Young offenders selling door to door

[Happybunny12]

I was just leaving the house by the back door to take my baby for a walk in the pushchair, when i met two lads on the drive. They were carrying hold alls and explained they had recently been released from Young Offenders in Wetherby in Yorkshire (I live in a village in the Midlands) and were selling stuff door to door and could they show me their stuff?

I had no reason to disbelieve them and thought 'good on them' for getting out there and trying to make something of their lives. So i let them do their spiel and chatted to them while they packed/unpacked the stuff. I bought their cheapest gizmo for £5. Then they left and carried on to my neighbours' house.

But then I got a bit nervous and wondered why they'd been coming to my back door (all post men etc always use the prominent front door). Had they been casing my house? So I pretended to look at the notice board until they were out of sight.

I also wondered why there were two of them, why they only went to two other houses on my street...

So what do you think? Dodgy or genuine?

I've had the same and didn't get robbed.

I locked the door after he'd gone though

Its a scam isn't it

.

Bump (thanks for responses though, nomore and anya

I have that quite a bit here (west Kent) - usually purporting to be from a local charity helping young offenders. I do have a standard line which is "Sorry, but I dont buy from the door". It is polite and true. I think sometimes this is a scam and the products are poor quality. I think the charities should advertise what they are doing locally so you find out about it and then a couple of weeks later you ger the knock on the door and itis not so worrying. I used to find they would come around 6pm in the winter when it was dark. Perhaps many people are at home then but even so the timing always bothered me.

How is it a scam? They're selling you something and you're paying for the product, no matter what the quality of the product is. I've had them at my door too, my dd told me not to buy from the but I can't remember why but I never buy anything on the doorstep anyway.

it's a well known scam (I found out after I'd been scammed myself!)

figwit what is the scam then? Poor quality products or that you get robbed or something else?

Not sure what the scam is, but our local police recently said that they are not from
Young Offenders (seems such a scheme does not exist) and that you should be wary, keep doors locked, check elderly neighbours etc and report it to them.

I had one young lad recently saying the same and I felt really sorry for him as I felt that most people would say no and not buy anything and I thought it would be so demoralising, but it seems they aren't what they say they are.

Thanks all. I thought about this some more and I think:

• I'm glad I listened to them because I don't want to be so suspicious and distrusting that I won't give people a chance, even if they do turn out to be not totally above board
• selling door to door is pretty shit and most people are rude so maybe being nice to them brightened an otherwise rubbish day for them
• if they are planning robberies, I now know exactly what they look like,
• however I don't like the idea that they would knock on elderly people's doors and possibly frighten them so perhaps in future I would demand paperwork/ID and if not satisfied, report them to the police.

I've had this and bought a first aid kit (i did need one to be fair) for a tenner. It was a pile of crap that I could have bought for £1 at poundland except that would have been better quality.

Is it a scam?

I always felt sorry for them, going from door to door trying to sell overpriced tat, and getting repeatedly knocked back. I thought it's not the way to build up a young man's confidence if he hasn't had a great start in life.

Yes it is a scam

They spin you a tale to make you feel sorry for them and buy the overpriced tat. Then most of the profit goes to the person who organises it not the sellers. They get a few quid out if it

Google it loads of advice/cautionary tales out there on the web

I read on here that it's a scam, which I'd wondered for ages - not in the sense that they will steal from you etc, I don't know if that's an issue, but in the sense that they're lying about the reason they are doing it and it's a bit of a sob story which isn't true.

It's always rubbish stuff though for the price - and every time I've said no, I've got 'the look' or even a bit of attitude, which makes me just think, well, glad I didn't buy anything then.

We don't get them here now - did at the old house.

We get them occasionally, as others have said the stuff is massively overpriced, I have bought the cheapest thing a couple of times. The last time I was busy when they called and really didn't want to spend £5 on a few washing up sponges, I listened to his spiel for a few minutes, he was very chatty and pleasant. I then said no thank you and got a right mouthful. Ours always say they are from Middlesbrough, the accents bear that out, we are in Hampshire, maybe they work a long way from home for a reason.

Just had one of these little guys at my door now. Although butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, are these guys scamming to see who is home during the day, and what the entry way of the house looks like? Hmmm...

I have checked with my local policeman, and these young people are indeed genuine. They are previous young offenders, who are being given a chance to make good. Perhaps their goods are overpriced, but I am happy to help someone in that siutation.