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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

YanknCock · 26/05/2009 22:32

sleepyeyes, your POSTMAN?

The weirdest one I had was the guy who asked if I was the homeowner. Yes, I said. Then he asked 'Do you occasionally like to eat fresh fish?'

I was expecting double glazing or gardening services, so that one completely took me by surprise!

ravenAK · 26/05/2009 22:34

'Sorry, I don't allow hawkers, chuggers, bigots, or zealots to waste my time. Your organisation is now on my personal blacklist'

JWs are a special case as they have an irritating tendency to be on cheery first name terms with ds (CM lives next to big JW family). I generally make a sporting offer to swap a 'Watchtower' for my copy of 'The God Delusion' OR one of dh's Buddhist tracts. Never yet had them take me up on it.

Heated · 26/05/2009 22:37

The ILs bought us one of those notices to put by the door after I was woken up after having dc1 by a gypsy wanting to sell me lucky heather for my nb. I was a bit spooked as how did she know?

NigellaTufnel · 26/05/2009 22:43

To salespeople : My husband makes these decisions (this is total bollocks)

To religious types: I am already a committed member of a church ( a bit of bollocks)

To any weirdies: Sorry, it's really not a good time. (Not bollocks at all)

To market researchers: Oh, alright then. 9 times out of ten I don't fit the sample (I used to be part of the industry, and they are really quite nice)

To anyone else: We are just renting, you'll have to see the landlord. I'll pass on your details. (Total and utter bollocks)

Lara2 · 26/05/2009 22:49

Well done!! I would have been alot ruder! It's when they cold call and say they're not selling anything!! I usually say "So, you phoned me up - a total stranger - out of the goodeness of your heart toask how my dya's been then?" That usually shuts them up!! :O

OptimistS · 26/05/2009 22:51

at Yankncock - fish? eh?

Also love RavenAK's idea of swapping the watchtower for a copy of The God Delusion.

I've actually managed to get 2 JWs running away from me! Twas in my student days, many years ago now, long before growing up and having children. There was about 15 of us lounging around in a house, the place stunk of cannabis, and there were 2 small children running around (belonging to a non-student) friend. We kind of (purposely) gave the impression that we had a free-love commune set-up going on, while at the same time inviting them to sit down and tell us all about their religion. I've never seen two people move so fast... Probably thought we were beyond redemption.

Alas, these days the most unconventional my life gets is staying up beyond midnight on MN! How times change!

RustyBear · 26/05/2009 22:55

My brother's friend used to tell religious callers he was a member of the Church of the Elder Trinity, who worshipped Bacchus, Mammon and Aphrodite.

I discovered how to get rid of market researchers when DH was working for a company that worked in the same field - he's a statistician - and apparently that meant they couldn't use my answers. (Also most of them couldn't spell statistician..)

MrsBonJovi · 26/05/2009 23:00

I have a no doorstop traders sticker from consumer direct under the Scamwise scheme.

I still get door knockers...I just reply why would I buy anything from someone who clearly can't read. point to the sign and shut door.

If they have woken my DS then i get very mouthy.

sleepyeyes · 26/05/2009 23:45

Yarkncock yip my postman! Ended up getting the police involved after he threatened to 'deal with me' himself if I complained about him again.
The day before we got in contact with our royal mail dispatch office as my special delivery package (my wedding ring it was a week before my wedding) wasn't delivered even though their records said we had signed for it and the postman had already been and gone. Head office tried to call him to find out what happened but his phone was switched off, they even went to his house and he wasn't there. Next day surprise surprise he turned up with it.

We moved, our new postman is lovely but I still get DH to answer the door luckily he works from home.

ninah · 26/05/2009 23:49

I have an address similar to a couple who have the bailiffs a lot
today an ambulance arrived they had called, I don't know what had happened

movingintothefuture · 26/05/2009 23:53

We are a no cold calling area. Doesn't stop them but will admit that when the door bell broke last month we haven't bothered to fix it. Anyone we want to answer the door to knows this and bells house from mobile. 2 rings means open door. Doesn't half confuse the unwanted others

PrincessLayer · 27/05/2009 01:20

I always say I'm not the householder, I'm just babysitting/watering the plants/feeding the dog. When the kids were little I always used to grab the nearest half finished bottle of milk and say I was just feeding the baby.

PrincessLayer · 27/05/2009 01:24

Ooh...
I used to work with a woman who was married to a builder. He specialised in double glazing (not the knock on doors type). The van had "whatever double glazing" and their house address printed on it. When the husband wasn't working the van was parked on their drive and still they would get salesmen knocking on the door.

thomsc · 27/05/2009 08:10

Laughs - funtimewincies, we had the same method as a kid. My (4'9.5") mum holding back an extremely friendly and happy-to-see-you dalmatian as he strained to give the knocker as big slobbery kiss was all it took to get them apologizing and scampering off.

I find a two year old can be used in much the same way with phone-callers!

Bobblebuddy · 27/05/2009 08:34

hate hate hate it when that happens! Absolutely agree with everyone who has said it - my door, my time, my rules. if they come knocking and i don't want to talk to them, that's too bad. that is the risk they take in their job.

i actually think door bells and telephones are quite rude - like i should come running to any one who cares to ring my bell! what am i, a dog??
YANBU, 'just say no' and if they still don't leave, tell them to piss off. If they give you attitude, ignore them. it's probably their bad attitude that stops them getting a proper job!

simplesusan · 27/05/2009 10:48

I actually get annoyed by so called carol singers. Not those that actually do sing but teenagers who knock on the door without having sung a note and then start to sing "We wish you a merry Christmas" expecting you to hyand over cash!!!
They usually keep banging on the door but I never open it to them just seeth about how annoying they are.

Bobblebuddy · 27/05/2009 14:35

susan - try asking them for another verse before you give any money - they never know more than the first few line in my exp! hahha

lalalonglegs · 27/05/2009 15:30

We got someone trying to sell us dishcloths at 10.15 the other night. Thank God for my entryphone - I could never go back to doorbells now.

branflake81 · 27/05/2009 16:38

Well I opened the door to a strange man the other day selling tea towels or other such nonesense who asked me if my mum was in!!!!!

Docbunches · 27/05/2009 18:45

YANBU

I am always polite - at the door or on the phone - but it really annoys me when you get a cold caller (we have been on TPS for years, but still get calls) and they rudely hang up when they realise they're wasting their time. It doesn't take a second to say thanks and goodbye does it.

funtimewincies · 27/05/2009 18:55

OptimistS - you've just reminded me of the time a housemate in my student days answered the door to some Jehovah's Witnesses or Mormons wearing an apron and holding a boning knife as they'd called in the middle of cooking tea. When they asked him if he'd like them to pray with him he replied, "certainly, I'm just about to sacrifice a virgin now if you'd like to join us!"

Cue a quick getaway .

Thomsc - I hadn't though of the toddler tactic, I'll definitely try that one!

tots2ten · 27/05/2009 19:02

we had npower knock our door last year, it was ds's birthday party, so therefore quite a lot of children in the house, i opened the door with dd3 (roughly about 10mths) in my arms, and most of the children were in the front window, and i was met with 'fuck theres loads of them'

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