Therapist Posted December 13, 2009 Author Share Posted December 13, 2009 Defining commercial would be tricky. No it wouldn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big D Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Wow. Do you know anyone that could do it then? It would help those of us who support a free market economy to better understand your motivation for more stringent business regulation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Therapist Posted December 13, 2009 Author Share Posted December 13, 2009 Wow. Do you know anyone that could do it then? It would help those of us who support a free market economy to better understand your motivation for more stringent business regulation. I'm all for a free market economy and minimal government intervention in our lives. However I'd prefer it if I weren't doorstepped by scruffy tims selling dusters and clothes pegs. Consequently legislation would be a price I'd be willing to pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cow Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Cold calling should be outlawed and while we're at it i would ban all sales persons from phoning random phone numbers to sell you their products. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Therapist Posted December 13, 2009 Author Share Posted December 13, 2009 i would ban all sales persons from phoning random phone numbers to sell you their products. You can add your number to an official list that tells the cold callers you do not wish to be phoned. I added mine a few years ago and never get these phone calls now. http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redjambo Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Thinking before typing would be fine. Defining commercial would be tricky. I still don't understand why legislation is necessary when every householder is entitled to stay no. I'm fed up with people like you who advocate increasing the nanny state? Reducing the ability of the unscrupulous to prey on certain individuals isn't the sign of an increased nanny state - it's a natural and sensible requirement of any civilised society. Your argument that "every householder is entitled to say no" shows ignorance of the large number of people, particularly the more aged and vulnerable individuals in our midst, that have been ripped off by cold callers. But of course you probably couldn't care less about these individuals anyway because "you're alright Jack". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CostaJambo Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Thinking before typing would be fine. Defining commercial would be tricky. I still don't understand why legislation is necessary when every householder is entitled to stay no. I'm fed up with people like you who advocate increasing the nanny state? Maybe this might sway you... I answered the door at my mum's once to this wee scrote who's first words were "Are you the owner of this house". I thought I had sent him packing in as reasonably polite a way as I could given his cheek however that same night some **** chucked a bottle of juice through her front window. That's why it should be banned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cow Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 You can add your number to an official list that tells the cold callers you do not wish to be phoned. I added mine a few years ago and never get these phone calls now. http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/ Thanks for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big D Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Reducing the ability of the unscrupulous to prey on certain individuals isn't the sign of an increased nanny state - it's a natural and sensible requirement of any civilised society. Your argument that "every householder is entitled to say no" shows ignorance of the large number of people, particularly the more aged and vulnerable individuals in our midst, that have been ripped off by cold callers. But of course you probably couldn't care less about these individuals anyway because "you're alright Jack". The unscrupulous in business are not confined to those who use cold calling. Successful businesses do a lot more cold calling than most people realise. I am questioning the need for legislation on top of the perfectly adequate laws that are already in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Who's real world. Selling is all about being able to go back to a customer with another good deal. Rip off merchants don't last. It's amazing the number of people who talk to salesman because they need someone to listen to them. Thought that was friends and family's job in the real world. Going back to a customer with another good deal? That's making the rather naive assumption that the deal was good in the first place. Why should someone be pressurised into buying something they don't need or want in their own home? It's amazing the number of elderly people who are intimidated by salesmen / hawkers who don't appear to understand the simple word no. And by the way, in the real world some of us have to work / can't be at the parents home 24/7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jambojackbilly Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Cold calling should be outlawed and while we're at it i would ban all sales persons from phoning random phone numbers to sell you their products. When i get those nuisance calls i always say ' bare with me a moment please ' put the phone down and go about my business.They eventually get the drift Sometimes i turn the music up full blast and put the phone to the speaker all depeds my mood swing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Currahee! Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 When i get those nuisance calls i always say ' bare with me a moment please ' put the phone down and go about my business.They eventually get the drift Sometimes i turn the music up full blast and put the phone to the speaker all depeds my mood swing I've done that a few times. Must annoy them. Magic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big D Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Going back to a customer with another good deal? That's making the rather naive assumption that the deal was good in the first place. Why should someone be pressurised into buying something they don't need or want in their own home? It's amazing the number of elderly people who are intimidated by salesmen / hawkers who don't appear to understand the simple word no. And by the way, in the real world some of us have to work / can't be at the parents home 24/7. Amazing the number of people who find it difficult to go to shops and have no internet access. If they like the product and the price it's a good deal. Good salesmen rely on repeat business. Salesman who don't understand "no" are unprofessional as they have no grasp of the basic arithmetic of sales. People who intimidate or cheat can be dealt with by the laws already in place. My point is that no further legislation is necessary. As for being pressurised in your own home. Turn that TV off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Amazing the number of people who find it difficult to go to shops and have no internet access. If they like the product and the price it's a good deal. Good salesmen rely on repeat business. Salesman who don't understand "no" are unprofessional as they have no grasp of the basic arithmetic of sales. People who intimidate or cheat can be dealt with by the laws already in place. My point is that no further legislation is necessary. As for being pressurised in your own home. Turn that TV off. My mother is 84, can't go to the shops unaided and has no internet access. She suffers from alzheimers and can't remember what she was doing 10 minutes ago never mind what ads just been on TV. I can't imagine many products or prices that she'd find a need to buy from a cold caller. Its amazing how many salesmen don't rely on repeat business and are so unprofessional that they have no grasp of the basic arithmetic of sales. People who intimidate or cheat could be dealt with by the laws already in place except for the fact that those laws aren't enforced rigorously enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big D Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 People who intimidate or cheat could be dealt with by the laws already in place except for the fact that those laws aren't enforced rigorously enough. I'm sure the police deal with complaints correctly. Would extra legislation really make a difference? There are crooks in every type of job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 I'm sure the police deal with complaints correctly. Would extra legislation really make a difference? There are crooks in every type of job. Yes the police deal with complaints correctly, although due to the nature of cold calling when a complaint is made it's generally one persons word against another. So in dealing with the complaints correctly the response from the police is usually "sorry, we don't have enough evidence to proceed" (although their involvement (or threat of their involvement) does seem to get the desired result - albeit indirectly) Would extra legislation make a difference? Honestly don't know. From a selfish point of view banning cold callers / hawkers altogether would have removed so much hassle from my life - right or wrong, it would be my preference. There are crooks in every type of job. Absolutely 100% correct, but they don't generally turn up at peoples doors uninvited trying to sell something that isn't wanted. Its the uninvited and unwanted bit that gets to people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miller Jambo 60 Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Turning up without an invitation from the householder. Simple. Or telling the householder he is a Celtic fan, instant knockback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Or telling the householder he is a Celtic fan, instant knockback. Baseball bat to the shins would be more appropriate than a simple knockback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruno Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 This situation isn't helped by the dodgy companies that employ these salesman. Having been unemployed for a lot of this year, I applied for a great many jobs, one of which was as a marketing executive. I was invited to interview, and promptly offered "the job" which would have consisted of door-to-door sales selling landlines, internet, electricity etc on behalf of big brand name companies. The basic wage? ?0. Your earnings are 100% commission. Its no wonder these sales people are so pushy, they literally need the sale to take home a pay packet. I would have hung around and asked the guy about minimum wage laws, but the guy was so far up his own arse talking about how successful his and all the other clone business of his were that I didn't want to start him off on anything. The solution for lonely old folks? A dog and a walking stick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euan64 Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 This situation isn't helped by the dodgy companies that employ these salesman. Having been unemployed for a lot of this year, I applied for a great many jobs, one of which was as a marketing executive. I was invited to interview, and promptly offered "the job" which would have consisted of door-to-door sales selling landlines, internet, electricity etc on behalf of big brand name companies. The basic wage? ?0. Your earnings are 100% commission. Its no wonder these sales people are so pushy, they literally need the sale to take home a pay packet. I would have hung around and asked the guy about minimum wage laws, but the guy was so far up his own arse talking about how successful his and all the other clone business of his were that I didn't want to start him off on anything. The solution for lonely old folks? A dog and a walking stick. Discovery marketing by chance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Era Macaroons Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Watch out for these on walls, gates, pavements etc. Related (and very recent) news article here: http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/143562 cheers for this, Ive just popped out to chalk an 'X' over an 'O' on my wall. and stuck an 'X' on my neighbours , job done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tynie b Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 I'm sure the police deal with complaints correctly. Would extra legislation really make a difference? There are crooks in every type of job. Guess who makes a living cold calling, hoping to con Elderly and Vulnerable people into signing up for things they neither want nor need!! Big D has another one in the book!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tynie b Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Just answered the door at Therapist Towers to find a scruffy cockney sounding chap standing on my doorstep. He flashed his "official hawker" licence at me and asked me if I could spare him a minute or so to examine his goods as "I might need something". Unfortunately for him he was wearing a sellik bheanie hhat so I immediately told him I wasn't interested in anything and shut the door on him. The bhoy really needs to get his marketing image right or he'll be a hawker for ever. Did you not get your Man Servant to sort it out for you? Or was he busy on JKB Agreeing with EVERYTHING you post!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Loverman Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Turning up without an invitation from the householder. Simple. in the winter only or would you have a minimum air temperature? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brow Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 I dont even like answering the door to the blokes who read the meter! Cold callers can GTF as far as im concerned. I always say 'sorry its a rented house' and they feck off sharpish. Cold calling, cold knocking, FFS man gimme peace and GTF outta my doorway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big D Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Guess who makes a living cold calling, hoping to con Elderly and Vulnerable people into signing up for things they neither want nor need!! Big D has another one in the book!! Guess again and reread my posts. Gave up debt collecting many years ago. I'm still looking for a reasoned arguement from the knee jerks on this thread as to why more legislation is necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brow Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Guess again and reread my posts. Gave up debt collecting many years ago. I'm still looking for a reasoned arguement from the knee jerks on this thread as to why more legislation is necessary. Serious question, what in gods name made you want to do a job like that. Im not talking about morally, im talking about going around knocking on ****** door and asking for money. It sounds like the job from hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redjambo Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Guess again and reread my posts. Gave up debt collecting many years ago. I'm still looking for a reasoned arguement from the knee jerks on this thread as to why more legislation is necessary. Aye right, someone who doesn't agree with you becomes a "knee jerk". The extent of the problem can be illustrated by the number of initiatives that have been put in place (see http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/tradingstandards/tradingstandards05g2.htm and/or http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/policy/doorstopperswelcome.cfm for some examples). Action is desirable simply because it's obvious that current measures aren't working - too many vulnerable people in society are still being ripped off by unscrupulous cold callers. The problem is that there is currently too much of a hotch-potch of intiatives, if any, amongst the various local councils. If the councils can't get their acts together then the step of making cold calling illegal would simplify and ameliorate the situation considerably. However such a legal step will have to be accompanied by a national information campaign to make householders aware of the legal situation and their rights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big D Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Thanks for presenting an arguement. However, I would argue that 1 person being ripped off is too many. I could site family and friend experiences of being ripped off by supposedly legitimate tradesmen. Am I asking for them to be banned? Again I ask why new legislation would succeed in stopping all abuses in door sales, if we agree that it is the enforcement of legislation that is the issue. And to answer The Brow. 20% commission on everything you collect. Doing the job correctly was worth about ?30 an hour. If you get threatened, you're not going to collect and not going to earn. So you move on to the next account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Guess again and reread my posts. Gave up debt collecting many years ago. I'm still looking for a reasoned arguement from the knee jerks on this thread as to why more legislation is necessary. ....and we've yet to get a reasoned argument from you as to why more legislation isn't necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N User Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Sitting in Stratties about 5 years back with about 3 of my fellow Scotmid collegaue all in our Scotmid gear after a night's shift. Boy comes in and tries to flog us Bacon he'd knicked from our Scotmid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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