AIBU to think this intimidating house buying letter should be reported to police?

I'd assume from the letter that a simple 'no, I'm not interested' at the door on Thursday should put a stop to any further interactions. Details of names and occupants over those in the household over 18 are freely available on the electoral roll. Personally I'd always avoid companies using such over familiar and pushy sales tactics, but I appreciate it probably works for them enough times to make it worth their while to try.

You can’t be serious. You can be robbed and they won’t visit, no one is looking at you records of police didn’t help. We don’t have any money, irs all going to pay the increased benefits bill

This is good advice.

Tell the police what?

The starting point is that this letter clearly left the couple in a state of some distress. Whether or not that would be the same for everyone (there are clearly some posters here who are made of sterner stuff) is neither here nor there.

The fact the letter as described is not a circular, but targeted, already adds an element of intent to the situation. Someone, somewhere has clearly decided (and it's immaterial if it was automated) to send this correspondence.

So you are starting to gather the elements needed that could form a criminal charge. At that point it's always a good idea to excise the notion that what seems trivial is somehow under the threshold for action because it happens somewhere else.

Personally, I would call the non emergency number to at least made a record of the incident. It's highly unlikely to be isolated, and generally the property trade can get a little out of hand at times.

Elderly neighbours need their children or grand children to be there to open the door to Mr CheekyFuckoir

Quite right too. They were being criminally harrassed.

Happened to a friend of mine 2 days after her Husband died. She lived just outside Manchester, she had been in the house all her life and A letter was pushed through her door saying there company had someone interested in buying her house. When she ignored it she was harassed by the actual family that wanted to buy it. The lived 2 doors away and started turning up with bags of cash to entice her, then the car was damaged, plants pulled up etc. Police went and spoke to the family and put an end to it. Friend sold it in a private sale 2 years later.
I bet in this case there is no "company" it will be a neighbour.

I did this and I had an email from them saying someone was trying to put a charge on it. It definitely works

Except that on the facts as presented by the OP there is no suggestion that a crime is likely to be committed.

All that's happened is that someone has written a letter to say they'd like to buy their house and will be coming back to knock on their door with the intention of speaking about it.

Now I quite agree that if there was any suggestion of threats or violence then the position would be different. But all that seems to be in the minds of the posters here.

What an unsettling letter to be receiving just back from holiday. Those poor people. If you can, let us know how the couple got on with their unwelcome visitor. Let’s hope they or someone else manages to give him the bum’s rush.

Have you actually read this letter?

God, how patronising. And wrong.

They are elderly, and have been sent an aggressive letter with a time given. The police often are interested in situations like these and might also have information if they’ve already been contacted.

Good advice.

They believe preventing crime, including abuse of the elderly & vulnerable, is important, it's sad you don't.

So where do you think that all the asylum seekers that are being moved out of hotels are being sent to if not HMOs?

Local councils are writing to landlords asking them to evict their current tenants and offering them hassle free leases to house them.

Some councils are also buying up whole blocks of flats in neighbouring boroughs and evicting the tenants to house them and other homeless people:

www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/b6a46cb7609d0f69

Yes, you might. But seeing as it’s intimidatingly worded, with a time given and sent to an apparently vulnerable elderly couple, I don’t think other people should ignore it. I actually do think the police are relevant here. It may also have been happening to others.

They should ring the non-emergency police line. As a previous poster said, police may be aware of who it is sending them. Also make sure someone muscular is available to answer the door just in case this person does turn up.

Many years ago my grandmother was frightened by men turning up at her door saying her guttering needed replacing and they WOULD be back to rip it off and she WOULD be paying them to replace it. When she told my sister, my sister rang local police and they knew exactly who this was. They visited him and advised him never to go near our grandmother again. And he never did!

If the letter contains a telephone number I would call and tell the writer of the letter that they have no intention of selling, that there should be no further correspondence or attendance at their premises. I agree this falls into intimidation and might be a scam for a vulnerable person. I would also notify the Police so they have a record.

They shouldn't do! They have more important things to do.

Now they may actually prefer taking information about crimes that have not occurred to catching people who have actually committed a crime because it is easier for them.

But if that is the case it is another problem with modern policing.

Exactly. Some of the ones I've been in were absolutely grim. Some people on this thread seem to have their rose tinted glasses on when it comes to how the other half live.

But debating the quality or ethics of HMOs doesn't help your elderly parents with their problem. Having a younger (and hopefully slightly scary looking!) person present for the 'appointment' ought to be the end of it.

I hope it all goes off without incident.

Och away you go, the police.

I’ve had notes put through my door asking if I’d sell, I just throw them out. As for the names, they maybe asked neighbours.

ummm nope!

I kind of agree with you. Money aside, there is actually very little point in downsizing from a house to a house in later life IMO because the hook for many (most) people who can't stay where they are is stairs and its often easier to fit a stairlift, through floor lift, or downstairs bathroom in a house with some space than in a more compact place. (retired OT, have met many many people who wished they hadn't!)
Of course if you are really going for a big lifestyle change and go for a flat (which heaven forfend) then there is going to be the issue of management costs and so on.
On another track, I can't see folk being happy to see us oldies gettingout of paying any government levies that the youngsters have to pay!

Usually 🙄🙄🙄

The Police won’t give a toss. My neighbours directly behind me are in their 80’s and have been hassled to sell for 6 years by their next door neighbours who want it for their massive extended family. Their Son tried to involve the Police but was told HE would be in trouble if he went round and told them to lay off, this was after the fence between the 2 front gardens was ‘accidentally’ flattened by one of the multiple taxis that hang around day and night.