Third Jehovah Witness visit - it’s making me feel uncomfortable now.

[CaraVann]

Earlier in December there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was my friend who was due to visit me, I flung open the door to find 2 smartly dressed young men. I knew in an instant they were Jehovah Witnesses.
I know that I should have said from the get go I was not interested but the guy talking was so polite that I let him go on with his spiel.
I did feel a bit uneasy though as no one else was at home, all the neighbours were out and here are 2 men I don’t know trying to persuade me to join their religion. Also, the second guy gave me the creeps, he never said a word, never smiled, just stared at me. I felt quite intimidated.
The first guy asked for my name, which I also found unnerving, so I gave him a different name to my own. He said to take the leaflet and look on their website to find out all about JW and then I can be assured of a great future!!
I thanked him, smiled and said goodbye (second guy still unsmiling/staring, never muttered a word).
At least I won’t see them again - so I thought.
A week later, on my own again, the doorbell goes. I open it without checking thinking it’s the Christmas Amazon delivery I was expecting but no, it was the JW guys again. They are bloody relentless. Kept pushing and pushing, calling me by my ‘name’ which I found too personal seeing I don’t know them from Adam. Luckily, I had my coat on as was just about to take the dog out so made my excuses but said I was not interested.
But they are not fucking giving up.
Just had a knock on the door and my daughter opens it to find these guys standing there and again (the talking one) greeted me by my ‘name’ and starts on again about how they can help me and how the future is not bight for everyone, only those following their religion. Mute guy still staring and they were standing there in the pouring rain but wouldn’t give up. This time I had to be a bit firmer and said I was just going out, had no time and please don’t call again. A polite smile and ‘ok’ from the talker guy and same evil stare from mute guy.
I hope and pray they do not turn up again and I’m now only going to answer the door after I’ve looked out of the living room window ffs!
I know I should have been firmer from the beginning but it’s really unnerved me. They have my address and my name (or so they think).
Each to everyone with their choice of religion (personally agnostic) but knocking on strangers doors and harassing them is plain wrong.
I suffer from bad anxiety and this has just made me worse.

Stickers

bobbytorq I just wish they had called whilst dh was in, he talks te hind leg off a donkey, he can go on for hours and hours. They wouldn’t have come back after chatting with him lol.

I will remember the blood donor thing for the future lol.

"Can't stop to chat, just off for a blood transfusion" is my usual reply. Said with a smile as I am shutting the door firmly.

There is a Kingdom Hall a couple of villages away. A lot of the front doors in the village have "No Jehovah's Witnesses" signs.

Thank you Tinkerbyebye and ivykaty44

Just say no thank you and close the door. You don't have to be rude to them but you also don't have to engage. Or better yet, check who's there before opening the door.

You are being far too nice and accommodating. Open the door, when you see then say in a quiet menacing way "I will say this politely once: leave my property don't ever come back. Now". They won't as soon as they are to speak just rip into them, tell them to get to fuck, leave now, get off your drive. They don't come back - tried and tested method.

Haha so 3 visits is the magic number then, I will be sure to tell mum 😂 I think she thought it would see them off immediately and was very surprised when it didn’t.

I am Catholic so I just told the truth. They left 🤷‍♀️

Get on the no knocking list.

Or say 'yeah, sorry I didnt want to be awkward with you, but I was once in The Truth but got disfellowshipped'

You just need to tell them you are not interested, if you engage they think you are so they will keep coming back. I've leaved near several Kingdom Halls and I've never had to say anything more than 'I'm not interested

During lockdown, obviously when they couldn't door knock, l had two letters in as many weeks from the local Jehovah's Witness Hall.
I sent the first one back, with a polite covering letter saying that l was not, and would never be, interested, and please would they remove my details from their records and not contact me in any way again.
The week after, l got another similar letter from them. From the same woman!
I was incredulous and incensed.
I sent that one back with a very strong letter, saying that if l received any further communication l would be reporting that particular woman to the police for stalking and harassment.
I've heard nothing since. I'd recommend writing to the nearest JW Hall telling them in no uncertain terms to remove your details from their records, and never to contact you in any shape or form again.
If they come to your house, forget politeness. This is intrusive, inappropriate behaviour. Don't be nice. Say "I'm not interested, do not come back here again" and shut the door.
It's fine to have a faith. My best friend is Mormon. I am pagan. We don't push our beliefs onto each other. But these are strangers to you.
They have no right to do this.

I had this a few years back When they turned up a second time I got in first with " I've researched the JW religion and have decided it's not for me. Please don't call again as I will report you for harassment, which as you know is illegal and would therefore be against the religion you practice. Good day to you" and shut the door. Never heard from them again.

DH is terrible for chatting to people who knock at the door, I have to get to it before him and say 'sorry, we are not interested, bye' and shut the door in their face or they'll keep coming back. I was once told by a JW 'there used to be a nice young man who lived here' (meaning DH) and I just said 'well he's not here now'. The JWs are at least polite, we had a bloke claiming to be collecting for charity knocking door to door and he was not happy at all when I said we weren't interested.

I had some come to my door, I said I was already a Christian and I believe in divorce, so my beliefs are not compatible with theirs.

Ask to be put on their Do Not Call list.

If they come again remind them you're on the list and tell them you now consider it harassment.

Next time they visit (or call up the local church) you just need to tell them to put you down as a 'do not knock' and they will go away and not bother you other than to check you still live there in 5 years' time.

Tell them your on your way to hospital for a blood transfusion. That'll shift em

DH was working on a renovation project when two JW turned up. To get rid of them, he switched on his foreign accent (which he has but exaggerated it) and said he couldn't understand them or read English. They asked what his mother tongue was, he went and told them. They turned up again the following day with a copy of the watchtower in said language 😂

That's not going to work - they see it as their job to help you understand that their belief is correct - save yourself the time by asking them to put you down as 'a do not knock' and be free of them.

I had 2 women knock on my door last year. I opened it & one said we'd like to share some good news with you. I noticed the Watch Tower leaflet rather than a Postcode Lottery cheque & said very firmly no thank you & shut the door.
They haven't been back.
As others have said, don't engage.

No, it won't - it's their job to convince you that you are on the wrong path - ask them to put you down as a 'do not knock' and they won't come back.

I have always found for JW or any other cold callers* that all I need to do is smile and politely say "I am not interested" and they say "Would you like a copy of The Watchtower?" I say "ok" then they give me one and leave. They might return in 6 months/ a year when we have the same conversation.

There is generally no need to be rude or nasty to JW or any cold callers at the door or on the phone - they are just people (apart from JW, they are probably having a rubbish time and being paid minimum wage too).

*The only problem I have ever had was with a 'Nottingham Knocker" who decided the response to a middle aged woman smiling and saying "I am not interested thank you" was to shout a whole rant at me which involved the words "fucking cunt". I don't think you need to worry about this reaction from the JWs.

I am a Catholic but I don't even bother saying that.

I just treat them like I would any other salesman at the door, I say "No, thank you" & shut the door in their faces so I can get on with my day.
They are selling their God, I don't want to buy.

It doesn't take ages, you don't have to try & have some polite but uncomfortable conversation or remember what lie you told them.

They never bother to knock again & it is years between visits (actually, it might just be that I have moved so not been put on a no knock list).

Not only are you catholic but your house is in mourning forever for the late cardinal ratzinger defender of the faith late pope benedict- that'll bamboozle them.

I always thought that telling JWs that you're a Catholic would make them try extra hard with you, because they think RCs are specially misguided. I gather JWs have a no-poaching policy regarding certain faiths and sects. I think Baptists and Unitarians are among them. I once was stopped by JWs in our street and enthusiastically told them how happy I was to talk them about how I was saved, the grace of the Holy Spirit, the joy of thinking about the world to come, etc. I embarked on a talk about Saint Augustine and the doctrine of Original Sin, ("Ah! The old Adam!" I exclaimed) but before I had got very far, the lead JW apologetically said they 'had to go'.