A Victor Meldrew moment ?

[Gordon57]

Or am I turning into him ?

Last week I got a knock at the door with some young guys claiming to be charity collectors, wearing purple tops showing the name 'Cauldwell Children'. I pointed out the street signs saying 'no cold callers - neighbourhood watch' and the ones on my own door from the Police which tell potential callers not to knock unless they have an appointment.

I had to go find a key, we don't use the front door very much. The guy was still trying to get me to donate after I told him to 'go away' and that I would be reporting the incident. I did, I emailed their head office, the local council Community Safety department, Consumer Direct and the local Police neighbourhood team.

I got a reply from their office a couple of days ago, here's an extract: "...where residents have placed signage we do ask the teams to avoid going to these properties, which is an issue I have addressed on your behalf with the neighbourhood teams."

My son has gone off to see a friend today, he does not have a key for our front door so when the doorbell rang at 6.40 this evening I went to get my key again, which was in my trouser pocket, upstairs

I was just about to tell him off for not simply going round the back, I opened the door and it was yet another caller, from the same blooming charity.

I was not very polite, being SOB and agitated already. Once again, I pointed at the sign on the door. He had had a few minutes in which to read it, while I went for my keys. I told him to 'go away, or something on those lines, and that I was calling the Police - and I did !

In the meantime the dog was obviously realising my distress and was trying to jump through the window, scrabbling up at the curtains - and pulled them down.

The tugging has snapped half the fittings holding the rail up and I have had to use cable ties to try and put the rail back for now. Wife is at work until 9.30, nobody else in. I think I may be able to get some new brackets and replace the old ones, but if not it will be a whole new rail. I've a feeling they don't make the rail we have any more - it's like me, old !

If we are careful in pulling the curtains together they should be OK for a day or two. I've had to drill through the rail to feed the cable tie through so the sliding bits can still slide. I've just found some brackets on ebay that look to be the same ones, so they're on order now. I'll know in a day or two when they arrive.

Why do these callers have to bother people? It should be illegal to call door to door in an area where there are clear signs saying we don't want them to call. I'm now all het up now ( thefreedictionary.com/het+up ) and still have not got my breath back, an hour and a half after they were here.

I refuse to support any cause or company where they come and hassle me, either at home or in the street. I know what Victor would have said about the same lot calling again, after a complaint...

[grannybell]

I quite agree. These people are a bloody menace!

[sillywitch]

They are the bane of my life, I hate cold callers , whether it,s at the door or phone I,ve got TPS on my line but it doesn't work on overseas callers & they are the ones that bug me most!!!!

You,ve had one hell of a day & I hope you have a Large can at your side now & are slowly calming down

Don't open the door next time, when they say who they are just walk away & put the kettle on & blast some of your fine music out

Please try & relax a little Gordon, we on here need you

Karen xxxx

[Gordon57 in reply to sillywitch]

Trouble is that I can't see who's at the door, and I was expecting my son... Seems he's not the only one who likes to lean on the doorbell...

I've no cans, but think I'm going to go find a bottle, or two. I got some Jennings Bitter the other day, £2 for 2 500ml bottles.

[sillywitch in reply to Gordon57]

Thats the spirit lad, feet up & be a happy chappy when the wife gets in slow deepish breaths(but not when you,re drinking ) & you,l soon be the Gordon we know & love

xxx

[raptor]

If you get any more,,dont talk just cup your hand to your ear and pretend you are deaf,,they get louder and louder,,all you have to do is say ah ah,,, its hysterical

[Gordon57 in reply to raptor]

eh ?

[Hidden]

Lol

[raptor]

You are good with computers,,rig up a web cam, so you can see the front door a wee speaker,,then you can say go away please,,or what ever you choose without gettin out of your chair....

[Hidden in reply to raptor]

And use a Dalek voice - and tell them they'll be exterminated....

[Fusion8d in reply to raptor]

We had a system like this fitted at a reduced cost by the council a year two ago, but didn't go for the additional feature of having door control as well. Even if you just go for the intercom like we did it does mean that don't have to get out of your chair just to find it's another direct seller.

[Gordon57 in reply to raptor]

Hmmm, just been pricing these up. A proper door intercom with camera, rather than a webcam. Not cheap are they. Maybe something to ask the council about? I don't want one with door release, my Dad has a voice only one like that and it's naff !

[Hidden]

We were getting plagued by cold callers - so one day, hubby was getting in the shower, sure enough the door bell goes, and he answers it with a towel draped round his waist, opening the door, and looking over his shoulder, he shouted, "tie that sacrificial goat to the alter or he'll eat the curtains again!"

For some obscure reason, I've not been bothered with them since....

[dall05]

Wish I could say 'I dont believe it' but sadly I do.

[Hidden in reply to dall05]

Oh, it happened alright, and neighbours who heard him haven't spoken to me for a long, long time...

[laig]

I also have stickers saying no cold callers but last week I got them 2 nights on a run. As I answered the door on the second night a young man said rather flippantly 2its alright im not a Jehovas Witness. I gave him short shrift for ignoring the sticker and didn't think about what he had said till after he had gone. I have a friend who is a Witness and for all he knew I may have been one too.How come people cant discriminate against other nationalities but they can get awaywith discriminating against religion.

[Hidden]

I understand how you feel gordon, it's really annoying, especially when it's an effort for you to get to the door. I always feel a bit sorry for them tho (I don't mean JWs, no time for them I'm afraid). Doorstep sellers are often young people trying to earn a bit of money and it must be a horrible job. I blame the govt (I usually do!) because they're aren't enough proper jobs for these people to do.

ff x

[Gordon57]

I don't care who they are, if a sign says don't knock unless you have an appointment then they should go away and not bother me. I make a point of reporting anyone who goes against the signs and it serves them right if they get told off by their office. It's partly lack of training I guess, if they are not told to avoid house with signs then I can only blame their terrible education for not being able to read the sign and understand it's meaning.

I am annoyed because I've had to mess about trying to do a temporary repair on the curtain track, which is holding up, but I don't want to rely on that for very long. One cable tie snapped as I was putting it in place, they're not the best quality ones

Maybe I need new signs? "The doorbell button is connected to the mains. Knocking will trigger a sensor that will detonate the landmine under your feet" - Wonder if that will do the trick ?

For the record, discrimination is discrimination on any grounds. I did some work with the minorities division of the Police in my area at one time, they were setting up a new campaign and website for 'hate crime' which covered race, gender, arranged marriage and much more. Funnily enough, religion was hardly mentioned although it was clearly part of the campaign.

[Hidden in reply to Gordon57]

Yeah.... they tend to tread warily on religion, in case it upsets the "minority" if you catch my drift.

[copdber]

O Gordon I feel your pain I have the stickers on the door as well last one that called got a right ear full from me. I had my 2 year old granddaughter staying with me and my crazy dog work her barking at the knocking on the door. I also have a sign on my letter box which clearly reads NO JUNK MAIL but they still put leaflets through it. I understand poor Victor and I think there's a little bit of Victor in us all. You should hear my hubby when he starts about the kids next door.

[vittorio]

- Just a suggestion folks, get yourself one of those MAGNIFYING LENSES you put in the door, so at least you can peer through it before opening the door - gives you a "Cinemascope " view of whose outside, then, you can make up your mind, from the " look" of the caller/s as to whether to answer the door or not. I put one in my front door, ( just drill a hole slightly larger than the lens, insert it, and away you go !,) about a year ago, and it does work and saves on the "Puffing " bit !...

[Gordon57 in reply to vittorio]

That won't stop them knocking though...

[katieoxo60]

Totally agree , the canvassing by charities these days is big business and invasion of privacy, ie doorstep calls, letterbox bags,and long telephone campaigns to get your donations.Thats besides certain companies giving percentages of the price you pay for goods to certain charities. Many poorer families cannot afford to donate in anyway.How many raffle tickets are sent in the post too.????

[Gordon57 in reply to katieoxo60]

As far as I am concerned, going door to door or stopping people in the town streets is begging. Nothing bugs me more these days than trying to get from the bus stop to the Post Office or wherever and having to pass a gang of street workers for some charity or another. You get past one, and another starts to head your way.

Last time I went it was Shelter, a group I have had dealings with and would perhaps support if I had spare cash, which I don't - otherwise we would not be faced with repossession There must have been 8 of them in the space of 15 metres. All wearing jackets with Shelter printed on, all carrying clipboards and wearing ID cards.

One stopped me, I told her I knew of Shelter and the work they did, she wanted to sign me up until I mentioned that I was aware due to the impending repossession. I was staggered to find out that she did not know where the nearest Shelter office was or that they provided solicitors at court. She was just employed, yes PAID, to sign people up for regular donations by direct debit and that was where I terminated the interview...

Strange then that some charities claim they cannot afford to supply certain services, due to shortage of funds. If they stopped paying these groups of street monkeys they might actually find they have some money after all !

If I get a 'charity' collection bag through the letterbox I always check to see just who is going to benefit, very few are what they say. Any that are a company who make small donations to charity, just so they can (mis) use the name go in the recycling bin, we often have a lot of empty plastic bottles that overflow the box the council supply so the bags are useful for that. May as well make some use of them.

[katieoxo60 in reply to Gordon57]

Sorry I forgot about the street collectors when quoting my list, think possibly they are worse than the door to door ones. We can close the door but it's not so easy to duck a face to face. I found a easier way is to sign for direct debit then cancel when I get home on my computor as they don't always know the meaning of the words no thanks.

[Hidden]

The ones that really used to wind me up were those that used to send you a pen or 2p or assorted labels and cards with their forms. I don't care how little it cost, it was still money that could have been used for helping those that the charity was there for in the first place. The other thing that's irritating is when the form is asking for £20, £50 or Other. To me it always implies that they're not interested in anything under their lower limit. Surely even a pound or two from thousands of people would be a pretty substantial sum?

[Gordon57]

I've had email from the Account Manager of Future Fundraising Ltd, the company carrying out the door to door campaign on behalf of Caudwell Children

He apologises for the disturbances, particularly when I had contacted them after the first visit. They claim the team were sent to the wrong area and that they are using this experience to address issues with the way these fundraisers are deployed. I'm told that it will not happen again... we'll see !

[Bumley]

When I get attacked by Chuggers on the street, I put my best Victor face and say "As a matter of principal I do not give anything to Chuggers". I don't feel sorry for them they have the choice of taking the job or not. I used to canvass when I was unemployed, if any one got angry we just backed off and lived with it, its part of the job

I am fortunate that I live in a block of flats that has an Audio call system. We have all the usual signs including We do not buy from anyone over the doorstep, etc. The last time one got through the system, a canvasser from an Energy supplier who had conned his way in. Myself and another flat holder happened to be in the corridor. We told the guy to go or we would call the police, since he was trespassing. Cheeky B****** refused, we called the police and guess what a PCSO turned up! The canvasser left, but the PCSO was just round the corner and collared him at the end of the drive. Sent him off with a flea in his ear after taking his name and address. RESULT!!

Regards

David

[Hidden]

Tell them they should be deployed fixing your curtain rail. An apology is not good enough.

[Gordon57 in reply to Hidden]

They also say to get the curtain rail sorted and send them the receipts...