door-to-door INVASION! Grr!!

[BedKnobbery2]

Man, I am still seething/shaking.

I just had a door-to-door salesman come to my house. Or rather IN my house, uninvited. Here's what happened.

When I got home from taking the kids to camp today, I left the garage door open because I was planning to leave again to run some errands (and am running late...sigh)....anyway, I just got out of the shower, and was finishing up some emails when I saw a car slow waaaaaaay down and check my house out (we get about 10 cars on my road per day, max, so I always notice 'weird' cars)....he backs up, and pulls into my driveway and next thing I know, there's a knock on my door. I go to my front door (took me 2 seconds)....no one there. Hmmmmm....another knock, this time FROM THE INTERIOR DOOR TO MY GARAGE. This guy actually had the cajones to WALK THROUGH MY GARAGE AND UP TO THE INTERIOR DOOR. Oh, but it gets worse!!

I open the door, and 2 men are standing there, wearing suits. The one apparently in charge asks if I am the owner of the car, and I say yes, I am....is there a problem? (thinking maybe a car with my make was reported in an accident & these were dressy police). He says, Well, we're just stopping at homes in the ____ area to talk to some people. I say, Well, I don't live in _____, I live in ____ (thinking they were politicians, going door-to-door, which happens from time to time.....my property line is the town line, so people often think I live in the other town). So then he says, Well, you are in this area, so we'd like to talk with you. So I ask what is this regarding? And he says, it'll only take a few minutes, and I need a flat surface to lay some things out. I ask again, what is this regarding? And FINALLY, he tells me its an insurance program. I say, very firmly, "I don't purchase things from door-to-door or telephone solicitors, but thank you anyway." So he completely ignores what I said, and plunks his stuff down on a little gardening table by the door in the garage and starts running his speil!! I interupt and say, "I'm really NOT INTERESTED." And he says, Well, a lot of people in your area have joined this program, you may want to hear me out. (!!!) All this WHILE STILL STANDING IN MY HOUSE~! (since my garage is attached to my house, I consider it part of my HOUSE.) I finally say, "No, I don't, and will you please move, I need to get some things out of my car." He finally packs up his stuff and leaves.

I felt VERY invaded having someone in my garage, completely uninvited. I would NEVER NEVER NEVER buy anything from this company, based on that action alone. I also felt somewhat threatened by his reluctance to tell me why he was there, and further by his refusal to leave when i made it clear I was not interested. Granted, I'm a large and strong person (6'1", and pretty powerfully built), but as a woman home alone approached by 2 men in my home, it made me extremely uncomfortable. I don't think I am over-reacting, but am curious about other's thoughts.

 

[binny]

I would feel the same way! My friends know they can come through the garage ( and the UPS woman lol but she is allowed too shes practically family anymore ) but no one else, first off my garage is full of boxes getting ready for the moove but even if it werent it IS opart of the hosue and I wouldnt ever go through someones garage wiithout their permission and he was just downright rude and pushy anyway, from the sounds of it!

 

[SeaSpray]

You definitely are NOT over reacting! I wouldn't have opened that door, I would've yelled through the door (making sure it was LOCKED), to see who they were and what they wanted. As a woman home alone during the day, I never open a door to a strange man, let alone 2 men. (I know you probably didn't realize there were 2 men on the other side of the door before you opened it.)

I would feel the same way you did, invaded, and I would've called the police to let them know that these men were taking it upon themselves to enter your garage uninvited.

 

[Jeafl]

If you remember the name of their company, REPORT THEM IMMEDIATELY!! Tell the office that if it ever happens again you will call the police. I can't believe they did that to you! I also would never buy anything from door to door salespeople. (Or phone solicitors either for that matter!)

 

[iluvorlando]

If that ever happened to me, I would take the cordless with me and dial 911 and say there is an intruder in my house and I have a gun. Plus I would have my dog, which should be intimidating enough!!

 

[Harley Chick]

I don't think you're over-reacting at all. This is why I never open the door without my trusty German Shepard by my side. Nobody ever wants to talk to us for long with her barking and baring her teeth at them.

 

[nativetxn]

I don't think you're overreacting. I would call the police and tell them about these two men and give them a description. They might want to check them out. How do you know they were really selling insurance? They could be casing places for all you know.

 

[nativetxn]

Oh and close your garage door! {{{HUGS}}} sweetie, this would have really aggravated me.

 

[loisg1]

I agree with nativetxn, I 'd still call the police and give the best description of the men and car that I could. I live in a development and many if not all folks are gone during the day - except me. My doors are locked!!

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

How frightening. I would definitely feel invaded. Who expects people at the garage door. I don't have a peep hole in the door to the garage to check out visitors.

If I were selling, I would never go into a garage, there might be a big mean dog there.

{{{{{{HUGS}}}}

 

[BedKnobbery2]

Thanks so much for the support, ladies, I do appreciate it!!

Sheree, that is part of what freaked me out--my garage door is a solid steel door, no window or peephole, so I had no idea who it was before opening it. In retrospect, I realize I should've opened the front door and called them out and over, but hindsite is always 20/20!! Now I know to always close my garage door!!

I did get the name of the company, and found their website......I need to pick it apart and find an email, the only way to contact them I found is thru a form that requires your name, address, etc, which I hate using. but I will for sure be sending them an email!! I also want to wait a couple of days because I am a little leery of sending it so soon after the event......I know I'm being paranoid, but the last thing I want is this guy pounding on my door to give me a piece of his mind!

 

[Kermit]

I would call the police and the BBB. What they did is not right. Maybe if a few police officers scared them as much as they've probably been scaring women all over the place, they'd change their ways.

 

[Zurg]

I would call the cops.

 

[Pin Wizard]

There's still door-to-door salesmen in existence? I would have picked up the phone and told him he could leave or I would call the police. Trespassing at the very least.

 

[kejoda]

If this happens to anybody else just call 911. You neeed to protect yourself and your children.

 

[Tuffcookie]

In our town you have to get a permit from the mayor's office to go door to door. Then the mayor's office sends the application down to me in the detective bureau and I run a local record check on the applicants. A lot of good that does because most of the time these bozos are from out of town or state.

TC

 

[Serena]

Wow, that would be scary! I'd go ahead and call the police, you don't really know what those men were up to.

 

[UrsulasDaBomb]

How scary!*shivers*Lucky me...all I ever get door-to-door is kids wanting me to buy stuff for their school or proselytizers(did I spell that right???)wanting me to change my religion.

 

[minniecarousel]

Welllll....if any good came out of it - you won't leave your garage door open for any longer than coming or going!
Seriously, if it ever happens again, I'd call the police non-emergency number at the very least.
(I've been known to open my living room window to talk to strangers at the front door!)

 

[disykat]

I'd also still call the police and give a description of them. They could actually be bullying people into buying their product or worse.