FabSwingers.com forum: Young Offenders door to door sales

By *ezebel OP Woman
over a year ago

North of The Wall - youll need your vest

Ive just had a young lad knocking on the door trying to sell stuff.

I declined because I dont like any sort of unsolicited sales and especially not knocking on the door in the dark....

But he said he was from a Young Offenders programme and now I feel really mean because he was very polite

and if he was genuine the poor lad was just trying to get himself sorted.

Do they really have these programmes and are they legit? Or is it just a sob story?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

He could have been telling the truth about being a young offender....and simply using the for to door sales story as a cover for casing the joint in _iew of his next offence haha

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Sadly, it's a variation on an old scam.

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/05/03/warning-of-doorstep-%E2%80%98ex-con%E2%80%99-selling-scam/

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Don't feel guilty. Surely he should have had some form of ID if he was from a Young Offenders programme?

I had a deaf Polish man knock my door years ago selling crap paintings. I have no idea if he was really Polish or deaf but I stood there like a lemon on my own doorstep trying to read his writing in the dark

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By *ranny-CrumpetWoman
over a year ago

The Town by The Cross

"Sadly, it's a variation on an old scam.

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/05/03/warning-of-doorstep-%E2%80%98ex-con%E2%80%99-selling-scam/"

if anyone comes selling ask to see their peddlers licence. it's illegal to sell without one.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

See this us why I love not having a front door.

Crap if you want a parcel delivering but great for avoiding unwanted knocks & guests

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By *ezebel OP Woman
over a year ago

North of The Wall - youll need your vest

"Sadly, it's a variation on an old scam.

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/05/03/warning-of-doorstep-%E2%80%98ex-con%E2%80%99-selling-scam/

if anyone comes selling ask to see their peddlers licence. it's illegal to sell without one."

To be fair he did wave some sort of ID card at me but I didnt look at it. Pitch black outside and I didnt have my specs on anyway

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By *iewMan
Forum Mod
over a year ago

Angus & Findhorn

good luck to him if it is legit

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By *ezebel OP Woman
over a year ago

North of The Wall - youll need your vest

"See this us why I love not having a front door.

Crap if you want a parcel delivering but great for avoiding unwanted knocks & guests

But isnt it a pain in the arse having to climb through the window all the time?

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By *ezebel OP Woman
over a year ago

North of The Wall - youll need your vest

"good luck to him if it is legit

I know, that why I felt mean

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

A few years back now, we used to get young offenders selling wares door to door, only things like cleaning cloths ect, they were very polite and explained who they were and what they were doing.

Didn't realise they still did it.

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By *ezebel OP Woman
over a year ago

North of The Wall - youll need your vest

"Sadly, it's a variation on an old scam.

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/05/03/warning-of-doorstep-%E2%80%98ex-con%E2%80%99-selling-scam/"

Bugger. Thought Id been on here long enough to spot a scam at 10,000 paces.

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By *nJ_NW_cplCouple
over a year ago

wirral

We had them one day in the week. The lad was very polite and it must be very difficult starting a conversation with "Im an ex offender". Good luck to them.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"A few years back now, we used to get young offenders selling wares door to door, only things like cleaning cloths ect, they were very polite and explained who they were and what they were doing.

Didn't realise they still did it. "

We had those here too. They had official looking cards but I don't know for definite if it was legit or not. Always very polite though.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Glad that remark was deleted......

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Imagine if you bought something or donated to every single person that contacted you. Don't feel bad.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I don't believe in any door to door selling it should be made illegal to knock on people's doors without invitation or knowing them personally. It's a pain in the ass answering the door just to find out its a canvasser or a sales person. If I want to buy something I will go find out about it and choose who I buy from. Likewise telephone cold calling they even target mobile numbers now

but at least I can see the 0845 or 0843 number on the ID and can ignore it

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

dont be taken in, i get sick of these people who lie to sell stuff

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"See this us why I love not having a front door.

Crap if you want a parcel delivering but great for avoiding unwanted knocks & guests

But isnt it a pain in the arse having to climb through the window all the time?"

There is a gate and another door to get thru and a flight of steps to climb before you get to my front door.

No bells, no knockers, no letter box to rattle. It's great

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I don't believe in any door to door selling it should be made illegal to knock on people's doors without invitation or knowing them personally. It's a pain in the ass answering the door just to find out its a canvasser or a sales person. If I want to buy something I will go find out about it and choose who I buy from. Likewise telephone cold calling they even target mobile numbers now

but at least I can see the 0845 or 0843 number on the ID and can ignore it

"
I,m forevering getting mobile calls from overseas most of the Time the list gets longer nearly every week you can,t block them thats the Internet for yer..

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By *ezebel OP Woman
over a year ago

North of The Wall - youll need your vest

"See this us why I love not having a front door.

Crap if you want a parcel delivering but great for avoiding unwanted knocks & guests

But isnt it a pain in the arse having to climb through the window all the time?

There is a gate and another door to get thru and a flight of steps to climb before you get to my front door.

No bells, no knockers, no letter box to rattle. It's great

Phew. Youd be knackered having to keep climbing up those ladders all the time.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

but at least I can see the 0845 or 0843 number on the ID and can ignore it

As a door 2 door fundraiser for charity it is the most effective way of raising money for some great charities trying to beat things like child poverty, abuse, heart disease and cancer. Adverts in papers, radio and t.v cost a lot of money and have no guarantee of getting the support as people think will do that later and then forget. At least in the company I work for we are trained not to be pushy so a polite "not interested" means we're off to the next door as we don't want to waste your time, our time and charity money. We don't force people to sign up or take the choice away from them just raising awareness and inspiring people to do a great thing

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

but at least I can see the 0845 or 0843 number on the ID and can ignore it

Oh I forgot about that senario and to be fair I don't mind that especialy for good causes its the sales persons that get on me tits.

I give to my charity (save the children )every month by direct debit so most of the time don't even notice that I donate.

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By *emmefataleWoman
over a year ago

dirtybigbadsgirlville

Personally I think its a bad idea them selling door to door, as soon as you hear young offenders project, alarm bells would ring, its a shame though, if they are genuine and trying to get themselves back on their feet etc....

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Ive just had a young lad knocking on the door trying to sell stuff.

I declined because I dont like any sort of unsolicited sales and especially not knocking on the door in the dark....

But he said he was from a Young Offenders programme and now I feel really mean because he was very polite

and if he was genuine the poor lad was just trying to get himself sorted.

Do they really have these programmes and are they legit? Or is it just a sob story?"

I had one call round a couple of weeks ago.

I don't really like door steppers, but asked for a catalogue of products, but they don't have one ... which doesn't really help them , as I don't wish to have hard sell at the door

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

We have them round here quite often. All with ID cards and the same black bag of household goods. I try to help them out but it gets to the stage where you've bought everything in the bag

The ones round here are genuine and don't come round in the evening.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

He should have an id badge if genuine and a supervisor I'm sure.

I love the banter of being a door to door salesman

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By *ophieslutTV/TS
over a year ago

Central

The problem with official ID cards is that none of us know what they look like if real. Once the door is open you become vulnerable.

Ny street is going through processing as a cold calling free zone, where no cold callers are permitted. I've seen too many old folk scammed and think it should be phased out. Sorry mr Kleaneezy.

I would support ex offenders, as I do homeless in schemes like Big Issue sales. Begging no.

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By *izzy RascallMan
over a year ago

Cardiff

I don't like my door being knocked uninvited.

I cant stand sales calls on the phone, same goes for spam texts and emails.

Its wrong but I usually swear at these people, the texts and emails are frustrating as you cant swear at them as such.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I'm in a position where I can tell you that this is not legit! Do not be taken in. Selling stuff is not allowed on young offenders programs. All young offenders would have a supervisor with them at all times anyway, ask to talk to him/her and look for an ID.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/mar/23/door-to-door-salesman-dowling

Right I've been doing some research on this and found this article.

There was nowhere that says it's legit. A strong suggestion is this is done by gangmasters with a gang of plausible youths, who get paid a pittance for what they sell. The gangmasters kit out the lads with IDs and stock.

The probation service say it is not a probation scheme.

I feel a bit naive now . Bloody soft touch lol

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"See this us why I love not having a front door.

Crap if you want a parcel delivering but great for avoiding unwanted knocks & guests

Isn't the constant references to only taking deliveries through your back door, a bit of a pain in the arse?

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By *ugby 123Couple
Forum Mod
over a year ago

O o O oo

We had one last night, his first words were " Don't worry I am not a criminal" and then after me saying No thanks four times he got aggressive.

Next time I wont be opening the door at all...cut out the middle man

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

but at least I can see the 0845 or 0843 number on the ID and can ignore it

Make it illegal to knock on a strangers door? Bit OTT isnt it? Our prisons will be full of kids caught playing knock-a-door-run.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I don't like my door being knocked uninvited.

I cant stand sales calls on the phone, same goes for spam texts and emails.

Its wrong but I usually swear at these people, the texts and emails are frustrating as you cant swear at them as such."

Love the phone calls. Kept one guy on the phone for nearly an hour as he tried to get me to claim for non existant injuries to me and my non existant passengers. Apparently he saw himself as a Robin Hood figure taking money of insurance companies and giving it to the poor (for a small fee), after all, Christmas is coming up he informed me. I don't know why he couldn't understand that I wasn't willing to commit fraud in order for him to make a few quid in commission. It got rather heated, and I was chuckling to myself that he was not managing to annoy anyone else. I don't think he will be ringing me back. Another trick is to ask what they are wearing. Then start to tell them what your wearing. Its fun for all the family if you put it on speakerphone.

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By *ce WingerMan
over a year ago

P.O. Box DE1 0NQ

"Ny street is going through processing as a cold calling free zone, where no cold callers are permitted. I've seen too many old folk scammed and think it should be phased out. Sorry mr Kleaneezy.

I did Kleeneze for 8 yrs and had 1700 customers. It was good around Xmas time when apart from the obviously bigger orders, a lot of the old dears used to invite you in and ply you with sherry & mince pies while they checked their order

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

had this in north london a few years ago...definitely not legit!

as for unsolicited phone calls,registered my mums phone on TPS as she was too polite to put the phone down on endless sales calls, and it worked so well ,ive have it myself...works for around 12-18 months then you have to reregister

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By *ee VianteWoman
over a year ago

Somewhere in North Norfolk

I won't buy stuff from door-to-door sellers on principle. If I want stuff, I go and get it. People bringing stuff of unknown origin and of unknown quality to my door on the off-chance is not welcome.

Turning up uninvited and knocking on strangers' doors after dark is unreasonable in my opinion. A lot of my neighbours are elderly and if anyone even slightly suspicious knocked on my door at night trying to sell stuff, I'd be reporting it to the police.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

As it states in the scam article, he requires a Pedlar's certificate to legitimately sell items at the doorstep.

The article also makes it quite clear that there are no such rehabilitation schemes, so don't feel bad about it - he was trying to con you!

Ironically, maybe if he's not careful he will find himself in hot water and eventually end up on a genuine Young Offenders rehabilitation scheme, lol

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

This has been going on for years. It used to be called knocking and there was a documentary on it years ago. They used to come out with all sorts but it seems young offenders is what they use now. But it's always the same useless household cleaning stuff that they sell. A notorious East London gang used to run it in the eighties.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Large sign on the door.. no door sales of any type or religious callers.

Filters out most who bother to read it..

We dont answer the door to anyone after dark, and especially if we're not expecting anyone.

Filters out the rest

Bit like how we deal with things on Fab really.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"This has been going on for years. It used to be called knocking and there was a documentary on it years ago. They used to come out with all sorts but it seems young offenders is what they use now. But it's always the same useless household cleaning stuff that they sell. A notorious East London gang used to run it in the eighties. "

The documentary was called The Knockers Tale and this is the synopsis of it from the BFI website.

Synopsis

Four unemployed youths from Canning Town are knockers. They sell shoddy goods to housewives while pretending to raise money for charity. A follow-up programme WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE KNOCKERS? was tx in 1993.

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By *opsy RogersWoman
over a year ago

London

"See this us why I love not having a front door.

Crap if you want a parcel delivering but great for avoiding unwanted knocks & guests

Yeah, until the bloody postman gets in past another resident and almost smashes my door in whilst I'm sleeping after a night shift to drop a package of for another resident.

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By *opsy RogersWoman
over a year ago

London

but at least I can see the 0845 or 0843 number on the ID and can ignore it

Oh right, like the money fleeced of my dad because he didn't know how to say no thanks. As soon as they got one donation, they all came.

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