We had an "interesting pitch" from a door to door salesman today.

 

The guy had looked at our roof and noted storm damage. True that - some shingles tore off during the hurricane driven windstorm just about 1 year ago to the day.

 

We already have a contractor that we intend to use when we decide to pay for a tear off and new roof. The existing roof is at least 15 years old. Our guy told me that the shingle damage is tolerable but we definitely need a new roof within the next couple of years just due to normal weathering.

 

This guy's "special sauce" was that one of the owners of their company was an ex-insurance adjuster and could in theory get our homeowner's insurance to pay for a complete roof tear-off and replacement.

 

I thought "scam!" because ALL insurance companies assess the condition of the item being repaired for an insurable damage. If you have a dent already and then have collision damage, they make an adjustment for the dent.

 

So, the insurance company would send their own person out and tell us that our roof was near its end of life anyway, and "no pay."

 

The guy was super persistent. I told him that we did not want to continue the conversation, good day.

 

This is a scam, right? It sure didn't smell right to me.

 

It seems to indicate how desperate everyone is for business.

We had an "interesting pitch" from a door to door salesman today.

 

The guy had looked at our roof and noted storm damage. True that - some shingles tore off during the hurricane driven windstorm just about 1 year ago to the day.

 

We already have a contractor that we intend to use when we decide to pay for a tear off and new roof. The existing roof is at least 15 years old. Our guy told me that the shingle damage is tolerable but we definitely need a new roof within the next couple of years just due to normal weathering.

 

This guy's "special sauce" was that one of the owners of their company was an ex-insurance adjuster and could in theory get our homeowner's insurance to pay for a complete roof tear-off and replacement.

 

I thought "scam!" because ALL insurance companies assess the condition of the item being repaired for an insurable damage. If you have a dent already and then have collision damage, they make an adjustment for the dent.

 

So, the insurance company would send their own person out and tell us that our roof was near its end of life anyway, and "no pay."

 

The guy was super persistent. I told him that we did not want to continue the conversation, good day.

 

This is a scam, right? It sure didn't smell right to me.

 

It seems to indicate how desperate everyone is for business.

 

Um..."door to door" and the year "2009" don't go together.

^ I was thinking the same thing.  That's your first red flag.

At *very* best, door to door is an antiquated sales technique and reeks of high pressure.

 

I can see why they would try this. They have a better chance of engaging a prospect in a conversation. You can easily hang up on a phone call. And home repairs always involve a walk around for an estimate.

 

But, look - I meant the entire premise - getting insurance to pay for a roof that was shot anyway due to age.

Yeah, that's not gonna happen.

At *very* best, door to door is an antiquated sales technique and reeks of high pressure.

 

I can see why they would try this. They have a better chance of engaging a prospect in a conversation. You can easily hang up on a phone call. And home repairs always involve a walk around for an estimate.

 

But, look - I meant the entire premise - getting insurance to pay for a roof that was shot anyway due to age.

 

Why did you answer the door?  That was your first mistake.

^Honestly, a lot of people are raised that initially being polite supercedes any jadedness, streetsmarts, etc. Coming from a small town, I totally get that - but having lived in the city for a while, you develop a sense of awareness and you can see/smell them coming from a mile away, and don't mind if you're thought of as stand-offish or crotchety, etc. Screw 'em, I'd rather they leave people alone than think they're pushovers.

 

Of course, there's the other end of that - when I see groups of teens congregated, my first thought is "ain't nothing good gonna come out of that." Well one time I saw about more than a dozen hanging out near one of the churches (Tremont has one on every other block); I'm thinking "oh for crying out loud"... and then realized it was that church's youth group gathering for a service field trip

 

Another time, I hear this commotion outside - a lady yelling at a girl or girls, I couldn't tell - and in case I needed to call the po-po, I look outside to see if I need to kick some @ss. It was the 90+ yr. old neighbor lady who I know, admonishing her Pomeranian for barking at some people out walking their baby in a stroller.

Yeah, docbroc and mr. docbroc don't answer the door unless we know you're coming.  Or, we have a system with our neighbors where we ring the doorbell and step back such that the person ringing the doorbell can be seen from the other person's living room.  Otherwise, you shall not pass!

I think about it as MayDay stated - I feel like a rude asshole if I ignore the door. And one issue is that the way our front porch is laid out, we are not certain that someone standing at the front door hasn't seen our outline or shadows through the window.

 

I know - if you don't know the person, then f*** whatever they think, right? That seems to be the way most people reason these days. So, I am not most people.

 

Anyway, you guys opining on the error of my ways for even answering the door are hijacking the thread.

 

My real point - ignored thus far - was that this home improvement guy was appealing to homeowner greed. I thought that the proposition he was laying out was dishonest.

My real point - ignored thus far - was that this home improvement guy was appealing to homeowner greed. I thought that the proposition he was laying out was dishonest.

 

I agree.  It sounds like he was either trying to scam you, your insurance company, or both.

Sounds like a scam to me. And to solve the issue of appearing to be rude, simply put a sign on your front door that says "NO SOLICITORS."

^ That doesn't stop them.

But then you can open the door, holding a baseball bat - point it at them, point it at the sign, and say "can ya READ?!?" :evil:

 

And yes Rusty, it's a scam.

There was one instance when some Mormons rang my friend's doorbell.  I had stayed the night and when morning came, I was still a bit tipsy.  Anyway, my friend lets them in as it he was expecting them.  I shuffle out of the bedroom and plop down in a chair across from the two Mormons who have taken a seat on the couch.  Rubbing my eyes, I think I managed out a, "Hey," not knowing who they were or why they were there.  My friend calls out from the kitchen, asking if he can pour anyone some coffee.  They kindly decline and my friend comes back into the room, takes a seat and sip of his coffe and looks right at them with a kind and sincere smile.

 

"So.  What do you two gentlemen know about the Dark Lord Satan?"

 

They stood up in unison and made for the door.

 

:lol:

I think about it as MayDay stated - I feel like a rude asshole if I ignore the door.

 

Honey, grow a pair of fangs and get over it!  If you're not expecting someone, then they should not be on your porch.  Halloween, excluded.

 

I know - if you don't know the person, then f*** whatever they think, right? That seems to be the way most people reason these days. So, I am not most people.

 

Anyway, you guys opining on the error of my ways for even answering the door are hijacking the thread.

 

My real point - ignored thus far - was that this home improvement guy was appealing to homeowner greed. I thought that the proposition he was laying out was dishonest.

Yes, he was hoping you would not be knowledgeable as to what repairs/updates your home needs. Again, you shouldn't have answered the door.  You didn't have to listen, you could have said, "thanks but no thanks" and closed your door THEN called the police (and your block club) to alert them to a stranger in the neighborhood.  This way the police can check him out.

 

Door to door salesmen don't go to neighborhoods, where they know the neighbors are watching and in close contact with the safety forces.

But then you can open the door, holding a baseball bat - point it at them, point it at the sign, and say "can ya READ?!?" >:D

 

And yes Rusty, it's a scam.

 

I have an aluminum baseball bat in my front closet.  Comes in handy!

^ That doesn't stop them.

 

It does in Lakewood, my Mom has had a sign up like this for years and never gets bothered now, even though there are plenty of kids still selling stuff door to door.

^ That doesn't stop them.

 

It does in Lakewood, my Mom has had a sign up like this for years and never gets bothered now, even though there are plenty of kids still selling stuff door to door.

School kids selling stuff doesn't bother me, since they typically sell before dark and i'm not home.  But a grown man, that's another story.

^ There's a joke in there somewhere.

I typically get the door if someone rings the bell, though I don't feel bad about shutting it in someone's face or being rude. Last summer I made a very mature looking high school student cry, apologize for bothering me, apologize to me lawn for stepping on it, and promise never to set foot on the street again before I realized she was just trying to sell candy bars for a band camp fundraiser.

 

Rusty it's a scam. They'd probably do the work to replace the roof (or start the work) and get the money from you while you're waiting on a check from the insurance company. By the time the insurance company stops laughing, you're left with part of a roof, and out however much they could talk you into paying them. On the off chance the insurance company does pay out, they'd probably just take the money and run. Typically contractors don't go door to door, though if they're already working in the neighborhood, and see that you need work, they might.

I typically get the door if someone rings the bell, though I don't feel bad about shutting it in someone's face or being rude. Last summer I made a very mature looking high school student cry, apologize for bothering me, apologize to me lawn for stepping on it, and promise never to set foot on the street again before I realized she was just trying to sell candy bars for a band camp fundraiser.

 

You sound like my grandfather.

There was one instance when some Mormons rang my friend's doorbell. I had stayed the night and when morning came, I was still a bit tipsy. Anyway, my friend lets them in as it he was expecting them. I shuffle out of the bedroom and plop down in a chair across from the two Mormons who have taken a seat on the couch. Rubbing my eyes, I think I managed out a, "Hey," not knowing who they were or why they were there. My friend calls out from the kitchen, asking if he can pour anyone some coffee. They kindly decline and my friend comes back into the room, takes a seat and sip of his coffe and looks right at them with a kind and sincere smile.

 

"So. What do you two gentlemen know about the Dark Lord Satan?"

 

They stood up in unison and made for the door.

 

:lol:

 

I need to remember this for the next time Mormons or Jahova's Witnesses come to my door. Good stuff!

You're a harsh bunch.  :evil:

 

Rusty it's a scam. They'd probably do the work to replace the roof (or start the work) and get the money from you while you're waiting on a check from the insurance company. By the time the insurance company stops laughing, you're left with part of a roof, and out however much they could talk you into paying them. On the off chance the insurance company does pay out, they'd probably just take the money and run. Typically contractors don't go door to door, though if they're already working in the neighborhood, and see that you need work, they might.

 

Or, they give you a bum's rush to authorize the work, they do the work, but the insurance claim is denied and they demand payment anyway. Once they get a signature they're in the driver's seat.

 

Yeah, I considered those possibilities.

 

I shoulda gotten the name of the company and I didn't. He was driving a decent late model US sedan and he wore a tag on his shirt that identified the putative remodeling company. I'm in Warren county and I think the company on the tag said it was in Middletown. He didn't say the name of the company himself in his spiel.

 

I "computed" that it was a scam almost immediately and told him that conversation was over, good-bye.

 

I corresponded with some friends in other parts of the country and apparently this is a relatively common sales practice now. One guy said that most of his neighbors have gotten work done by the same outfit and even supposedly get upgrades to architectural shingles.

 

If it works (and I doubt that it will for very long) it just drives up everyone's homeowner's insurance.

Someone just rang my doorbell to ask me about the NY election.  First off, I'm not a NY resident. Second, I had to go down two flights of stairs to answer the door.

 

I open the door, just turned off my light, rolled my eyes and closed the door.

 

He understood.

I typically get the door if someone rings the bell, though I don't feel bad about shutting it in someone's face or being rude. Last summer I made a very mature looking high school student cry, apologize for bothering me, apologize to me lawn for stepping on it, and promise never to set foot on the street again before I realized she was just trying to sell candy bars for a band camp fundraiser.

 

 

It's hard to tell, do you feel bad about this, or are you bragging about being a huge dick? I understand it's annoying to have to answer the door only to find someone you don't really have any interest talking to, but I don't understand what's so hard about being civil. When I was little (10-11?) I used to have to sell things door to door for fund raisers, and even though I always tried to go at non meal hours, and be as polite as possible, there were always a few people that would curse at me, yell at me to go away, and just generally treat me like shit. You know what a depressing feeling that is, trying to raise money so your basketball team can get a hotel room for an over night tournament, and having people act like you are the reason they are miserable.  As a grown person you've got to get over your shit, get yourself together and at least be respectful...it's really not that hard.

Since we've established that Rusty's visitors were scammers, I don't feel bad about sharing another anecdote.

 

About 10am one lovely fall day - there's a pounding on the door; there's glass only on the upper most portion but I could see the tops of three peoples heads... and what looked to be the ends of axe or broom handles?!? The pounding continued even further and harder and panic was setting in.

 

They were whaling on it pretty good - thank god it's solid oak. I stepped over to the parlor where there's a mirror strategically positioned so you can kind of see who is at the door, not all of them but from the torso up. I saw three teens holding these "sticks" or "clubs" or whatever; laughing and still pounding on the door... I grab the phone to dial the police when they abruptly stopped and walked away.

 

As they were walking away, I finally got a full view... of them... and their rakes. They were going around offering to rake leaves.

^LOL LOL LOL!

Why is MayDay's first reaction to phone the cops whenever a leaf falls?

It's hard to tell, do you feel bad about this, or are you bragging about being a huge dick?

 

I don't take pride in being a jerk to a kid, and I do feel bad about what happened there. If I'd realized what she was up to I'd have politely told her no thanks at worst, but she seriously looked about 25.

 

I've had door to door sales people that were quite pushy, so I tend not to be nice to them. I understand that they are just trying to do a job, but they, like telemarketers, have chosen a profession that requires them to annoy me when I'm at my home, so I feel no compulsion to treat them with dignity. If I can make a door to door sales person cry, or a telemarketer hang up on me, I do take pride in that.

It's hard to tell, do you feel bad about this, or are you bragging about being a huge dick?

 

I don't take pride in being a jerk to a kid, and I do feel bad about what happened there. If I'd realized what she was up to I'd have politely told her no thanks at worst, but she seriously looked about 25.

 

I've had door to door sales people that were quite pushy, so I tend not to be nice to them. I understand that they are just trying to do a job, but they, like telemarketers, have chosen a profession that requires them to annoy me when I'm at my home, so I feel no compulsion to treat them with dignity. If I can make a door to door sales person cry, or a telemarketer hang up on me, I do take pride in that.

 

Oh, okay.  So you are bragging about being a dick.  Good to know.

I work full-time in a low-income community in Cleveland in which there have been cases of predatory lending.  Many times, I've had to undo damage done by contractors and lenders going door-to-door offering services too good to be true.

 

One of the things that I actively tell residents is that businesses should not have to solicit your business in person or by phone.  Reputable contractors and lenders will not have the time to come to your house unsolicited.  If they do, it's likely a scam. 

 

(Rusty Shackleford...great name!  That show is my favorite...hate to see it go.  I posted that in another thread, but am not sure you saw it.)

Nod on the name. Thanks. Dale Gribble is one of my favorite cartoon characters.

It's hard to tell, do you feel bad about this, or are you bragging about being a huge dick?

 

I don't take pride in being a jerk to a kid, and I do feel bad about what happened there. If I'd realized what she was up to I'd have politely told her no thanks at worst, but she seriously looked about 25.

 

I've had door to door sales people that were quite pushy, so I tend not to be nice to them. I understand that they are just trying to do a job, but they, like telemarketers, have chosen a profession that requires them to annoy me when I'm at my home, so I feel no compulsion to treat them with dignity. If I can make a door to door sales person cry, or a telemarketer hang up on me, I do take pride in that.

 

Oh, okay.  So you are bragging about being a dick.  Good to know.

 

Keep up picking fights and you'll have another timeout.