AIBU to feel uneasy after a pushy doorstep call?

[poetryandwine]

Posting for traffic . Title from MN

I am WFH today and answered the door to a former prisoner. He understandably needs a fresh start but he wasn’t very coherent and when I declined he got pushy.

Can anyone help me with what this is about?
Thanks in advance

🤔🤔 what did he want? Was this a cold call as in for sales, or is he a handyman/gardener etc

More information needed. Was he part of an official scheme or trying to set up on his own

I think they sell homewares like dish-cloths, all legit.

'No, thank you.' Close door.

“Nottingham Knockers” - they’ll be going round your neighbourhood. We usually get warnings on Facebook

Call your local police non emergency line if you felt threatened. It's likely you're not the only one they've been pushy with.
Look up Nottingham knockers, they're often identifying the houses with vulnerable people to target later in some way I believe.

I don’t think it is legit.

Thanks, everyone. ‘help to get back on my feet’ is as far as we got. It took us a while to establish that. I wasn’t impolite but I was busy so when he repeated it I said I was sorry but I couldn’t help him. I think he was nervous, hopefully not because of me, but I imagine my neighbours weren’t answering the door if they weren’t expecting anyone.

He was carrying an old fashioned attache case so it could have contained wares for sale.

Interesting, may I ask why?

Ah, I’ve heard the term. Thanks!

Oh it’s a well known one some guy says he’s got out of prison and trying to make his way, wants you to buy a duster or something

Google Nottingham Knockers, sounds like it’s that, advice is to report to 101 if you feel it’s necessary. I had similar years ago, showed me a card that said he was recently released from prison and was trying to sell cleaning stuff out of a hold-all. Told him I wasn’t interested and he left.

better still don't answer the door without checking who it is.

A tip I learned from a friend. Always answer the door to unexpected callers with your phone to your ear. Ask the pretend person in your phone to wait a moment, that way you can end the doorstep call very quickly. "I'm sorry, I'm on a work call."

Assuming you are confident the doorstep person won't try to grab your phone.

Or simply do not answer the door.

Get a ring doorbell and check who is there before answering, only answer if you recognise them (e.g courier or neighbour). I never ever answer to cold callers anymore.

We’ve had loads of these in our area lately, a couple of them have got quite arsey and one really quite aggressive when I politely said no thanks - although he shut up and backed down the driveway quick enough when my 6ft4 DH came to the door to see what was going on.

This is brilliant.

I dislike the idea of being afraid or unwilling to answer the door. Great compromise and one I could pull off.

This ^ is my approach with or without prison card. If I’m not interested I just say so.
I really can’t understand your problem OP
By the way a police officer once advised me to open a window instead of door and answer through it if I was alone at home and not sure about what kind of visitor was knocking.
Im absolutely certain that this advice has saved my life once.

My DH isn’t 6’4 but he has excellent presence. Unfortunately he was out. Infuriating sexism, however.

I have a European accent that British frequently imitate - badly - and the guy actually did this to my face. On my doorstep.

It was the guy’s lack of clarity plus his persistence and ugliness (see my post above) that got to me.

PS I also like your tip about opening a window, @pizzaHeart

How odd that you were not charmed into buying something from him! Now you see why he's not in regular work. I don't think there is a scheme like this, so he was just a chancer.

I’ve bought a plaque that I’ve put outside my house saying no cold callers, charities, religious groups. As I live in a new build estate that was only built last year and I must get cold callers about 3 times a week and don’t get the message to go away

I'm exactly the same

@pizzaHeartHow did it save your life? 😮