Inches from my doorbell I have a “No Soliciting” sign. There is no way to miss it. It never fails that people still both knock on the door and ring the doorbell who are soliciting. I normally don’t answer the door or even go to it and know they were a solicitor because they left a card. I will watch my camera system to make sure it is not a setup for a home invasion.
My wife went on a walk a while ago and sometimes she forgets her key. A little bit ago there was a quick multiple knocks on the door and multiple doorbell rings. I figured my wife forgot her key again. In the evening I enjoy playing my Xbox and quickly abandoned the game to run to the front door to let her in. We own birds so we have curtains hung at the front door to prevent them from flying out when we open the door.
As I got to the door I accidentally stepped on the curtain ripping the whole thing down only to answer the door to a freaking solicitor asking if I wanted my house painted, do I want my house painted in the future, do I know of anyone who wants their house painted, would I like a business card, etc!!!! I was pissed and pointed out the No Soliciting sign which she said she did not see. Now I have to set the curtains back up. I hate solicitors who do not respect signs.
NRA Benefactor Life Member
Posts: 8879 | Location: The Lone Star State | Registered: July 07, 2008
We have a sign up front in the neighborhood that says no solicitors, and we still get some, solar, painters, yard work, etc.
I just tell them there is a sign up front that states no soliciting, and when I get the "didn't see it lie" just explain, that "well you are on private roads, not city roads in here, which means ignoring it is Trespassing, and some neighbors take it seriously and will call local pd on them", some leave, other continue.
Posts: 24650 | Location: Gunshine State | Registered: November 07, 2008
Originally posted by airbubba: signage as one enters the hoa prohibits soliciting....politicians always the 1st to say'''''''''''" but it's ok"!!
In my town a solicitor has to register with the city and wear a lanyard showing they were registered and approved. Of course 100% of the solicitors don’t register and the city doesn’t do anything.
NRA Benefactor Life Member
Posts: 8879 | Location: The Lone Star State | Registered: July 07, 2008
Mine staves off most of them. At least 90%. The ones that ignore my sign, I just reach my hand out, barely cracking the door, point at the sign next to the door handle and say “Get off my property or I’ll call the Police” and close the door. I don’t give them a chance to even speak. Irritates the shit out of me too. I don’t carry the phone around with me in the house but if I have it or the tablet near by I’ll bring up the ring app on the front door, enable mic, and start cussing at them “Fuck off my property” etc. Roofers, window salesmen, solar (I have 35 panels on the back part of the house), always peddling some bullshit. Then the calls “We are in your neighborhood today doing X and wanted to know if you’re interested” fuck no I’m not. My house is my only refuge to this very vile world and you come here, with a posted sign and fuck with me? Well I’m going to fuck with you back, and curse at you for being on my property which I pay hefty tax on and bothering me. Can’t wait to move rural. Already bought my fucking property. And out there the sheriff ain’t going to bother with some complaint about me point a shotgun at trespassers. Living for that move day.
What am I doing? I'm talking to an empty telephone
Posts: 13127 | Location: Down South | Registered: January 16, 2010
I took down my no soliciting sign and replaced it with did I invite you?
If they do ring the doorbell, I just look at the camera and if I have to sign for something, I'll tell them I'm on my way. If it's not a delivery, I just ignore them. At the second ring, if the second floor deck door is open, my dog will go outside and just stare.
Maybe it's just where I live but I've only had 1 maybe 2 solicitors show up at my house in my life. Yet it seems like it's a common problem everywhere else.
Not saying it doesn't happen I just find it interesting.
Posts: 6440 | Location: Just outside of Boston | Registered: March 28, 2007
signage as one enters the hoa prohibits soliciting....politicians always the 1st to say'''''''''''" but it's ok"!!
That's because it is. Soliciting is selling something or asking for donations. What the politicians are doing is called canvassing, and is Constitutionally protected. You as a homeowner can ban it on your private property, but your HOA can not.
Some solicitors are actually instructed to ignore a No Solicitors sign, as they are sometimes put up to protect someone with low sales resistance and this could be your big score.
Originally posted by kkina: Some solicitors are actually instructed to ignore a No Solicitors sign, as they are sometimes put up to protect someone with low sales resistance and this could be your big score.
I wouldn’t doubt it. Complete opposite for me. I have the sign up to try and reduce how much of an ass I can be to someone. I was happy to see yesterday a solicitor from an electric company approached my door, saw the sign, and walked away.
NRA Benefactor Life Member
Posts: 8879 | Location: The Lone Star State | Registered: July 07, 2008
Originally posted by kkina: Some solicitors are actually instructed to ignore a No Solicitors sign, as they are sometimes put up to protect someone with low sales resistance and this could be your big score.
This is true. I run in-home appointments for final expense insurance. Every single one of my appts is set because someone mailed in a card, asking me to contact them. If I can't read their handwriting in the phone number box, they go on my door knock list, which I really only bother with when an appointment no-shows me. I have an hour to kill, so why not? I have the person's handwritten card, asking me to contact them. In over four years of doing this I've seen thousands of "no soliciting" signs and some way more threatening. Not a single time has someone said to me, "Can't you see this sign?" or something along those lines. Not once.
My two biggest customers were door knocks, both had "so soliciting" signs, Ring doorbells and one of them was even a wrong address. I have made more money from those two families than the annual salary of my first job out of college. So don't think those signs are going to deter the pros.
Posts: 3813 | Location: Cave Creek, AZ | Registered: October 24, 2005
I would have taken their business card, then after receiving it I would inform them that I will be posting it all over social media that this person/company does not respect "no soliciting" signs and I cannot recommend them due to their lack of professionalism.
Sometimes, you gotta roll the hard six
Posts: 4619 | Location: SouthCentral PA | Registered: December 05, 1999
I talk to them through the door. Generally makes them visibly uncomfortable. I like that. When you've decided you're done, you can just stop talking and watch them wonder if you've gone away or not for extra awkwardness. Had some try to get me to open the door, I tell them "Oh, I can see you fine." Had one tell me he wouldn't talk to me through the door, so I told him "Well, I don't open the door for people I don't know, so we find ourselves at an impasse." He didn't know what to say and gave up.
______________________________________________ “There are plenty of good reasons for fighting, but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty Himself hates with you, too.”
