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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is this normal...

28 replies

WellLarDeDar · 09/09/2021 17:06

...for someone to knock on your door to ask if they can buy your car when its parked on your drive with no signage on it or anything to imply it would be for sale?

To paint a picture, I have a long drive and my front door is half way down the front garden and drive, sideways on. Someone knocked and the conversation went a bit like this:
Guy: 'hi is the owner of that car home?' (points to my husband's car)
Me: 'why?'
Guy: 'i want to know if it's for sale'
Me: 'its not for sale'
Guy: 'oh okay', walks in opposite direction of the gate.
Me: 'wait, where are you going?'
Guy: 'i was just leaving'
Me: 'the exit is that way' (I point to gate)
Guy: 'i know I came in'
Me: confused expression

I watched him leave, and he turned around and went 'do you want my reg?' to which I replied 'no' and shook my head.

Maybe I was a bit short with him, I feel a bit bad for maybe being rude, but I've never seen this guy before in my life, he didn't introduce himself at all and I didn't like that he tried to walk toward the car instead of the exit after I told him no. I was on edge and in a rush as a work meeting was starting in a few minutes and I've been burgled twice (difference house) and mugged (for my vehicle!) and even had a car dumped on my drive before (again different house) that was later collected by the police because it had been linked to a horrible crime!! so I guess I am anxious of strangers, which might be skewing my assessment of it being a weird thing to do...

My husband (who was out at the time) thinks his car is the dogs bollocks, bless him, it's a nice car, an estate, quick, in good condition, but it's not flashy, it's a common brand, it's not a classic, and without really taking a good look at it I can't imagine someone going 'WOW I want that!' without having snooped a bit and been by a few times, especially as its parked about 30m away from the road where there's double yellows and no footpath and lots of fuzzy hedging and trees in the garden blocking the view, you can't see much of it from the road :s there's only a few houses within walking distance of mine as well and I know all my neighbours and he came in a car so appears he drove out to us and it really doesn't seem likely he passed by once and could get enough information to want to buy it from a glance.

Now I keep jumping up to looking out the window in case someone is poking around the garden :( I get having anxiety makes me more freaky about it than someone without anxiety, but generally do you think it's a bit weird to knock on someone's door, and disturb them to ask about buying their car?

If it's normal then I'll know that I need to manage my anxiety a bit better but if some people also find it weird it'd be good to know!

OP posts:
legoriakelne · 09/09/2021 17:11

Why on earth would you feel bad for potentially being slightly "rude" to some dodgy stranger knocking on your door? Confused

I would be panicked too but honestly I don't know what I'd do next, if anything. (Other than not wasting energy worrying about whether I had been unwelcoming to the stranger knocking on my door scaring me).

Sparklesocks · 09/09/2021 17:17

No not normal. He might have been genuinely interested, or maybe he was scoping out a burglary and needed a reason to be there, or maybe he wasn’t all there.

Blue4YOU · 09/09/2021 17:19

I’d be thinking he was scoping for a burglary too.
Have you got any kind of security camera?

0palescent · 09/09/2021 17:19

I'd find this really odd. I presumed you were going to say it's an unusual car, but clearly not.

I'd be extra vigilant with your security, and consider calling non emergency police to flag up an unusual caller. There has been a spate of car thefts in our area, maybe yours is the same. I don't think it'd do any harm to get any advice they can give.

Akire · 09/09/2021 17:22

Someone trying luck see who’s home and if worth go at window or the car. Very easy but a car these days no need go knocking on doors.

Iworkedhardforwhatihave · 09/09/2021 17:23

I think he was casing the house for a burglary

Iamthewombat · 09/09/2021 17:27

@Akire

Someone trying luck see who’s home and if worth go at window or the car. Very easy but a car these days no need go knocking on doors.
Yeah, this. You live down a long drive, nice and private.

Our house is also down a long drive but around here the pretext is “I think a parcel for my mum was delivered here by mistake” rather than, “is your car for sale?”

WellLarDeDar · 09/09/2021 17:28

@Blue4YOU I have security cams from my last house but havent got round to installing it here.. I really wish I had now. I have a large scary looking dog, but he's literally afraid of kittens so not much contribution to security there. :S

@0palescent thanks for the advice I think I'll do that. Yep it's just a nice car but nothing really unique about it.

OP posts:
Blue4YOU · 09/09/2021 17:36

I feel for you OP.
I’d be scared but time to beef up security,
Can you lock your gate with a chain /padlock for now?

CornedBeef451 · 09/09/2021 17:36

I've had that happen too! Just a couple of months ago someone offered me £200 for my clapped out Picasso.

I assumed they were scoping us out for burglary. I took their number plate just in case anything happened but luckily nothing did.

ThreeLittleDots · 09/09/2021 17:38

Yep, checking out houses for which are empty, or which have dogs they can steal

Whatdoihavetodo · 09/09/2021 17:48

I had this happen the other day, totally freaked me out.

A guy knocked on door, asking if car was for sale. English was not his first language so thought I had misunderstood but he asked if car was for sale and looked put out when I said no, I was totally confused too.

He was in his car and I assume his wife was sitting in the car. He got In car and drove off.

larkstar · 09/09/2021 17:49

It's been known for someone to keep you talking at the front door while someone steals in round the back. I always check my back door is locked before opening the front door.

WellLarDeDar · 09/09/2021 17:53

@Blue4YOU definitely chaining the gate shut tonight!

@ThreeLittleDots I worry about dog theft too :( my dog gets a lot of attention because he's quite impressive looking. I'd be absolutely devastated if someone took him.

@whatdoihavetodo that's so weird, poor you! I hope that was the end of it and they never came back!

OP posts:
Whatdoihavetodo · 09/09/2021 18:00

Forgot to say car is nothing special, 15 yr old, Vauxhall. Which is way I was confused as who'd want this car!

Have a gate so couldn't get down side off house and back door is always locked.

I didn't feel he was casing the joint, especially as someone else was in his car. I don't know cars (it's my DP) but he was in an average car

Whatdoihavetodo · 09/09/2021 18:02

Not seen them since, in fact I had forgotten about it until this thread reminded me!

Dixiechickonhols · 09/09/2021 18:06

Scoping for burglary or where you keep car keys to try and steal car would be my guess.

Aquamarine1029 · 09/09/2021 18:06

If you opened the door to him, you really, really shouldn't have. Never open your door to a stranger unless it's someone you're expecting, service person, delivery, etc. You might want to log this with the police in case other people in your area have had this happen, too.

Biker47 · 09/09/2021 18:07

Someone has knocked and asked if my car was for sale once.

Whatthechicken · 09/09/2021 18:18

I’d report to police, it is strange and it might be part of a bigger pattern/operation. We’ve had a spate of dog thefts in our area, also car thefts (by breaking in the house and taking the keys). I take my dog to my bedroom with me on a night (she sleeps in her own bed though) because I’d be devastated if someone took her. I also leave car keys downstairs, (although police advised us to take them upstairs with us), they not in view of the kitchen window, but in an obvious ‘key’ place. If someone breaks in I’d rather they took what they want, didn’t come upstairs and left my kids and pets alone.

Comedycook · 09/09/2021 18:21

I've found my car on my drive with a piece of paper under the windscreen wiper with a phone number to call if we wanted to sell.it

WellLarDeDar · 09/09/2021 18:23

@Aquamarine1029 I think I need one of those fancy doorbells that let you see who's knocking as I often have friends drop in unexpected. My door doesn't have a peep hole or window and there's no subtle way to look out to see who's there. Definitely going to sort out my CCTV system now.

OP posts:
WellLarDeDar · 09/09/2021 18:30

I called the police non-emergency number and they agreed it was suspicious, particularly as he didn't introduce himself and said it's technically trespassing. They took a description and all the info so they'll see if any similar things happen in the area, if it's a pattern, and gave me a reference number and told me to call the emergency line if we hear anything suspicious tonight. Hopefully nothing will come of it. I will try not to dwell on it all evening

OP posts:
Nixandwotsit · 09/09/2021 18:34

This happened to me - I owned a particularly useful 4WD. Three weeks later it was stolen from my driveway. Might be worth increasing the security on/in/around your car.

RumHoney · 09/09/2021 18:36

We had that once. He actually started asking whether we wanted our drive done (no), then said he'd noticed our car didn't move very often and did we want to sell it. Also no. It was during lockdown so we weren't going anywhere but the bit about noticing how little it moved was the bit that worried me a bit. Nothing seems to have come of it though.