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Weird people at your door

Posted:
Tue Jul 06, 2010 8:44 pm
by Pseudo
Goodpeople,
Today the father-out-law (FOL) was over babysitting the tin lids while we were out. Apparently a heavily accented indian bloke came to the door with a whole bunch of "green" light globes, claiming to be going around to houses installing light bulbs as part of some government initiative. The FOL took the light globes but refused to let him in to install them. The indian bloke then asked the FOL for our phone number, and the FOL again refused. I got home to find half a dozen light globes in boxes sitting on the table, smelling of metaphorical fish.
Has anyone else had a person (indian or otherwise) front at their door, claiming to be installing light globes for the government? Any idea who I should call to find out if this bloke was indeed legit?
Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Tue Jul 06, 2010 8:52 pm
by JAS
Pseudo wrote:Goodpeople,
Today the father-out-law (FOL) was over babysitting the tin lids while we were out. Apparently a heavily accented indian bloke came to the door with a whole bunch of "green" light globes, claiming to be going around to houses installing light bulbs as part of some government initiative. The FOL took the light globes but refused to let him in to install them. The indian bloke then asked the FOL for our phone number, and the FOL again refused. I got home to find half a dozen light globes in boxes sitting on the table, smelling of metaphorical fish.
Has anyone else had a person (indian or otherwise) front at their door, claiming to be installing light globes for the government? Any idea who I should call to find out if this bloke was indeed legit?
I'd suggest a call on the non-emergency number to your local police station. That's what we do here and they are the ones who put out any warnings on the news etc about dodgy tradies or con-artists going door to door.
Regards
JAS
Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Tue Jul 06, 2010 9:16 pm
by bayman
JAS is right pseudo just call 11444 (or whatever the number actually is) & tell them what happened & go from there

Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Tue Jul 06, 2010 10:49 pm
by whufc
I think there should be a word or words, that when religious, sellers etc come around that if you say they have to instantly leave, and i don't mean F**K off either.
I try to be polite and they keep going on so i end up slamming the door on them, i shouldn't have to do this, i could just not answer the door but that just means i delay them coming around again.
I should just be able to say **************************** and then they have to automatically leave no more questions or anything, i find it hard to be rude especially when its elderly people.
Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:14 pm
by Squawk
bayman wrote:JAS is right pseudo just call 11444 (or whatever the number actually is) & tell them what happened & go from there

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Call OCBA in the first instance and get them to do the running around for you.
Full credit to FOL - maybe he can finally graduate to being a FIL now?

Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:14 pm
by fisho mcspaz
When I lived with my parents, my mum would always ask ME to get rid of the religious people that would frequent our street - sometimes they were Mormons, sometimes Jehovah's Witnesses or just roaming evangelists - because she is very polite to everyone and thus gets stuck listening to people for ages. So we were in the front room and two people wearing suits walked up the driveway, my mum went 'Oh no, it's the Jehovah's Witnesses back again' and legged it leaving me to open the door - and I got an attack of the giggles. So the J-Hos were asking me if I believed in God and I was laughing manically into my hand pretending it was a coughing fit. I managed to choke out that I was an atheist and they thought I was crying instead of laughing and that something traumatic had happened to stop me believing in God. So one of them asked me if someone close to me had died and did I want to talk about it with them? I cackled something about not being ready to discuss my feelings and they looked horrified, apologised for upsetting me and left quickly.
Now I just shut the door on them. It's easier.

Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:25 pm
by RoosterMarty
Pseudo I had a similar experience a couple of months ago and it does seem legit. The guy basically told me that he didn't have to install the globes if I didn't want him to, would be easier on both of us, but he then sent a text message off and received a phone call soon after. I then spoke to the guy on the phone to let him know what an excellent job this bloke did with installing light globes.
They aren't selling these globes so there is nothing dodgy about it, they are supposed to save power or something like that.
Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:30 pm
by Brucetiki
The J-Ho's stopped visiting my grandparents when my Grandad answered the door to them in the nude!
I did door-to-door selling for a week, and we were told under no circumstances were we to enter someone's house for our own safety, let alone any legal reasons.
Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:31 pm
by Dirko
Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Wed Jul 07, 2010 12:17 am
by Dutchy
ive heard of this, they install the "green" lights and can then claim the carbon credits and onsell them to the big companies, making $$$ from that.
Its legit from what I understand.
Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Wed Jul 07, 2010 7:15 am
by Magpiespower
Over the years I've had heaps of Indian blokes knocking on the door trying to sell me just about everything and anything to do with energy.
Especially to switch energy providers (must all use the same recruitment agency!)
Guessing a-lot are just students trying to earn a buck...
Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Wed Jul 07, 2010 7:31 am
by Ian
bayman wrote:JAS is right pseudo just call 11444 (or whatever the number actually is) & tell them what happened & go from there

the number is 131444 for 'non-urgent' police assistance
Crime stoppers may be more appropriate in this instance, 1 800 333 000
Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Wed Jul 07, 2010 9:16 am
by Choccies
fisho mcspaz wrote:When I lived with my parents, my mum would always ask ME to get rid of the religious people that would frequent our street - sometimes they were Mormons, sometimes Jehovah's Witnesses or just roaming evangelists - because she is very polite to everyone and thus gets stuck listening to people for ages. So we were in the front room and two people wearing suits walked up the driveway, my mum went 'Oh no, it's the Jehovah's Witnesses back again' and legged it leaving me to open the door - and I got an attack of the giggles. So the J-Hos were asking me if I believed in God and I was laughing manically into my hand pretending it was a coughing fit. I managed to choke out that I was an atheist and they thought I was crying instead of laughing and that something traumatic had happened to stop me believing in God. So one of them asked me if someone close to me had died and did I want to talk about it with them? I cackled something about not being ready to discuss my feelings and they looked horrified, apologised for upsetting me and left quickly.
Now I just shut the door on them. It's easier.

I had two 40 kilo dogs who would be growling and barking at the door at any visitors so whether it be 'suits' cruising the streets distributing the watchtower or kiddies raising money for their calisthenics group, no-one got near the door if they knew what was good for them !!

Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Wed Jul 07, 2010 9:30 am
by zipzap
RoosterMarty wrote:Pseudo I had a similar experience a couple of months ago and it does seem legit. The guy basically told me that he didn't have to install the globes if I didn't want him to, would be easier on both of us, but he then sent a text message off and received a phone call soon after. I then spoke to the guy on the phone to let him know what an excellent job this bloke did with installing light globes.
Yep, that's what happened here last week too. Mrs ZZ had to tell his boss how great he was so as not to let him in. Bizarre.
Had a guy crack the s***s at the door last night, wanting to paint reflective numbers on my footpath. His pleasant, calm demeanour cracked when I said 'pass' and he stormed off slamming the gate, with a parting 'Have a nice day'. I need to put a sign up on my front gate: No hawkers please - I shop online!
Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Wed Jul 07, 2010 10:38 am
by Psyber
Until 2006 when he died my 90Kg Wolfhould used to beat me to the front door so I just had to make a show of holding him back.
In reality he would have licked them to death, though he was something of a crutch sniffer, and his nose was at about the right height.
Since I came back to Adelaide a couple of JWs have called. Each time they trotted out a bible story I explained its older origins in another culture.
[Like the Noah story being derived from the Epic of Gilgamesh written some 600 years early than its biblical dating.]
Eventually the dominant one dragged the other one, who wasn't read to give up yet, away.
It worked - no one has come back..
Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Wed Jul 07, 2010 10:46 am
by Drop Bear
I want my free lightbulbs.
In respect to the JWs, I just answer the door naked.
Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Wed Jul 07, 2010 10:58 am
by mick
Psyber wrote:Until 2006 when he died my 90Kg Wolfhould used to beat me to the front door so I just had to make a show of holding him back.
In reality he would have licked them to death, though he was something of a crutch sniffer, and his nose was at about the right height.
Since I came back to Adelaide a couple of JWs have called. Each time they trotted out a bible story I explained its older origins in another culture.
[Like the Noah story being derived from the Epic of Gilgamesh written some 600 years early than its biblical dating.]
Eventually the dominant one dragged the other one, who wasn't read to give up yet, away.
It worked - no one has come back..
You are indeed patient, I've found that consistent "fck offs!" over the years had had the same effect, they never bother me now.
Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Wed Jul 07, 2010 12:14 pm
by Psyber
mick wrote:Psyber wrote:Until 2006 when he died my 90Kg Wolfhould used to beat me to the front door so I just had to make a show of holding him back.
In reality he would have licked them to death, though he was something of a crutch sniffer, and his nose was at about the right height.
Since I came back to Adelaide a couple of JWs have called. Each time they trotted out a bible story I explained its older origins in another culture.
[Like the Noah story being derived from the Epic of Gilgamesh written some 600 years early than its biblical dating.]
Eventually the dominant one dragged the other one, who wasn't read to give up yet, away.
It worked - no one has come back..
You are indeed patient, I've found that consistent "fck offs!" over the years had had the same effect, they never bother me now.
No so much patient as in a sadistic mood at the time and subtly undermining their faith - I think that is why the one dragged the other away - she realised where it was going suddenly.
Years ago I had a letter opener that looked like a sacrificial dagger and had a goat's head in the handle structure.
I used to keep it near the door to pick up when they came and tried to look like I'd been interrupted.
It is still in one of the boxes I haven't unpacked yet.
I must find it again for use when I have less time to play.
Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Wed Jul 07, 2010 12:47 pm
by Rik E Boy
My old man hates biblebashers. He spent some time in an orphanage in England just after WWII and he can't stand em. He used to throw teacups at em, stride out in his leopoard skin jocks and tell em to **** off or just lean out of the window and spew on the veranda. I just politely say 'I'm sure you're very nice but I'm just not interested' and if they continue I say 'I'm sorry but I'm not ******* interested'.
Ordinary I know but an improvement on dear old Dad.
regards,
REB
Re: Weird people at your door

Posted:
Wed Jul 07, 2010 7:36 pm
by rod_rooster
Psyber wrote:Until 2006 when he died my 90Kg Wolfhould used to beat me to the front door so I just had to make a show of holding him back.
The dog trick always works. Had some people from a church knock a few weeks ago. Dog beat me to the door so i grabbed it and pulled it back whilst the wife answered. When she told them she wasn't interested but they kept talking i just shouted out asking if she wanted me to let the dog go. They didn't hang around
