Sorry to pester you lovely folk again with one of my silly problems. I have a trivial, but very annoying problem and don't know what to do about it.
Me and my hubby get incessantly irritated by people knocking the door (who we don't know,) trying to sell us something, trying to get us to switch to their energy supplier, trying to get us to turn to their religion, or begging for some charity or other. (We give to three charities through our bank, and certainly would not sign up to anything or give anything at the door anyway.) It is especially annoying if we are in the middle of tea, and have both been at work, and we just want peace. But sometimes it's in the day too!
We can walk away from them in Sainsburys or in the town centre, but it's a gross invasion of privacy when it's at your home, and they are on your damn doorstep! Plus if you're rude to them, they know where you live!
So we put up a sign about a year ago:
NOT WELCOME:
SALEPERSONS
COLD CANVASSERS
PEOPLE DOING SURVEYS
RELIGIOUS CALLERS
We do not disturb you in your home, so please do not disturb us in ours...
For a while it worked, and no-one knocked, but for this past two or three months, people have started to knock again, despite the sign being there. It has happened SEVEN times in the last four weeks alone now!
My pal thinks it's because some people are so desperate for the work, or the business, because of the recession, that they are taking their chances and hoping someone will reply and they will get a sale anyway. My opinion is that if they KNOW there is a recession, why bother people, when they must KNOW that folk can hardly afford to pay their mortgage, let alone afford a new conservatory/a new porch/new windows/doors/kitchens/soffits/ or to give to charity etc etc etc...
Moreover, there is a large A4 sign in the door, stating clearly they should not knock! Another problem is; my husband works nights every second week - and on three occasions in the past couple of weeks alone, they have knocked, sometimes two or three times, and woken him when he is asleep, (after his night shift.) This is NOT FUNNY. It's giving him broken sleep.
It's a real bugbear for us, but what else can we do other than put the bloody sign up?
My hubby answered the door last week, and before they could speak, he said 'why did you knock?' and the one woman (a charity collector,) said 'I have been told to knock the door anyway, even if there is a sign saying not to!' We were gobsmacked!
Another TWO who my hubby answered the door to, (2 weeks ago,) said they 'didn't see the sign until they had knocked.' It's an A4 sign in the biggest font you can get, and you can spot the sign from halfway down the damn road, so no WAY did they 'not see it,' before they knocked!
I have told my hubby to not answer when someone knocks, as we can see if it's someone we know from a side window that looks onto the front door. So I said 'when it's someone we don't know, don't answer.' But he still answers! And then asks them why they knocked, or just stands there blankly, then says 'no, thank you.'
Any advice? Thanks folks. This is getting so bloody annoying now! Especially with waking up my hubby when he is asleep, after being at work at night...
Me and my hubby get incessantly irritated by people knocking the door (who we don't know,) trying to sell us something, trying to get us to switch to their energy supplier, trying to get us to turn to their religion, or begging for some charity or other. (We give to three charities through our bank, and certainly would not sign up to anything or give anything at the door anyway.) It is especially annoying if we are in the middle of tea, and have both been at work, and we just want peace. But sometimes it's in the day too!
We can walk away from them in Sainsburys or in the town centre, but it's a gross invasion of privacy when it's at your home, and they are on your damn doorstep! Plus if you're rude to them, they know where you live!
So we put up a sign about a year ago:
NOT WELCOME:
SALEPERSONS
COLD CANVASSERS
PEOPLE DOING SURVEYS
RELIGIOUS CALLERS
We do not disturb you in your home, so please do not disturb us in ours...
For a while it worked, and no-one knocked, but for this past two or three months, people have started to knock again, despite the sign being there. It has happened SEVEN times in the last four weeks alone now!
My pal thinks it's because some people are so desperate for the work, or the business, because of the recession, that they are taking their chances and hoping someone will reply and they will get a sale anyway. My opinion is that if they KNOW there is a recession, why bother people, when they must KNOW that folk can hardly afford to pay their mortgage, let alone afford a new conservatory/a new porch/new windows/doors/kitchens/soffits/ or to give to charity etc etc etc...
Moreover, there is a large A4 sign in the door, stating clearly they should not knock! Another problem is; my husband works nights every second week - and on three occasions in the past couple of weeks alone, they have knocked, sometimes two or three times, and woken him when he is asleep, (after his night shift.) This is NOT FUNNY. It's giving him broken sleep.
It's a real bugbear for us, but what else can we do other than put the bloody sign up?
My hubby answered the door last week, and before they could speak, he said 'why did you knock?' and the one woman (a charity collector,) said 'I have been told to knock the door anyway, even if there is a sign saying not to!' We were gobsmacked!
Another TWO who my hubby answered the door to, (2 weeks ago,) said they 'didn't see the sign until they had knocked.' It's an A4 sign in the biggest font you can get, and you can spot the sign from halfway down the damn road, so no WAY did they 'not see it,' before they knocked!
I have told my hubby to not answer when someone knocks, as we can see if it's someone we know from a side window that looks onto the front door. So I said 'when it's someone we don't know, don't answer.' But he still answers! And then asks them why they knocked, or just stands there blankly, then says 'no, thank you.'
Any advice? Thanks folks. This is getting so bloody annoying now! Especially with waking up my hubby when he is asleep, after being at work at night...
if I am caught unawares and answer it I ask them "if they can read ?" usually my grumpiness makes them clear off, one guy trying to get me to change electric supply was very pushy, had to tell him he was making me feel very ill standing listening to him and that I would forget everything he told me so no point, I was losing the will to live 
In the US a friend of mine has a note that says "we shoot every 4 th salesman, guess what number you are" don't think we would be allowed to do that here but I am very tempted 
it really is getting to much though same as the bluddy telelphone going every five minutes 
obviously not 
