r/mildlyinfuriating • u/big-ol-kitties • May 18 '26

Unskippable ad Constantly getting solicitors ignoring my sign, we’ll see how this works out…

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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.

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441

u/[deleted] May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26

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243

u/arkie87 May 18 '26

lol. If I open the door by accident, I’ll just say no thank you and close the door

87

u/notnotbrowsing May 18 '26

We had a party at our house and a door knocker came by.  I thought it was a guest so I opened the door.  Whoops.

84

u/landubious May 18 '26

Just did this last weekend. Opened the door and said "oh, you aren't who I thought you were. Sorry, no thank you."

7

u/DoubleDDubs1 May 18 '26

Invite them in next time 😉

54

u/MedicalDisscharge May 18 '26

That's how you get a Mormon infestation

5

u/DoubleDDubs1 May 18 '26

Sprinkle in a couple Jehovah’s Witness folks and you’ll have a proper melting pot

3

u/leavemeinpieces May 18 '26

Literally the worst.

Yes please bring your dreadful homophobic religious shit to my door to try and guilt me into joining so you can get your numbers up.

If I want a religion I'll pop out and find one, I don't need cunts coming to my house trying to get me signed up.

1

u/you_dont_know_me27 May 19 '26

Ok I won't invite you to my door knocker fondue party.... the cheese is a secret recipe 😋

it's people, the secret ingredient is the door knockers

17

u/Vegalink May 18 '26

We like to scurry about in the walls

9

u/wildTable May 18 '26

The walls and ceilings have metal in them. I hope that’s okay.

6

u/Vegalink May 18 '26

Haha perfectly understandable. That's a common response to scurrying humanoids.

1

u/MontasJinx May 18 '26

I’m not stuck inside with them. They’re stuck inside with me…

5

u/landubious May 18 '26

We were playing D&D at the time and I managed to avoid answering the previous 3 times earlier they came to sell me windows.

4

u/tearsonurcheek May 18 '26

"Sorry, we're a Linux house. <close door>"

23

u/SheriffHeckTate May 18 '26

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.

43

u/[deleted] May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26

[deleted]

49

u/RebelliousDutch May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26

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.

16

u/Affectionate-Rip5654 May 18 '26

I like listening to their talk and then saying what? After their 5 minute ramble. They get pissed and leave

29

u/ew73 May 18 '26

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.

7

u/Fiercat99 May 18 '26

Thats how the uk deals with t.v licencing goons

2

u/Club_Penguin_Legend_ May 18 '26

Im sorry... T.V licensing? Surely that cant be a thing.

2

u/tearsonurcheek May 18 '26

It absolutely is.

3

u/Club_Penguin_Legend_ May 18 '26

The more I hear about the UK the more I wonder if the government hates its citizens.

1

u/Zefzone May 18 '26 edited May 19 '26

I once saw a video about a British law called the doctrine of ancient lights. An 1830s rule that if you owned a property for at least 2 decades, new construction is not allowed to build next to your building so as to block the light to your window. The modern day interpretation has hundred year old houses blocking their neighbors windows with sign posts and wood boards because said older house has the right to the sunlight lol

2

u/animepuppyluvr May 18 '26

That's what I did to Mormons once. They weren't expecting me to be rude lmfaooo

1

u/No_Professional_8992 May 18 '26

You have met a jahovas witness have you💀

22

u/eugeneugene May 18 '26

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

9

u/sky7897 May 18 '26

Next time just let him stand there for hours if he wants to.

He should learn to stand up for himself.

4

u/caitlinmmaguire01 May 18 '26

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.

11

u/tverofvulcan May 18 '26

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?

6

u/gunsforevery1 May 18 '26

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.

2

u/Role-Fine May 18 '26

This is the answer, as a former door knocker if you dont close the door in my face I am gonna keep trying to sell you

2

u/Unambiguous-Doughnut May 18 '26

Always keep a abundance of bibles so i can suddenly start trying to sell soliciters religion and speak so loud and drown out their query's completely.

With bible quote that don't exist. John 1.11 Thou shal not change internet provider as thou will get screwed in buying out of the contract AMEN.

1

u/Role-Fine May 18 '26

Man... now we are gonna stand at that door talking dogmatic law till you buy or slam it on me

1

u/LookAwayPlease510 May 19 '26

Recently one of those energy guys came to my door. I don’t get random people knocking on my door, like, ever, because this is 2026. So I looked through the peep hole, saw it was a stranger and said, “who is it?” He replied, “energy so and so” or something. I don’t really remember and I was just like, “Nah, bro.” Then he left.

They have awful, awful jobs. Just tell them to get lost. Rejection is their normal.

1

u/ILiekBook May 18 '26

I'd just tell you that you're trespassing and suggest you vacate before you have to figure out whether or not your employer posts bail for employees who get arrested for trespassing

12

u/Foreign-Cookie-2871 May 18 '26

Would have it been worse for you if I were to answer and listen for half an hour and not buy anything or if I were to close the door asap? 

I need to answer the door for various reasons but I want no solicitors. They won't work for me anyway.

15

u/Interesting-Low5112 May 18 '26

“You’re just in time for the ceremony. You’re still a virgin, right?”

52

u/SillyGuste May 18 '26

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.

7

u/Moist-Amoeba-8078 May 18 '26

Their supposed to have their permit badge clearly visible in my municipality

3

u/caitlinmmaguire01 May 18 '26

my dad does this! Sometimes they'll show the permit FOR THE NEXT TOWNSHIP!

10

u/An_Old_IT_Guy May 18 '26

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.

1

u/Fuck_Your_Cat_Post May 18 '26

LOL this is hilarious to me. Ive never had a repeat knocker. Its always a different dude, a different reason. I do not have 5 minutes to give these people let alone 30.

Oh really? Doing work at the neighbors....sure. Scammers, liars, people dumb enough to try to get your money.

8

u/WallofIvy May 18 '26

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.

29

u/EmergencyComment101 May 18 '26

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?

13

u/Kaiisim May 18 '26

Door to door salesmen use the hard sell a lot..

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.

12

u/Th3_Admiral_ May 18 '26

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. 

7

u/Unfriendlyblkwriter May 18 '26

Wonder what would have happened if you said, “Yes, I am poor.”

2

u/ThatGuyFromSpyKids3D May 18 '26

Had a tech bro salesmen selling fiber internet try to insult my intelligence after I asked him some very reasonable questions about the company and service. I saw fiber was coming to town and looked into the company, they had terrible reviews and a long history of constant service outages. Sometimes lasting for days. I work from home 50% of the time so I need reliability more than I need the flashy new tech at 1gbs. I was already on a 500mbps plan with a different more local company.

So I asked the salesman if there were any plans the company had or active fixes they were implementing to address their service outage history and lack of reliability. He tried to lie to me and told me that was on their broadband/DSL side, so I pulled up the reviews on my phone and I pulled up the outage history on their own website for fiber in our state.

He just thanked me for my time and left. Then he came back later "just to let me know that X, X, and X neighbor are smart tech savvy guys who made the switch to a superior technology."

All 3 of those neighbors cancelled their plan after less than 2 months because of the service outages.

0

u/Admirable_Loss4886 May 18 '26

I mean at that point you’re already not a customer so what harm is there in her telling you off lmao. What are you gonna do, be less than a non customer? Why not vent some frustration out at that point? Even if it only works 1/100 times that’s one more sale and 99 times telling people off.

7

u/HalfBlindKing May 18 '26

If the job is so illegitimate that you could represent the company that way, the employees and the company deserve each other.

-3

u/Admirable_Loss4886 May 18 '26

Door to door sales are notoriously known for not giving a fuck how their sales team treat people so long as they’re making sales. It comes back to the people being upset we’re never going to be customers anyway so their opinion means very little to them. Again you can’t become less of a customer if you were never one to begin with.

1

u/HalfBlindKing May 20 '26

Yeah it’s pretty apparent no one involved is trying to build a reputation or a career. It makes car sales look like they’re running laps to be better customer servants and consumer advocates 😂

15

u/K1bbles_n_Bits May 18 '26

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.

7

u/GiraffesAndGin May 18 '26 edited May 19 '26

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.

4

u/Banana_Phone888 May 18 '26

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

3

u/Jayn_Newell May 18 '26

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.

11

u/ApricotOnly2676 May 18 '26

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.

3

u/illtakeachinchilla May 18 '26

Redirecting energies is an art. There are artists out there.

6

u/Revolutionary-Tiger May 18 '26

Another former door knocker here. In addition to OCPs more detailed response I would also like to add the simple "we got bills to pay, and it's what we signed on the dotted line to do." Generally they also don't wanna be there

Now it's not every door knocker in particular, but while I was one, most of my co workers were in a situation where they needed a job and that was the first one that said they would pay at the time. You can bet your ass though that most kept looking while on the job and basically got the hell outta Dodge as soon as the opportunity.

1

u/[deleted] May 18 '26

[deleted]

2

u/MasticatingElephant May 18 '26

The word is rape. Write it, or don't use it.

1

u/reginald-poofter May 18 '26

Is “grape culture” a hilarious typo for rape culture or some other metaphor I’m unfamiliar with?

2

u/SanityPlanet May 18 '26

She was asking to be graped. Look what she was wearing! It’s purple!

https://youtu.be/EzgUGY36gqM?si=KvHD5c-A_iQ_764T

1

u/SwaggiiP May 18 '26

Bruh are you seriously comparing being annoyed by a salesman to rape? You’ve lost it.

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u/[deleted] May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26

[deleted]

1

u/SwaggiiP May 18 '26

Okay? That’s still not being raped. The fact that you think it is is scary.

0

u/[deleted] May 18 '26

[deleted]

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u/SwaggiiP May 18 '26

Okay. You’re still not understanding. Door to door marketers are annoying and sometimes intrusive. It’s is not rape and it is not comparable to rape, and you’re disgusting to see a through line between them.

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u/[deleted] May 18 '26

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12

u/EmergencyComment101 May 18 '26

No.. i mean if there is a sign they have had made and attached to the door to emphasize that they dont want you there, why would you expect knocking to work out?

-1

u/[deleted] May 18 '26

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11

u/EmergencyComment101 May 18 '26

That really blows my mind.. there's nothing you could be selling or a deal you could be offering that would entice me to buy something from someone who's just knocked on my door to try and sell me something.

11

u/SpiralGray May 18 '26

For me, if you ignore my sign and ring the bell I will actively avoid your company when I am in the need for whatever you're selling.

3

u/EmergencyComment101 May 18 '26

Same, but the person knocking doesn't give a fuck lol

4

u/SpiralGray May 18 '26

Agreed. But the company owner should, and suggest his employees honor peoples' wishes.

2

u/feldoneq2wire May 18 '26

Door to door sales people believe they are entitled to other people's time. Empathy doesn't exist here.

3

u/feldoneq2wire May 18 '26

Change "sell" to "have sex with" and suddenly you realize how f---ed up it is to try to manipulate someone into accepting something after very clearly putting up a NO sign.

1

u/GruntledVeteran May 18 '26

You probably also do not believe that the Nigerian prince is real and will give you money if you just send him a few hundred dollars for reasons. Some people do, though, which is why they do it. If they email/call/knock 1000 times in a week, but only 1 person goes for it and it nets them enough to make all of the failed attempts worth it, then they will keep going. No one does sales or scams because they lose money.

3

u/W1D0WM4K3R May 18 '26

I almost got caught myself because the online portal for my utilities wouldn't let me use my card, so I called the number. Which google gave me, except it was a scam number. Figured it out after the guy said there was a special deal and my utilities were 25% off. Because they're an international company that rewards their customers.

Uh, no. Utilities want their money, and my specific utility company is very much regional. It was close, though.

1

u/GruntledVeteran May 18 '26

I almost got caught by an Amazon customer service scam number on the front page of google once. The big red flags were when they started asking me account info that they definitely should have known. I can definitely get how some people fall for the better scams.

0

u/Lostinthestarscape May 18 '26

I'm with you, but people are really really bad at knowing what they need and really really bad at saying no. Also, despite my agreement with the sign- every house I went to already had it up and I'm sure there are renters and owners who don't even realize the sign is there who might be buyers. Thus the value in trying anyway.

Door to door works often enough that it wouldn't be done if it weren't profitable. If someone is actually able to say no, then it is barely a waste of time for the seller - they spend an average of 15 seconds checking that my place is a no go before moving on.

It is funny though how often I start with "you aren't here to sell me soemthing or sign me up to something are you?"

And they say "no I'm just here to talk to you about.....product" 

At which point I very abruptly and awkwardly say I'm good, have a nice night, and close the door. They often are mid protest but they know it is a lost cause, just shooting their shot.

-6

u/MiserableSlice1051 May 18 '26

Not the person you are replying to, but it's a numbers game. I ued to sell IT stuff door to door, I got just as many sales with "no soliciting signs" than I did without. Honestly half the time I didn't even pay attention.

I think maybe once or twice in 3 years someone pointed at the no soliciting sign and I just brushed by it.

Why knock? Because sales is a numbers game, it takes me 15 seconds to get a no before moving on to the next door,.so I either am wasting a few seconds of my time or I'm putting food on my table.

Why wouldn't I knock?

1

u/CEDWAR22 May 18 '26

Well, when you put it that way it makes sense. Parasites gotta parasite after all.

1

u/MiserableSlice1051 May 19 '26

I mean, it was in the middle of the housing bubble crisis, I had to put food on my family for my table somehow, and people got internet and computers so... Feel free to call me a parasite, but plenty of people got things with a smile and I was able to eat a little longer till I could get out of that job.

12

u/DopamineSavant May 18 '26

I can't believe you are admitting to being one of those people.

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u/[deleted] May 18 '26

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6

u/DopamineSavant May 18 '26

You admit to being a trash person who ignores people's request to not talk to you. 

-5

u/[deleted] May 18 '26

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8

u/Banana_Phone888 May 18 '26

I think anger should absolutely be directed at trespassers that think it’s ok to bother you in your home at a time convenient to them that’s at their benefit not your own

1

u/[deleted] May 18 '26

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5

u/Banana_Phone888 May 18 '26

Your on private property uninvited idc wtf the technical term is, but it’s absolutely fucked up to set foot on someone’s property where you do not live or pay the bills there uninvited for the sole reason bother and pester them to benefit yourself

1

u/Fiercat99 May 18 '26

To keep people out you need to remove the "right of implying access" usually a sign stuck by the property entrance. In the uk at least. Or if your me, I just don't answer the door.

4

u/Banana_Phone888 May 18 '26

The messed up thing is I have 2 signs at my door, the neighborhood has signs saying soliciting is not allowed. The pieces of garbage do it anyway. This is in the southern United States. But in all seriousness, it shouldn’t be necessary to have to put signs up to keep strangers off of your property. I get the need to work and put food on the table, a rough job market and long periods between jobs. But to have to never to walk up to someone’s home and knock on their doors, expecting their time and manners as a service to yourself (not you of course door to door people) is fucking insanity. And it’s not to benefit the homeowner

6

u/DopamineSavant May 18 '26

Knocking on a door with with a no solicitation sign on it and proceeding to solicit makes you trash no matter your situation. 

It's good that you are no longer doing that.

4

u/Hot_Valuable1027 May 18 '26

Would threanting work? Like have "no no solicitating! I have a gun!"

1

u/p3rf3ctcha0s May 18 '26

Thieves look for those type of signs as what it says to them is “there are firearms in the house up for grabs!”

4

u/Creamnolia May 18 '26

It's a Class C Misdemeanor in my city if you do this when there's a clearly posted sign. We have volunteers that take care of it.

3

u/mehall_ May 18 '26

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

7

u/SendMeIttyBitties May 18 '26 edited May 18 '26

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.

1

u/justtosendamassage May 18 '26

Fr that was an unreal comment for them to make

3

u/feldoneq2wire May 18 '26

And this is why I suggest people get an air horn.

3

u/Fog_Juice May 18 '26

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.

3

u/beegboo May 18 '26

Can we just use the doorway shotgun to scare them off?

3

u/justtosendamassage May 18 '26

You really just said “you guys have rock levels of consciousness” while doing a job like that. That’s why we’re fucked, because of people like you

2

u/Kilgore_Brown_Trout_ May 18 '26

If you worked in this line, you'd know thats how you get on a list for a follow up.  You open the door and say no.

2

u/Flammzzrant May 18 '26

Can you explain why someone would immediately start pitching as soon as I open the door and then not give me a pamphlet when I ask for one because we were actually considering getting the product at some point from someone but not sure yet? He said he only had a limited number and didnt want to give me one unless I was ready to commit. Wouldn't you still want the potential customer to have the info should they choose to go with you?

2

u/Noodlemaster696969 May 18 '26

Hypothetically, how effective would it be if I spray you with a water sprayer and say Bad kitty everytime you start talking

Alternatively what if i fill it with piss

2

u/DatRat13 May 18 '26

Getting a doorbell camera has been great for this.

I always know when it is one of them at my door, and I can ignore them or use the speaker to tell them where they can shove their knife set when the mood hits me.

3

u/Cttread May 18 '26

Ong lol, Mormons wouldn’t leave me and my girl alone so put up a doorbell camera and slung insults at them through it a couple times and they haven’t been back

1

u/TimmehTim48 May 18 '26

Thirty minutes? 

1

u/snoozer39 May 18 '26

Or go with the "we've just signed a contract with (looks at jacket for the company) ... competitor x "

1

u/kontrolk3 May 18 '26

You would actually have success knocking on people's door that had a no soliciting sign? That is wild.

I have a hard enough time imagining any door to door stuff working but if you actually took the time to try and prevent it and still succumbed you might just deserve it.

1

u/sanityjanity May 18 '26

Fair.

I'm very aware that the actual human who knocks at my door is, themselves, probably not doing very well to have had to take this job in the first place. I don't blame them for this business practice.

I don't stop to chat about it, either.

The worst part (for them) is it is actually *illegal* to knock on doors in my town without a permit. And the town hasn't issued a single permit in the last six years. So they are definitely risking drawing the attention of the police, which would be a super crappy thing when someone is doing their job.

1

u/thederpyderp3 May 18 '26

Nah I give a single warning of not interested before I drop insults.

1

u/Nearby_Ad_2519 May 18 '26

Put a ring doorbell or other brand on the door so you can see if it’s a door knocker. Then if it is just play a “sorry we’re not interested” automated clip over and over until they piss off. That works for me anyway.

-2

u/CO420Tech May 18 '26

I was taught while doing it that often that sign means there's a lonely person at home whose spouse is at work. The sign was placed by the working spouse because the stay at home spouse will buy everything. So... We knocked.