude comes to the door. I answer, and he's holding a good looking frozen Ribeye, vacuum sealed in plastic.

He makes a pitch about the quality of his steaks and poultry. I even let him give me the whole pitch. He closes with a ridiculous price, something like 380 bucks. I told him while I'm sure the whole quantity of meat would be much less than the Store, that was just too much money. I told him thanks but no thanks.

The guy then became very agitated and says, you live in this massive 800,000 house and you think this meat is too expensive? I politely asked him to leave again and he uttered something rude as huge walked away.

Well about a week later, I'm getting gas, and parked at the pump is this loser trying to trade steaks for gas money so he can buy some gas. I walked by him, pointed and immaturily laughed in his face.

It was karma at its finest.
 
Tellin' you, boys, KC nailed it many posts ago. If you want to see people wait very respectfully at your door to be invited in, a big ol' dog is the best way to do it.

Every dude will convince himself he could hold his own against a random stranger...but people are scared of big, strange dogs. Most people are REALLY intimidated by a big dog, especially certain breeds.

Any men who come to my house, I tell them the truth which is that my 80 lb black lab is "weird about strange men." I tell them don't reach for him, and I'll make sure he doesn't bother you. Let me promise you, they do not laugh it off.
 
Yes, a big dog would make some folks take notice, especially after you've warned them of his mistrust of strangers.

We don't have a big dog but, I feel a bit of one-up-man ship carrying my pistol. If really want to get unwanted peddlers attention, I come from the side door, blind siding them with a 22" Bolo Machete, an oily rag and a file. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya, I'm putting an edge on her. Don't be afraid. What was it you needed?"... I tell them I'm not interested & off they go.

knock, knock
 
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