This is how I feel about solicitors. I HATE THEM. I don't know what it is about our neighborhood - we get hundreds of them. Summers are especially bad, but I'm starting to notice that we get solicitors year-round. So I keep a "No Soliciting" sign up. Which makes me sad. I'd much rather put a cute wreath on my door. But it's a necessity.
Once, this guy came to the door with this cleaning solution to sell. I told him no, like, twenty times. He wouldn't leave. And then he shoves his way inside, and begins to scrub my wood floor with this stuff. I had to get pretty mean to get him out of my house and away. And he actually took off some of the varnish on my floor. Not that our wood floor is anything to shout about, but dude. At least it was all varnished. Until this dude scrubbed some off. What planet was he from? No means NO.
In Salt Lake, I had someone come to the door, selling magazine subscriptions, and I told him that I just couldn't afford it, and he looked inside my apartment and said, "It sure looks like you have enough money to ME." Ex-CUSE me??? He was sent packing, too.
So anyways. A few days ago, I was doing dishes and watching these two young guys going door-to-door across the street. I smiled to myself, thinking, "I've got my handy-dandy No Soliciting sign up. Thank goodness they won't be bothering me."
Wrong! They totally came to my door and rang the doorbell! I opened the door, glowering at them. The dude was like, "I know what you're thinking, 'Why did a solicitor ring the doorbell when I have this sign up?'"
"Uh, yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking."
"Well, we just HAVE to tell you about this great offer we have right now. We sell security systems. Blah blah blah blah blah." Something about buying a security system for half off, which would still cost me like fifty dollars a month. Sure, I'd like a security system. But I can't afford $50 a month, you know? After many, many No's, they finally left.
Sheesh. Do I need a bigger sign? Maybe a scarecrow of some sort???
"Uh, yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking."
"Well, we just HAVE to tell you about this great offer we have right now. We sell security systems. Blah blah blah blah blah." Something about buying a security system for half off, which would still cost me like fifty dollars a month. Sure, I'd like a security system. But I can't afford $50 a month, you know? After many, many No's, they finally left.
Sheesh. Do I need a bigger sign? Maybe a scarecrow of some sort???
ohh my heck! Solicitors drive me NUTSO!!!!!! I would have called the cops! haha
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ReplyDeleteWow!!!I hate solicitors. I'm really bad at saying no though. When we lived over by you guys I bought some purple cleaner stuff because the guy was really pushy. I didn't want to buy it, but I'm such a wimp when it comes to sales people:P I need you to teach me to say no! lol
ReplyDeleteI, too, hate solicitors. This past summer (right after we moved here) a girl came to sell magazines. We felt for her so we ordered 2 subscriptions (which cost us over $100 dollars mind you)...anyway...that was in June, and by November we still hadn't received the magazines. I finally called the company and they said the magazines wouldn't arrive until January or February. WHAT? I told them to cancel my subscription and send me my money back....which THANKFULLY they did. Never again!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a sign up, but I should get one for this summer. Ugh-I hate it! It can't be a very effective selling technique.
ReplyDeleteUmmm I think them actually ringing the doorbell when the sign is up is actually illegal. If you remember which company they came from you can report it to them and then threaten legal action... ya that might save a few other neighbors from stupid people. UGH!
ReplyDeleteOh I would have shut the door in their face or just not have answered. We are not supposed to have solicitors at these apartments in Rexburg and we have them all the time!
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain. I HATE it when they get all pushy and judgemental. And I can't believe that idiot forced his way into your house! I suggest a bigger sign and a baseball bat by the door, just in case.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh - so have the same problem here! I HATE it. Luckily our doorbell doesn't work - so most of the time I don't even know that someone is there - but once in awhile I do - and I hate it.
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing though - most of the soliciting in our neck of the woods comes from neighbor kids doing fundraisers for schools, teams and all that crap! I am soooo going to copy cat those signs.....and put it right next to my poop sign - why not offend the ENTIRE neighborhood!
I've been told that signs will not change a solicitor's mind at all. Just look through the window, if you don't know them don't answer. Who cares if they saw you. So annoying.
ReplyDeleteThe image of a no soliciting sign located at http://karlennandben.blogspot.com/2011/03/no-soliciting-seriously.html belongs to me and you do not have my permission to use it on your blog. See my web page at: http://no-solicitors-sign.com/ I also want you to remove the image from the blogspot server at:
ReplyDeletehttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LExCwRJp6oE/TW3TqHeKuOI/AAAAAAAAJPc/ms0Z0atiGh8/s1600/no-soliciting-sign.jpg
You had to have seen the copyright notice on that image when you took it from my web site and I wonder why you thought it was OK to take it. Are you aware that using an image that has a registered copyright can make you liable for damages? It's not "fair use" and the fact that your use was non-commercial doesn't matter.
I'm asking you to remove this as a courtesy. If it's not removed within 48 hours I will take additional steps to see that it is removed.
I've received an email notice that someone named "Chad" posted a comment but I don't see it here. Perhaps he deleted it already but I want to address the claims he made anyway:
ReplyDeleteWhen I said in my original post that as a courtesy I was asking you to remove the offending image I meant that I can easily FAX a DMCA Takedown Notice to Blogger and have the image taken down immediately. I always give people a chance to do the right thing first so that I don't have to file a copyright infringement claim that might cause them some trouble with their web host.
I don't want to hurt anyone and I don't enjoy coming off like an a'hole, but I will do whatever is necessary to protect the income I derive from my work. Anyone who thinks I don't have a legal basis on which to complain and ultimately, if necessary, a right to pursue a legal claim for monetary damages against someone for copyright infringement is mistaken.