"Vacuum Cleaner Salesmen" in my lil Town

[lovemachine]

There's been a few visits from "vacuum cleaner salesmen" visiting different houses in my lil town. This week. And to top it off, most of them have been after dark. And some have been visits to houses in the country, not just in town.

One of the visits was to my parent's house. Which is out in the country, 3.5 miles outta town. My mom told them to get off her property, while holding back 2 Rottweilers and 1 German Shepard, with a shotgun behind the door.

I know the "vacuum cleaner salesmen" are just staking out houses. Trying to see what's inside.

Just one more reason why everyone should be aware, and be careful about who comes knocking on your door.

 

[poisonspyder]

There's been a few visits from "vacuum cleaner salesmen" visiting different houses in my lil town. This week. And to top it off, most of them have been after dark. And some have been visits to houses in the country, not just in town.

One of the visits was to my parent's house. Which is out in the country, 3.5 miles outta town. My mom told them to get off her property, while holding back 2 Rottweilers and 1 German Shepard, with a shotgun behind the door.

I know the "vacuum cleaner salesmen" are just staking out houses. Trying to see what's inside.

Just one more reason why everyone should be aware, and be careful about who comes knocking on your door.

I don't comment much on here, but this generalization that vacuum salesmen are thieves is crap. I am not a vacuum sales person, but they are trying to make a living like everyone else. Door to door sales has been around for longer than anyone alive now. I am on my phone so I will comment more on the subject later.

 

[poisonspyder]

I guess country people don't vacuum there house.

 

[Que]

LM, what did she describe that causes you to believe they were "staking out" her house or rather attempting to do so?

 

[Hoosierdood]

They are high pressure sales people. If you let them in your house, they will not leave unless you threaten them. They are trained not to take "NO" for an answer. Are they creepy and annoying? Yes. But i don't think that they are thieves, or that they are casing your place.

 

[littletommy]

LM, what did she describe that causes you to believe they were "staking out" her house or rather attempting to do so?

Didn't you have a Kirby salesman at your house earlier this week?

 

[Expat]

Huh. They got into our house a couple times in our early days here, before we knew better. No one ever came back and robbed us or burglarized us.

 

[danmrt868]

my friend did this job for awhile and and he would give a stranger the shirt off his back !!!! not all of them are bad.

 

[lovemachine]

I guess country people don't vacuum there house.

LM, what did she describe that causes you to believe they were "staking out" her house or rather attempting to do so?

Well, in the case of my mom, according to her it went like this.

"Salesman"- I'm a vacuum salesman, may I come in?
Mom- what kind of vacuum are you selling?
"Salesman"- Umm, may I come in?
Mom- what brand are you selling?
"Salesman"- May I come in?
Mom- get off my property. I'm not interested.

And he left in a single cab truck. No vacuum cleaner, couldn't even say what brand or type. You can't tell me he was an actual saleman.

 

[CindyE]

i thought the OP meant people "posing" as salespeople, not real vac salespeople. there was something like that going on in our town awhile back, people pretending they were with Nipsco. i forget exactly what their purpose was, either scamming or staking out the place for later.

 

[FWP9MM]

I HATE solicitors, I had to scare off one a few months ago. My wife answered the door before I got home from work in which the guy was selling some cleaning product. The guy wouldn't leave, but was a little intimidated by our dog (Staffordshire Bull Terrier), so she said I don't have any cash and my husband has the check book. He will be home in about 30 minutes and that he could talk to me when I got home. So on my way home I got the heads up, so I was ready for the creeper when I got home.

He rings the doorbell and is suprised to see me with my glock 19 OC'ed on my belt. He immediately starts stuttering "I..I was here earlier and talked to your wife about the great cleaning product we offer". So I said I have reasearched your company/product and the reviews are not good, I am not interested. So he proceed to tell me that the reviews were bad salesmen and not a bad product. I shook my head and said sorry buddy, I am not buying any. He then asks if I was a cop, to which I asked him if he had a permit to solicit in my neighborhood. Needless to say he did the right thing and left without getting shot.

 

[Bang-bang]

Had the salespeople come to my house, I did not answer the door, until I saw then looking in my windows. They were crooks, it's nice to keep a camera handy. Scares the heck outta them.

 

[singlestacksig]

Ask them for their peddlers permit first.. if they don't have one call the cops..
cities are finally enforcing the peddlers laws now that crime has gone up.. but they need people to report salesmen.

 

[drgnrobo]

Shelby & Rocky keeps my salesmen off the property (my Siberian Husky & Jug part -Jack russel/pug mix 100% evil) I let a Kirby salesman in a few years ago out of boredom & about 20 minutes before my wife came home I told him his time was up ,I wasn't interested & asked him to leave.He did so promptly but I dont let anyone in anymore .

 

[cschwanz]

Few years ago when i was living with a buddy, we had a home security salesperson come to our door aroun6 0'clock. Told him i didnt make any decisions around the house and he'd have to check back. he came back a couple days later aroun 9:30 at night to talk to my roommate and homeowner. he actually let him in to talk about security systems for a couple minutes in the kitchen. When I saw him there, I strapped the G21 to hip and went to the kitchedn to make a quick snack. His tone changed a bit after I walked in and he left pretty quickyl afterward. just dumped some paperwork on the table and said we could call him if we were interested. Idk if was up to no good or not, but when he saw there was someone in the house capable of self defense, he didnt feel like sticking around very long.

 

[littletommy]

I don't even let them get started, I'll politely tell them not interested, if they try again, I tell them very clearly to get off my property. I did buy some candy bars from a little kid in the cub scouts awhile back, he reminded me of my oldest son when he was little, and his mom was hot!

 

[drapnw01]

I believe that there are legitimate door to door sales people out there trying to make a living just like anyone else, some are good, friendly people, then there are your pushy, I have to make this sale type that everyone imagines when they hear 'door to door' salesman. I've dealt with both types, both get the same answer, I'm not interested but never with any disrespect. That being said, I have no doubt that there are people out there posing as salesmen casing house, it happened to me a few years ago.

Some guy pulls up in a POS car and walks up and says he's selling meat which I found odd right away. I usually let them talk for a little bit to at least hear them out so right away I could tell he was up to something when he never looked at me once, he just kept eyeing the contents of my house and mumbling about his 'steak'. I asked if he had a catalog or something just to see what he would do and he got extremely agitated and said he was out. he left shortly after that and was caught a few days later after a string of robberies in my area, I live out in the country with maybe 10 houses per square mile, it can happen anywhere.

 

[dusterboy49]

We've had Kirby salesman in our neighborhood several times in last few years.
They can be aggressive, the trick is that the first time they knock on your door just tell them you're not interested and have a good day.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I worked as a telemarketer for a short time in College. From that experience I learned how to deal with telemarketers and I apply the same tactic to door to door solicitors.

As soon as they start their pitch, I say "no thank you" and hang up or close my door.

If it's a stranger at my door and they try to stick their foot in the door or get pushy, I am going to respond to their attempt at forcible entry.

About a year ago I had a stranger try to come into my house uninvited at about midnight. They ended up laying on the porch with me standing over them holding the judge until I sorted out what was what. The guy honestly had the wrong house and I felt bad until about 9 months later my neighbor got hit at their front door by some guys who beat, bound and robbed him.

Maybe he's a vacuum salesman, maybe he's a serial killer. Maybe he's a little of both.

If you did not initiate the contact, do not let them in your house.

 

[Sigasaurus]

I don't even answer the door. My ex-wife answered the door for a Kirby salesman while i was at work. Needless to say i came home to a new $1000 Kirby. I could hardly contain my joy!!!