Suspicious Solicitors Hitting the Hood
This evening a crew of young, guessing college aged, people were knocking on doors with vague offers of books or magazines. One neighbor had this experience;
The fast-talking one of the two, tried to convince me that if they achieved “3500″ NCA points” they’d win a trip to Australia. When first asked whom they represented, she, very nervously, said they were trying to win an “NCAA contest”. Apparently she noticed I was skeptical, and rephrased her answer that they were participating in a “training program” to enhance their communications skills, and were attempting to win points by “selling books, you know cook books and other books”. Supposedly they receive reward points for each sale. Then she represented that NCA had a web site from which I could verify their legitimacy and that their sponsor had a “B+” rating with the Better Business Bureau. As best I could understand their nervous, fast-talking answers, the sponsoring organization is “NCA” – National Career ? (perhaps alliance). I was unable to find any record on the Better Business Bureau’s web site for any organization remotely matching the name they provided.
The police were contacted and were in the neighborhood talking with one of the male solicitors that happened to stop by my house. As I was leaving the officer was talking with the young male and identification was being checked.
My visit was paid by a young woman, also quick-talking and jumpy. She was 1,000 points away from earning her trip to Rome. She evaded any attempt to get details from her about the organization she was representing. Claimed that due to where my spouse and I worked that she would receive extra bonuses from our order. After she made a couple racist comments and saying no to buying myself magazines, buying subscriptions to donate to others, and outright cash donations (never mentioned books or cookbooks), I finally got her off our doorstep.
Happened to peek out the window about 15 minutes later to see her sitting on the curb in front of our home on the phone. Was about to call it in when she was picked up by a white, 15 passenger van with California license plates and tinted windows. Couldn’t see how many more people were inside.
There are companies/organizations that load kids into vans to walk the neighborhoods. I live on a corner, so I get to see the vans, and I had a young neighbor who worked for them – they got something like $50/night.
They were at my house today. A young teenage guy who opened his spiel with, “Are you the queen?”
I responded with, “I live here. What do you want?” (as I purposely barely contained my barking dogs) and he asked if I was going to set the dogs loose on him. When I told him that depended on what he wanted, he continued w/nonsense as though I was a 16 yr old girl he was trying to ask out rather than a 40yr old housewife who might buy his magazines. He actually said “Yo yo yo!” like a rapper at one point.
I told him no magazines and sent him on his way. This is the type of scam that was written about in the NYTimes a few years ago. Sad startling article. The kid in the video gives his old sales pitch and says they use the “NCAA” term and words like team (My guy today asked if the “girls team” had been to my house yet) b/c people assume they’re talking about schools and are legit. If it didn’t make me worried for my safety or that of my young kids, I probably would have invited my little budding rapper salesman in, asked if he needed help and offered the him something to eat.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/us/21magcrew.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&sq
same thing happened to my wife. the fast talking, jumpy, guy asked if she was the queen. she basically told him she didn’t have time and closed the door. these people annoy me…
I got a visit from the young girl last night after dark, same deal about the trip. She asked “Guess where I’m going”, before I even answered She said “Rome! ever been it’s very nice”. I couldn’t even figure out what she wanted until I had to ask, What do you want me to buy???. Couldnt even get a straight answer to that question.
I had a few smart ass questions to ask her, but the tuna Mac-n-Cheese was getting cold. Told Her was NOT interested, she actually got mad. Funny, and loved the big honkin cold sore on her lip.
The police department consistently tells us that if something seems wrong it probably is, and to report it to the non-emergency number 646-5100.
2 cute little girls came to my door….. soliciting….selling cookies for Thompson Middle School… wrote them a check never saw the cookies and this happened twice…they’re cut off!
a young man came to our house on 45th around 7:30 last night. we have a screened front porch and lock the screen door at night, partly to avoid such things. we were upstairs and became aware of some noise–he was knocking and tugging hard at the door. he gave up and went to our neighbor across the street who did not answer. he did not go to other houses on our block that we could see, just ambled slowly up the street toward forest hill ave.
We had this last year. 2 girls showed up with the non-committal talk. First thing my husband told them was “I am not interested in purchasing anything” They continued to ramble. My husband finally had to ask “what are you selling”. They explained about the book/magazines and he said “I already told you I was not interested in purchasing anything so no thanks”. The one girl got rude and pushed the issue, my husband stayed calm and said no again. Then she got ugly and said “well, how about some bottled water”. He let her know that we didn’t have any. She got more angry and kind of got in his face. Enough so that he took a step back. Then she asked for a glass of water and he said that he thought it was time for them to go and that he was going back in the house. She started arguing at him and he just said “good day” went in and closed the door and called the police.
Crazy!
This is why I have dogs. And this is when I do not do a very good job of holding my dogs back as I kindly explain that they have bitten sales people before. (they haven’t). Usually that ends the conversation pretty quick.
You can also just tell them that Woodland Heights is a No Solicitation zone and that people tend to call the police when sales people knock on doors. You can make it seem like you are doing them a favor in suggesting they find a different neighborhood.
I had something similar a few weeks ago. These kids were not selling anything but collecting money for “chess boards and supplies”. They gave me a flyer and I looked the organization up, but it was very vague.
Larry, that happened to me a few years back, Thompson kids selling candy. Three really nice kids. I bought a box from each of them. Eventually one battered box showed up on my porch when I was at work, never saw the other two. Got a very indifferent response when I called Thompson Middle School. I didn’t want to be a jerk about the candy, but I felt like accountability was something about which our public schools would (or should) care? Apparently not. Never bought again.
I bought two magazine subscriptions from a high school age kid last summer. He had been talking about receiving points towards a trip and was working with a similar type of sales group. After I paid him, I was worried about never receiving the magazines. They showed up on time, but I found the prices were much higher than normal. You can just send in one of the cards from the magazine and get a much better rate. They are not total scams, but don’t expect to get a good deal.
On a little bit of a tangent, I think buying a magazine subscription any way other than sending in the card is more expensive. My nephew’s school sells magazines, and I got a letter in the mail, addressed by (his) hand, which included not only high-priced subscriptions, but a self-addressed postcard I could send back to him telling him what a great job he was doing selling magazines for his school.
What happened to the humongous Sugar Daddys we used to get for selling magazines?
I bought wrapping paper from an adorable door to door “salesman” marketing for his junior high school two years ago and magazines from a different kid a year ago. In both instances the checks were cashed but the products never arrived.
Ever since then I don’t buy. And when the kids come by selling I explain why. I don’t answer the door for the adults.