To find door to door salespeople very stressful

[Myboyonlybreakshisfavouritetoys]

I think I'm just too much of a people pleaser or too British but I find saying no to people trying to sell me stuff SO awkward. Today it was Hello Fresh. I don't want a Hello Fresh box as I'm not a big recipe follower but I swear I almost signed up out of social politeness. I ended up having to basically shut the door on him saying "thanks I have to go now" as I couldn't find a polite way to say no . I'm also aware it's maybe not a super fun job and people work on commission so I feel bad saying no!
Is it just me -am I just really socially awkward?!

That is appalling. What a horrible man.

I tell the JWs that "my God doesn't need a travelling salesman" - it usually works a treat.

I’m live and let live on religion; all I ask is that you don’t come to my door to tell me what you believe! There’s one around us (not sure his denomination) who used to take his little granddaughter around with him because it made people less inclined to turn him away. Proper bellend behaviour.

I’m just rude now “No I don’t buy or donate at the door / or on the street” depending on where I’m being harassed.

I think it changed after one stopping me in the street when I was heavily pregnant, and I was politely explaining I’d lost my job so couldn’t sign up to anything. He proceeded to tell me that he could make me sign up, but he’d let me go on this occasion. I was fuming - make me sign up?!?! Not sure why but they triggered me and since then I’ve had zero patience with sales or charity people.

I either say no thanks and shut the door, or if they are pushy I say ‘I don’t do business at the door’.

charities often get my unvarnished views which has them keen to get away! I remember the shocked NSPCC bloke right after the discussion on here about their weirdo in the toilets filming himself. He couldn’t get away quick enough!

I also do this with chuggers on the street - works a treat.

No, once I realise they’re trying to sell me something, I just say “sorry I haven’t got time to talk” and close the door before they even have a chance to say anything. It’s not rude, they are the ones being rude by intruding on my personal time without invitation.

Gawd! Are you lot all of the Mormon faith?

'No thank you' and close the door.

If you can't bring yourself to close the door (it gets easier with practice!) then the stuck record technique. If you are old enough to remember stuck records.

'No thank you'

They says whatever they say, ask xyz

'No thank you'

They try various other questions, comments etc

'No thank you'

Whatever they say

'No thank you'

DH is awful for this but getting better after he's got in some ridiculous situations. Like a PP, he once agreed to a milk delivery service but for us it was a kind of milk none of us drink.

I'm not great either but it's helped a lot to find my anger inside. I once went to rescue DH at the door from a man from Brysk. We'd not heard of them at the time so DH was saying we'd have to do some research, look at reviews etc, but that he'd happily take a leaflet. The guy was really pushing and when I went over to shut him down he became really rude in a way that shocked me.

I actually think door to door sales is morally wrong and companies shouldn't be allowed to do it. Small businesses is more understandable but not a big internet provider. Calling someone or knocking on someone's door and pressuring them to sign up to something they've had no time to look into should not be normalised because it's how a lot of scams happen. Any respectable company shouldn't be employing those techniques.

In the same way, I think that any time your bank needs to phone you, they should tell you to find their number independently and call them back, because they shouldn't be normalising trusting someone who calls up and says "I'm your bank". If your bank never ever called you and discussed things with you on the phone, then people would identify scams much more easily.

My husband is like you. I have no problems at all saying no to doorstep sellers but I do try to be nice about it.

“Sorry I’ve got a work call in a minute”

<close door>

Some great ideas here.
I used to be such a pushover, was polite to the JWs once and they came back every bloody week. Finally I had enough and wrote them a letter, still polite but basically saying PFO. Worked a treat, didn't think it would. Never had them again, think we are blacklisted 🤣

@didntlikeanyofthesuggestions that made me laugh 🤣🤣🤣 such a perfect response

This. I had no bother at all once I put a rude version of this type of sign in my porch 😊

Banks do say we will never call you about your bank account and if you want to call us do so on the number on the website/banking app.

Just smile sweetly and say I am sorry I do no business at the door, goodbye.

I saw a sign on Facebook which said that the homeowner charges £5 per minute (cash only) for non prearranged callers and by ringer the bell or knocking on the door you agree to those terms! I'm thinking of printing a copy.....

Ah okay I take this back then. I may be a bit out of date as my last experience was over a year ago. The bank called me to discuss an issue and when I called back myself to verify, they confirmed it was indeed them. At the time their fraud info was about how they'd never call and ask for your password, not that they wouldn't call up and discuss your account. If that's now changed it's very positive.

No cold caller signs on your letterbox work. I've used them for 20 years and never get cold called. They're like £3 or something.

I wouldn’t have opened the door in the first place and shouted sorry not convenient!

I used to be polite and apologetic and nice to door-to-door sales people. Then I realised that they take good manners as a sign of weakness and it only encourages them to be ruder & more obnoxiously pushy.

So now I flatly refuse to engage with them. A brusque, irritable “not interested” then shut the door in their faces. It’s awkward the first couple of times but it soon gets much easier.

I just say my mum and dad aren't home, I can see them looking at me strangely as I am in my 40s 🤣🤣

I think I got a fake gendarme once. Or it might have been a real gendarme overstepping the mark.

There was the insistant, loud, banging knock on the door, "Open up, police " This was at about ten in the morning and I live in a block of flats with buzz in entry. A doorbell was available to the eejit.

He was in what looked to be legitimate uniform but as far as I know, no matter where you are, at least in Europe, they go around in twos, so I thought it was a bit strange that he was on his own.

"We are looking for a certain Dimitri."
"I don't know any Dimitris."

More strange questions with me holding the door open just enough for one of my eyes to show for a couple of minutes, mostly about how much I paid in rent.

Then he went off. I should have maybe phoned the gendarmerie to see what was going on but I couldn't be doing with it at the time.

Nothing ever came of it. A mystery.