Questionable door-to-door salesman pushing educational materials
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Anonymous
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Has anyone had a recent visit from a door-to-door salesman that sounds like this?
I live in a subdivision, and today this salesman knocked on my door mid-day to tell me about educational materials for school aged children. He had a large backpack and asked that I give him a few minutes to present his educational materials: books, websites and other materials that aid in school aged children's lessons. He asked how many children I have. I didn't answer any of his questions, and when I turned Jim down a couple of times, I told him I would be happy to take a card. He said he was a college student living in California, and was trying to visit everyone in Fairfax (?). I live in Fairfax County, but not Fairfax... Anyway, I think that was his diversion from giving a card. So when it was clear I wasn't letting him in or talking with him further, he pulled out his list of street numbers, checked my house number, and asked me which of my neighbors had school aged children. I told him that I was not going to tell him where there were school aged children nearby. Lastly, I told him there was a no solicitation policy in our neighborhood, to which he responded that he knew that, had been pulled over by a cop and 'had a pass' for soliciting. He left and I saw him get in his car on my street. He was well spoken and clean cut, but obviously the other things were strange to me. I posted about this in my neighborhood LISTSERV, but no one else seems to have seen this guy. A friend said that she has heard of something similar (specifically educational materials as the selling item) in a other state. So now I am so curious about this. I debated all day the legitimacy of this, but after replaying it in my mind, don't see this as legit at all. I am glad I didn't fully open the door - and have never considered letting someone in. If anyone hears of a similar happening in their area, please post. |
Anonymous
| Why on earth do you even open the door at all for people like this? Seriously, if he had wanted to, he could have forced himself in. If you did not invite someone to your house, you have no obligation to entertain the visit. Say no thanks through the door, make sure the other doors are all locked, and prepare to call the police if they won't leave. And call the cops if you see him again or if he approaches your house. Seriously. |
Anonymous
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1:49 is correct, especially if you are alone at home w/ a child. There have been several instances in Great Falls where men opened the door for someone (need directions? help? Can I use your phone? whatever) and then two men blast in, wrapped the man up in duct tape and took everything.
What you just experienced happened a lot in Fairfax county. As a rule we now have very strict no solicitation rules just because of this problem. Any legitimate solicitor has to have a badge which they are wearing around their neck with name and product they are selling clearly identified - since no one wants to bother with that anymore, I haven't had one of these rackets hit me in at least five years. The racket is that young men and women runaways - usually fairly attractive - are brought down from NYC to work the streets here. They are left on street corners at dawn and told which streets to work,and that they need to sell 3 magazine subscriptions per house, for a total of X subscriptions by the end of the day or bad things will happen to them. Or they won't get their ride back. Or they won't get their drugs. The kids are picked up much later in the day by the runner who collects all the orders and checks. Naturally, no magazines or books ever arrive. The usual approach is that the young healthy male (last one I spoke to) came bounding up my steps, running, saying that he was just talking to my friend "Mr Thomson over on X STreet" and "he thinks you might be interested in this". He has the street right but the name he uses is usually wrong. Of course he has my name from phone records. Then he goes into the spiel about buying magazines and tries the hard sell. At that point I say thru the door we're not interested and call the police. Many of these kids have been lured into these operations and can't get out. The police want to break up these operations, save the kids and send them home. So next time it happens, don't open the door, but do call the police. |
Anonymous
| Back to the original question: has anyone in the DC area encountered this type (this product) of salesman? |
Anonymous
Whenever a salesman comes to my door (in Fairfax County) I ask if he has a solictor's license. That scares them off. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/consumer/education/solicitors.htm |
Anonymous
| Just had someone like this in MoCo (Takoma Park). I didn't let him do his spiel, so don't know the details, but he had a polo shirt on that said something about "educational". |
Anonymous
| Yes. In North Arlington. This cute college girl came by. Backpack. highlightered map in hand. Something about summer research program for educational products. I actually let her in and she gave her presentation on the books. Was interested in only 2 of the books but the deal was for the entire set only costing $120. No sale. If I had know she was selling something, I wouldn't have let her in. |
Anonymous
So why did you let her in? We're you hoping she'd rob you at gunpoint? Or maybe you were hoping she'd just tie you up and take your kid? |
Anonymous
| My husband did this as a college job about 20 years ago. It sounds exactly the same. The students get assigned to a neighborhood (often hundreds of miles from home) and work 12 hour days knocking on doors trying to get people to buy educational books. He actually made money doing it but it's very tough to do so. It's commission based and unless you are pushy it's hard to get a sale. |
Anonymous
She said she was doing research for college. |
Anonymous
And I didn't want to stand outside on my porch in the heat for 10 minutes. |
Anonymous
| It happens a lot where we live in close-in Montgomery County. We don't buy, but I feel sorry for the people who are afraid to open the door. |
Anonymous
| I would ask the kid (assuming it was a kid) if they needed help escaping the adults who were driving them around and forcing them to do this. I would offer them use of my telephone to call the parents they may have run away from, or to call the police if they felt like talking about their abduction. |
Anonymous
Not afraid...just too smart and have better things to do with my time than to listen to some swindler feed me a line of bullshit. But, if that's how you like to spend your time, then you have at it. |
Anonymous
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Im in N. Arlington and had a college age guy bang on our door at 8:45pm a week or so ago. He said he was collecting for some enviro cause.
Our porch lights were off and the front door was closed and the banging woke up our baby. I don't care if it is legit, that is NOT the way to do business. |