What are some tips for dealing with solicitors (door-to-door salespeople)? Our neighborhood gets a lot of them.

We have a “No solicitors” sign hanging on the front door. Nevertheless, they knock, ring the doorbell, or worse, yell through the front window when it is open, trying to get our attention.

We have a Ring video doorbell and have enabled the automatic “Sorry, we’re not interested” announcement after 15 seconds. These pushy SOBs ignore the sign and the announcement.

When I ultimately find out they are soliciting and I ask why they ignored both the sign and the doorbell announcement, they usually say something like, “I’m not selling anything. I am just working with some people in the neighborhood…” or some such BS.

My wife and I work from home and have had to explain the window shouting to coworkers in meetings. We also have two small children who could be trying to nap at any given time. We have good reasons to not want to be disturbed at home and these assholes disregard that wish.

I will write a negative review online if I find out their name and company they are representing. Any other ways to get these people to leave us alone?

  • Sturgist@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    I usually answer the door holding a hatchet and tell them to get the fuck off my property. Tends to do the trick.

    • TorontoPolarBear@startrek.website
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      1 year ago

      Calmly, while holding up the hatchet, say this:

      “If you are still standing there in ten seconds, I will kill you.”

      If they say or do anything other than run away, start counting down:

      “Nine… Eight…”