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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

"I've just come out from four years in prison . . .

241 replies

longwayoff · 14/05/2019 16:42

Not me, the hefty young man who knocked at my door, started the above spiel, said "let me finish!" when I interrupted him and, when I said I haven't any money in the house, called me a cunt because I laughed when he said I could pay by bank transfer. AIBU to suggest these door knockers could use some training? Who are these people and where do they come from? They are always northerners and crop up about twice a year with a sob story.

OP posts:
Thecabbageassasin · 14/05/2019 17:29

Why are they called the Nottingham knockers, is Nottingham ‘the north’ now.

I am further north I can’t wait to get out of prison, so I can start knocking on doors.

Notjudesmum · 14/05/2019 17:30

We had one! He’d been in prison for 2 years. Explained why and what he now wanted to achieve. He was trying to earn money by washing cars/windows/doing whatever jobs he could because he didn’t want to claim benefits. My DP gave him his mobile number and told him to call him at 9am the next morning if he wanted a job. The next morning he called dead on 9am. He’s been working for my DPs company for the last 5 years. He’s never been off sick, never taken the piss and is one of DPs ‘best workers’. Some people just need a second chance.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 14/05/2019 17:31

Sadly NotJudesmum there are professional blaggers using the sob story as a cover. They are, as some posters can attest, quite unpleasant and threatening!

AgathaF · 14/05/2019 17:31

The flat caps and cloggs must have given it away ! - nah, it'll have been the whippet.

EastMidsGPs · 14/05/2019 17:36

Last time I looked Nottingham was in the EastMids.
If he was a genuine Knocker from Nottingham he'd have called you m'duck 😉

Wheresthebeach · 14/05/2019 17:36

We've had the ex prison, selling stuff we don't want, then being really nasty when we say no.

The no cold callers sticker hasn't worked either. I don't think there is anyone training them as such, rather just chancing their luck.

PhyllisPearce · 14/05/2019 17:37

We have them in the south too. They can be really persistent

cantfindname · 14/05/2019 17:37

The last one I had was over 12 months ago and he wasn't a Northerner but was very polite and very charming. If I had any money I would have bought from him, but as I explained my pension had been messed up. He was so sweet and left telling me he hoped I could get it sorted soon.

I guess you can't just lump all these people together.

Kahlua4me · 14/05/2019 17:39

That’s a lovely story Notjudesmum. Glad to hear it worked out so well with him, some people definitely just need a chance.

Pandasarecute · 14/05/2019 17:39

We get a lot of these, I now have a sign saying I won’t buy from anyone at the door/ thankfully it’s helped

TinklyLittleLaugh · 14/05/2019 17:42

I’m always totally paranoid that one is sneaking round the back while I’m distracted. I’m a suspicious bugger though.

We’re up North, our knockers are northern. Obviously we get the less adventurous ones.

Original poster
longwayoff · 14/05/2019 17:44

That's nice judesmum, I'm glad it worked out. I really haven't got any money in the house or I'd have bought something to see him on his way like I usually do. But, cunt? Really? Sympathy withdrawn.

OP posts:
Smokesandeats · 14/05/2019 17:46

I had a similar experience when a spotty young thug who tried to sell me dusters. He had ignored the sign on my door saying no cold callers. He called me a bitch when I refused to buy anything so I said ‘Yes, I’m a bitch and you’re a lowlife criminal trying to scam me. Have a nice day!’

lottiegarbanzo · 14/05/2019 17:47

'Nottingham Knockers' is the name for this type of scam (based on where it's supposed to have originated). It has nothing to do with where they're from, where you are, or how they speak. It's on wikipedia and everything!

It's more about gathering and selling data on gullible, vulnerable people than actually selling you anything.

Ellisandra · 14/05/2019 17:48

I live in Sheffield, and I can confirm these knockers are ALWAYS fucking northerners.

I used to live in Guildford - and the knockers there were all fucking southerners.

Quite striking, I could never work out why. Does anyone have any ideas?

BessieBumptiousness · 14/05/2019 17:50

It's a scam and the chances of you being burgled shortly after one of their visits (recognised by always selling over priced dishcloths etc and being ex-offenders) is pretty high.

We've just been burgled and .... Nottingham Knockers were in the area a couple of days previously. We're very rural and we happened to be away that week, unusually and unfortunately. Police won't catch them - anything they stole would likely have already been in the jewellery quarter in Birmingham or in the case of all the equipment in the shed, in a car boot sale somewhere.

They knicked about £2.5k worth of stuff from house & shed and we quickly found we weren't insured due to an oversight (thanks DH!).

Bastards. They were strangely quite tidy though and they aired the house nicely for us...

tallulahwullah · 14/05/2019 17:51

It's a known scam the police told me never to buy from them & not to answer the door to anyone unexpected (get a spy hole & sign saying no cold callers on the front door)
Police said they are checking out the area to decide best houses & times to do burglary!
The police also said if your car alarm goes off switch it off from the key inside as these scammers sometimes give your car a nudge to get you out!

libra101 · 14/05/2019 17:54

We've never had any of these bad-mannered, rude Northern scammers, and we live in the North!

BessieBumptiousness · 14/05/2019 17:54

knicked ???? NICKED! Grin

ShitAtScarbble · 14/05/2019 17:54

We get a few of them here but I always buy stuff (usually overpriced cleaning products) out of middle class guilt. Am I doing something wrong?

Well yes, actually - you're making it worth their while trying it on all over the place. For you it's just (misplaced) guilt, for others, especially the elderly/vulnerable, it's really frightening.
Assuage your (misplaced) guilt by donating to specific charities - NACRO springs to mind.

DragonTrainer3 · 14/05/2019 17:55

We get them a lot where I am (ours aren't Northerners, but people claiming to be ex-prisoners, or recovering from addiction, or in some way had a hard time). They come round with a box of cheap crappy stuff (cleaning products, or household things) and use emotional blackmail and verbal aggression to get people to buy stuff. I wouldn't mind if they were polite and genuine.

The first time, I bought a cloth which was probably bought from a pound shop but was badgered into paying £5 even though I didn't really need it (I had kids in bed and didn't want them woken up). Then I was told by friends it was a scam, and to let the police know if they come again. I just close the door now as soon as I know it's one of them. Other people in the area have been sworn at and threatened, really not pleasant.

Thatsashame · 14/05/2019 17:57

I just had some. They come regularly around here. Its a scam. I just ignore the door

WorraLiberty · 14/05/2019 17:57

I apologise to all northerners who haven't knocked on my door and called me a cunt.

To be fair, MNHQ aren't allowed to give your address out due to data protection Wink

bellabasset · 14/05/2019 17:58

These callers get put on fb quite quickly round here. Being near a holiday area we can get transit vans with men going round offering to do work etc.

puppy23 · 14/05/2019 17:58

Chuckling away at some of these replies - makes me proud to be northern