We have at least one a week, usually more, asking for donation to their cause - clean water, toxic waste clean up, etc. I always say that I never donate at the door and like to be thoughtful about my donations and would be glad to look at any handout or website after they left. I also do not sign their sheets. My thinking is that while most are legit, I really don’t know and I’m truthful about wanting to put thought into it. They usually seem like they are trained to push the issue of an immediate donation and try guilting you into it and can be peeved if you don’t. How do you handle these situations?
I either don’t answer the door or say I am not interested before they even start their pitch. Thankfully, our hill is a bit steep, and houses are a bit further apart, so they rarely take their business down our street.
Most of the time I politely say, “Sorry I can’t help you” and quickly close (not slam) the door. Quicker is better. I do the same on the phone. Occasionally… once in a while… if the person at the door is well dressed and presents super nicely and politely (often they want to talk about Jesus) I will let them complete a short sentence or even 2 before I say, “Sorry, no Thank you”.
BTW, I give the same quick response “Sorry I can’t help you” when I am asked for money on the street by a panhandler, and I haven’t been cursed out yet.
More (too much) info: I am often critical of my wife who will answer the phone and explain to the caller that she does not accept “phone solicitations” and gets sucked into a conversation that can last a minute or more. I implore her to just cut it off quickly and hang up. That way I don’t even feel imposed upon, but if I let them waste even a full minute of my time I get all stressed out.
I don’t even open the door. Sorry…strangers soliciting are not welcome. I tell them to go away…and then I call all of my neighbors to give them a heads up.
Just like the Jehovahs Witnesses. Don’t even open the door…and I tell them to go away and not come back.
I don’t open the door either and recently hung a “no solicitation” sign. There was a woman recently attacked by someone posing as a solicitor around the corner from us.
I don’t open the door and our neighborhood security patrol tells us to call 911 (which I do not do). I do sometimes call the patrol voicemail box to let them know someone is in the area in case the happen to be on duty (their patrol hours vary) and I have a minute to deal with it.
Our city has a licensing requirement for door-to-door solicitors so I would assume that most any of them who are ringing my doorbell are breaking the law.
I tell them we give through our employers.
I do sign petitions if I already agree.
Our biggest solicitation is the college kids, for clean water.
I don’t answer the door.
I answer the door unless I’m sure it is an outside solicitor. We get some legitimate folks- i.e. things about the home owner’s association or neighborhood kids fund-raising (I will donate to that and buy the cookie dough etc). We have a no-solicitation policy in our subdivision, but it doesn’t work. People from other areas come and drop off “disadvantaged youth” to go door to door. I have no confidence it is at all legit, and I shut it down immediately if I did happen to answer. Usually someone puts up an alert on Net Door if there are solicitors in the area that seem sketchy. We also tend to get a lot of pest control or lawn care solicitors.
My D was an an environmental canvasser for over fifteen years. Thankfully, enough people do open the door, many donate. And signing a petition, or writing a letter, doesn’t cost you a thing. If it’s an issue you care about (clean water? pesticide overuse? etc) why not? Her organization makes a big difference in our state, and I am proud of the work she did, and the organization continues to do.
Usually my dog takes care of this by showing his teeth. ?. Very protective. But otherwise don’t open the door and say “No, Thank you”.
If no one ever answers the door, you could miss a chance to do some good. Of course, some things happen. But do you really want to be so isolated behind your door? Is that what we’ve become? You can politely send them away.
I open the door and say: “no thank you” and then close it. Luckily, we live in a neighborhood with 2 acre zoning so we get very few door to door solicitations.
The majority of the solicitors here do not go door to door. They set up on a corner in town to get signatures for petitions, sell cookies, etc… We give routinely to the charities near and dear to our hearts. I don’t need someone coming to the door to do some good.
Issues related canvassers are not just “soliticiting”–and there are more ways to “do some good” than only writing checks. My D had long conversations with fellow citizens about what environmental issues were important to them, and why. She informed people about things they didn’t know about. These conversations are as important as contributions. Signed petitions, and even more so, individual letters that people would write for her to collect, are even more important.
And yes, she’s had dogs sicced on her and been threatened. Canvassing was far more dangerous to her, than anyone they canvassed.
But you all do you. I am dismayed by the vehemence here.
@Garland - More power to your daughter.
It’s a personal safety issue in my neck of the woods. And again, if your daughter was in our town, she would set up shop outside one of the many coffee shops and talk to the people passing by. We live in a very environmentally conscious town and many, many people stop and engage, including myself. I’m just not answering my front door to someone I don’t know, which is at the advice of our local police.
I don’t answer the door unless I know who it is.
I haven’t opened my front door to anyone knocking or ringing in well over 20 years. If I’m not expecting you, and you know me, call me to tell me you’re outside. I also have a “no soliciting” sign outside the door. Sorry, my home is off limits to strangers, regardless of cause or reason. This is also why I have Caller ID. Too many “spam” door knockers, phone ringers, and e-mailers. I lump them together.
@garland - I would politely suggest your well-meaning D do her canvassing in an open public space. For her safety as well as to get the word out on whatever issue she is passionate about. I support that 100%.
We have a no trespassing sign. Not sure if that has deterred people. We also live on the top of a hill and up a flight of stairs. We don’t even get halloweeners. Too much trouble. That said, we do occasionally get solicitors. Sometimes they look real other times I wonder if they are casing the place. I just don’t answer the door even if they know we are home. I figure they can leave pamphlets.
Unfortunately, Yes this is whom we have become. This is more a safety issue then anything else. There are people always on our main shopping area trying to get signatures for this or that. I will stop and talk if it interests me.
In my area it seems like people going door to door is always towards dusk. Not a good time in my opinion to educate someone.
So, I think this question really depends on where you live. I don’t think it’s the meanness of the people answering here. Just too many crazy things happening these days.