How to Deal with Pushy Door-To-Door Salesmen

Everyone suffers from it: the knock on the door and the friendly, smiling face of a stranger who's there to make our life a better place - by selling us something. At best, they're just people who are doing their job, trying to make a living in a difficult world. At worst, they're pushy, fast-talking scammers who won't take "no" for an answer. If you don't want to buy what they're selling, how can you make sure they leave you alone?

The goal of door-to-door callers is to achieve two things: firstly, to keep you tied up in their speech for long enough to whittle down any resistance and secondly to convince you to let them in. They know that if they can get through the doorway into your home, it will be infinitely more difficult to displace them without agreeing to a sale. They will try to dominate the conversation, playing on the fact that most people will be polite and listen, thus putting you in a weaker position and making you easier to manipulate. Their hope is that you will eventually give in, just to get rid of them.

To this end, the majority of callers will talk very quickly. They often have a pre-prepared speech that they will work through, seemingly without taking a breath. The idea here is to talk so much and dump so much information on you that you have trouble digesting it and seeing through the blather to what they're actually selling. They'll drop in key phrases about having nothing to pay (hastily glossing over the fact that you'll pay later) and that it's just one simple form to fill in (neglecting to inform you that it's a direct debit instruction).

It's all very sneaky, underhanded and dishonest: the frightening thing is that even charities will sometimes resort to similar methods for donations.

The best way to deal with unwanted callers is, of course, to say "no". However, it takes a lot of confidence to do this and many people fear the possible backlash of frustration from the salesman. Consequently, it may be better to find other ways to ensure your privacy is maintained and you are not conned out of any money.

The first and simplest rule is to leave the door-chain on. Next, check their ID. All official callers from big companies, such as electric or gas organizations, must carry a valid ID card. They expect to have to show this, so there's no problem in asking. On the other hand, such cards are easily fabricated, so an excellent delaying tactic - and one which can stop their sales pitch before it starts - is to telephone their employer to make sure they're legitimate.

Some areas also demand that any door-to-door marketing campaign also be registered with the local police: this is particularly true if it's a campaign for donations to charity and ensures that everyone is aware of the caller's presence in the area. Again, you are at liberty to contact your local police station to check whether they have been informed. Con-men and scammers will disappear very quickly if you do this.

Once you have verified their identity, they will begin their sales pitch. Assuming they are not the friendly variety of caller and you don't want to deal with them, there are now two important rules: don't let them in and don't sign anything.

Their first goal will normally be to get past the front door. They will pressure for this, even if they do so in a friendly fashion, and you must resist. Telling them that you cannot let them in as you have guests is an excellent way of deterring them: not only does it give you a polite reason for refusing entry but also informs them that you are not alone. Additionally, it implies that your time is limited, since you can't leave your guests alone for too long.

Having failed to gain entry, there's a good chance the caller will then focus on getting you to fill out a form. They will generally be very vague about exactly what it is, implying that it's just for informational purposes and that it's very simple to complete. Be very wary: these "simple forms" are often contracts, direct debit instructions or requests to change supplier. The dishonest caller will, of course, keep the form on their clipboard, out of clear sight.

If you have difficulty resisting the request for basic information such as your name, the correct house address and so on, you're still fairly safe. It is vital, however, to refuse divulging any bank or financial details. A simple way of dealing with these situations is to ask exactly why the information is needed, especially personal details. Ask to see the form properly, rather than just having a quick glimpse. This effectively turns the tables on the caller, returning control of the situation to you.

It's also a very good idea to politely inform the caller that you never, ever sign anything without reading it in detail - thus, they will have to leave the paperwork with you for proper perusal. This will normally stop salesmen in mid-stride: their job is to get the signature at the door and, more often than not, their employer will not actually allow them to leave the forms with you. Be immovable on this point: no signature until you've read the terms.

Once you have denied them entry, refused to give any personal details and stated that you will not sign any forms, virtually all salesmen will give up. It's obvious that they're not going to get anything from you because you've resisted their three lines of attack. Any conversation beyond this point is simply rude and pushy.

The above tactics should allow you to resist the vast majority of invasive salesmen. However, if all else fails remember this: it's your home. You are within your rights to just close the door on an impolite caller, and telephoning the police is not an over-reaction.