"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.

Surprised some of you are so soft You give money for any ole made up sob story
There is no probation/rehab/training scheme that requires cold calling & begging
It’s a scam to get a deck at the address,info about occupants,decide if you’re vulnerable

"Children... she's from the NORTH"

There are no legitimate schemes employing ex offenders selling dishcloths for a tenner. Just think about it for a minute. How would that even work? All they're doing is scoping your house for a potential burglary.

Snap, @lipstick.

You'd think, wouldn't you, that if someone was trying to lull you into a false sense of security while they discreetly plan to rob your house, they'd start with a better opening than "I've just come out of prison..."

Doesn't tend to put people at ease, really does it?

Family in Penrith...wow!

Where did he tie up his whippet?

I had a group of 3 guys call to my door who said they were selling magazine subscriptions and one of them launched into a spiel about his journey out of drug and alcohol addiction... while I stood there with my 4 and 7 year old next to me, all ears I said to him ‘I don’t think my kids need to hear about that’ and shut the door.

Cue 400 questions then from the 7 year old - ‘what’s addiction? How can you be addicted to alcohol? You drink wine, wine is alcohol. Why was he on a journey?’ etc etc etc. Why on earth anyone thinks that’s an appropriate way to interact with strangers on their doorsteps is a mystery to me, quite apart from the intimidation factor of 3 strange men showing up to my house out of nowhere.

What is the pathetic obsession with whippets?

They are cute. My northern grandpa had a big, daft poodle.

Years ago as a student opened door to such a scam with a card saying I’m deaf
So I signed “hello my name is lipstick how can I help you”
Long pause...He told me to fuck off and left,swearing loudly
Come back,it’s miraculous how the words flow so fluently,I implore you I called.
Alas he ignored me,muttering as he went

Haha love that Lipstick

Well, a passenger once declared he’d only just been released from Pentonville prison on a flight when he caused havoc onboard. ‘Well love, it looks like you’re going back!’ Cunt!

They are always northerners

Seriously?!

Webuilt another wonderful username! "You'd think, wouldn't you, that if someone was trying to lull you into a false sense of security while they discreetly plan to rob your house, they'd start with a better opening than "I've just come out of prison...""

yes, it's mad isn't it. When I first heard about it, I thought it must be real, because no one would make it up...IYSWIM!!

I wish cold callers would be banned.

I save the signing thing up if we ever have to do cringy icebreakers at training etc
Things you don’t know about me
I can sign BSL (not fantastic but ok)

I wish cold callers would be banned.

Many towns and cities in the US (including mine) require them to obtain a permit from the police department to solicit door to door, which effectively bans it. They can be arrested if caught soliciting without the permit and so stay clear of the town.

no need for them to call u names op if they were genuine they wold havejust said thanks and walked away

its jist reminded me to get one of those signs though im fed up of salesman and jw knocking all the time

But it’s not genuine there is no rehab/probation/charity that promotes cold call selling
Vocational support,retraining etc is available.it in no way involves cold call selling
This is a scam,get a deck at the address,note if you’re vulnerable
Addresses and tip offs are traded a sold on to nefarious types

Here they get a sob story that;

I havent got a penny cash and i was hoping the go down the boozer later..

The computers knacked so no can do internet bank transfer and my mobile phone is a vintage Nokia that can't do that either.

The credit cards maxed out and the debit card was swallowed in the bank machine.

The there starts a real dirge about how bloody poor i've been since the divorce and it drones on and on an on .

So either the poor sop has taken pity on me and given me a tenner or has legged it!

Last time I had a scammer at the door I called 101 and the call handler worryingly didn't understand that I was concerned for the residents in the sheltered accommodation nearby. He kept saying that telling the scammer to go away works for him and didn't seem to understand that a vulnerable person wouldn't feel confident enough to do this.

I’m Northern and not offended OP.
We had some people come round trying to sell shite, can’t remember the accent. Anyway, said, “no thanks” and then went out to the back garden for a ciggie.
2 minutes later, knock on the door: one of the CF had seen right through the window and was back asking for a ciggie. I was that flabbergasted, I gave her a fag.
A week or so later, we were burgled and they stole my birthday money off the mantelpiece

So a woman gets harassed for money by a man at her door, then called a cunt when she refuses to give a complete stranger her bank details.

But she is entirely in the wrong, of course.

I've had quite a few of these in the last few years, always give me some spiel about helping them get back on their feet having come out of prison. I never get called names, I just explain that I am poorer than a church mouse and they leave.

I have a huge, loud, over friendly dog though, he's totally harmless but we have a high up window by the front door and he does like to put his nose up to it and bark when people approach then have to be dragged out the way so i can open the door, so they've probably marked my house off as a bad target before I even speak.

You'd think, wouldn't you, that if someone was trying to lull you into a false sense of security while they discreetly plan to rob your house, they'd start with a better opening than "I've just come out of prison..."

It's exactly the same logic as those Nigerian Princes who write you emails full of deliberate spelling mistakes: If you're gullible enough to fall for that (and in this case look sympathetic and buy a £10 duster), you're gullible enough to be scammed in other ways.

In the meantime they can check out whether you're worth burgling and when.

Dual purpose data collection.