Forums Forums Street News Doorstep Hawkers

Anyone had the pleasure recently ?

Another one knocked on the door a couple of days ago. Showed me his plastic ID, which had Hawkers (something) can;t remember what that word was. Claimed to be from Middlesborough, only a young chap,ex convict and had been silly as a teenager. Just had a baby and was selling stuff.

I politely said, how difficult it must be for him but unfortunately I was unable to buy anything (mainly because I had no cash on me as I tend to use cards these days for most things) .

With that he swiped the ID out of my hand and said " Horrible" ! I questioned as to whom he was referring to as "horrible" . Not you he said but everyone around here, as he stormed off in a fit of fury shouting about he's been walking all day for nothing.

He needs to go on a course for anger management before being sent out into the wilderness.

I have just looked on internet for a possible company and found various links to information , going back a few years. I think it's about time this was made an illegal occupation.

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/doorstep-hawkers.98486/

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/7...rning-burglaries-doorstep-duster-sellers

They require a Pedlars Certificate from the police, this is issued from the area where they live, not where they operate. The certificate is only £12.25 in Merseyside.

Some of them show some other ID which is just a junk plastic thing with no official standing.

The ex-convict thing is what they are told to say along with the family and baby by the companies that run these things, usually quite illegally as they are not paying the minimum wage but are clearly employing these people. The disgusted walk-off is also orchestrated.

No doubt there are some genuine ones, somewhere.

Get them all too regularly around here. Usually several with someone in the background making sure they do it.

Had an chap knock yesterday, appeared to be on his own and had a soft Irish lilt to his voice, asking if I would like the paving cleaned for £200. I declined his kind offer and he left me a leaflet, one of several he was carrying. There was a vague address in Manchester (no post code), no VAT number and the phone number did not apparently belong to anyone specifically if it existed at all and two mobile phone numbers.

Think it is time I stopped opening the door at all.

I have a big 'No Cold Calls' sign on my porch door. Seems to work - so far!

Had one round yesterday. looked about 18 with rucksack. Said he wasn't just out of prison but out of the army now his injury had healed. Dramatic clutching of chest. Showed usual printed card which could be printed off any computer and started his speech. Couldn't stop him once he got started.
Makes you feel guilty as it's supposed to do but didn't give him the chance to start selling whatever he had in the rucksack. Just had to say not to go any further and closed the door. Why do I feel rotten about doing that now?

Don't feel rotten, that's what they play on. What annoys me as much as anything else is the fact that these people seem to call during the week days, (obviously not in your case Muzzy) The organisers must know that most people who can work are out at work. They can glean information about the areas they are targeting. If the residents are not at work , then mostly young mums, unemployed, sick, or pensioners are at home during the daytime, so they are targeting the weaker members of the public anyway.

I bet they don't do much calling in the evenings when the dads or husbands are at home ! They know what they'd get.

I must say that evening calls from these types of hawkers, is not welcome anyway. Very scary for older or more vulnerable folk.

Had the middlesborough or geordie sounding guy couple years back. Selling cheap stuff at stupid prices. Bargained him down on something i needed (pair secateurs) but still over priced. Id have more sympathy if they didnt come out with the sob stories.