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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If a stranger knocks on my front door?

72 replies

Ivykaty44 · 26/05/2009 17:00

And tells me he is not selling anything and wants to know where the homeowner is and when they will be back - I told him I am not answering questions of this nature to a stranger - he then gets the huff with me and tells me if that my attitude he is off, to which I politly explain I didn't ask him to knock on my door he says rude offs and leaves.

I know its a crappy job but why not just say "do you want to buy double glazing" I can say no, then they leave

OP posts:
FabulousBakerGirl · 26/05/2009 17:01

Someone came round the other day and twice I said no thank you to him and started to shut the door. He chuntered suit yourself then and walked off in a huff.

Seriously thinking of getting an I don't buy at the door notice.

GypsyMoth · 26/05/2009 17:02

Bet he gets alot worse!

bumpybecky · 26/05/2009 17:07

I've got one of those notices. It's big and bright yellow and on the glass right next to the front door.

It doesn't stop them knocking and then getting huffy when I tell them to go away

I think perhaps a line of spikes or some kind of hidden pit on the drive is the way to go......

OhBling · 26/05/2009 17:09

I assume he first asked if you were the homeowner before he assumed you weren't?

gardeningmum05 · 26/05/2009 17:13

i made myself a notice and put it in the porch.
it basically states, we do bot buy anything at the door. this includes, guttering windows and doors, any form of energy supply or give to a charity.
this tends to put them off, if not i am very roud.
do not feel guilty, its my door, my time, my property so piss off

pjmama · 26/05/2009 17:28

Don't get many door knockers, but I am sick and tired of cold calling which either pretend to be doing "market research" or try to con you into thinking you've spoken to them before and asked them to call you back (bloody liars). Despite being registered with the TPS I still get at least two or three a week. I am usually very very rude to them and I don't feel guilty about it in the slightest! They should go get a proper job.

iateallthecreameggsyummy · 26/05/2009 17:29

lol just before i read this i had a young man knock my door, he could not speak English and grunted then handed me a card, which said something like 'Im an artist buy my work!' the cheek, so i politley told him nope no money and watched him to head over to alcoholic neighbours house wielding his card
I must admit to standing behind front door to listen as he got sent of on his way! LOL

SheherazadetheGoat · 26/05/2009 17:37

personally i find the charity ones the most iritating. i have had an ms collector huff and puff and practically call me a liar when i explained we already gave.

NormaSknockers · 26/05/2009 17:38

We have 2 of those notices on our door - neither of which seem to do much

Mind you the dog barking or DH answering the door in his uniform seems to make some of shifty looking buggers people shift much quicker

llareggub · 26/05/2009 17:42

YANBU

I had to call the police a few months ago when a stranger selling dusters started hammering on the door and shouting through the letterbox. He was angry because I wouldn't open the door to him at 7pm. When he saw me on the phone he went next door, who also refused to open the door. He tried to kick it in!

Luckily the police came very quickly and DS (aged 2) was thrilled to have 2 very tall policemen in our house.

llareggub · 26/05/2009 17:43

I should add that I felt very threatened by his behaviour. He was very aggressive and I was alone, heavily pregnant and with a scared toddler.

Original poster
Ivykaty44 · 26/05/2009 17:46

yes he asked me if i was the homeowner - I said no.

It just the fact that I would never dream of knocking on someones door with a clipboard in my hand and a plastic tag around my neck state I am not selling anything and then come out with a whole load of questions about who owns the house and when they will be back hmm like I want to tell you that!

OP posts:
ProfYaffle · 26/05/2009 17:47

God this kind of thing annoys me. Had one the other week who tried to thrust a leaflet into my hands, I wouldn't take it saying "I'm not buying any doors or windows" he replied " I didn't ask you that I asked if you had seen this leaflet!!!" I just said "I'm shutting the door now" and closed it in his face. It makes me disproportionatly cross.

Geocentric · 26/05/2009 17:47

llareggub, scary!!

We mostly get Jehova's (sp) witnesses. Must need saving or something.

Tee2072 · 26/05/2009 17:50

This is why MPs have Moats that they put on their expenses.

Geocentric · 26/05/2009 17:51

Will full-on drawbridges!

ProfYaffle · 26/05/2009 17:51

Geo - I just read that as 'must need shaving' lol

Original poster
Ivykaty44 · 26/05/2009 17:52

Ahh now they are easy - ask them about lucifer and whoever created him must have made a mistake

OP posts:
Geocentric · 26/05/2009 17:53

Pmsl ProfYaffle. Although that applies, too

Geocentric · 26/05/2009 17:54

Ivy, I know, they're nice. Just persistant...

TooMuchCaffeine · 26/05/2009 18:00

I never ever answer the door unless it is someone I know. Not even random meter men - I do the readings myself.
We have skanky looking youths trying to sell double glazing, Jehovah's Witness complete with their children, random surveys. I just don't answer the door.
It's my house, my time so why should I speak to people who feel they can just waltz up to my front door and try to flog me something I did not ask for?

simplesusan · 26/05/2009 18:16

Regarding the phone calls if I am feeling on form-ie am very busy about to dish up dinner I go into silly phone voice mode which has my dd in stitches. If the caller persists(very rare) I start to whistle down the receiver "I can't hear you, hello is anybody there" several times, seems to do the trick.

ellingwoman · 26/05/2009 18:28

I don't normally answer the door but I spied an old chap through the blinds so answered it. He asked me if I was interested in replacing my soffits. I said no, because we were thinking of moving (stock answer) and he laughed and said oh no, of course not, you don't want to spend money if you're moving. Bye.

I was shell-shocked. I wish they were all like that. I nearly ran after him and said just joking of course I'll have some soffits you lovely man.

wotulookinat · 26/05/2009 18:34

We have a sticker that says we don't buy at the door. It doesn't put them off.
When I told one chap that we rented, he asked for the landlord's details (he was selling sofits).
Chairty bags really annoy me - I take my donations to the shop myself. Today we have had THREE bags through the door.

atworknotworking · 26/05/2009 18:45

The ones that really annoy me are the youngish ones with a fag behind their back, kinda pretending it's not their, god knows what they would do if they had to write something, not that theirs much chance of that happening. DH had one a couple of months ago who said he had to sign a form for his boss to say he'd been (one of those bloody energy companies) I was pmsl at what DH said it was quite verbose.

We also get blokes saying the roofs knackered a lot and that they will give me a good price cos they are doing a job round the corner - as if - these people think were all thick, I told one once (double glazing) that he should ask his team leader for some training cos I knew the patter better than he did, although he did ask if my mum was in, which was nice as I'm 36

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