To not want people selling things to me when I go shopping

[DaniEvans]

Is it just me or does anyone here get cross with various sales people loitering in supermarket foyers trying to sell something?

If I want RAC cover or a new mobile phone contract then I can go and sort that out myself - I don’t want someone telling me what I need or should have when I pop to the shops!

Someone earlier trying to get me to sponsor a pet, then in another shop just as the RAC person was about to pounce I said ‘no thank you’ with a big smile.

I think what baffles me the most is it must be effective because otherwise sales people wouldn’t be there?

AIBU to get increasingly cross because I feel harassed by people trying to sell me stuff I don’t want when I go shopping?

I'm with you. If I want to sponsor a dog, I'll do it at another time. Not when I pop into the supermarket for milk and bread.

Just tell them you don't live in the UK, they back right away then.

I hate this. I don't go to Tesco to buy a conservatory.

Scary - brilliant I hadn’t thought of that! Yes maybe I can do an ‘accent’ to appear to be telling the truth!

Agreed but I feel the same about chuggers ‘flogging’ charity to people in supermarkets and also when staff try to sell extra things they have on offer in stores. It’s not their fault of course, they’ve obviously been told to do it but if I wanted the tacky thing on the counter I’d buy it without feeling coerced into it.

I mostly shop online to avoid such things.

Oh yes we had a brand new super Tesco open and they all loiter at the bottom of the escalators so everyone used the lifts instead. Imagine my horror when the lifts open on the first floor and someone is trying to sell me something.
Bag packs annoy me too. However I would sit back and let them bag pack in Aldi

AIBU to get increasingly cross because I feel harassed by people trying to sell me stuff I don’t want when I go shopping?

A bit, because what you described wasn't harassment.

Just a firm "No thank you" and keep walking is all it takes. If they continue after that, it really is harassment and you should report to supermarket management.

Meant to say but I agree it's madness

I don't understand people who pop out for a pint of milk and end up agreeing to a quote for a conservatory and new windows.

Seriously, why would they do that?

Bluelonerose
However I would sit back and let them bag pack in Aldi grin

They'd bloody earn their pound or whatever then, there would be arms flying everywhere Love this idea!

My mum got caught by one who agreed to give her “information” on a credit card for the supermarket via the post.She gave the information and then when she got home realised she had been signed up to the card - thankfully she realised and went back to reclaim the form before it could be procssed

I just give them my best NYDS (New York Death Stare) and move on.

When they say hi, I just say 'Hi, I'm on maternity leave and don't have any money'. They smile and walk off very quickly.

Credit card hawkers in the supermarket really piss me off.

The subject title is oxymoronic.

I ignite them. Same as chuggers

Ignore!!

Yes today I could have donated to disabled children ( he was shouting ' Help disabled children ' ) The sponser a dog people, I could have bought some reindeer food to " Sprinkle on my grass Christmas eve ' to show Santa where to stop ( it was oats and glitter) at a cost of £1.50 !
I'm another who hate the backpackers . No I do not want to help someone's 17/18 year old to go to China/Vietnam/ Outer Mongolia for a fab time.

In our local M and S they have this creepy man who works there who tries to get you to buy the promotion items - Christmas biscuits, valentine’s champagne, etc , and I really hate it - he has a microphone and acts as if he is on an east end market stall, making comments to people as they walk into the food bit.

I always desperately try to avoid him, but he says things like “you look as if you like chocolate biscuits, madam” to which I just want to say “fuck off” but just ignore him.

If I wanted the market stall experience I wouldn’t be in M&S - is this peculiar to our store or do they do this everywhere?

Yes but it's so much more annoying when they knock on your front door when your trying to feed / put the kids to bed! 😡

I ignite them. Same as chuggers

Harsh. But effective

Gummy - that’s a good one as well!

You can just swerve around and totally ignore the ones on the street and the ones in-store - you don't even have to speak - but it's the extra selling at the tills that annoys me. I really resent being asked the questions and having to say No. I'm so sorry for the assistants, too - it must be horrible to have to ask people if they want this or that at every transaction. It's a great way to drive more and more people to buying online, and I think the shops should realise this.

I agree, it’s hugely irritating. I did it myself for a couple of months after uni, plugging a gap between jobs, and it was soul destroying so I do have some sympathy for the sales staff.

One other thing I can’t stand is the store card hard sell at the till - the lady in Debenhams the other week became visibly exasperated when i rebuffed every line of her sales patter and just refused to be drawn. Was so close to just walking away and leave £150 of new clothes there on the counter. It was horrible.

Is that in Oxford, Shoppingwithmother? I was visiting there with a friend and that was happening .

We found it very weird and most customers were giving him a wide berth so I feel his marketing technique was counterproductive !

I've had a fair of this recently. I went into my nearest town last week, had some birthday money and thought I'd spend a couple of hours browsing the shops to see if anything took my fancy. There are quite a few independent clothing shops/boutiques and in every single one of them I had the staff following me about the shop questioning me about what I was looking for, what sort of things do I like etc. I told one woman I was just browsing, she then stood close by and commented on how nice a dress I briefly glanced at was and how she has one just like it, its such great quality, still looks brand new after 5 years blah blah blah, such a bargain at £350!! As soon as another customer walked in the door and distracted her attention I legged it.

Buying my son some presents from the Entertainer on monday and at the tills they were trying to flog us slime, overpriced re-usable bags and then wanting us to donate to charity as well. I bought a coat in Wallis the same day and got the whole "would you like to save an extra whatever % today and on future purchases with our store card" speech.

Its no wonder the high streets are struggling, who wants to go through the trauama of getting into town, struggling to find somewhere to park and paying handsomely for the privelege to then have to fight your way through hordes of people, not find what you want and then have to say no to dozens of people trying to sell you shit you dont want or getting you to set up a monthly Direct Debit to a charity.