to think, please don't post stuff through my fecking letterbox if you're then going to want it back..

[snowpoint]

That means you, Betterware, Avon and the like. Dog eared catalogue appeared on the mat last week, it was from Betterware but had no sticker on it or sleeve like they usually do if you're meant to put them back out. I promptly stuck it in recycling and forgot about it.

Now I keep getting cards while I'm out. They want it back. They're not giving up. I feel guilty. Recycling has gone. It's like avoiding the Jehovahs Witnesses all over again...

I did get rather peeved when after getting rid of one Kleeneze catalogue that was floating around my hall for a week another rep put the same bloody one through my door the same day.

They must know that there are 2 reps doing our area as previously we've had 2 of the same catalogues at the same time. I accidentally left out the wrong reps catalogue. First rep just took it and then when the 2nd rep turned up a couple of days later they had a right moan at my mum (who was babysitting) because we could only give them the other reps book.

We still keep getting catalogues and "I came to collect" messages from the whinging rep.
As if i'm going to order anything when they spoke to my lovely mum like something they'd scraped off their shoe.

I must seem really strange to most posters above. I bought a couple of gas oven lighters some years ago and could now do with a couple more but haven't seen hide nor hair of Betterware since.

I loathe these blasted things. And I hate cold callers. The Avon lady here knocked to introduce herself which was fine, I said No thank you politely (she was very nice) and we parted amicably. Betterware/Kleeneze etc have never done this - what's worse they ignore the large post box right by the front door. Once it comes through the front door, it is fair game for one of our greyhounds and gets shredded. That infuriates me as I dont' want him eating plastic and I certainly don't want to return home to a pile of confetti on the doormat. Grrr. I feel no responsibility whatsoever to be courteous to anyone who sells at my door or be responsible for their stuff - they are a nuisance, and always seem to call at incredibly inconvenient times. The only ones I am ever polite to are Mormons and JWs - don't mind them.

We have them in New Zealand too, and I have to say, I have received two of them and I don't even remember the brand. The first one they left was at our door, and went right into the recycling, as I don't understand why I should be picking up rubbish that people leave at my door. The second one at least turned up at my mailbox, so I just left it there until the pickup date, unopened. The pickup date came and went and nobody turned up for it, so it ended in the recycling too. As I am never home during working hours, I have no idea if anyone knocked at my door for it, but I couldn't care less.

I have a mailbox and I will have a look at whatever gets left in there... but trying to imply I have any responsibility for following the "instructions" on anything people leave there is a tad naive, methinks...

I throw junk mail into the recycling. I do not think it is rude in any way. I didn't ask for their business, therefore I do not want it.
They leave it at their own risk.

I am shocked at the idea that they want their catalogues back!!! I am not being funny, but is this a "British" thing? I am in Canada, and here you only get a catalouge if you know the seller, and they come to you, show you the catalogue, and leave with it, and that is only if you have agreed in advance! Usually it is a girl at work who brings one in, leaves it in the lunch room, and then asks if anyone wants to order. Or maybe if you have a friend that sells, she brings round a catalogue, has a tea and a browse with you, and then leaves with it. Why would someone you don't know ask you to look after their stuff? I am not trying to be rude, I'm just really wondering?!

Goodynuff - as you have probably gathered there are several door step catalogues in the UK. The agents make money by delivering the catalogues with an order form and asking you to leave it out on your doorstep on a certain day - it's a numbers game. You need to reuse the catalogues because they are relatively expensive. So you collect them after a few days, take out the orders, put new forms in where necessary and re-drop to the next zone. It used to bring in reasonable money and was good for SAHM's for a bit of extra money or a second job. I have, for my sins, been an Avon rep in the past :)

It still works - generally only people who don't like it bother to post on threads like this. I know several people who buy from Avon, Betterware & Kleeneze... I do buy from Avon occasionally but B&K are over priced. I quite like a look through their cataglogues though they have some hilarious stuff in them (there is a cover to go over your hoover/vacuum that looks like a maid - I mean WTF??).

I try to think of the people attempting to make a living doing this before I'm too hasty to put it straight in the recycling bin, but at the same time do understand the 'I didn't ask for it, don't want it and wont be told when to put it out' brigade as well.

True, I actually never even get any catalogs other than Sears, which is ok, as I use them.

oh! Ok, I suppose it is kind of like telemarketing, which I used to do, in the bad old days
It sucked, tbh.....I wish I could go back in time, and give myself a swift kick in the ass, but thats another thread

I dont think anyone is being mean at all and I used to be am avon lady (I know I know, I dont know what I was thinking)

these catatlogue people do have to buy their own catalogues and they earn fuck all to boot

BUT I still shove them straight in the bin recycling

I dont want to 'just have a look', there is nothing I want

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If you ain't got a sign up then I think your fair game to receive them through the door- unfair to ditch them. Just put a note with your address saying no thanks. Any ones after ditch.

Are you kidding dietcokes? So someone should have to put a sign up to say that I don't want the shit that I didn't ask you for? We have a sign on our door that the owners put up but it didn't deter them, did it?

We got our first Betterware catalogue the other day and I didn't know what it was, didn't order it, so we tossed it in the recycling. Stooge comes back to ask for it and it's gone. Too bad, so sad.

I don't buy shit from catalogues unless I have purchased from the store/company before and have ordered the catalogue. You don't want to lose money, don't put your shit through my letter box.

Me too. I do not want my hall turned into a storage space for junk that I never asked for and I do not want to be made to feel like a careless school child if I cannot remember where I put which particular catalogue 2 weeks later. Which is most likely to have been the recycling bin. If you want me to look after your junk, you would need to assure yourself of my cooperation beforehand, not blame me afterwards. And while we're about it, do you mind just looking after some of my junk for the next few weeks, I'll just shove it through your letter box, shall I?

I do actually think it's selfish & nasty to put them in the recycling the first time.

People clearly need the money if they are doing this, no-one does it for fun (well, maybe the odd Avon Rep!), so I think the least you can do is put a note in to say you don't want any more and any others will go straight into the recycling. If they then continue, well then that's their problem

Is a couple of minutes of kindness too much to ask - especially in this climate where some people don't have any other option but to try this?

YANBU - anyhing that comes here unsoliceited gete put in the recycling box - which is in the front garden, so if they want they can rifel through it and get tehri catalogue back. Charity bags put through get used as bin bags - no way am I going to remember to leave it out on whatever day they say they will call back.

Oh what a load of bullshit! I think it's rude and presumptuous to stick unsolicited mail through my letter box then expect that I'm going to wait until you decide you want to come back for it.

I'm not babysitting your shit! You want me to hold it for you, I'll charge you storage and you can come get it when you're ready.

Each to their own. I just think it is a shame that people are so stressed out and so distant from their community that they think it is ok to just be rude to someone for knocking on their door/posting a catalogue to try and make a living. Perhaps you would rather they sat at home on benefits?

When I used to go on my rounds, I noticed a marked difference between the generations. Anyone over the age of 50, even those who weren't interested in buying, were polite, well mannered and many even seemed to enjoy the chance of a bit of company and a chat. Often they wouldn't buy much, if at all, but it was nice to meet people and be a part of the community where I lived. Most younger people were ok, and only one or two weren't interested (which I respected).

Occasionally I would re-post books at addresses where formerly someone had said they weren't interested, simply because people do move and someone new to the street might like to get a book. I certainly wouldn't do it to annoy or offend.

I'm not a pushy representative, so maybe people were more tolerant, or maybe I just got a nice area, that's why I am quite shocked at the vitriol and bad manners of some of the posters on here. Totally unnecessary unless you get a pushy rep who tries to sell snow to the Eskimos.

Ah now I see why you're so pro catalogue pusher, you used to do it. You said you're not a pushy representative but then you also said you'd re-post books at addresses where someone said they weren't interested. So what's your criteria to figure out if someone has moved? I was there three months ago, maybe they've moved, I'll stick it through again? That would just piss me off, especially if I'd previously said no (and was pleasant about it).

I wouldn't mind if they knocked on my door and asked me, because then I would say thank you, but no. But to just shove crap through my letter box and the slink off, I think not.

While we're at it, why should I have to support them? Contrary to popular belief they aren't the only ones trying to support themselves and/or a family. So I should take money I'd use for my family and give it to them because why? They need the money? Guess what, so does my family.

After tastful brass signs on my letterbox doing almost no good what-so-ever, I now have a large sign that states exactly what I mean by 'personally addressed mail only'. I STILL get the odd thing through . Damn thing looks ugly, too.

So it's polite to shove unsolicited crap through my letter box?

Like I said, if someone knocked on my door, then I would be polite and say no thank you, but when you shove your unwanted shit through my letter box, all bets are off.

What don't you understand about UNSOLICITED?

I'm stunned at the amount of anger this has stirred up! I don't have a problem with people putting unsolicited catalogues through my door, I put a note on the Kleenezee and Betterware to say don't bother and have never seen them again. The Avon lady still puts hers through, DD1 likes their cleanser.

I'd rather they put the catalogue through than knocked on the door - sod's law says they'd knock when I was up 2 flights of stairs or cleaning the bath or something, I can chuck the catalogue back out with a note on if I don't want it again.

Knocking on the door is much more intrusive - don't get me started on the flipping JWs that really don't get the message when they knock every few weeks - I have a large "Give Blood" sticker in the window now as a hint and haven't seen them for a while...