Is a door to door salesman knocking at your door? Here are some simple tips to help you deal with door to door salesmen.
Stopping a Door to Door Salesman Before they Knock
The best method for keeping a door to door salesman at bay is to put a “No Solicitation” sign on your door. The sign is like garlic to a vampire. With a sign posted, door to door salesmen are legally prohibited from knocking or attempting to sell to you at your home. Yes, some will break the law and knock anyway but read on to learn how to stop them.
Stopping a Door to Door Salesman After they Knock
Ok, someone is knocking on your door but you don’t know who. What next? Don’t answer. That is your simplest solution. Just don’t answer the door. They will eventually go away. The problem with that approach is that you often don’t know the person knocking is a door to door salesman. It could be a package delivery, neighbor, or family member at the door. You get more visits from people you know than people you don’t know after all. So in most cases you answer the door. Now what? Read on of course.
Ok, You Answered. Now What?
Once you have answered the door and realize you are facing a door to door salesman what are you supposed to do next? First, be polite. They are people after all. Once you are face to face you should politely decline to buy whatever garbage the solicitor is selling. In many cases the door to door salesman isn’t even selling garbage, he is selling a scam.
Whether it is an alarm system, painting by a foreign exchange student trying to earn his way through school, or a miracle cleaning solution it is essentially a scam. That’s why the product is selling door to door. Indeed, I once had a client who paid over $3,000 for a vacuum cleaner from a door to door salesman that was only worth about $600. Indeed, the vacuum and the deal both sucked.
Not all home solicitation sales are scams however. Small businesses and school groups often go door to door to legitimately pitch lawn care services, concrete refinishing, charity collection drives, and cookies. High school age students just starting out or working part time through school are a prime example of when home solicitation sales are a valid sales method. Even in these cases, however, don’t buy anything unless you know the person and don’t pay anything unless they have already fully performed the agreed upon service.
After the Purchase
You opened the door and just couldn’t resist. You bought the cleaning solution, vacuum, or other garbage and now you realized it is overpriced, cheaply made, or just an all out out scam. The good news is that you can cancel the purchase and get a full refund as long as you cancel in writing within three days. Yes, the time frame is short but you shouldn’t have bought anything from a door to door salesman in the first place.
First, call the company and cancel the purchase. Don’t stop with just a phone call. Always follow up the call with a written notice of cancellation and confirm the telephone call in the letter. They are required by law to cancel and issue a refund. If they refuse, call me. If the door to door salesman gave you false contact information and you can’t contact the company then you have been scammed. Cancel payment on the check or credit card you used to pay. You didn’t pay in cash did you? If so, you won’t ever see that money again.
Way After the Purchase
If you made the purchase more than three days ago but have realized what you purchased is garbage you should still be able to get a refund in some cases. Contact the door to door salesman and request a refund. If he refuses be persistent and contact his supervisors and even the company owner if he won’t budge. If all else fails follow through with a small claims lawsuit as a last resort.