"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.

I just don't answer the door unless I know who it is

We had the fish van a couple of years ago. Their accents were like in "Vera". Being as thick as shit, totally knackered, and with two toddlers trying to escape out the front garden, I had a nice long chat about cod and salmon steaks, then bought some by credit card. (Told you I was thick).

My neighbour popped over and started chatting with me. Looking back now, the atmosphere changed quickly and they packed up and left sharpish.

About a Year later, I got a Trading Standards Office letter with questions about the men, the van, the fish, etc. there had recently been a death in my family, and I just had no energy left for anything. So I didn't fill it in. The fish was hortible when defrosted.

We used to get the young lads with cleaning products. They always sounded local, and were polite. I bought dusters a couple of times.

I don't answer the door now unless it's simeone I'm expecting and they've phoned me from the doorstep.

I had someone knock on my door years ago (northern but I lived in the north!) saying he had just come out of prison and didn't want to claim benefits, so could I give some odd jobs, when I said no he said to give him a tenner as he had kids to feed. Said I didn't have cash but could give him some tins and a loaf of bread. He said no but there's a 'cashpoint down the road'. I lost it completely at him, he told me to fuck off and he scarpered! Tbf, I was literally on the breadline, I wasn't eating to make sure I could feed my daughter, she was in and out of hospital and she would scream 'mom' around 20 hours a day (ASD) as a SP with no support I had averaged a couple of hours sleep a night for 2 years. I had just got back from walking a 3hr round-trip to the hospital as I couldn't afford the bus fare. I just couldn't take any more, I was more annoyed that I was taken in by his story.

But I haven't had anyone knock for years....

I do check before answering the door but I thought he was delivering my prescription. My house is a bit 'all fur coat and no knickers', looks like a likely prospect from outside but nothing of value inside.

Ha we get the same one's round 'I was a bad lad in my time and now I'm trying to get back into work' or something like that. Some of them try chatting you up to get you buy. Amusing as I'm overweight and no one else has chatted me up for at least 10 years :D

I once asked for the cheapest item in their suitcase/holdall, it was £4.95 for a screen wiper :-O

There is usually two of them and one handler. Last year one of them befriended an old lady and nicked her purse in the next village. My neighbour (a member of neighbourhood watch) was told to ring 101 whenever they appear. I used to be a bit sceptical about if they were actually legit, and amused by their spiel until then, now I would happily ring 101 to protect the older people in the village (not my elderly neighbour though, she's fierce enough to see off a platoon of doorsteppers).

Haven't come across the fish van and never before heard of the Bentley driving saucepan seller. £500! I recall seeing someone on Come Dine With Me who said her perfectly ordinary looking saucepans had cost £1k. Perhaps she'd met him.

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.

Yes, I don't doubt that the lads themselves really have recently been released from prison and are finding it very hard to find work. Their weakness is exploited, to exploit you.

Out of interest, what are they looking for in terms of scoping the house? I mean, what can they see from the doorstep?

Whether your home is unoccupied during the day. Likewise your neighbours. How secure your door is. Whether there's a dog. Then, whether you seem like the sort of gullible person who can be exploited by other scammers, or befriended.

I should add that I've thought about this because they've visited a lot of times and the first time I did buy something small. Then called the probation service mentioned, to ask if there was such a scheme. They have ID cards that just say who they are, not who is running their 'scheme'.

Had a load of them around our way the other day. A couple of them were dropped off by a car, whose driver thought it was acceptable to dump his litter all over the pathway before they drove off. Anyway, saw one of the door knockers on the pathway at the back of our house not long after, shoving white powder up his nose before setting off on his rounds. We did not answer the door.

We've had the fish van man too. Had a really interesting conversation with him after I had stated I was a vegetarian and he said he thought we ate fish, I pointed out that was a pescatarian, he wanted to know more so I ran through what vegetarians, pescatarians and vegans would and would not eat. Was a nice chat. Didn't get any money out of me, but did get a bit of free education.

I'm in London & they do all seem to be northern, I guess they send the Londoners up north?

A nasty version happening more round here is barging into the house to grab car keys if close enough or scoping out where they are to steal through letter box later.

I always shut them down quickly & let them know I don't donate/buy on doorstep.

I just look sad and say I’ve lost my job. Never had any abuse.

I don’t mention it was several years ago.

@cremant

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?

Yes you are, actually. They are lying and scamming, and so you are encouraging them and their other criminal activities. They are not part of any recognised rehabilitation scheme, no matter what they tell you. They are looking for vulnerable victims to prey on at a later date.

The police (tel 101) should be informed if they're in your area, and you should notify your neighbours if you can (perhaps if you have a social media group). Imagine a young or elderly person answering the door and getting coerced into buying shit they don't need, from a criminal.

A polite 'We don't buy at the door' might get you a 'Fuck you' but the ones who do our area are usually quite polite... but we always call the police.

Google Nottingham Knockers

(and remember folks, not all scammers are Northern and not all Northerners are scammers)

The fish man was going round the neighbouring village. Well he must have been dodgy because he was selling “fish” to some then he changed to “meat”. I will tell my friend it was probably ice he was selling, they couldn’t work out what the scam was, it had decided it was a scam as he’d changed from fish to meat.

We have northerners knocking to sell items after a prison spell. Last time a young lad selling sponges! We also refer to them as the Nottingham knockers. Live in a small village in the south and get them once a year.

The other ones we get are from battersea dogs home. Wear blue tabards. I refused to open the door to one and he swore through the letterbox me, very aggressively.

Then I saw them in my elderly neighbours garden, they’d managed to get into her garden chatting to her and one was looking all around at her upstairs window. I was almost hanging out of mine staring at him, he soon disappeared when he saw I’d clocked him.

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

Oh my god, county lines for cleaning products! 😱😂

We regularly get these, usually always midweek when I’m home alone. I usually say politely “oh, I’m sorry love I’m just on my way to pick the kids up from school” as I don’t want them to come back and rob us blind if that’s their game! But a while back my dh was here and told him abruptly we didn’t want anything, the lad turned very nasty and DH shouted “fuck off before i call the police”! A car then swerved round the corner and he jumped in and sped off! I was terrified they’d come back and do us over but nothing happened!
The most recent one that came couldn’t look me in the eye while he spoke and seemed really shy - I felt really sorry for him but i don’t know if it’s a ploy. I once bought a feather duster for £15!!(so embarrassed to admit that)!

Oh my god, county lines for cleaning products!

Well essentially, yes, nail on head. But not for the cleaning products.

We have them (South Manchester) quite often. Last two times they have had Teesside accents and said they were on post offending schemes. I know its a scam really but to be honest I just feel sorry for them. It always seems to be dark and wet and it's got to be a shit way of earning their cut. Hence a cupboard full of over priced tea towels.

Human trafficking/modern day slavery

Just a thought, are those of us who are victims of all this Nottingham Knockery, mainly residents of reasonably affluent areas?

I had one yesterday -funnily enough also from Middlesbrough. Dog barked his head off upstairs - he’s tiny but sounds big, so said, sorry I’ve got to take the rotty’s Out now (he’s more King Charles spaniel size)

The only people I’ve had knock at my door trying to flog stuff have been southerners. Cockneys no less! Quite brave of them to venture this far north to be honest

If an elderly person agrees to buy something, toddles off and comes back with a flat £10 note that looks or smells like it's been stored with other notes for a while, they'll sell the address on and the house will be burgled shortly afterwards. Always report on 101.