Should door to door sales be outlawed?

fasttalkerchat · 29-03-2013 04:35AM

Praetorian Saighdiuir wrote: »

It's why I have a video intercom.

"No thanks, I'm in the nip so I can't answer the door, come back never".

I love when they launch into a sales pitch on the intercom!

TheNumpty · 29-03-2013 04:47AM

I used to do it for a tv company there before Xmas, was out of work and I needed cash to help get through the holidays. It is absolutely soul destroying work. I hated every minute of it and very relieved when the company dissolved last month.
I agree with most here that it should be outlawed but I've some sympathy for the guys that do it now. It's not a real job and its guys like myself that were desperate for any kind of work.

token101 · 29-03-2013 04:48AM

Terry1985 wrote: »

cold calling is illegal in England.
Yes, it should be illegal here too.

It isn't illegal. You can pay an annual fee not to be listed and it's illegal to call those numbers, but if you don't pay you'll get the calls when the companies buy your data.

galwayrush wrote: »

Thery don't come back once the local neighbourhood watch is alerted.

So people who have a bit of drive to go door to door are criminals are they? There's nothing illegal about knocking on someone's door. Whatever about the companies' tactics, victimising the guy doing a job for half nothing is pretty low. I'd have more respect for the guy who got off his ass and tried a really **** job rather than live on welfare than some wannabe vigilante with a torch.

Pumpkinseeds · 29-03-2013 10:32AM

I hate door to door sales people,I know people are trying to earn a living. I never open the door to them,but they don't just call once and leave it at that when you don't answer. I've noticed now that they keep coming back the same day, at least twice. We'd one guy call 3 times last Friday. He could see that our tv was on and yet still wouldn't take the hint. I wouldn't open the door and shout abuse at them,although some of them make me want to.

ManMade · 29-03-2013 10:52AM

They should be banned. They are ridiculously annoying and rude. It always airtricity, vodafone and eircom. I don't care if people are trying to make a living. They interrupt people's private lives period. People who are stressed or going through a trauma don't need it. When youre busy or even relaxing you shouldn't need to interrupt it because some guy outside decided that you must give up some of your time just to talk to him.

There should be an opt out system. Telling the same company once a month your not interested is ridiculous. Also if you ignore the doorbell or aren't in it shouldn't mean they can call back multiple times until you talk to them.

Micky Dolenz · 29-03-2013 11:00AM

I always just say no, I don't conduct business at my door step. If I am a bit bored I try and sell them something from the area I work in. The confused look is often worth it.

Annasopra · 29-03-2013 11:05AM

Terry1985 wrote: »

cold calling is illegal in England.

Really? I googled it and what you've said doesn't seem to be correct. Have you a link?

fruitman · 29-03-2013 11:10AM

l worked with a company in Australia doing door2door for a year signing people up to a milk delivery service. It was great fun and we were never in peoples face. The amount of times people would bring you into there home for a beer or drink of water was unreal. Came back and had no job so did door2door here for nearly a year selling a similar service fruit and veg delivery. People here are so rude, if you are not interested fair enough but you don't need to open the door and tell me to **** off.

I was never rude to anyone, didn't necessarily take the first no as a definitive no but knew when not to go over the line. Would never try and over sell to some one it wasn't suited to. The reason they keep calling back to your house when you don't answer is because you are given a certain road to knock on and once you have gone to all the houses you call back to all the ones that didn't answer and see if they have come home yet.

The best approach is to say you don't make purchase at the door, thank you good night.

rubadub · 29-03-2013 11:37AM

token101 wrote: »

So people who have a bit of drive to go door to door are criminals are they? There's nothing illegal about knocking on someone's door. Whatever about the companies' tactics, victimising the guy doing a job for half nothing is pretty low.

Nobody said they are criminals, they could certainly potentially be criminals checking out if houses are empty. Because this is seen as legitimate it is the prefect cover story.

The law is a bit vague but they could be done for it if the garda wanted, under trespassing laws, if the garda did not believe their story

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1994/en/act/pub/0002/sec0013.html#zza2y1994s13

13.—(1) It shall be an offence for a person, without reasonable excuse, to trespass on any building or the curtilage thereof in such a manner as causes or is likely to cause fear in another person.

Unsolicited mail should be banned too. I wondered if I am legally allowed put all my rubbish in a black sack and dump it in the front door of the local pizza place with a flyer for my own services, is this any different legally to what they do to me?

BillyMitchel · 29-03-2013 12:37PM

Nah it shouldn't be outlawed, it's just some people trying to make a living. A simple no thank you and they go. No harm.

Sky do annoy me though with their 20 knocks a week so what I do is if its a good looking chick ill go out and practice my chatting up skills or if its a miserable oul bollocks ill let the dogo look out the window and they go pretty quick!

It's just some folk trying to make a living and it's a very hard living to make at that.

FTA69 · 29-03-2013 12:58PM

fruitman wrote: »

l worked with a company in Australia doing door2door for a year signing people up to a milk delivery service. It was great fun and we were never in peoples face. The amount of times people would bring you into there home for a beer or drink of water was unreal. Came back and had no job so did door2door here for nearly a year selling a similar service fruit and veg delivery. People here are so rude, if you are not interested fair enough but you don't need to open the door and tell me to **** off.

Exactly. I often did canvassing for local businesses such as milk rounds and fruit and vegetable delivery. For a milkman or small delivery man that's often the only way to drum up a bit of business. I can see why people may get p*ssed off with Sky etc but why anyone would show animosity to the likes of the local milkman is beyond me. Many people were happy to support a local business or at least give you the time of day, others were giant c*nts. Such is life.

Digs · 29-03-2013 01:12PM

FTA69 wrote: »

Exactly. I often did canvassing for local businesses such as milk rounds and fruit and vegetable delivery. For a milkman or small delivery man that's often the only way to drum up a bit of business. I can see why people may get p*ssed off with Sky etc but why anyone would show animosity to the likes of the local milkman is beyond me. Many people were happy to support a local business or at least give you the time of day, others were giant c*nts. Such is life.

These people are probably just c*nts in general though. I genuinely have no problem with local businessmen calling and if I have work for them I am happy to give it to them. We have a veg man that calls once a month and I'm happy to see him.

The difference between him and the sky/airtricity reps is that he knocks once and then carries on, he doesn't bang my door down until I give in and answer by which time I am quite rightly peed off! Yes people need to make a living, all of us do but we don't need to be pushy aholes about it. Why do I have to take time out of my day once a month to tell a sky rep we won't be switching to them? My husband has told two reps until they provide internet like upc do he won't consider it. Respect you are calling to someones private house and if they don't want to speak to you they shouldn't have to.

fruitman · 29-03-2013 01:31PM

I can't remember where it is, think its in the uk but those charity collectors if they ask you for money and you say no and they ask again the company can be fined. I think that's a fair enough rule.

_Kaiser_ · 29-03-2013 01:41PM

Digs wrote: »

My husband has told two reps until they provide internet like upc do he won't consider it.

Be warned - they'll now tell him they are providing internet as well, but it's just reselling standard DSL like Vodafone etc do - it's not anywhere near the speeds of UPC

Degag · 29-03-2013 01:55PM

I work in an industry that employs sales agents and the hassle they can cause is unreal. We get numerous complaints from our customers each week asking why they got a letter telling him their account was closed. When they're asked if there was anyone at their door over the last week or so, it dawns on them that these guys have signed them up illegally.

In some cases its despicable, sales agents actually filling out forms for old people and basically forcing them to sign, in others, not so much. Some people give their direct debit details and then are surprised when they are changed over... i mean, why would you give a company your bank details if you had no intention of changing?

_Kaiser_ · 29-03-2013 01:58PM

Degag wrote: »

Some people give their direct debit details and then are surprised when they are changed over... i mean, why would you give a company your bank details if you had no intention of changing?

More importantly, why would you give a random stranger hassling you at your front door your bank details?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awK0NrgHUbk

token101 · 29-03-2013 02:48PM

rubadub wrote: »

Nobody said they are criminals, they could certainly potentially be criminals checking out if houses are empty. Because this is seen as legitimate it is the prefect cover story.

The law is a bit vague but they could be done for it if the garda wanted, under trespassing laws, if the garda did not believe their story

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1994/en/act/pub/0002/sec0013.html#zza2y1994s13

The minute a Garda checked their ID there's absolutely **** all he could or would do. They are doing their job, there's your reasonable excuse. Aside from the fact that the Garda himself would want to be a right **** to try it and most generally aren't, a judge would make absolute **** of him in court if he brought some guy up for doing his job.

I love the way people will demonise a guy/girl who goes and tries to make some cash in a perfectly legal, and difficult, way and then be up in arms defending the 'poor, poor people' who wouldn't get out of bed for less than 30,000 because the dole 'pays better'.

IrishExpat · 29-03-2013 02:54PM

Two sides: sales is an honorable profession. Nothing happens (in the economy) before a sale takes place, and you'd be pushed to contradict me on that one.

That said; we are bombarded, daily with advertisements and direct sales (in the office, chuggers ...) and your home should be a safe haven from it.

That goes for door-to-door sales and tele-sales (cold calling)

Unfortunately, I 'did' work in door-to-door sales for a short time a few years back - was young and naive, and doing it for Trocaire, but was not happy with the underhandedness of the private company we were working for. Never again.

Diabhal Beag · 29-03-2013 02:56PM

I had to do a couple of weeks of door to door for my old job when a woman was on sick leave. Just filling in but I got the whole experience.

It's an awful job and the salespeople know it. How they conduct themselves is how you can tell if they doing it for just to make a few bob or if they're proper scummy salespeople. I personally made it a principle to knock once and leave if I got no answer in about 15 seconds. Didn't want to bother people. If they're scummy they'll ring the doorbell/knock numerous times.

You don't get as much abuse as you'd expect and it kinda restored my faith in humanity a bit but I also looked like a didn't want to be there and apologized if I felt I bothered somebody in any way. Did have a shotgun shown to me once though but it was in the real rural parts of Mayo. Our guys had to walk around a 5 sq mile area though in the rain usually though so imagine how horrible that would be.

Definitely should be banned though and the same with cold calls.

Degag · 29-03-2013 03:05PM

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Did have a shotgun shown to me once though but it was in the real rural parts of Mayo.

That's taking it too far though. Think i'd have reported that person, probably nothing that could/would be done but you can't do that.

token101 · 29-03-2013 03:06PM

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Definitely should be banned though and the same with cold calls.

All well and good banning stuff because it slightly discommodes you, but you've absolutely no idea how many people cold calling employs. Ban it and you might as well add at least 2,000, that I know of but probably more, to the dole in Cork anyway. I'd take a guess and say over 10,000 would be immediately unemployed if it was to be banned tomorrow morning. Call centres are the only ones actually still creating jobs at the minute and **** work is better than no work.

IrishExpat · 29-03-2013 03:14PM

token101 wrote: »

All well and good banning stuff because it slightly discommodes you, but you've absolutely no idea how many people cold calling employs. Ban it and you might as well add at least 2,000, that I know of but probably more, to the dole in Cork anyway. I'd take a guess and say over 10,000 would be immediately unemployed if it was to be banned tomorrow morning. Call centres are the only ones actually still creating jobs at the minute and **** work is better than no work.

Once they're well regulated etc. To be honest, if there's a deal available, I'll want to know about it. But they should follow the general principle used online, where you tick a box (or other action) to ok contact from 3rd parties.

To somehow take it from cold-calling to warm-calling. At least then it's partly expected and the interest is there on your end.

Realistically thought, it's a non-starter.

rubadub · 29-03-2013 03:43PM

token101 wrote: »

The minute a Garda checked their ID there's absolutely **** all he could or would do. They are doing their job, there's your reasonable excuse.

Calm down and try reading my post again, slowly, -they can do something.

El Inho · 29-03-2013 05:05PM

token101 wrote: »

The minute a Garda checked their ID there's absolutely **** all he could or would do. They are doing their job, there's your reasonable excuse. Aside from the fact that the Garda himself would want to be a right **** to try it and most generally aren't, a judge would make absolute **** of him in court if he brought some guy up for doing his job.

I love the way people will demonise a guy/girl who goes and tries to make some cash in a perfectly legal, and difficult, way and then be up in arms defending the 'poor, poor people' who wouldn't get out of bed for less than 30,000 because the dole 'pays better'.

I've been on both sides of the door. I've been checked by the gardai too.

As I've said on several occasions I would hate to hear people give out about the people who door to door. But its the people who run the whole thing are simply gangsters

cade · 29-03-2013 05:25PM

I drive to work, I've to pass numerous advertisement bill boards. If I listen to the Radio or watch a film on TV I'm barraged with a constrant stream of advertisements. I can't watch a DVD without at least three advertisements being in the disc, some PODcasts have them too. What about simply browsing the net you ask, nope websites have them too, though I can control that one. Phone calls to the house, yup they're trying to sell me things too. My mail, both hard copy an electronic, yup mostly trying to sell me crap. Sales clerks in store trying to sell me extra warranty on products I do want to buy or trying to get me to add products to my basket that I simply don't want. Chuggers trying to stop me in the street every single lunch break. I go to a festival to listen to some music and I've drug dealers approaching me.

Please, just this one thing that's all I ask for, I don't want the callers to my door to try to sell me stuff too, just leave me in peace will you.

Wicklowrider · 29-03-2013 05:39PM

kowloon wrote: »

Only if it's the representative of a political party trying to sell me bullsh1t. Glad that election is over, even if I don't like the result.

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

yes, if only so it means canvassers can't come to your door 'selling' a political party for votes

Put up a simple and short message,during election times, asking politicians and their canvassers not to call and they won't. I've done it for as far back as I can remember and never been disturbed by any of them

rubadub · 29-03-2013 05:52PM

Wicklowrider wrote: »

disturbed by any of them

I have no doorbell, none there when I moved in, and almost 10 years on would recommend to anybody to remove there's.

Three Seasons · 29-03-2013 05:56PM

fruitman wrote: »

l worked with a company in Australia doing door2door for a year signing people up to a milk delivery service. It was great fun and we were never in peoples face. The amount of times people would bring you into there home for a beer or drink of water was unreal. Came back and had no job so did door2door here for nearly a year selling a similar service fruit and veg delivery. People here are so rude, if you are not interested fair enough but you don't need to open the door and tell me to **** off.

I was never rude to anyone, didn't necessarily take the first no as a definitive no but knew when not to go over the line. Would never try and over sell to some one it wasn't suited to. The reason they keep calling back to your house when you don't answer is because you are given a certain road to knock on and once you have gone to all the houses you call back to all the ones that didn't answer and see if they have come home yet.

The best approach is to say you don't make purchase at the door, thank you good night.

No means no, don't be pushy and people will be less likely to be rude.

I literally feel like punching a sales persons face in when I say no and they ramble off some more bullsh1t.

lightspeed · 29-03-2013 06:01PM

spankysue wrote: »

No. It's people's choice to do it for a living, there have always been people selling things door to door, so no.

You could say the same for drug dealers. Theres always been drugs so based on your way of looking at it why should they be illegal?

Door sellers should be illegal.

What gives them the right to bother people at home especially since nearly everybody has the internet.

token101 · 29-03-2013 06:05PM

rubadub wrote: »

Calm down and try reading my post again, slowly, -they can do something.

I'm quite calm. Maybe you need to need your own posts slowly and spot the grammatical errors.

And maybe there is something they can do, but the Gardai can pretty arrest anyone at any time they like and find some obscure law to justify it. Trespassing laws would be invoked every hour of every day of the week if Gardai started applying them to door to door salesmen. If you called the Gardai to report a door to door salesman you'd be more likely to get a bollocking for wasting time.

Should door to door sales be outlawed?

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