Plateau Mama Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 When people leave flyers on your door? We live in an affluent neighborhood so I think we attract more than the norm. It doesn't bother me. I just throw them away. When a solicitor approaches me I tell them I'm not interested. They always just go on their way. Others in this neighborhood think it's an offence worthy of calling 911. (No joke.). They post on the neighborhood FB page about a "suspicious person". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnificent_baby Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Leaving flyers doesn't bother me as much as solicitors. I called the police last summer on a girl that would not take no for an answer, then asked about my neighbors: who had kids, what time would they be home, etc. She was from another country, and I was also concerned with a human trafficking connection. I bought a cute 'no soliciting' sign off Etsy, but don't use it unless I see an adult salesperson in the neighborhood. I do welcome kids fundraising for school/sports, so I don't want to scare them off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I had a guy the other day who would not take no for an answer. I was kindof rattled and if he shows up again, I will tell him to get off my property or I will call the police. Not 911, but the non-emergency number. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistiDelaney Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Our house is set pretty far back, so they don't leave their trash on my door, they use a rubber band to attach it to the fence out front. Annoying. But the solicitors are worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Well I don't care for it, but I don't know that it bothers me a great deal. It's just more trash to add to the recycling. We have a "do not solicit" list in the city. You can go to city hall and get on the list. Solicitors need permission to solicit and when they register they are given that list. I have yet to do it, but I think I need to. We get a lot of utility peddlers. I hate those people. They are very aggressive and they lie. I have big signs taped on my doors that say in huge letters NO ESCOS! That seems to have helped because I have not gotten one in awhile. What is an ESCO? Is it a utility thing? The guy that had me upset was trying to get me to sign up for some gas thing. He kept insisting that he needed to see my gas bill and I kept telling him, in VERY strong language that he was not entitled to see it and I was not, under any circumstances, showing it to him. He practically threatened me that his company would just keep sending people until I showed it to him. He kept telling me I was paying too much for my gas and I told him I didn't care, that I was perfectly happy with what I was paying and if my gas company was trying to rip me off, why should he care? I said several times "I am not interested." "You need to leave." "I will not show you my gas bill." I repeated those lines and he still would not leave. I finally shut the door on him. Next time, I will say that I am not interested and he needs to leave- if he doesn't leave immediately, I will tell him to get off my property or I will call the police. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Well, last year a gang of thieves posed as salesmen and watched to see when people were home or not...so your neighbors may not be entirely off base.... We get 1-2 solicitors/day in the summer when our "no soliciting" sign is not up. I don't particularly hate solicitors, but picking up flyers out of my lawn every day (they blow off the door) is annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustEm Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I had a solicitor try to come into my house. He was selling some carpet cleaner or something. I kindly told him I don't let complete strangers in my house, especially since my dh was not home. After that I called the police, not 911, because the guy had nothing to indicate what company he was selling for other than the bottle of cleaner and he had no identification. That is shady and I suspect he was either trying to get in my house so commit a crime then or to scope the house out for a future crime. But people leaving flyers on the door, of course not that is silly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Solicitors here are supposed to have a license that they pick up down at city hall. I don't want to talk to them or get close enough to check. There have been rapes and home invasion robberies reported in nearby cities by people posing as solicitors. So I just don't open the door. Even if they hear us and know that we're there. The flyers are a nuisance but only "dangerous" if you are on vacation. Then the fact that a flyer on your door handle doesn't get removed is a sign to anyone passing by that you're not home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted May 21, 2014 Author Share Posted May 21, 2014 Well I don't care for it, but I don't know that it bothers me a great deal. It's just more trash to add to the recycling. We have a "do not solicit" list in the city. You can go to city hall and get on the list. Solicitors need permission to solicit and when they register they are given that list. I have yet to do it, but I think I need to. All solicitors are supposed to register with the city. We are allowed to ask to see their registration or whatever. I guess that's why neighbors feel entitled to call 911. Of course they call (and post on FB) for every little thing. Our poor paper man almost got crucified last winter for daring to stop on in our neighborhood and take a nap (after getting up at dark o'clock every day for the last 10 years to deliver our paper on time, even in snowstorms). Like I said I don't care. If I'm In my house I just don't answer the door. If I'm outside I just say I'm not interested. If they aren't being aggressive then I don't see the point of bothering our very small police force. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted May 21, 2014 Author Share Posted May 21, 2014 Solicitors here are supposed to have a license that they pick up down at city hall. I don't want to talk to them or get close enough to check. There have been rapes and home invasion robberies reported in nearby cities by people posing as solicitors. So I just don't open the door. Even if they hear us and know that we're there. The flyers are a nuisance but only "dangerous" if you are on vacation. Then the fact that a flyer on your door handle doesn't get removed is a sign to anyone passing by that you're not home. That not an issue in our neighborhood. We are a very close community so even if someone forgets to ask someone to watch the house we all do and will pick up any papers or packages left out front. My next door neighbor works from home and he always keeps an eye on our house, even if we are just out running errands. He is also a volunteer EMT so he gets texts on every incident that happens in the city. If it's relevant to the community he will post it on the FB page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Flyers are merely annoying to me; soliciting is obnoxious, but not an emergency unless people don't leave when asked. I don't normally open the door to strangers. I got sick of being disturbed at naptime when DS was smaller, so we have a Please Do Not Ring sign on one door. When we get a batch of solicitors (and with the nice weather, we may be due), I add a sign on the other door to indicate that school is in session. Like email spam and telemarketing, it must work once in a while, or they'd give up. I wish people would make sure it was not worthwhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Only when we're on vacation and the flyers pile up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Flyers don't bother me. Solicitors do. Especially since the entrance to our neighborhood has a sign that prohibits soliciting! I've gotten to the point that I don't even go to the door unless I'm expecting someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I don't equate fliers with soliciting. I get fliers often. I live downtown in a city so that means menus for Chinese and pizza places. They leave it in my mailbox so I don't care. I usually just toss it and don't think about it. But, I despise when a salesperson comes to my door. I don't trust them, I don't believe them, I am NOT going to give you anything if you come to my door. It doesn't help that I live in a neighborhood where I get people randomly knocking on my door claiming to be stranded and asking for a ride to the next town or asking for cash. I will offer to call someone to come get you, but I am SO not giving you $$ or letting you in my car. Get real. Oddly enough no one every takes me up on the phone call. That is the kind of people you get coming to your door when you don't live in an affluent neighborhood. That to me, is a genuine concern, but still not worthy of a 911 call. I have had to call 911, but that was for a knife fight in front of my house, not a solicitor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 It does bug me because I tend to think they're casing the house and not just leaving a flyer. There is no way that hiring a person to distribute flyers isn't more expensive than sending bulk mail. We get quite a few solicitors here too. I'm afraid to not go to the door, because in our area burglars often pretend to be sales people and knock on the door to see if anyone is home and just break in if no one answers. Which can be a problem if the person is elderly and slow to get to the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted May 21, 2014 Author Share Posted May 21, 2014 I don't equate fliers with soliciting. I get fliers often. I live downtown in a city so that means menus for Chinese and pizza places. They leave it in my mailbox so I don't care. I usually just toss it and don't think about it. But, I despise when a salesperson comes to my door. I don't trust them, I don't believe them, I am NOT going to give you anything if you come to my door. I don't see them as the same category either, but some of my neighbors do. If someone is seen leaving flyers in the neighborhood by certain neighbors (several) the person is questioned and/or 911 is called and it is usually posted on FB. We really don't get many solicitors, but we get a fair amount of fliers, especially this time of year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 The flyers don't really bother me. But they do tend to sit on my front door for a few days because we go in and out through the garage the majority of the time. They usually go right in the recycling. Solicitors-that is another story. I usually don't open the door. If I do I make sure I am holding onto my scary looking dog when I do. I have called the police department to make sure they are allowed to be knocking door to door. We often get kids selling stuff for organizations. Sometimes legit and sometimes not. The police like to be notified. If they are not legit they will send a car to the area and tell them they need a permit and to leave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 There have been a couple of incidents where the solicitors were actually casing the neighborhood around me, so our neighborhood watch likely would call the non-emergency number. One was a lawn care service. They stole lawnmowers and stuff out of sheds! Fairly clever, but... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Flyers don't bother me. Some solicitors don't bother me, but I've had "solicitors" who were obviously nothing of the sort. For example, I had someone come to my door in an orange vest and say they were with a local alarm company taking a survey and asked: 1) if I had an alarm system, 2) what type of alarm it was, 3) whether it was activated and 4) what service it was activated with. I said, "do I LOOK like an idiot?" Then I asked one of my kids to bring me the phone so I could call the police. He literally RAN back to his truck. I did call the non-emergency number. They had received other complaints. Eventually, they were caught some of the people doing this as part of a crime ring. I think calling in reports of *truly* suspicious people is part of being a good citizen and is looking out for your neighbors who might be elderly or whatever and not catch on to the scam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candicane Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I don't much care for the ones that rubberband it to the door handle, it takes forever to take it back off. There was one that some how wrapped it around two parts of our screen door that took a fair bit of wiggling to get out. My dad tends to yell at them, telling them we have a 'no soliciting sign' for a reason, but usually if I'm at the door I just tell them we're not interested and shut the door. The only thing that REALLY bothers me with the fliers is when the person doing it cuts through our yard to get to the next house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 This is exactly what they ask for here. To see your bill. They often act as if they represent your utility company and then claim they need to see it to make sure you are saving money. My answer is if you are my utility company than you know what is on my utility bill. I just know it's bull crap. Once a guy even showed up dressed in a hard hat with a clip board as if he was a utility worker. He was just a sale's person. I was so mad I tore him a new one. I'm not stupid for crying out loud. They are never honest about what they are doing. They tell you they aren't selling anything. YES THEY ARE. They want your money to go to their company for utilities. They ask for the bill because they want to know if you've signed up for an ESCO. Energy Supply Company - ESCO One woman was very nice and told me if I put a sign on my door that should take care of it. They are told not to solicit to anyone with a sign. Interesting! I didn't really know energy supply companies were a thing. I can't remember the name of the company now, but when I started typing it into a search engine when it happened, the search engine automatically filled in "company name scam" and "company name complaints". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 We get only a few solicitors but we get flyered at least a couple times a week for various take outs usually. It's annoying, but 911 has better things to do. It bothers me in an environmental waste way more than anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 We live in a more affluent, but urban and accessible neighborhood and get flyers on our door all the time. We've lived here 10 years and have never had a break in or anything more serious than a handfull of change stolen when we left our garage door unlocked. So at least around here, I don't suspect it has anything do with casing. Usually, they're reputable businesses the neighbors are using for tree trimming, roofing, pizza delivery, siding, painting, new restaurants, etc etc etc. Anyway - I never have a 2nd thought about them. I recycle them immediately or I might file away to ask a neighbor about later. I would think someone was a little nutty if they were regularly dialing 911 about flyers. ETA - ring the doorbell solicitors are a completely other thing unless they're adorable neighborhood kids. I cut them off at the knees in seconds. I never give or buy at the door. Give me your info or I may or may not follow up online later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 Flyers don't bother me. Some solicitors don't bother me, but I've had "solicitors" who were obviously nothing of the sort. For example, I had someone come to my door in an orange vest and say they were with a local alarm company taking a survey and asked: 1) if I had an alarm system, 2) what type of alarm it was, 3) whether it was activated and 4) what service it was activated with. I said, "do I LOOK like an idiot?" Then I asked one of my kids to bring me the phone so I could call the police. He literally RAN back to his truck. I did call the non-emergency number. They had received other complaints. Eventually, they were caught some of the people doing this as part of a crime ring. I think calling in reports of *truly* suspicious people is part of being a good citizen and is looking out for your neighbors who might be elderly or whatever and not catch on to the scam. Yes, many elderly people live around here, so maybe that's partly why there are more scams. One set of scammers had one guy ring the doorbell to get them outside to look at some roof or gutter or whatever issue while the others went inside to steal stuff. Awful. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I don't like it but it isn't a big deal. I Hate, Hate, Hate it when they are on my car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted May 21, 2014 Share Posted May 21, 2014 I love the idea of gated communities. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hypatia. Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 I hate flyers, I already have enough crap to throw away without someone leaving more on my doorstep. I wouldn't ever think about calling the police about it, I just make sure to never do business with that company. Solicitors, on the other hand, I loathe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 We are staying in a hotel while dh is working right now. At least twice a week we get flyers left on our car for the local strip club. I could live with it other than the fact that we have our 3 year old dd with us. I don't know of anyway of stopping it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 It's annoying - i feed them to my recycle bin. most go into a box next to my mail box. calling 911 is over-the-top, unless you've had a history of people leaving flyers as cover for cassing the neighborhood. here they are required to get a permit from the city, but few do. the one's the make me angry are the one's who come to the door and are obtuse about leaving. I can think of only one, in 30 years, I was sorry I didn't have time to talk. they were notifying eveyone they were installing fiberoptic. (nice to know why they'd been ripping everything up!) computer geek nirvana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Your neighborhood sounds like ours, and our neighbors call the police for suspicious cars and solicitors, too -- and we have the same kind of permit law, as well. Our local police encourage residents to report anything suspicious and emphasize that they would rather come out and have it turn out to be nothing, than not be called until something bad has happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Flyers are a minor annoyance. Solicitors, maybe other than children selling for an organization, are completely unwelcome. I often don't even open the door and when I do I tell them I'm not interested. I had a man come to my house once "collecting for the homeless". He had a little collection can with a slot on top, so it seemed he was looking for change or other cash donations. When I told him I prefer to donate directly to a local well-respected homeless shelter, he became very angry and started screaming, "This is donating directly!" I honestly think he just went to neighborhoods collecting cash for himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danestress Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 When people leave flyers on your door? We live in an affluent neighborhood so I think we attract more than the norm. It doesn't bother me. I just throw them away. When a solicitor approaches me I tell them I'm not interested. They always just go on their way. Others in this neighborhood think it's an offence worthy of calling 911. (No joke.). They post on the neighborhood FB page about a "suspicious person". Yes. It makes me mad and makes me feel unsafe. I don't want anyone coming to my door to try to sell me things. If they want to mail it, fine. But I always wonder if people leaving flyers or going door-to-door are actually seeing who is home, who has a dog, etc. And flyers do, if they are not removed, indicate someone might be out of town. My neighbors and I do take cars of each other, remove newspapers if they are in the driveway too long, take garbage cans up, etc. We tend to let each other know if we are out of town. We really don't get a lot of solicitors or flyers. But I don't like when we do, and I definitely feel like people going door-to-door are suspicious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ameena Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Flyers are just annoying - they mostly go straight to the recycle. I try to get them off the door quickly as sometimes they re used to see who is home & who isn't. Now actual people at the door OTOH - they get cut off in the 1st 5 seconds. I am not interested. Does it look like I have money for XYZ from the state of my house? NO. During brush pickup we get a lot of tree-trimmers - I do put up a sign then saying not hiring. The ones that really annoy me are the religious ones. Because even after you say no, they tend to stand on my drive / porch and "pray" for me - loudly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted May 22, 2014 Author Share Posted May 22, 2014 We live in a more affluent, but urban and accessible neighborhood and get flyers on our door all the time. We've lived here 10 years and have never had a break in or anything more serious than a handfull of change stolen when we left our garage door unlocked. So at least around here, I don't suspect it has anything do with casing. Usually, they're reputable businesses the neighbors are using for tree trimming, roofing, pizza delivery, siding, painting, new restaurants, etc etc etc. We have been here 11 years next month. In that time I can count on one hand the number of home break ins we've had in the neighborhood. We do get a lot more car prowls, usually people leaving their car unlocked. I think my neighbors are just nuts or bored and trying to make life seem more exciting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 We are staying in a hotel while dh is working right now. At least twice a week we get flyers left on our car for the local strip club. I could live with it other than the fact that we have our 3 year old dd with us. I don't know of anyway of stopping it though. We had flyers left on our car at a restaurant by White Supremacists. We're a interracial family. Not that it would be ok even if we were not! The reason I said that about our family is because I am glad that we didn't see the actual people who were putting out those flyers. I've had them scream at me (not dh or the kids) for "polluting" the white race. We've never gone back to that restaurant. It may be unfair to the restaurant but if it is a favorite haunt of them, I don't want to go back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessReplanted Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 This really wasn't an issue where we used to live in PA, but it is so bad here in TX that we have seriously stopped answering the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Bother me? Sure, a teensy bit sometimes. Wig me out or scare me to the point I call cops? No, not at all. I save my ire for pushy idea peddlers (be it religion or politics) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBasil Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 I once had someone test my front door(turn my front door knob) while I was home. My dog wents nuts and they ran away. I did call the police that time, but I wouldn't normally. People leaving fliers do make me feel a little uncomfortable though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camelfeet Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Doesn't bother me, but I don't like the "massage parlour" cards featuring scantily clad asian ladies that get slid under my door. Those are hard to explain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 This thread reminds me that I love my dog :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted May 22, 2014 Author Share Posted May 22, 2014 This thread reminds me that I love my dog :-) I love my dog too. The family we got her from he was a cop. He said in 20 years he'd never been to a home invasion that had a dog. I know it happens, but if you have a scary sounding dog it lessens the odds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Yes, it would bother me. It is on reason we lived in a gated neighborhood with a guard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 No, I just throw them away. We don't get very many. We live in a tiny gated community with a very firm no soliciting rule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2OandE Posted May 22, 2014 Share Posted May 22, 2014 Sounds like you live in my neighborhood. It's the same way here. What drives me crazy is the constant interruptions. I solved it by putting up a cute no soliciting sign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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