Door-to-door scamming? (Austin, Howe: sales, 2009, crime)

[kenneth.richard]

Wow. I never thought I'd see the day when someone would come to my door and ask for a large amount of money for an "organization" I never heard of. Have you guy's experienced this in Austin? Even if it's a real organization, their representatives are extremely idiotic.

So I'm having late dinner with my family (around 8:30pm) and I get a ring at my door. And this guy is standing there with a clipboard. I included a dialog of the conversation to the best of my memory below:

So he basically throws the clipboard at me as I open the door and says:

GUY: Do you know about the analog-to-digital TV switch?

Me: Yes. (at this point I'm still paying attention -- irritated, but not angry, yet...)

GUY: Well because of that, there will be on average about 8000-10000 TVs in Austin's landfill by next year because people will throw them away after the switch. It will affect our water because those things have so much mercury in them!

Me: (I'm looking at the clipboard and don't see an organization name or anything...just some BS "mission statements". So I hear him state his "fact" and I completely think it's a lie...that's when I'm starting to figure out it may be a scam...so I play along). Oh really?

GUY: If you sign this, it will help us postpone the switch. Me and my organization want to save the water because there is so much mercury in those TVs that will leak into our landfill.

Me: (I'm pretty good friends with my neighbors and see they put some hilarious fake aliases down, so I follow their lead and do the same.) Sure I'll sign it!

GUY: I'll get you a receipt.

Me: Receipt for what?

GUY: The 52 dollars

Me: (holding by my laugh as much as possible) - when did I give you $52?

GUY: It's your donation. Don't you want to help the landfill?

Me: I don't know you or your "organization". Goodbye.

GUY: I can take cash, credit, debit, or check.

Me: Bye.

GUY: Is it the amount? You can donate as much as you want...Your neighbors donated and helped out a lot!

Me: (I look on the clipboard under the "donated" section and don't see any check marks!) No. Bye.

GUY: Wow...--mumbles something under his two chins--

Me: (still laughing) Bye.

Guy: (He snatches his clipboard back as I hand it to him and turns around like a 7 year old boy that doesn't get his candy fix for the day.) --chuckles-- Should of guess...you are...mumble mumble mumble.


Overall, it was a hilarious moment. I actually appreciate him coming by because my friends and family at dinner had huge laughs after I told them the story. I hope you guys don't have to experience this.

He never once stated his organization's name. And I wonder where he got those "statistics" from. 8000-10000 TVs will be thrown away this year! Hell, if that's true, I will be the first to go to the landfill and pick them up myself. I find it hard to believe 8000-10000 TVs are going to be "thrown away" after the switch.

And again, if they are a real organization, they have extremely unprofessional representatives and volunteers. Stats aren't supported, phone numbers aren't listed, addresses aren't on the sheet, even the name of the organization wasn't plastered on the sheet.

So just in case some of you haven't ran into this guy. He said his name is "Kevin" and he is a pretty chunky white guy that looks like he hasn't showered in a few days, average height, and between 30-40 years old.

I think when he saw me, he assumed, "Old white guy...this is going to be easy." He had that attitude when he went through his entire "script." I also forgot to mention, when he offered all four payment methods (cash, check, credit, debit), he made SURE to say "We don't want cash because we might get robbed out here walking around with all that money...we'd prefer your credit card donation or check donation." This is the biggest red flag ever! Please do not give your credit card numbers, routing numbers, bank account numbers to this person. Of course he doesn't want cash, he wants personal information!

[Mareli]

I certainly hope you called the police????? We had something like that years ago. Come to find out there were some robberies in our neighborhood and when you open the door they scan the entry of your home and whatever else they can see. Some of these people have a mental issue and not stable so don't laugh in there face and tick them off....Now a days with people having no jobs, losing there homes there are more robberies going on.

Thanks for the information and will certaily alert my daughter and friends.

[love roses]

I'll keep my eyes open just in case anyone tries that out in the burbs. Good call on your part for sure I agree with Mareli. Call the police just so they are at least aware.

[centralaustinite]

Come live central and you'll get lots of experience handling this type of thing. You can call 311. Aggressive solicitation is a crime but it is not a crime to knock on a door and talk. The saddest are the magazine sellers that come in from out of state, the kids themselves who knock on the doors are basically victims of a scam that promised them a job.

My standard line is that we don't give money at the door to anyone or any organization. It works. Best to stay friendly but firm.

[CATXTransplant]

You must live in Steiner Ranch because they were at our house at 8:45.

[iceshots]

Not to stray off topic, but, here is a link to a story about a man in Ontario who fell victim to the classic "rich relative" scam. He is now out $150K which he borrowed from family.

You hear about the Nigerian Prince scam as an ongoing joke, but you do not think someone would fall for it.

Similarly, the OP saw through the door to door scam, but I wonder just how much donations and other information the guy has picked up.

Ontario man bilked of $150,000 in email scam

[readymade]

I think those guys knocked on our house too yesterday! My husband thought they were selling jesus and didn't answer. He peeked out the window and saw a creepy guy writing down our address on a clipboard.

[pbnj07]

One of the best investments I've made is putting in an intercom system. When the doorbell rings, I can answer from any telephone in the house.

If a door-to-door person comes a knockin', I get on the intercom and tell them we don't deal with solicitors and then I hang up. They never even get a chance to use their back-up lines.

Sometimes I see them coming from the neighbors' houses and I do a preemptive strike. I send them on their way before they even ring the bell!!!

[marylee54]

Door-to-door sales people irritate me, too, and as this thread points out they could have other motives, scams, set ups for robberies, etc.

However, don't assume all door-to-door people have some sinister motive. Many door-to-door people are just trying to earn a living. My husband applied to be a census taker, if accepted, his job will involve knocking on doors to do census surveys. That's a tough job, to have the door slammed in your face, people screaming at you that you're part of some scam, etc. Yes, he will carry government issued ID, but people think its phony.

I do telephone sales, outbound and inbound, and having people scream at me and hang up the phone all day is tough, too. Both my dh and I are desperate for any source of income or we wouldn't be taking such low-paying jobs (please, no job search advice, we could write books about it, we need money now while job hunting). Try to have some feeling for the guy on the other side of the door or other side of the phone, at least be civil. And remember, he's probably more leary of you than you are of him, what do you think it feels like going to strangers doors all day not knowing what's behind that door? Also, realize it could be you reduced to such circumstances to earn your bread, both my dh and I were highly paid professionals until recently, the recession has knocked us down to this level, it could happen to anyone!

"Ask not for whom the bell tolls............it tolls for thee!"

[kenneth.richard]

I am in Steiner Ranch. I was definitely suspicious because it was almost 9pm and someone was trying to sell me something. It's not that I hate solicitors. My family and I always support GIRL SCOUT COOKIES (after looking at how many pounds I put on, maybe I shouldn't) . I agree with the economic issues putting more and more people out of work, and some may have to resort to d2d sales. But this person was out to get money for a "environmental organization." He wasn't trying to sell me anything.

I am never rude to sales people. I always let them know I'm not interested in a polite way, IF they give me that same respect. However, this guy was rude from the very beginning. Shoving the clipboard right in front of my face, turning around and mumbling immature names under his breath, trying to make me feel guilty that didn't give him $52 (where did that number even from!), not letting me talk or trying to raise his voice over mind so that I can't speak.

Overall, everything he said and did was a sign of scam. Nothing linked up and he never broke from his little script he had prepared. I think I was too nice to the guy. I didn't even ask him to get off my property. I just said, "Bye." I want to see him do this in SE Austin with the same attitude he used with me. I honestly think these people take advantage of Steiner Ranch because we are "soft" or defenseless old retirees. They feel like they have more power here, mumbling names and rude comments in front of my face. Like someone said earlier, it's best you don't even open your door because these people could be scouting your homes. Looking at if you locked your doors after you closed it, peeking in to see if they see anything that has value, or just getting an overall look at the floorplan. I think it's best that you look out for yourself and family first. Assuming the worst can put you in a very safe position.