Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

not to want strangers knocking on my door?

85 replies

mrsjskelton · 25/01/2016 16:08

Okay - this is all new to me. I worked full time over an hour away from home so was out of the house from 6.30am - 7.30am Monday to Friday.
I'm now on Mat Leave and I'm finding that people are knocking on my front door in the hopes that I'll give them money for something or other. Today was a breast cancer lottery.

I have absolutely nothing against charity - I pledge an amount every month to a chosen charity (even when I could really have done with the money myself!!)
But I'm the kind of person who can't just hang up on tele-sales people, can't walk away from street walking charity workers with the "gift of the gab". I listen to the people who have a big stand at the checkout and engage me in discussion because I hate the rudeness of just walking away. I usually listen and thank people and then say it's not for me, they are usually courteous and thank me for my time.

What I'm really struggling with is people knocking on my door. Why do people do this?? It's MY house and I shouldn't have people making me feel uncomfortable on my own doorstop, should I? What I want to know is whether IABU in putting a sign in the window such as the one I'm including in the post. I've had a really hard time in finding a sign that's not blatantly rude and verging on "get the fuck off my property". I accept people need to make a living so I simply want to say "no thank you".

Would you consider the sign rude?

not to want strangers knocking on my door?
OP posts:
gandalf456 · 25/01/2016 16:09

I have a sign and they still bloody knock

MaisyMooMoo · 25/01/2016 16:10

No, it's not rude, I've seen a few of them dotted about.

Personally I peak through the blinds and if it's someone I don't want to speak to I just don't answer the door! Having a sign up may deter them from knocking though which is better especially if you're taking a nap!

Shadow1986 · 25/01/2016 16:10

I hate it too. I had a similar sign at my old house, and coming to think of it I need a new one for this house.

Word of warning though - cold callers are annoying, but cold callers who STILL call after ignoring your sign is a whole new level of annoying!!!!

PottyLorryLuck · 25/01/2016 16:11

Yanbu. I look through the spy hole and tell them no cold callers. Today someone tried to open my door!!!

HeadDreamer · 25/01/2016 16:11

I usually take a peak from upstairs.

Dollymixtureyumyum · 25/01/2016 16:12

No not all. I work for a small charity and we don't knock on doors or ask in the street for people's bank details as we realise how intrusive this is. The people knocking on your door won't even be from the charity, they will be from a firm that the charity has employed to do this.
You need to get a sign that also includes charity callers on it though or they will still
knock.'

Vaginaaa · 25/01/2016 16:13

Just don't answer if it's someone you don't know. You don't owe them anything including your time.

Tbh, if you can't get them to go away it might be better safety wise too. Not everyone who knocks is genuine. I stopped answering my door unless I was expecting someone after a scary cold call. It was only in hindsight that I realised how it could have got dangerous because I was trying to be all polite at the time.

KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes · 25/01/2016 16:14

You need to short circuit your doorbell so they get a small shock. Nothing dangerous, just a little tingle.

Then put up a sign explaining that ringing the bell will cause electrocution.

Original poster
mrsjskelton · 25/01/2016 16:14

Grrr I don't have a spy hole and you can't see the front door from inside the house because of the porch!!!

I think I'd feel better with a sign - at least then I can say "didn't you see the sign?"

She was trying to get me to sign up to a monthly subscription. Why would anyone hand over their bank details on the doorstep??

OP posts:
capsium · 25/01/2016 16:15

Rig up a camera so you can see who's at the door? or if you don't mind missing post/parcels just don't answer. I'm used to answering now but I didn't used to very often at my last house.

slebmum1 · 25/01/2016 16:19

I don't answer the door:)

When my children were small I had a sign 'please don't knock - baby twins sleeping' which seemed to work. Unfortunately doesn't anymore as said twins are usually clamouring at the window to see who it is.

I have also been known to turn off the doorbell, and let anyone I'm actually expecting know so they can give me a call when they arrive.

I'm not really as miserable as that makes me sound, I just can't be bothered with the small talk / having o say no etc.

MaisyMooMoo · 25/01/2016 16:20

I never give my bank details to anyone. If I'm interested in their charity then I tell them I will complete the donation online through the charity website. I then thank them and say goodbye. I used to stand there like a proper numpty listening to all the spiel but now I have the confidence to cut them short as soon as I realise it's not a charity I'm interested in supporting.

toohardtothinkofaname · 25/01/2016 16:21

The charity regulations changed in September & it's illegal for charity canvassers to knock if you have a sign up & the charity can be fined. Just FYI

dilbert19912 · 25/01/2016 16:21

In my old house our front door used to directly into our living room so when chuggers used to come around they would know we were in and would persist. In the end we just ignored them until they got the message, literally pretending they werent there.

In my current house we have a long hall and a porch so with the front room door closed or being at the other end of the house its hard to hear anyone - i love it!

I understand they have a job to do but find it so intrusive coming to peoples HOMES!

LetThereBeCupcakes · 25/01/2016 16:22

I've got a sign on my door that says 'baby sleeping - you wake him, you take him.' nobody ever knocks.

They do not need to know there is no sleeping baby.

toohardtothinkofaname · 25/01/2016 16:23

And any 'no cold calling' sticker has to be adhered to by charities even if not specified. HTH!

wasonthelist · 25/01/2016 16:24

I don't think it is rude to ask salespeople not knock at your door - I have a simple rule that I don't donate to Charities that knock on my door - or buy anything at the door, so they are wasting their time anyway. I have a sign too- we have declared ourselves a no cold calling zone via our neighbourhood watch scheme.

donadumaurier · 25/01/2016 16:25

Door to door charity collectors should be banned. My mum was harassed on the doorstep by a collector for breast cancer who wanted her to sign up there and then to give £10 a month via direct debit. My mum explained she donated regularly but couldn't commit to that without asking my dad first as she wasn't working at the time, so it would be his money. The woman got nasty and tried to guilt trip her by saying something along the lines of "1 in 3 of us get cancer, how would you feel etc." the reason my mum was at home and not working was she was recovering from breast cancer. They are bastards. Angry

5Hearts · 25/01/2016 16:29

I've got three of those signs. One proved to not be enough (oh...didn't see it). One right by the door bell (which is on the wall to the side) and one in both porch windows (either side of the door).

It works. Had them up for a good two years now. Only unsolicited callers have been selling poppies and Christian Aid, but that is probably because we know the people selling them/calling and always give - so don't mind those ones.

Only problem is they don't look great. When we smarten up the front with a new front door etc we will probably get rid of them and hope that it all doesn't re-start...

powerfail · 25/01/2016 16:32

This is the only reason I'm grateful for the lay out of our house. The living room is upstairs meaning we cannot hear the door. Anyone important either has a key or phones. I'm sick of them.

wonkylegs · 25/01/2016 16:33

I would also practice opening the door and before they open their mouths say no thank you and shut it again because you'll always get a few numpties who don't seem able to read.

Original poster
mrsjskelton · 25/01/2016 16:34

donadumaurier that's awful!! These people have no shame Angry I think I'll be reporting charities once I get my sign then. I like the idea of a camera but I'd like one with a viewer that can be far away from the door as it's glass!

OP posts:
starfishmummy · 25/01/2016 16:35

We used to have a sign - was here when we moved in. People would ignore it and then tell me why it didn't apply to them. We had a new front door so the sign went and I think we have fewer people knocking now!

Ludways · 25/01/2016 16:37

I don't feel bad saying a definite "no, thank you" and then walking away/hanging up. I figure it's ruder to have them go through the whole sales pitch when you have no intention of buying. You're stopping them from moving onto a potential sale.

Using up their time could directly effect their earnings.

SnobblyBobbly · 25/01/2016 16:38

I got a little silver stick on sign from Amazon which goes under my doorbell and I must say, although I've had one that I can recall since I put it up, the number has vastly reduced!

So glad I got one, it was terrible before!