Door to door salesman.

[chorizon]

I've dealt with high-pressure sales tactics in the past. I've always been able to get my point across that ,"I'm sorry, I'm really not interested in whatever it is you have to sell."
I guy came by a little while ago that really floored me. I told him I wasn't interested several times, started to close the door a couple of times. He kept on going and tried to reach in my door to hand me propaganda. I lost it. I told him to get the "f" outta here. He smiled and thanked me for my time.
I've never cursed at a complete stranger in my life, but this guy wouldn't give it up. He was obviously part of some scam ,"was here with GE to test my water for magnesium"?. Then his story changed and he was a college student, and that he would receive a much needed scholarship from General Electric for buying whatever it was he had, which looked like a raffle ticket.
Now we're being paranoid, thinking our tires are gonna get slashed or something.
Anybody else run into something like this? It was pretty surreal.
BTW, today is our 9th anniversary, yay!

[MidTNJasonF]

We have had some bad problems with scam artists going door to door in our area. I am fairly good at running them off at 6'2" and 250 lbs I can be fairly intimidating if I want to be. I never can tell though if it is me or the .45 in my right hand held along the back of my thigh that runs them off my porch so fast.

Oh and Happy Anniversary This year makes 9 for my wife and I as well. Just a few more months.

[BillyLandry]

Yep. Had a young fella stop by this evening wanting to test my water. I was
busy at the time putting up groceries in the pantry and the meat in the freezer.
I did talk to him a little while. I told him about another that had come by a couple of years ago.and let them give me their talk. I told them before he started that I would not buy any thing from him, but I would allow him to give his talk so he could get credit with his company. About the end of his closing he ask me if I wanted to buy. I told him I didn't. He then told me in some rude
way that I should be buying. Well I immediately got up from the table when his
girl partner grabbed his arm and said we are going now and I told her she was doing a smart thing. They start off with one thing and start adding other things
and then they are wanting you to commit to a long term thing.
The young man said he would not be rude at all. I then showed him the reverse-osmosis system I bought from Lowe's and installed myself which cost a lot less than things they try to sell. He then left and everything was ok.

[S. Heisley]

I simply don't open the door to anybody I don't know. That seems to solve the problem most of the time.

[madjack]

...was living waaaaay out in the boonies and EVERY Sunday morning, I had Jehova Witnesses showing up, waking my hungover butt up...I had asked them not to return...they persisted even after I started answering the door in the nude sooo, one Sun, I was waiting for them...when they pulled up, I grabbed my shovel and met them as they were stepping out of the car...I stopped 'em, directed them to get back in the car and then I stopped 'em from closing the door...I then scooped up the dirt they had been standing on and threw it into the car(all over them)...I told 'em I wanted nothing they had and FINALLY they got the message!!!!!!!!
madjack

[planovet]

...they persisted even after I started answering the door in the nude...

That would do it for me

[chorizon]

Jason We're very similar in stature, and like you I've never really had too hard of a time getting rid of people. This guy was half my size, and was extremely persistant. I started to lose it when he put his hand on my front door as if to keep me from closing it. Thanks for the congratulations, and good luck on your (almost) 9th anniversary as well!

Billy Like you, I'm never rude, but always do make it a point to stop these guys before they get started and tell them I won't buy anything. That usually stops them. I'll even take a card from them if its something a may be interested in in the future. I will call them back at my discretion. The guys that seem legit are always pleased at this response. The "meat guys"/"speaker guys" are usually much more pushy, implying its now or never. Of course the answer is "never."

S. Heisley I used to just not answer, but we do have kids in the neighborhood selling cookies and what-not. My neighbor across the street has a sign that states ,"No Solicitors, except for children". She says she never gets bothered.

Jack The Jehovahs Witnesses come by every once in a while. Usually its early (9AM early), and I too have resorted to answering the door with my boxers on. Come to think of it they haven't been back. Maybe they weren't as persistant as your bunch!

[starleen2]

FYI - people who test water DO NOT need to come inside your home to do so. When I worked for the state of Texas doing random sampling of local water systems - we got all our sample from OUTSIDE water faucets for residential locations. NEVER let unsolicited people inside your home for anything or any reason unless you are absolutely sure of your own safety. I certainly don't mind talking through a closed door if I have too - I don't know them, and they don't know what I look like or if I'm easy target. Hate to be rude, but that's what those peep sights are for in the door.

[madjack]

...they persisted even after I started answering the door in the nude...

That would do it for me

I think it had gotten to be a game with them(the JW's)...this was back in the early/mid 70's and I was living on a 640 acre compound that had 4 houses together...it was very close to being a hippie commune kinda place and they would come between 8-9AM...this had gone on for several weeks with Us telling them...politely...to stop...they didn't and things just sorta escalted from there...anyway, they finally stopped when I "gave" them the dirt they had been standing on..I truly hate to be rude but sometimes ya just gotta..........
madjack

[jeep_bluetj]

Madjack's got the best way going. (At least for getting a giggle out of the whole deal)

Answer the door in the nude.
But be holding a firearm.

They tend not to come back. You don't really have to say anything, but being _real_ soft spoken and polite makes the humour even better....

[Larwyn]

When I was living in Bryan Texas the Jehovah Witnesses used to come by almost weekly. I was usually in the back yard working on one project or another. I always indicated that they should leave and attempted to go on about my business, but they would hang around interrupting me and getting in my way.

On one such day I had a sheet of cabinet grade plywood up on sawhorses getting ready to cut it down to size with a skill saw prior to cutting to final dimension on the table saw (small shop). Well the JW's walked up wanting to give me the free literature in exchange for a large donation. When I refused to take the pamphlets they tried to hand me, they laid them on the plywood, and proceeded lean on the plywood while trying to get me to listen to them. I finally told them that they were standing in a "very bad place" and that I was about to make a cut in the plywood. I lined the saw up directly in their direction with no regard to any cut line or guide. That old Porter cable saw has an exhaust duct on top (intended for dust collection) which blew a concentrated cloud of plywood dust all over both of them. The 3/4" plywood and 1/8" kerf blade makes a lot of dust. I had to go get another sheet of plywood to cut out that shelf unit I was building but it was worth it to see the look on their faces through that cloud of sawdust. And that was the last time I saw them.

The only time JW's showed up here in Kerrivlle, they walked right into my garage where I was getting set up to weld a couple of pieces of metal together. Knowing what had worked in Bryan, I simply said, "Eyes", flipped my hood down and struck an arc. When I lifted the hood, no Jehovah Witnesses, and they have not returned.

[planovet]

Answer the door in the nude.
But be holding a firearm.

I could say something but I'm still a little gun shy after the dancing mice incident

[Micro469]

People trying to sell me stuff door to door, I simply don't answer the door. They go away.... Telemarketers are a different story.Even tho I am on the "do not call" list it doesn't seem to help. So now when they call, I simply keep repeating "Hello? Hello? Hello?.. Huh, nobody there", and hang up. If they call back I just do it again. Must piss the heck out of them......

[jeep_bluetj]

Ooooh... I've got another one.

(I love to mess with folks that come to my door)

How about answering the door with a chainsaw in your hand. While chatting with the JW/buy my steaks/J4Jsus/kids from the magazine vans/etc.. perodically give the pull starter a yank (I'd keep the saw off... just pull it over a bit - no sense stinking up the house with the 2-stroke).

Think I'll try that next time.

I don't mind at all being rude to the folks that come to my door. They're being rude to me by just being there. (My odd sense of humor also helps)

[chorizon]

...they persisted even after I started answering the door in the nude...

I think it had gotten to be a game with them(the JW's)...

Reminds me of my ol' baptist upbringin'. My youth minister (who led quite a scampish life before coming to the Lord) was pretty savvy in the ways of the world.
Therefore, unlike other folks at the church, there wasn't much that would faze him. When door-knockin' time came around, he alone felt obliged to go to the local "pre-vert's" house to invite him to church.
"Woody" (don't know if that was his real name or not), would answer the screen door completely buck-naked and listen intently to the invite and sincerely promise he'd give it his full consideration. Our YM kinda made it his mission to get Woody to go to church.
It was kind of everyone's vicarious entertainment to see what was going on on the "Woody-Front".
This didn't go on for too long. Finally, the YM went over there one day, and Woody was just as warm and enthusiastic as ever, except this time he was well, making a scene of himself.
This finally fazed our YM, who was laughing as he told a couple of us "older guys". He had felt his duty of inviting ol' Woody was complete, because in all his years, including that of his recent conversion, he'd never seen anything like that!