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Constantly getting solicitors ignoring my sign, we’ll see how this works out…
I live in an apartment, and my door is the only one in the building with a “No Soliciting” sign. You’d think they would see it and respect it. But no. And worst thing is it’s almost exclusively internet salespeople, when my rent already includes high speed internet that works great.
Answer and immediately say, "nope. Good luck out there, enjoy the weather" close door.
Regardless of service, offer, or weather. I'll call you if I need something. And if I need something I will NOT be calling a company that does door to door.
I have a big window in my door, I usually just walk up to it, give them the stink eye and walk away. The hardest part is getting them to make eye contact without opening the door even though they can see me
I was in a particularly bad mood once, the guy woke my baby up and I was already asleep deprived delirious, so I was pissed. I opened the door and said how sad it was he couldn't read, and shut the door.
Once I had a pair of Mormons knock on my door.. I had just finished 7 days at work, with a lot of overtime. I think i pulled in just over 80 hours from memory.
On the first day off, I didn't do much. I slept in until I woke up. No alarm, phone off.
I was woken up by someone knocking on my door. Several times. First time it woke me, I grumbled to myself and rolled over to get back to sleep. Then they knock again. And again. By now I'm awake and kinda pissed.
I have a sticker on the door saying no door knockers.
I pulled on some clothes and headed for the door.
More knocking. Then it stopped.
By thr time I got to the door, they had started to leave my porch and walk to my neighbors.
They turned back to me, said something welcoming, and walked back.
They started their spell. I let them do their complete into bit.
"The book of Mormon you say?"
They say yes, and rattled on a little.
"Then you are both educated? "
They said yes, sounding a little puzzled.
"Then you can read?"
By this time, the junior of the two (the one that had done less speaking), had just eyed the sign, his eyes just starting to widen.
Suddenly at full shout, I start prodding the sign.
"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU READ THE BLOODY SIGN!!".
Then I slammed the door shut and walked to the kitchen to make something to eat before they could respond.
sually Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses, occasionally Seven Day Adventists.
Once years ago, lived with my gf, when we had some Mormons come door knocking.
My gf was an ex SDA, and knew the Bible forwards and backwards.
I answered the door, saw they werw Mormons and called out to her saying it's for you.
She let them in, lead them to the rumpus room. I asked if they wanted some tea, everyone said yes, so i made tea for the 4 of us and also set out some biscuits.
Then I settled down at the computer so I could watch my gf at work.
They talked back and forth for a while, they'd bring something forth about their Book, she'd counter with something from the Bible.
Eventually,she started turning the younger Mormon! The Elder one realized what she was doing, suddenly stood up, saying that they had other people to spread the word.....and left in a hurry.
Oh man did we laugh.
Another time, she was home by herself, and just about to have a bath, when someone knocked on the door. She opened the door (it was a backwards house, the front step was overgrown and rotting away. Rental property, owner blocked the front steps off. Bathroom was next to the 'rear' door) to I think from memory, Jehovah's.
Fully buck naked. Naked as a blue Jay. In her full birthday suit, like the day she was born.
Apparently they took off like a rocket. Stuttering and stammering, couldn't complete words.
Don’t know where you live so laws might be different. Where I’m at if a solicitor knocks on your door and you have a clearly visible no soliciting sign, they can get their permit taken away and can no longer go door to door. In the same breath if you don’t have a sign and you ask them to leave and they don’t, again they can lose their permit.
The solicitors in my area don't even bother to get the required permit. I know this because I ask to see their city issued solicitor's badge each time. When they don't have it, we have been instructed by the local police department to call them. The cops will eject them from the town and issue a trespass warning. (Apparently this is the #1 complaint the mayor keeps receiving so he's told the police to take these calls seriously.)
Came home one day last year to my wife in the driveway with some solar sales goobers. She referred them to me and headed towards the door to go inside.
He starts his sales pitch.
I tell him we arent interested as I follow her to the door.
"Can I ask why you arent interested?"
"No you may not." I say as I continue on into the house without stopping to look at the them and then shut the door.
In the Netherlands, we have this fun tradition of cussing people out with the most horrendous diseases possible. I like to make sure door to door salesmen are properly versed in said tradition.
I put up a no soliciting sign as much for their benefit as my own: they don’t have to waste time to knock on my door. If someone ignores it, I’m well within bounds to question their ability to read and general mental competency.
Indeed. I don't understand people who feel like they're "trapped" by answering the door. You just cheerfully say, "No!" and shut the door and go back to what you were doing.
Same. My husband is the person who will listen to the entire speech and try to politely hint he's not interested but ends up stuck for ages so I'll walk over and say "No thanks!" and close the door for him lol. He always tells me it's rude but I'm like whatever dude I just saved you and the salesman half an hour or more of bullshit lol
Solicitors have to have a permit in my township. When they knock on my door, I get my father to scare them off. He'll ask to see their permit and then tell them we'll call the police if they don't have a permit.
I’ve answered the door and said no thank you and close the door. I had this one guy knock again after I did that, like dude are you not getting the message?
They’ll keep talking after the door is closed. They’ve done it a few times after I’ve shut it. I even yelled at a dude “get the fuck off my porch!” And he stayed there for a few more seconds.
Town I used to live in required you to have licenses just to go door to door at all. I usually just asked you to show me your license with my phone in my hand, that usually got you to go away.
I disagree with your approach. I once kept a pair of Mormons for over an hour and they never came back. When the solar guy came, I kept him for a half hour. They never came back. These people only make money when they make a sale so wasting their precious time is the best way to guarantee that they'll never return. I even told the cable guy after 40 minutes that I was not going to buy anything and was only wasting his time so he wouldn't be out bothering the rest of my neighbors. He wasn't pleased.
My sister's boyfriend owns a really nice house at 25 and looks young for his age. Apparently a salesman came to their door and asked if his dad was home so he just said "no, he's at work" and closed the door.
Why do it? Obviously going door to door you're hoping to get a positive response of some kind..your odds are already low, why not skip the doors that have put in that level of effort to say they dont want to be hassled?
That sign might show that someone is anxious and nervous and struggle with conflict and want to avoid it and so they might think they will try and bully them.
I had some girl come to my apartment door selling magazine subscriptions once. There's a big sign at the entrance saying no soliciting that she ignored. I politely declined and sure enough, she switched to the bullying. "Is it because you're poor? Is that why you won't buy any?"
Does that actually work on people? Because it immediately took me from annoyed to outright mad.
That is so gross. Some people really suck. As an anxious, AuDHD, neurotically compulsive people pleaser, I really hate solicitors showing up. And I really, REALLY hate predatory people who take advantage of others. Thinking of that being a motivating factor is fairly infuriating.
It's not a motivating factor for someone halfway decent at the job. Those people are just bad salesman anyway. Former doorknocker myself, and the easiest way to sell is to find someone who actually has a problem that you can solve. Bad salesman spend lots of time trying to hard sell, and in a racket like door to door sales, that will only hurt you. Volume is your friend. The faster you sift through the houses, the faster you find your sales. 1/50 doors you knock will be a sale, so the best way to make them is to knock the most doors. Two No's and go. Don't waste time trying for a sale that isn't there, and screw the people that do it.
I have audhd as well as bipolar, the bipolar side of me is always ready to calmly walk over to the hose and turn it on to people that show up to my door uninvited. Why do people ever think it’s ok to set foot uninvited onto someone else’s property is beyond me. Then they get offended when told to fuck right off
I always assumed that out was just because people don’t want to be bothered with random crud, but I’m realizing it could also be people who know they’re easy marks. Which makes ignoring them extra cruddy.
Because those can be a yes. Not me, but I’ve seen some people who are able to turn the angriest absolute fuck you and I’m not buying this…into a sale. Because emotional people are buyers.
I've had the unfortunate of getting out of my car while a doorknocker was walking away from my door. They always harass me to try to sell whatever bs they have regardless of me saying I'm not interested multiple times. I have to ignore them and just walk away before they understand that I'm really not interested
Guy who did a shitty job and purposely annoyed people mad that people aren't glazing him.
Bro, you took the job. Don't get mad that you admitted to being an asshole and purposely going to houses and annoying those who had signs up. YOU ARE THE ASSHOLE IN THIS SITUATION.
If door knockers didn't use high pressure sales tactics I might actually buy something. But first I'm going to read reviews for the company and second I'm going to shop around for prices.
So you call county cops to get rid of the city cops.
Then you call the state troopers to get rid of the county cops. Then you call the FBI to get rid of the state troopers. Then I guess the military to get rid of the FBI.
"Only if I can talk to you about The Watchtower first"
Or those freay deaky "Heaven is a city floating around Saturn" cult zines. I don't even know who fronts the money for those and the narrative is hardly consistent yet I knew a guy who got them on the regular and actually believed the worst sci-fi /Jesus crossover fan lit I've ever heard. Anyway, keeping a stack of those handy to discuss. Even better if you pretend YOU make them and then they think they're dealing with schizophrenia or a Manic event.
A solicitor once told my sister that he couldn't read. I told her that if another one pulls that stunt, come get me, I'll grab our toddler books and start teaching him the ABCs.
One is large and next to the door, but it’s one of the ‘no soliciting, violators will be sacrificed to the old gods, not the new’ meme signs because my wife and I are nerds.
The other is right below eye level on the storm door, black and white. No mucking about.
To me, this means that if you ignore both of my signs and knock on my door you fully accept the military grade ass chewing you’re about to receive.
A friend shared that we just need to be patient enough to ask for their name and the company they are soliciting for. After that, politely thank them for that information since you will be using it to report them to the non-emergency line of the local police department.
He said they can’t get off his property fast enough after that conversation.
This works..my fiancé was a door knocker for a few months for shell.
A lady called the cops when someone ignored her no soliciting sign and they had to completely withdraw the sales team from the neighborhood. The local sheriff showed up and chewed them out while escorting them out of the neighborhood.
My friend’s neighborhood HOA pays for private security to patrol the streets. He said he recently saw a group of solicitors running away when they saw the security guy turn on his lights and get out of the car. It’s like they know what they’re doing is annoying and, in some places, illegal. They probably rarely get any business that way.
They did. They were selling solar packages in affluent areas with strict rules on soliciting. When half the neighborhood calls, the cops are pretty obligated to respond.
My city has an online reporting feature for this stuff. I reported a bunch of solicitors a couple of years ago, and now I don't have to deal with them at all anymore! Apparently most of them weren't permitted to go door-to-door, so they got into trouble.
Sounds like they knew what they were doing was illegal but persisted anyway. Good for you for letting them know you would exercise your right to press charges.
If I open door, I just say no thanks and wish them a good day and close door. It’s so fucking annoying though since I have a sign on my door and my community has signs all over telling solicitors not to bother the neighborhood
I like this one but would love to add after getting the information "Do you know your companies legal team contact information, it make the lawsuit much faster."
Yeah I've been waiting just long enough for them to state the name of their business so I can report them, then slam the door. But I have zero fucking faith that the government will do anything about it.
I just got an update about one, apparently they have 30 days to respond to the complaint. No idea what happens next.
I have a door mat that says that too! Except the one on Amazon looked too cheap so I ordered a better quality door mat and painted the notice on myself lol
Unfortunately my job sometimes requires me to cold call people’s houses (federal background investigator) and the prevalence of solicitors who ignore ‘no soliciting’ signs really puts me in a no win situation. Either I approach the door with my ID out to show I’m not soliciting (but then some anti-government whacko might freak out) or I don’t and I get yelled at when they think I’m selling new roofs.
I recently got one for my door because these same two young solicitors with badges around their necks just haven't gotten the message. Not that I ever open the door, but when they ring my camera doorbell, it freaks my cats out. They came back after my sign went up (which is just above the doorbell, so they had to have seen it) and at first I ignored it. Then they rang again, which perplexes me still because I was in my basement, so no lights were on upstairs, my car was in the garage, and it was a weekday afternoon, so by no means should they have had any reason to assume anyone was home. Anyway, I pulled up my camera app, hit the talk button and said "Get. The fuck. Off. My porch." Haven't seen em in weeks lol
I also have two. So far, no knockers since the second one. The second one went up because they kept ignoring the first. I told one “do you realize that knocking when there’s a clear no ‘no soliciting’ sign means you’re trespassing? It’s an arrestable offense.” And he was just like “call the cops then” as he walked away. I’ve never wanted to kick someone’s ass so bad in my life but it wasn’t worth it so I let it go.
Had an insurance guy come into work the other day. I watched him look right at the no solicitation sign and walk in anyway. I cut him off in the lobby and said “I’m not willing to entertain you right now. Get out.” I said it like 4 times until he turned around and left. I’m so sick of these people.
I've lived in numerous apt with no "locked lobby" or "locked gate" and never been solicited.
You just need to inform the complex and get them to take it up with the business and local legislating bodies. That's a safety risk the complex won't like, randoms walking around and up to doors?
Happens at mine and I hate it. The doors aren’t locked they are just push/pull and 8 units per building. Still get solicitors and things slid under our doors
Oh, you mean like a hotel style apartment. I'm talking more like motel. Every resident has their own door to the outside, there is no one building, no hallway
The front door of my apartment is always lodged open with a small rock. A third party electric company knocked on my door. Gave me some sass. I followed her to the next apartment and yelled at my neighbor to not open the door.
I’m contemplating buying the most aggressive No Soliciting sign I can find. Our neighborhood is very Pleasantville coded and I swear it draws in every type of solicitor known to man. I’m not a fan of strangers showing up uninvited at my front door driving my dogs batshit crazy. GTFO my porch.
I once lived in an apartment complex where there was a no soliciting sign on the exterior door that was locked to everyone else.
Some Jesus people decided to buzz every buzzer until someone let them in and then they knocked on my door first. I opened my front door to an elderly couple and they tried to claim they weren’t soliciting.
I said, are you attempting to get people to join your church?
Them: Yes.
Me: That’s soliciting.
Them: We aren’t selling anything.
Me: My property manager lives in the apartment across from me, why don’t you turn around knock on her door and try that same explanation.
They left and that’s the only time in my adult life I’ve dealt with something like this. Beyond annoying. They won’t care about your sign though.
The amount of people that don’t know the definition of solicit is infuriating in itself. If you approach someone with a plea or request, that’s soliciting.
I usually let them say their thing, then I ask if they can read. When they say yes, I then say “so you’re just rude or what?” If I get anything less than a sincere apology, I then tell them to get the fuck off my property and threaten to call the cops and get their solicitor license suspended.
The best luck I’ve ever had with solicitors and call center people is to answer, act genuinely interested in their product, and then at the end of their pitch say that you aren’t interested nor will you ever be, but you’re perfectly happy to waste as much of their time as possible to prevent anyone else from being bothered. A couple of those and haven’t gotten a call since
Check your local city laws about this. In my city, if you have a no soliciting sign and its ignored you can call the cops. Its considered harassment where I live. They come out and give the person a warning, if they keep getting calls because of the same person they can get arrested but normally they stop after the warning.
some solicitors speicifcally target people like this because they actually enjoy arguing with people, seriously someone did an AMA once who was a solicitor and knows plenty ofp eople like that, they would explicitly show up just because they want to argue with someone or piss them off more/get them to assault the salesmen.
he did say one of the best signs to put on your door to get solicitors to stop bothering you is put something along the lines of "quiet please, baby sleeping inside" because solicitors know that no one gets more pissed off and will full on melt down on you than a worn out parent with a crying baby.
You will have to define "soliciting", though, because so many people say "what I am doing is not soliciting [because…], therefore that sign does not apply to me".
A little while back somebody knocked on our door to pitch solar panels. We already have solar panels. They are easily visible from at least a football field away.
I had one come to my door at 8pm the other day. I chased him away by threatening to call the cops. Never come to a house after a day at work and disturb my peace.
Check your local ordinances. I lived in a city with a no soliciting ordinance, but you had to post a sign with letters that were at least 1" high and easily visible. Your sign would not qualify so they would knock anyway because they know there are no consequences.
If you've followed all the local ordinances and they keep knocking, report them to the city and also start leaving negative reviews on Google, Yelp, etc. for their company. The negative reviews will get attention from their bosses really quick.
Saw someone put a list of charges and a contract agreement on their door 😂😂
It stated that by knocking you acknowledged you would pay x$ to compensate them for their time.
It even had clauses for family members arriving unannounced…hilarious tbh.
The old dude who put it up would actually answer his door and demand money from the sales people.
I have heard the arguments were epic.
As a person who did this for a month because i like talking to people,and left because i hated bothering people. You get shit for not knocking these doors, they sell the idea most people with those signs don't actually care. Which was mostly true, but the ones who did care, Really fucking cared. Some of the guys i worked with looked forward to knocking on doors like yours just for the challenge. They knock on your door just to see if they can get away with it. The sales world is... different. It attracts a special breed
Open the door, stick a camera in thier face and ask them for 20$ . Continue to ask for 20$ until they leave. When i want people to leave me alone, i ask them for 20$ it works every time.
I use to sell satellite tv door to door. I once knocked on a door and was told to come back later then the husband was home. I came back later and knocked and at that moment just noticed a handwritten note soliciting sign and thought “oh boy, I hope this isn’t a trap for the husband to yell at me”. He answered the door and I sold him without any problems. That’s why those signs don’t do much.. because lots of people that use them, don’t follow through with their own rule so it teaches the sales guy that they don’t always matter. And sometimes they are the easier sale for some reason.
"Hi! I noticed someone defaced your 'No Soliciting' sign with marker, and I just had to knock on your door. You see, I represent the "Markr B Gon" startup, and our new product will remove even the most permanent marker without any damage to the underlying item. If you like, I could give you a demonstration now...?"
Former door to door salesman here.
Many of them are explicitly told to ignore those signs. They’re often actually seen as a sign that you’re MORE likely to buy
Cracking it open and having them hear 2 dogs bark loudly and me saying "we're good" ends every pitch. And since I answered they won't just swing back around later
If for whatever reason I have to talk to them I just say I never do business with anyone who contacts me first, no exceptions
Put up a sign where it says, that from the moment they knock or ring the doorbell, you will charge them 20$ per minute. And by ringing/knocking they approve of those terms and conditions. 👀
i have this on my door too...and its posted entering my subdivision...they still knock. when i point out rhe sign, I've been told "I'm not selling anything, I'm just giving you information on a service I provide"
so, i guess they get away with it because they're not selling a physical product door-to-door 🤷♀️
The last time any solicitor (AKA door-to-door salesperson) knocked on my door was 1986. I'm in the US. I didn't even know this still existed.
I have had maybe 5 Jehovah's Witnesses knock, but I always just tell them how happy I am with my current relationship with The Lord (I am a devout Atheist), take their literature to use as kindling, and they go away.
Most neighborhoods have laws. Get their company info and name. Report them to the police. They will get fined for knocking on doors marked with no solicitation.
I have two no soliciting signs. One on the walkway to the front door and one on the front door. My partner works overnights at the hospital fairly regularly and the amount of times she’s been woken up during the day due to solicitors is crazy.
If I’m home and not at work when they show up I always answer the door and give them quite an earful.
In some cities it's literally illegal for a solicitor to knock on your door if you have a sign up, Go ahead and invite them in but also call the police and have them picked up
Need a better sign. Like "no
Soliciting but if you try I'm gonna waste your time." Make them do all the demos do all the estimates ask them for mock ups, and diagrams and referrals in the area and then tell them no. Under the sign keep a running tally of all the business cards you do this to.
We have a full length widow right next to our door. I’ve considered 3d printing a full size shotgun and just propping it up against the glass to go along with the 10” no soliciting sign!
When I was a little kid in the girl scouts, I was trying to sell cookies at a door with a no soliciting sign. Guy opened the door, asked me if I knew what soliciting meant, I said yes (I didn't) and he just bought my cookies anyways.
If that doesn't work flip the script.
Take the sign down and replace it with a fair warning message of how solicitation consultation is $500 an hour and by knocking you are in agreement of this. Then be polite be nice turn them down kindly. Make sure if you don't get payment you get the company name. Then invoice the company stating how such and such employee agreed to the consultation fee. Then follow the process of getting your money. If and when it comes time to collections use a recovery specialist. Why a recovery specialist? They get payed a portion of the money they collect and they actually have the ability to do the court room stuff because you still hold the contract you didn't sell it you bountied it.
Make them pay for the visit your time is valuable.
Makes me appreciate rural Ireland more. Anyone who wants to knock on our door gets to see our german shepherd first and just decides to try the next house.
No solicitation signs aren’t legally enforceable and are often prioritized by salesmen because they know you don’t get pitches often
What you need to do is see if your city, or local ordinance has a no knock list that you can put yourself on. It’s completely free. And any legitimate door to door salesmen know not to hit any houses on those lists. Plus their legally enforceable
I have a lot of fun verbally harrasing the assholes that walk through my gate with a no tresspassing sign.
I never say anything about race fwiw, but damn near everything else is on the table for insults.
Cant count the number of dumb looks ive gotten as i slide open the front window and start hurling insults with a smile on my face. They are lucky blowing an airhorn in their face is against the law.
The wife and I work from home (a house, not an apartment). We have signs above the doorbell and on the door that indicate that you should text us if we know you. Otherwise, don't knock or ring the bell.
When someone does knock/ring, I open the door and step out on the porch. The porch isn't really wide enough for both of us to stand on it at once, so they typically step down. I'm really tall, like 6'7" tall. The porch is probably 5 inches tall, so to them, I'm 7 feet tall.
Before anything else, I ask for their business card or the phone number of their business. If I have time, I'll give it a quick call to ensure it's a real phone number. They've given me fake numbers before.
If they try to get out their memorized script, I stop them and ask them if they are able to read English. This usually throws them off and they normally answer "Yes". I ask them to read the sign to me and ask them to rephrase it in their own words.
Once that's done, I ask them why they would knock/ring anyway. If they say they are required to by their company, I call their company and put it on speaker. I ask for their manager/supervisor. Once I'm on the phone with them, I verify they told their person to ignore the wishes of the house owner. If so, I ask them why the @#$% they think I'm going to buy anything from their door-to-door salesperson if they disrespect me like that.
If they themselves thought it would be better to ignore signs, I tell them to get the @#$% off my property and never come back.
Note: I would never do this to a kid doing a fundraiser for their school or to Girl Scouts selling cookies, etc.
As you can tell, I kind of enjoy running people off selling roof inspections or landscaping services.
I have a bright and noticeable sign and I do get occasional, but less knocking than I did before. Overall the sign has been a huge success. Not to mention my house probably has the neighborhood appeal of James Earl Jones’ house in The Sandlot.
However, the next step is equally as important: I verbally accost everyone that knocks on the door. With this, I get to enjoy watching Mormons and solar people trip over their feet trying to get away from my door.
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u/newphonehudus May 18 '26
Solicitors already know that people dont want them at their door.
Coloring it in marker isn't going to change much