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Original poster

to think the young offender door to door selling clearly hasn't changed

31 replies

Whoneedssleepanyway · 25/03/2012 11:41

Guy knocks on my door, asking if I would buy something from him, tells me he is from young offenders scheme, he has been bad in the past but is trying to turn things around, I tell him (truthfully) I have no money literally about £2 in change, he then says don't worry I will accept a cheque, I don't even have a cheque book anymore and so say sorry, at which point he starts mouthing off at me, yeah buy you're not sorry are you, you don't give a shit etc (my kids are at the door with me). I shut the door on him but really wanted to give him a piece of my mind, I mean seriously with that attitude does he expect people to buy stuff from him...???

OP posts:
FondleWithCare · 25/03/2012 11:44

Call whoever is in charge of the scheme and make a complaint.

RitaMorgan · 25/03/2012 11:45

Sounds like a scam to me.

SugarBabyLove · 25/03/2012 11:46

See Tim Dowling's Guardian magazine yesterday for more on door to door ex-offender selling tactics..... relieved they don't bother round my way...

SugarBabyLove · 25/03/2012 11:46

Tim Dowling's "column" (now that sounds a bit ?!)

SardineQueen · 25/03/2012 11:54

I had one of these a couple of days ago and I never know if they are genuine or a scam.

He told me a story about how he was trying to turn his life around after being done for fighting and stuff when he was young. I just didn't want anything and said sorry no thanks and he tutted at me loudly and shook his head and stalked off.

We get them a bit around here and I know it's silly but the way they are often quite stroppy with you makes me feel really uncomfortable, I feel a bit unnerved. The other day I had one of those unwanted thought things after he left about a brick coming through the window.

Other thing is this is a "no doorstepping" area and the council have put signs up saying that people are not to sell door to door.

Will read the column I think!

lurkinginthebackground · 25/03/2012 11:57

I think it could be very threatening for some people.
I personally do not like strangers knocking on my door trying to sell things.

SardineQueen · 25/03/2012 11:58

Well he didn't shit on my doorstep so i got off lightly!

redexpat · 25/03/2012 12:02

Sounds like he just was at the end of his tether and didn't know how to handle it. Having worked in a prison it is really tough to get back on track when you come out. He probably has never had anyone think about anyone but themselves, so he doesnt think to think about you and what's going on in your life. Plus going door to door is hard work anyway, and if no one buys anything it can get really demoralising. He doesnt know not to swear infront of kds because the chances are everyone was fing adn blinding infront of him the moment he was born.

That's the best best possible senario I can come up with.

LucyManga · 25/03/2012 12:07

We had this experience last week!

Young guy asked me to buy some dishtowels, I said I had no money on me (truth). At that point, my DH arrived home from work and the guy asked my DH to buy something. DH said he had no change on him (again, the truth!), and the dude started shouting at us and telling us we were 'rich ponces' who didn't know what it was like to be down on your luck.

I felt like telling him to fuck off...but just politely shut the door in his face Grin

I wouldn't mind but I work with young offenders and I work bloody hard, too!

RoxyRobin · 25/03/2012 12:10

We get these occasionally - I've read in the press, and on mn in fact, that they are a scam.

I just refuse politely and wish them good luck in finding some other mug but have never had an unpleasant reaction. It's not in their interest to provoke someone into reporting them, is it? Forget about him, whoneeds - and be prepared next time to say "I'm dreadfully sorry, but I never buy anything on the doorstep" or similar.

2shoes · 25/03/2012 12:12

I had one once, he wouldn't take no for an answer, in the end I had to tell hit I would let the dog out.......he left,

jumpingjackhash · 25/03/2012 12:24

We had these guys around yesterday, I cba to answer the door but I heard them giving my poor neighbour a really hard sell. Regardless of who's selling it, can they just not understand that people just might not want to buy ridiculously priced crap at their door?

AngelsWithSilverWings · 25/03/2012 12:26

I had a bad experience last year with one of these last year.

I have bought from them in the past but really just because I was giving them the benefit of doubt.

On this occasion I was bathing the DC's and the door bell went. As it was late and i wasn't expecting anyone I ignored it.

He rang again , and again. He then opened my porch door and started banging urgently on the main door ( no knocker so just frantic banging on the door).

Thought it must have been urgent ( as in house on fire/ neighbour in real trouble urgent ) so got kids out of bath and ran down to open door.

When I realised it was one of these sellers I wasn't pleased and told him so. He let rip and started swearing. My kids started crying and I had to threaten to call the police to get him to step out of my porch and leave.

He was still shouting and swearing as he walk off down the street.

Really shook me up.

GrahamTribe · 25/03/2012 12:44

As far as I know the Youth Justice Service and the Probation Service don't operate these schemes so claims by door to door salesmen that they are backed by either are probably scams.

We get them quite a lot around here. We live in a pretty affluent village and have quite a high number of potentially sympathetic and gullible older people here. The last guy who came to my door showing me his "permit" from the "Probation Service" got told that I had no money and that I believed his operation was a scam and that I was going to check with the Police. I can't guarantee that he was up to no good but put it this way, I live at the top end of the road and I'd seen him go to the house before mine but when he left my doorstep instead of knocking the next neighbour's door he quickly walked in the other direction, back to the top of the road and into a waiting car which drove off damn fast.

blueshoes · 25/03/2012 13:52

Glad to hear it is a scam. Will feel less guilty the next time I turn one of them away. I do get a vibe of entitlement on their part - like I MUST buy their overpriced tat because I live in a house.

queenrollo · 25/03/2012 14:04

these are not schemes endorsed by Youth Justice Service or Probation as others have said.

The door to door sellers are usually working for a pittance (based on sales) for companies which exploit young/ex offenders and the fact they find gainful employment difficult to come by.

I keep seeing these threads pop up and it makes me cross. In fact I just told DH to try and do something about it as ex/youth offenders is his field of work in a very wide aspect.

lisad123 · 25/03/2012 14:10

I mean who would think its a good idea to send ex offenders door to door? Angry so they can be turned down Confused

We have had a few round here and they always come in the evening Angry
Glad to hear its a scam

ddubsgirl · 25/03/2012 14:31

we have them round here too,i just tell them i dont want anything,did buy some stuff once,utter tat.

LeeCoakley · 25/03/2012 14:41

If it's a scam then it's the offenders who are being ripped off as well. One once explained to me that he had to buy all his goods and then try and make a profit on them. He honestly didn't know that rubber gloves at £5 was a rip-off. If they are polite I give them a couple of pounds in change but tell them I don't want anything. The last time one started off rudely, probably because he was fed up, and I ended up calling the police station after I was threatened. They sent someone out and attempted to track him down.

SardineQueen · 25/03/2012 17:01

It does seem like a bizarre idea so not surprised it is a scam.

cocobeefsteak · 25/03/2012 17:26

We actually had one Friday night around 7. DH and I were upstairs reading DS a book before bedtime when they banged. DH went down and said "no sorry, we're just putting the baby to bed" and shut the door quickly and we could hear him swearing outside. Then I read Tim Dowling yesterday morning and thought we got off lightly. Who would pay £7 for some dishrags?

MrsLJP · 29/08/2012 22:37

This is so similar to what happened to me tonight. Had a guy come to the door during supper who said he was a youth offender from South Rotherham and was selling stuff (we get door to door sellers here very frequently). I very politely declined and he became aggressive and told me (in front of my 8 year old) to f**k off. I did not swear back but just told him not to come to my door with that kind of attitude. I contacted the police who told me that he had committed an offense and they did a sweep of the area but did not find him. I did not want him charged but just spoken to. The police also told me that they are genuine youth offenders (tbh I thought it was a scam) but that they are keeping an eye on them because of this kind of behaviour. I was absolutely furious to have someone interrupt my evening with this kind of rubbish uninvited and unwanted! And is this the right kind of employment to get them back on track? It must be very demoralising for them. Anyway next time I will just shut the door!

Backtobedlam · 29/08/2012 22:55

We have this quite often round by us, but I always buy something as I'm scared if I don't they might come back and do something not very nice. I don't like the way they use the ex-offenders line as I find it really worrying as it could be for anything. Most times I'm alone in the house with 2 young kids when they call so im quite nervous about any strangers at the door.

MrsRajeshKoothrappali · 29/08/2012 23:14

So it's not just me who's astounded by the prices of these 'cleaning products' then?

Their stuff is soooo overpriced. Besides, all my cleaning stuff comes with my online shop. Surely people don't leave dish cloths, etc off their shopping list just on the offchance that someone comes around selling them!

Confused

I never have cash in the house either. And I've never owned a chequebook.

I'd go mental if one hammered on my door and then swore at me.

MrsLJP · 30/08/2012 00:16

Have been in touch with Rotherham YOT manager and, yes, it is a scam as young offenders reparation schemes do not involve selling and certainly not in the evenings. If you think about it logically it would be a bad idea to get any offenders to handle cash and go to peoples houses at night in such a soul-destroying job*! So everyone who has said it is a scam are absolutely right but how are you to know if even my local police think it is legit!

*sorry to any door2door sales people but it must be horrid!