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

[longwayoff]

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.

Bloody hell - just read the helping hands thing. At least one of the guys who came to my door was definitely a scammer then. Luckily I had to raid my son's piggy bank in front of him to get the money to pay him so I doubt my address ended up being sold to burglers to burgle!

That’s unfortunate. We have these sales people quite often. They’re usually lovely. I always tried to buy something in the past but not now. Money’s tight and an ironing board cover was £12 or thereabouts.

We get loads of these. I live just outside Liverpool (so can’t be accused of hating northerners) and they all seem to have Geordie accents. One called me a bitch when I stopped him halfway through his spiel.....he was the third I’d had knocking that day which is the only reason I didn’t hear him out

From the title I thought this was going to be an interesting thread, obviously not!

The most persistent I had was the mobile fish man. No idea if he was also a northerners but he was a nuisance to get rid of! I still can't look at frozen fish

But at least you had fish to look at ... neighbours who were tempted by our local fish man's lovely display found they'd been sold boxes of nothing but ice

We had one here recently. We are rural and it's almost unheard of to get people selling.

He was chirpy and friendly until I said I wasn't interested, at which point he turned really nasty. I wish I had phoned the police. There are lots of elderly women in this village who live alone and would have been easily persuaded to buy whatever crap he was selling, whilst possibly having their houses checked over.

The one I said no thank you to was polite in the face of rejection. I felt quite bad. Didn't realise it was a scam but I hate answering the door to men like that. I feel vulnerable even though I'm not particularly. Must be awful for elderly and the properly vulnerable.

We have really loveable soft dogs who bark with delight when anyone calls - in the hope of finding a new friend to play with. They get even more excited when I shout at them to 'stay back' and 'get down'.

Luckily cold-callers who've been here haven't been good at interpreting dog sounds and usually shy away out of the garden and call to me from behind the gate.

When asked if the dogs are friendly I do look back at them doubtfully and they always back me up with a renewed frenzy of game-playing woofs.

(The dogs are both Southerners)

We haven't had them recently (possibly as now in gated complex) but we used to in our previous house. As soon as I see who it is I either (1) don't answer (2) call out from an upstairs windows "I'm cleaning upstairs what do you want?" or (3) if I have by chanced opened the door without looking very quickly say "No, thanks." and shut the door.

We don't do this in the south . I do declare!

clutches pearls, fans self, and faints into my new chaise lounge

lol

Get about one or two a year. Often ex-offenders, some laminated (looks like covered in cling film) ID. Usually selling cleaning products.

Quite often not local accent (last one was from Middlesbrough he said) - which I only mention because it lends the impression that they have some sort of gang master putting them up somewhere and dropping them off locally each morning while they knock on doors. It just seems bizarre to be doing something so shittily paid and back breaking so far from home.

Last one had a massive go at me because I (very politely) said I wasn’t interested in buying any cleaning products, that the project he was working with sounded like exploitation to me or that it was part of a scam and that I wasn’t convinced it was part of his DWP conditions for getting jobseekers. He was also (as per a previous poster) waiting to get on an apprenticeship but it didn’t sound legit to me (I didn’t say that).

Anyway, he Called me a bitch and kicked my gate as he walked off then came back and kicked the door once I’d shut it.

I think if she’s m in the South it would be natural for the OP to notice if all the people doing this at her door happened to be Northern - surely anyone would wonder what they’re all doing in Chelmsford or wherever.

In fairness....if he’d have called me or DP a cunt, the likelihood of DP offering him a job would have been slim! Unfortunately there’s always a few bad apples!

Thank you Cynara. I apologise for my misleading tone. I have nothing against northerners and have family in Liverpool, Penrith, Sheffield, Chester and Glasgow. These guys, never women, always men, different ones, turn up here a couple of times a year. Today's visitor said he came from Middlesbrough. Earlier this year one said he was from Liverpool. I have never spoken to one who doesn't have a northern accent. I assume that they are from the north.

I am not looking down on this man because he may be an ex prisoner, nor because he's from the north. I have a lot of sympathy for ex prisoners and worked for NACRO for many years. I am looking down on him because he unjustifiably called me a cunt. You wouldn't like it if I called you a cunt would you? Of course not. Hope that's clearer for you.

Last time I had one dd was a toddler and I was being firmly polite when she wandered up and grabbed my leg. He crouched down and started talking to her "aren't you lovely, what's your name, is daddy home?" Door slammed in face, doors locked police called, sat shaking.
Oh and all ours (in t'north) are from Liverpool. How's that for a cliche?

You wouldn't like it if I called you a cunt would you?

If you go far enough North it becomes a term of endearment - much further North than Middlesbrough though.

We get similar every few months, all selling cleaning items and brandishing Peddlers Licences from Essex Police. We don't live anywhere near Essex!

I was told “I wouldn’t sell to you anyway, I’d only sell to someone with a heart. Go fuck yourself” when I declined to buy some £8 dusters. I wanted to complain to the company but was a bit concerned as obviously they know where we live.

Often ex-offenders are enrolled in schemes by which they build their confidence and re-engage with the community by selling products, sometimes door to door. We have one here (Midlands ... )

I wonder if that's the same organisation we have here in the east midlands; they're apparently keen on training ex offenders and emphasise that only the most trusted long term trainees are sent out on jobs

My late father, being extremely tight, once considered using them for garden work - until he found just how much some had stolen from other locals

Every day is a school day on Mumsnet. I never knew you needed to clean your cat. I thought they did it themselves!

Or is that a euphemism?

Op you're rude

They're not always northerners down here, you know, in the South

They’ve knocked here before and i’ve turned them away. We’ve also had the very good looking Swiss saucepan sales man driving a white Bentley pull up! He wants £500 for his pans, this was clearly a scam.

@longwayoff

I have to give it to the North, you may be a touchy lot but you have the best sense of humour in the country.