Hey guys just wanting to get some feedback from people who may have had some experience with these types of people before. So recently within the past week or so there has been people coming to our door and trying to sell us magazines or ask us questions about raising money. The problem is these people seem very shady and just up to no good. The first time they came to the door my mother answered from the outside the door and persisted on telling the guy that we were not interested, the next time just a few days later two black men come to the door and ask if I would like to purchase magazines that would help benefit less fortunate in the inner city (3rd ward). He kept asking me questions about how I did not get involved with gangs and blah blah blah, I could tell this guy was BSing and I kept telling him politely I am not interested. Then tonight another black male comes to the door at 630 and this time my father answers but he did not open the door, he told the him that he was not interested over and over, the guy got ticked off and called my dad crazy and walked off... Should we be worried about the increase in people soliciting in our neighborhood? We live in a fairly low crime area, but I know that means nothing. Our home was burglarized several months ago before we moved and so ever then we have been more alert and suspicious of people... Any advice or experience with these types of people would be appreciated!
try putting up with the christian caucasian bilingual bike rider church kids. I can't say 'I dont speak english' no more
carry a baseball bat when you answer the door. I prefer a crowbar. It's lighter to swing around, so you get more velocity on your swings.
Need to careful. If they are coming to your house at different times they are probably seeing when you are at home and not at home I would really notify the police and be extra careful paying attention about your surroundings.
Yeah, I totally spent 50 bucks on an Esquire subscription a few years ago that, shockingly, never seemed to make it to Esquire.
What if you say you already have a subscription to the magazine? I doubt they'd ask to see it. If they do, then that's a clear sign the po-po's need to get involved.
Two chicks came by my apartment last month with some BS story about how they needed points for a study abroad trip. They didn't put out so I didn't subscribe.
Urban legend (e.g. here) has it that the college-aged kids who do this, saying they are from the local college, are merely runaways being exploited by greedy companies who bus them around from city to city. These magazine urchins showed up a few times when I was in college, always interested in public speaking, etc. Could be this (the reason for so many in so short a time is that they're just now setting up temporary camp in your neighborhood), and it's merely a simple scam for fake magazines. Or, they could actually be staking you out for robbery.
Never heard of the lost magazine sales crew kids, but I did have this kid come by a few months back pleading for my vote to help send him to Cancun. I was like "Cancun? Don't you know how dangerous Mexico is?" and shut the door on him.
My entry into sales was selling subs to both the Houston Post and Chronicle. It's essentially the same racket, except my gig was local and most of the magazine guys travel from city to city like a pack of carnies. Bottom line- don't believe a word they say. 99% of the time, it's all a carefully crafted lie to sell you a subscription. I heard all kinds of utter bull**** including a 50-year old guy rubbing egg whites on his arms, letting it dry, then acting r****ded for sympathy sales. I never ripped anyone off and we sold real subs. But there's no higher meaning to what we did. It was commission only. As for getting a shady vibe from them- I don't blame you. All they do is lie and that comes across in their bearing. I wouldn't worry about getting broken in to, although I did hear of some of these guys snatching a nice pen on purpose. Personally I don't trust these guys to buy from and really no other salesmen because of my experiences. In the end its like anything else in life- always trust your gut.
People that can read can see the sign hanging by our front door. "No solicitors" Of course that doesn't apply to kids in the neighborhood and those delicious girlscout cookies. DD
