not to want strangers knocking on my door?

[mrsjskelton]

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?

I had a "shhhhhh - mother and baby sleeping" sign on the front door when DD was born. I think I left it there for about 3.5 years.

Ludways I do agree with the wasting time debate! I worry about that too!! Although I usually hear them out because I've overheard sellers as I've sneaked past muttering "fucking waste of time" "fine then walk away" etc because someone hasn't stopped to listen!

I have the same sign as shown in your OP. Works brilliantly - no cold callers etc for 3 years now.

I don't want to type your username but thanks!!!

Ooh I need to get a sign. I didn't know they actually had to obey it or could get fined.

We get loads of chuggers round our way. I do feel a bit sorry for them because everyone has massive front gardens so it takes ages to walk in and out wasting even more time than normal (not a stealth boast about the gardens BTW, it's a Housing Association estate of the type where they threw up a load of housing on green belt after WW2).

Round here it seems to be double glazing/tarmac/driveway people that come knocking.
I check from upstairs and don't bother answering the door, I always see them looking my house up and down to see what sort of garbage they can think of is wrong with my house and needs work doing to it.

I wish they would just bog off.

I smile brightly, interrupt their spiel and say 'I do not buy anything over the door, good bye.' then close the door firmly. I did once get sworn at by a chugger, but that was it. I get far fewer callers now.

But lots of tree fellers. Hundreds of tree fellers. I don't want my tree felled.

I dislike this too. My dad answered the door once to a particularly aggressive charity collector from an animal charity. He already donates to other charities and explained that he wasn't interested and the collector started accusing him of disliking animals and not caring if they came to harm it was particularly awful as my dad loves animals and had recently lost his elderly dog. It upset him as he's a very shy man and dislikes confrontation. It made me very annoyed that someone could be so intrusive.

my sign got ripped off by a cold caller

i usually stick my head out the window rather than answer the door its easier to retreat

A boy of no more than 12 years old knocked on my door today asking if I wanted him to cut the hedge! Who in their right mind would say 'sure young man, go get yourself a dangerous piece of machinery and have at it!'....I really hope no one else said yes to him!

I don't think the signs are rude, although in my experience they haven't worked. I too am now noticing it because I'm on maternity leave, it's so annoying when you just manage to get the baby off for a nap, get yourself off for a nap and then have to start all over again because of some over zealous knocker that needs to be told to do one for being so cheeky as to ask for bank details. What makes me laugh my head off though is the line 'oooh well your neighbours have been really generous'....not in my neighbourhood they haven't!

Your house is your home and you decide whether to open the door or not.

If you are in a house, go upstairs and put your head out of the window and ask them what they want. Or just ignore them. It will be obvious if it's an emergency - and you will probably know if you are expecting a parcel.

I live in a no cold calling zone and people always have some reason why it doesn't apply to them. It goes in cycles but I do now generally get left alone so am wondering if word has got around that I am a grumpy cow and not to knock on the door!

We had some vile people from Sky cold calling in my area a couple of years ago, ignoring No Cold Calling signs saying 'they didn't have to take any notice of them' like they were fucking MI5 or something.

I had a stand up row with one of them in the street when I returned home to find him harassing my teenage DD on our doorstep, pushing on the door with his hand.

I like wasting their time and play them up something rotten.
I let them get all the way to the end, say no and shut the door or put the phone down.
It's their fault for having a stupid job that irritates the life out of people.

It's much better if you put up something similar to the one I've got, I NEVER get cold-callers.

Mine says something like 'Unless you are making a delivery please do NOT knock on the door. Working from home.' Mine isn't exactly like that but is more specific so will out me if I put the real message, but it's along these lines and I never get people knocking other than delivery men/women.

I love the cold callers that knock and then try and explain to me how my sign doesn't apply to them ...

9/10 the sign works. Salesmen and religious groups have all adhered to the signs. The only ones who havnt are the charity ones. They 'never the sign' even though it's right above the doorbell. I get so cross at them.

Before the sign and when DD was a couple of days old we put a sign up saying 'please do not knock or ring doorbell, newborn baby sleeping' ...low and behold the doorbell rings and there's a RSPCA chugger at the door all smiles and 'good afternoon sir' at my DP. DP ripped him a new one and sent him on his way.

I used to work as a door to door chugger. I would never knock if someone put up sign. That was covered in the training.

For all of you sharing negative experiences about door to door fundraising. I had loafs of positive feedback. I was polite and not pushy. I was pleasantly surprised about how many people signed up. I made a lot of money for the charity. I got paid out of the gift aid that was clawed back. That's how the agency took their cut too. After a couple of years all the gift aid the went to the charity.

I have a sign. Sometimes they pretend to not have seen it til you open the door then say 'Oh I have just seen your sign'. yeah right.

Before they say that I try and get in with 'Oh is my sign not working?' while pointing at it.

But a quick look out of the upstairs window and if there's a clipboard/ID lanyard/tabard involved I don't answer anyway.

I ordered a small not real brass sign for my front door - I worded it:

No uninvited traders, charities, canvassers or religious groups, thank you

It seems to cover it all. Occasionally someone doesn't notice it and knocks and I just say "Could I just stop you for a moment and draw your attention to this" and point to the notice. Apart from one person, everyone has apologised immediately and scarpered. The one who didn't said it didn't apply to her as she was there on behalf of the Conservative party - they really should tell their canvassers what their job title is!

One smartarse said I needed a bigger sign - but that is the nearest to a confrontation I have had since I put it up!

I just tell them that I never buy anything, or donate anything on the doorstep. Usually before they get a word out.

During the general election campaign I shut the door on the ukip candidate, thinking he was a charity collector.

My dh goes one further a gives a brief lecture explaining that charity is just providing an excuse for state not to provide, and any decent person with a social conscience should not donate. They have usually run away before he gets to the end of his rant.

In fact, I chased the nice Christian Aid woman down the road last year, because I know her and I didn't want her to take it personally.

I have a sticker on the door but people still ignore it.

It says something like "No cold callers. No Appointment? Don't knock." on it, and it has the local police logo on it because they were the ones handing them out after someone on the next street was burgled a couple of years back.

I think I need something else though, because the amount of people who knock and point out they've seen the sticker but "it doesn't mean me because..." is a joke really.

Usually they argue that a cold caller is selling something, and they aren't selling anything, they are just trying to sign me up for a charity direct debit or some new free loft insulation, or trying to preach their politics or religion at me.

Then I point out the bit that says "no appointment" and ask if they have an appointment. They say "no" and I say "well then" and close the door.

I was thinking about getting something wordier than the sticker, saying "We do not buy, sell, sign up for any services, give to charity, or discuss religion or politics at the door. If you don't have an appointment, don't knock." but then I saw a door mat on Pinterest that just has "fuck off" printed on it and now I want that instead.

I can't bring myself to get one though as we have an elderly neighbour I don't want to offend.

I like that kaitlin when I'm flush I might upgrade!

I've had 7 long years of this since I stopped working full time. I now have no problem in sitting in full view of them (my front door also opens straight into the lounge), or just opening the door, saying "No thank you, please close my gate on the way out!". DH seems to think there's a law saying you have to answer your door (or phone), and says I'm ignorant when I refuse to comply!

If you have an apron then put it on before you answer the door. You can then say that you are there doing some cleaning (duster in hand if you want to make it more authentic!). Helpful for double glazing/home improvement companies (no, you're not the home owner and you could tell charities you don't bring your purse with you to work). When baby is older, always answer door with baby on hip and say that you are there looking after him/her. This also applies to cold callers on the phone. I am usually Rara's sister and could they call back later when she's home from work. Sorry this is rather flippant and the other advice is more sensible but it's gentler than some of the other options.

I just firmly say 'no thank you!' and shut the door. I will also walk around in sight of them waiting but will not answer the door -usually gets the message across! Luckily we don't get too many chuggers round here, although we did have a total pain in the arse one a few months ago who just wouldn't take a hint (or obvious fuck off). DH, who never likes to appear rude, answered the door whilst eating his tea expecting it to be next doors for their parcel that had been delivered to us earlier. Was a chugger for a dog charity who made a big fuss of our dogs (no problem there) but then wouldn't accept that we already donated and had a rescue dog already -and wouldn't let my DH shut the door and finish his tea which he explained he was in the middle of. DH was getting really angry (rare) and ended up being very blunt and shutting the door in his face.

Well as I'm on Mat leave (a week overdue now!) I was still in my dressing gown so I hate looking like some unemployed slob!