The Southwestern Company Difference Blog
It’s widely known that summertime brings out the door-to-door sales person. No secret there… after all, Southwestern Company has been doing it since 1868. Thinking about the increased activity in door-to-door solicitation this time of year, I read a good article on how to know when to answer the door. It was written by Lisa Beisel, a staff writer for The Capital, Annapolis, Maryland.
In her article titled, “Beware scammers knocking on your door,” Beisel acknowledges there are legitimate knocks, but she takes a swipe at the disreputable ones, citing specific examples. These include scammers and con artists posing as legitimate workers or contractors, and, of course, magazine sellers.
Some of the advice in Beisel’s column includes: (1) See if you can find out who is at the door before you open it; (2) Do not open the door if you feel uncomfortable; (3) Look for red flags such as odd behavior or unyielding pressure; (4) ask for identification; (5) if a contractor, check them out, follow-up; (6) Call the police/9-1-1 if you feel endangered.
There is a distinct difference between reputable and disreputable. This article makes it a point to keep it balanced. While not all door-to-door sales calls are scams, you should always take precautionary measures… better safe than sorry.
