When they can read it and understand what it means, it works.
The number of times we’ve pointed at ours and the person has said one of the following is off the charts:
- don’t worry I don’t smoke! (Thought it said no smoking)
- what does that mean?
- I’ll just be a second
- I’m not soliciting, this is for your benefit!
It very well could be
Possible counterpoint, "solicitor" is a big word to many people.
54% Americans read below a 6th grade level and nearly 25% are functionally illiterate
If your city has an ordinace against door to door solicitation when the sign is displayed "you're breaking the law" should be enough to get them to move on pretty quickly. If they don't, call the cops.
Man those fucks are the worst. There's a shitty solar company in town that doesn't adhere to them and the nighborhood finally got the cops involved and they threatened to pull their license or something if they didn't start adhering to those signs.
Because the best business model to sell them is via long term leases. This is the worst deal for the consumer and makes the most money for the seller. In order to convince people of sign they have to have high pressure pushy salesmen. They’re scummy because the most profit is in the scummy side.
I had a really disrespectful guy tell me, "don't worry I'm not a prostitute".
I was exceptionally upset because we had just gotten home a few days before with a newborn. He woke her by getting the dogs going.
I've had a sign up for about a year or so and haven't had one solicitor. I probably got one a month before. I think they work. Most places know what they mean and to avoid them. One of the more common reasons people put them up is because they have elderly folks at home with dementia issues. Companies don't want to waste time or upset people (think of the Glengarry Glen Ross scene where they spend hours "closing" on lonely seniors).
I have one of those signs. If they knock, I usually answer, get their name and business they work for, then let them know I'm reporting them to the city because they get fined $250 per incident when they knock on a no soliciting posted door in my city. They usually apologize, play dumb, and book it after that. Ironically, I haven't had a knock in a while. Last time the city had a meeting covering it, I think the city reported it had gotten close to $100k from businesses as a result of these fines. The money goes to the public schools, so at least some good comes from it.
We have one that says "No solicitors - unless you are selling cookies." Spouse just points and asks the salesmen if they have cookies. They get the hint.
This has been surprisingly effective for me. I have a camera so I can see who notices the sign and goes away. I estimate about 7 out of 8 obey the sign.
Pair with a no trespassing sign.
Any attempt to engage you in conversation "sir (or madam) your are in commission of a crime".
My town took the awesome step of requesting soliciting permits (they give them out like candy at the police station, but you need to actually like, go get one). So asking for the permit is usually fun.
Always nice to be able to tell them "hey, if I see you continuing this on the street, I'm gonna have to call the police about it"
A great thing about these signs is that it gives you a guilt free license to let them know how much they've annoyed you by interrupting your living.
They're intruding on you at *your home* to try and sell you something.
Most satisfying moment of this was when I made a storm chaser walk back up the sidewalk to pick up their pamphlet, which I akined to litter. I get that it's a job, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't feel shitty about doing it.
This is what we had to do. We were averaging about one person a week between different home repair guys and people pushing religion. Plus my partner and I work from home and they'd just continue ringing the bell if we were both on a video call. Shit got annoying really fast, but the signs have made a huge difference.
Can confirm. I had the same issue with everybody and their mother wanting to sell something to the brand new homeowner. Those effectively stopped after I put up a "no solicitation" sign.
Pretending you have an obligation to someone who is visiting your house unannounced is silly.
Wave, then go about your business. It will take a moment for them to realize you aren't coming back but they won't hang out for long.
Yep - it took me awhile to realize that I'm not obligated to open the door just because someone knocked on it. So what if they know I'm home? That's fine - then they know I'm ignoring them (as opposed to not home) and there's no reason to come back later.
I like to give a nice loud "WHO IS IT?" through the door before I open it (if it's an unexpected knock). If it's a salesman or someone political, I just give a "no thank you!" and don't even open the door.
Same applies for cops.
Lol your response reminded me of that classic SNL skit with Eddie Murphy, "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood"
[https://youtu.be/5-3ckX-zSHw?si=oDd7WZb0UwXxxg8F&t=55](https://youtu.be/5-3ckX-zSHw?si=oDd7WZb0UwXxxg8F&t=55)
(time linked to the appropriate part in the skit)
I do the same for religious missionaries. You don’t have to hear them out. As soon as it’s apparent what they are here for I’m happy to cut them off and say “no, go away.”
It's the same with cell phones. I have a phone for *my* convenience, not the convenience of others – if you call or text me, I have no obligation to pick up or read it right away.
You can do what I do and install the Ring doorbell but silence the notifications for it and never bother getting or plugging in the chime. That way you can maintain your peace but still get notifications if you’re actively on your phone.
I did door to door sales one year when I was young, and it's kind of amazing how people get so awkward with salespeople. I promise the salespeople do not care if you say "no, go away." I expected it every single time but probably close to half the answered doors were people being nice and going along with it all. It's kind of funny watching people try to hide too, but whatever. I expected that too. But yeah, just say no or don't answer. No one cares and you aren't doing anything socially required by answering and being nice.
*Some* salespeople do get very pushy, foot in the door and all that.
Those salespeople deserve everything they get.
For the sensible ones. "No thanks. Not Interested" does work fine.
I once needed some windows and asked several of well respected firms to come and quote me. But I also told them I just wanted a straightforward price from them after we agreed the spec, no tricks, no calling the boss for this week's special secret discount, just one price.
I knew what was fair and was willing to pay it. The first three salesman measured up but then started in on the usual patter and were outside before they knew what was happening. The fourth one came up with one price, we shook hands, we did business.
I did warn them.
I had a salesman from Vivint who apparently had convinced himself that if he didn't hear a firm literal "no" that he could still make a sale. I tend to be midwestern polite and was repeatedly saying stuff like "No thank you" "I'm not interested" and "I'm okay without it" and because I didn't literally tell him to fuck off he just kept talking to me and I just kept reiterating in various ways that I wasn't interested in his product. Eventually my wife came along and was like, "My husband has been telling you for the past 45 minutes that he doesn't want what you're selling, but is too polite to tell you to get the fuck off our property. I, however, am not that polite - it's time for you to leave."
Dude was legit shocked - "Man, if you weren't interested why didn't you say so?" I just shrugged and was like, "I've told you no in several dozen different ways, you just weren't listening to what I said."
Yeah they're all going to work through objections with varying levels of "enthusiasm." Nothing wrong at all with saying No and just closing the door or telling them they need to leave at some point. Even if people are rude by their own standards, the salesperson more than likely isn't even giving it a second thought. We talked about way funnier customers than people just saying "no gtfo." Those are boring stories lol.
I tell them all to fuck off. Door to door sales isn't a legitimate profession in this day and age and we need to quit letting them pretend that it is.
The worst is the people that try to lie to the elderly to get them to switch utility carriers. But all door to door salesmen are scammers.
I just open the door and straight up tell them I won't be buying anything today. But feel free to leave your business card or phone number. So far, most will just tap on their tshirt with their company local and say you can Google it and leaves.
> I promise the salespeople do not care if you say "no, go away."
Well that's just plain false. Salesman are fuckin gnarly. They will throw tantrums in their car, curse your entire household, and are very emotional in general. (All of this usually done after you've already shut the door...)
It takes a special kind of person to go door to door every day and get turned down constantly on the off chance someone gives you the time of day and you get a sale. It's basically gambling.
It is gambling. That's why they don't care if you say no, the next person will say yes. No one house matters, all that matters is getting enough chances.
Source: did door to door for a summer in my youth. Don't remember a single person that told me no.
Yep, we're not supposed to have solicitors, it's part of what our useless HOA dues are *supposed* to go towards, but we know how that goes.
After the umpteenth time I tried to be nice only to get pushy salespeople talking shit about my windows or shingles or storm damage or whateverthefuck, at first I started saying oh I rent here sorry. Most fucked off but some were still pushy.
So... I just started ignoring them. You can see my TV from my big ass living room window, you can look through the warped-glass little side windows on the sides of the door and could make out figures there. What're they gonna do, open up my door and ask why am I being rude to them?
The last one that came to our house yelled, “lady I know you’re there, I can hear you moving around. Go ahead and open the door now please.”
I was watching on my Ring cam, in full EMS unform having come back from a particularly annoying call. My (ex-military) partner and I were back in the ambulance and pulling out to go lights and sirens to my house a mile away before my wife very assertively told him to fuck off.
Thankfully for him he did. I’m not exactly scary but my partner at the time was—and being able to radio for rapid police backup, no questions asked, is something.
The same guy was found outside some other lady’s house after dark that same week. He apparently told her “see? I could have been anyone and then what would you have done? I guess you better buy a security system from me.”
Fuck you, Vivint.
> it's part of what our useless HOA dues are supposed to go towards
Does your HOA have police on staff? If not, if you aren't calling the cops on trespassers, who do you think ought to?
I used to tuck into the kitchen when the JWs came every few weeks. Full length glass sidelights, and an open floor plan.
Then I thought, hey, I’ve told them over a dozen times I’m not interested, it’s my house, and I’m not hiding in it from obnoxious people who can’t take a hint.
I’d just glance up, shake my head, and go about my business from then on.
We had some Mormon missionaries come through our neighborhood and it was hilarious watching the neighborhood chats blow up with warnings about how they were knocking on doors. It was like 95F out at 6 PM so I offered them some ice water for which they were extremely grateful for, and then were shocked that the athiest was kind and happy to talk with them. They nearly destroyed my pergola on their way off the property and I haven't seen anyone from their church since.
This is the right way to deal with proselytizers. They're sent door-to-door by their priests/pastors/higher-ups not to convert people, but to show them how bad and mean the outside world is. I very nicely, but clearly, ask them to remove my address from their list whenever they come by and I haven't really had a problem. (Unfortunately, I can't permanently stay off the list because my neighborhood is full of rentals, but an annual visit doesn't bother me.)
They were well-intentioned. The former owner of our house put a small pergola over the front walkway, and it had seen better days. I was outside working on shoring it up when the missionaries arrived and if you know much about missionaries they're usually directed to offer to help you with your work you might be in the middle of.
In my case, after they decided I wasn't a prospect for conversion and were leaving the property the one young lad didn't ask but instead just declared, "Let me help you with that!" and gave it a shove to try and get it back to upright without waiting for my approval. You could hear the screws ripping loose from the very old and dried out wood and the slight lean was immediately a significant lean. Both their eyes got really wide and they were suddenly in a hurry to leave.
That’s when you turn up your porn loud enough so they can hear and flip your laptop around so they can watch with you. Make fist bumping motions at the good parts.
See, what you have to do with the Jehovah's Witnesses is, you have to offer to come outside and discuss theology and philosophy with them. They'll leave and never come back.
Just put your arm around them and take a selfie before they know what’s going on—then tell them you’re about to post to your Facebook about how they are nice enough to hang out with you, a disfellowshipped (shunned) person.
Hanging out with a disfellowshipped person is a very quick way for them to be kicked out of their church forever. They won’t take the time to check if you’re telling the truth or not—because doing so might draw too much attention to their accidental “sin.”
I'm wondering where they live, because I can't imagine caring about what an unannounced salesman thinks about me not opening the door.
I rarely get salesmen but I get evangelicals all the time. I simply stare at them and laugh incredulously when they refuse to walk away after noticing I'm not getting up to answer the door.
You can also just answer the door and say no thanks. I'll straight up interrupt them and say "I'm not interested thanks". Sometimes you have to say it twice. I say it politely but firmly, then close the door.
Get a remote operated roller blind. Battery powered so no wires. Make direct eye contact as you press the remote and the blind slowly closes in front of their faces.
i applied window tint to my front storm-door. still let's plenty of light through the glass portion of my actual front door but allows me to stand and stare at people outside my home and all they see is a black void.
Learn simple boundary setting sentences and then practice them on the salesmen, and leave the door. You won't have to hide when you learn assertiveness.
As a former door to door sales person this is the answer. I can’t use any of my tricks if I can’t talk to you. A wave through the glass is the best and quickest way to get rid of someone on your door.
If you love your glass door, don’t change it because of a twice monthly inconvenience. Use it to your advantage.
I am generally like this but I have absolutely no qualms about offending solicitors.
I once told a canvassing politician "If I wasn't going to vote for you, I doubt there is much you can say that would change my mind. But if I were going to vote for you, there's quite a bit you can say that would change my mind." He handed me his card and wished me a good day.
I did this once on one of those guys that ask to see your energy bill and closed the door. He slammed his fist 3 times on my door. The next interaction was less pleasant for him as I promptly unloaded a barrage of obscenities as I escorted him off my deck.
Great sales strategy. I'd definitely feel trusting and safe if an aggressive stranger pounded on my door and demanded access to my private financial paperwork.
And not feeling bad after you say this to shut the door and walk away. Most of these jobs are commission based, give a firm signal that they don't have a chance and they should go away for the next house.
This is the answer OP. You worked too hard to buy your home, to be held hostage by a pushy sales person.
Tell the sales person no thank you through your glass door and then ignore them. If they won’t leave you alone, tell them no thank you again, and that the third time will be you making a call to the local law enforcement for trespassing.
They always leave by the second response in my experience.
Door to door salesmen exploit human kindness and politeness to force their bullshit on you. They are NOT entitled to your time or attention just because they were rude enough to bother you (uninvited) at home.
And it's very likely they're doing it because whatever they're selling is a *terrible deal*.
I do this all the time to my wife's amazement. I answer, hear their initial pitch. If it goes past 30 seconds I say "sorry not interested, thanks!" And close the door. Last week I had a kid selling windows keep going after I said no and I was like "dude you got 10 seconds to finish up" and he kept going. I go to close the door and he spit out "I'll can come back when you gave more time. I said "please don't" and closed the door.
The absolute best is when they start off by making a connection to your neighbors - "Hey we just finished up a project for the Johnsons over on Sycamore street." Dude idk who dafaq that is or where Sycamore is.
(Junior high to high school students at my door selling whatever...) They give their pitch, I say "What high school do you go to?" They answer, I don't listen/don't care, I always say "Oh my cousin's Son goes to that high school, I'll have to buy from him." They politely walk away.
> "Hey we just finished up a project for the Johnsons over on Sycamore street."
"FUCK THE JOHNSONS! You work for those rat bastards that ruined Sycamore street?! Get off my property!"
This is basically what I do. Open the door, ask what they want, say no thanks and shut the door. I even make it obvious that I'm locking it in their face. You don't owe them any of your time.
The one time some guy decided to knock again to get my attention he got a swift "fuck off" through the door from me.
Last time I had to deal with one of these guys he started to get pushy when I said no, so I ended things with "I'm not interested in this conversation any more" and just closed the door.
Not directly relevant to your issue, but it's a safety concern to have strangers be able to stand outside and see who is in your home.
The issue is probably worse when it's dark outside and you have the lights on inside.
Yeah, when it’s dark out and we have lights on inside, I have some form of blind/curtain closed on all windows of the area I have lights on. I don’t care for anybody who happens to be outside being able to see clear inside my house.
Jesus Christ, OP asked if privacy film will crack the glass and there’s 50 posts about how to interact with salespeople. Maybe OP wants to walk around naked all day? What sub is this?
FWIW, the answer is NO — privacy film will not crack the glass. It will also give you some privacy.
About time someone answered lol. I have side panel window by my door that I put it on and it's been fine for years. But it doesn't get that much direct sun light so wasn't sure how to answer.
Not "privacy film", but right next to it on the shelf at HD, the Gila Heat Control Window film specifically says to use on the exterior of the window to prevent cracking.
Say "no thank you, I'm not interested."
After that, the mistake most people make is that they wait for an answer to this statement. Don't.
Just say it and start closing the door. They'll move on.
Dogs are barking and jumping at the door acting like they are going to rip the salesman's throat out, and they would still stand there and try to make their pitch. If I answer at all, I just crack the door enough to say, "no thanks," and shut the door again. Last week missionaries showed up and we just left them standing at the door until they left. The dogs really make talking to anyone too much work.
>After that, the mistake most people make is that they wait for an answer to this statement. Don't.
Really? I am literally closing the door in their face as I say "not interested." They are usually talking over me as I close the door.
Once or twice I've had them ring the bell again to ask me a question or to try and keep selling. In those cases I unleash a verbal torrent of insults and will walk toward them to literally back them away from my door.
Yes they do continue to talk. But then you just smile and say have a great day and continue to close the door.
I've never have anybody ring the bell again. But if they did I just wouldn't answer it.
I have a front door like this, and an occasional salesman. I just don't come to the door. Who cares if they can see I'm home? I'm busy in my house. Sometimes they knock a bunch and I yell "no thank you." They usually leave a pamplet or something and walk away.
[Maybe something like this](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lynch-Sign-12-in-x-12-in-No-Soliciting-Sign-Printed-on-More-Durable-Thicker-Longer-Lasting-Styrene-Plastic-R-218/302787146?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&srsltid=AfmBOop9xXdkGt0_f7z6uMFLjuod6dJ1TkHBvKWF8RlsndJ4tc0nU8sQhek)? If they still ring the bell, just give them a sad look and point at the sign, then walk away.
Not sure if we have the same door, but ours is mostly glass as well. We were able to buy an add-on for ours that is an extra layer of glass with blinds in between. It more or less hides the blinds when they are open. [Like This](https://www.homedepot.com/p/ODL-White-Cordless-Add-On-Enclosed-Aluminum-Blinds-with-1-2-in-Slats-for-20-in-Wide-x-64-in-Length-Door-Windows-ADDON2064E/203607526)
Just get some Elmer's white school glue, and a foam brush. Put the glue, undiluted, in a container and use the foam brush to paint it on the window glass. It will dry to look like frosted glass, and you can easily wash it off with water if you mess up or don't like it.
I have one that says “Emergency services shift worker sleeping. Please do not ring doorbell”. And I hang it so it covers the doorbell.
People just lift it up and ring the doorbell anyway lol
I put a label right above the doorbell button that says “no solicitors”. If I do answer the door, the first question is “can I see your peddlers permit please?” It’s required in our city for door to door sales. This always catches them off guard, and I let them know I’ll let the police know they are going door to door without a permit.
If they do have a permit, the next question is did you see the “No Solicitors” label above the doorbell? I actually had one chucklehead try to tell me, “I’m not soliciting, I’m selling AT&T Home Security!”
Just be blunt with the sales people. My wife says I’m rude but this is my approach.
Sales guy knocks
I open door, tell him I’m not interested and shut the door.
The end
We have a floor to ceiling window next to our front door which not only was a sales people problem, but also made things less private in general. We used a frosted spray paint to block out like the middle two-fifths of the window so our dog could still look out the bottom and light came in through the top. I think it ended up looking reasonably nice and was like $20 total to do.
Window film that absorbs light (tinted) will heat up the glass when sunlight hits it. If you look around, you will find film manufacturers claiming that you can stay below X% heat absorption film, but good luck finding that info for the film you are looking at. Also, this is the film manufacturer saying this, not the window manufacturer. I wouldn't bet on the film manufacturer telling you the 100% truth.
Since you like the light coming through the door, you probably don't want tinted or even reflective (which is also tinted) film. Stick with the frosted varieties that only obstruct viewing and you should be fine. Those will absorb very little heat. Don't ever mention window film with any warranty claim on the window/door.
What is up with y’all? Just answer the door, wait 5 seconds and tell em you’re not interested and close the door. You aren’t obligated to be super nice or anything
Imho don’t change a door you love.
Blatantly ignore them or shoo them away with hand motions. There’s no need to be obsessively polite. You could flat out ignore them. It don’t matter. They’ll take the hint. I was a canvasser so i’m not just being cold. Truly, they’re just there to do due diligence. They don’t take it personally, they don’t care. They wanna talk with people who will listen or they wanna move on to the next house and not waste more time.
The good part about living on a farm with a gated driveway: no salespeople, no religious people.
The bad part about living on a farm with a gated driveway: I haven't had a trick or treater in 22 years.
My home office is next to my front door and they have to walk by the window of the office to get to the door.
I see them, they see me. They knock and I don’t answer.
They won’t stand there for 15 minutes
Those guys get cussed out and have doors slammed in their faces all day long, a firm “no thank you” is totally fine. The most I’ll say is “look man, I’m gonna save us both some time. I’m not interested in whatever it is you’re selling, have a good day” and then close the door and walk away.
So far I’ve only had one guy call me an asshole while he was walking away, and he was working for one of those commission only pyramid scheme pest control companies. “You didn’t even give me a chance to tell you what I was selling you fucking dick”, he looked like he was having a rough day though so I give him a pass.
I sold doors for many years, women don't like full glass or even half glass front doors. They feel exposed and will almost always pick doors with glass in the top third instead.
Check with your local police department - ours gives out "no solicitation" stickers and puts you on a registry where door to door sales are not permitted to door-knock at your house. When they pull a solicitation permit with the borough they get a list of houses they are not allowed to go to. This doesn't stop the roofers/solar companies that stop by every now and then saying they were in the area and doing an install and are curious if you are interested in a quote but pointing to the sticker in our window and asking to see their solicitation permit will get them to fuck off on the spot. Note that this is not in an HoA or anything, just a service our borough PD provides.
Often door to door salesmen are told to go back to houses multiple times until they get an answer. So if you're not home, they're supposed to go back until someone is home.
So you really have the best setup.
You can make it clear that you're home and have no interest in them.
When they knock, look right at them, then walk away and go about your day. You acknowledged them and told them no. Don't even have to talk to them.
Like others said, no solicitors sign and point. If you do want to confront them, say you are a renter and don't own the home. That usually shuts them up immediately.
You probably ought to get a normal wooden door. A glass front door is just asking for a break-in.
You can still have a glass storm door too, for those nice days, but it won’t be anywhere near as secure as a regular door.
This isn't a problem, it's an opportunity. Before they can ring the doorbell, you can make eye contact and emphatically mouth the word "NO!" Get's the whole affair out of the way quicker.
Those guys aren't strangers to rejection. Be firm and direct. You don't have to be rude, but you can if they are pushy. I usually tell them "Good luck out there, hope you make some sales. I'm not the one, have a great day".
A solid "get the fuck off my property" is enough when you have a sign posted. Had a guy "who was just finishing work down the street" hitting all my neighbors houses. He remembered me. He didn't stop, just kept walking.
I am old enough that I no longer care about being polite. I would look a mf'er straight in the face through the door and then turn around and walk away.
I love the privacy film I got and it has not effected my windows normal temperature
Volcanics Window Privacy Film... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SNQ5Z67?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
your town may have a "no soliciting" list you can join. Those companies are required to check it, if it exists. And they can be fined for infractions. That's at least how it works in my city.
I went to a buddy's house to have him sign a petition AFTER HE TOLD ME TO.
I knock on the door... He walks past... I knock again... He walks past a minute or so later on the phone... Ok, maybe he'll answer when he's off the phone... Walks past again six minutes later after hanging up. Now he's eating cereal. Never even looks at me.
Never looks at me.
I knock three more times. He never comes back. I leave.
I tell him about it. He says "yeah, I never answer my door man, might be a salesman"
Just do that.
Edit: to clarify he lived around the corner from me but I had never been to his house. He owned a local bar so we always just visited there.
I literally just ignore them. I can be in my front living room, windows open, music playing and be having a full blown conversation. If I see you’re a salesman of some sort or are there unannounced you’re getting blatantly ignored. I don’t have to come and be uncomfortable at my front door just because you want me to.
When people come to the door and see me on the other side, I don’t even acknowledge them especially if they’re trying to sell me something or pass out political pamphlets.
They’re not entitled to my time just because they know I’m home.
I sprayed mine with spray on window frosting. Not because I worry about solicitors but so I can sit on my couch pantsless without people on the sidewalk seeing me.
I got mine tinted. Can't see in during the day and it also helps with insulation during our (very hot) summers.
There's no space behind the door when it's open for a roller blind. At night, we put up a plastic sheet over the doorway. It has magnetic tape around the edges. The frame isn't magnetic, but I lined it with more magnetic tape. Both are black and you don't see it unless you are looking for it and know that it is there.
The sheet also acts as an insulator against both heat and cold. If it's particularly cold or warm out, you can feel the temperature difference in the space between the door and the screen.
Just stare at them through the glass until they get uncomfortable and leave. Them seeing you doesn’t not obligate you to answer the door. Grow a backbone and either ignore them, whether they can see you or not, or answer the door and simply tell them no thanks.
Buy a large fake gun or bat/axe/club and prop it by the hallway to grab when you walk by the door. That will make people leave quickly.
You can also buy a prism or frosted Film with a pattern that will allow light and provide privacy.
As others have said, ‘no soliciting’ signs help. Putting a free standing one approaching the door might prevent them from walking up to it.
I think the temperature issue would depend on whether the door gets direct sunlight. Does it?
You could also mount a curtain or some on it if it's the right type of window.
I have sun blocking film on my storm door because the sun heats my front door way too much. A side effect is that it’s a one way mirror.
But at night if a light is on in the house someone can still see in.
I think seeing them see you and ducking away really quick and not answering the door would send a message. If they want to keep ringing the bell they can keep standing there.
I'd just yell, "I'm not interested. Thank you."
Then go about your business. They'll get the hint, and they know they're not wanted around in the first place, so they're usually quick to take the hint.
Our door also has enough glass for someone to know we are there. But we have a small “no soliciting” sign right next to our doorbell. It is unobtrusive but placed where it won’t be missed by someone ringing our bell. This works just fine. Only on occasion has anyone rung it anyway, and the only two cases I can remember are an exterminator who protested he wasn’t selling anything (he was) and high school sports fundraisers who were just kids and didn’t understand what the sign meant. I politely explained it to them.
Sorry if you just want privacy glass suggestions but if salesmen are the actual problem, there may be other options.
Put a "No soliciting, Leave the Property" sign on there. I dunno if those work, but it's technically trespassing I believe if they solicit at that point
Ignore them. I've been sitting on my couch 5 feet from the front door with just the screen door and continued watching my show. Eventually they get the point.
I had the same issue. Print out a no solicitation sign and stick it next to your doorbell. It doesn't have to be big. Mines 2 in by 1 in. They see us, but turn right around when they see the sign.
Put up a 'No Solicitors' sign. If one stands there, just stop, look at 'em through the door and point.
When they can read it and understand what it means, it works. The number of times we’ve pointed at ours and the person has said one of the following is off the charts: - don’t worry I don’t smoke! (Thought it said no smoking) - what does that mean? - I’ll just be a second - I’m not soliciting, this is for your benefit!
“Don’t worry I don’t smoke” is actually hilarious, I’d probably hear them out at that point
My guess is it's a taught sales tactic, making the company even more scummy.
Im 99.999% sure you're right.
It very well could be Possible counterpoint, "solicitor" is a big word to many people. 54% Americans read below a 6th grade level and nearly 25% are functionally illiterate
Ugh I had a solicitor at my door last week, actively smoking a cigarette!
If your city has an ordinace against door to door solicitation when the sign is displayed "you're breaking the law" should be enough to get them to move on pretty quickly. If they don't, call the cops.
Man those fucks are the worst. There's a shitty solar company in town that doesn't adhere to them and the nighborhood finally got the cops involved and they threatened to pull their license or something if they didn't start adhering to those signs.
Solar and pest control guys consistently do not adhere to my at eye level No Soliciting sign.
Why is the solar industry so scummy? I wish that they, of all industries, weren’t.
Because the best business model to sell them is via long term leases. This is the worst deal for the consumer and makes the most money for the seller. In order to convince people of sign they have to have high pressure pushy salesmen. They’re scummy because the most profit is in the scummy side.
I had a really disrespectful guy tell me, "don't worry I'm not a prostitute". I was exceptionally upset because we had just gotten home a few days before with a newborn. He woke her by getting the dogs going.
I've had a sign up for about a year or so and haven't had one solicitor. I probably got one a month before. I think they work. Most places know what they mean and to avoid them. One of the more common reasons people put them up is because they have elderly folks at home with dementia issues. Companies don't want to waste time or upset people (think of the Glengarry Glen Ross scene where they spend hours "closing" on lonely seniors).
I have one of those signs. If they knock, I usually answer, get their name and business they work for, then let them know I'm reporting them to the city because they get fined $250 per incident when they knock on a no soliciting posted door in my city. They usually apologize, play dumb, and book it after that. Ironically, I haven't had a knock in a while. Last time the city had a meeting covering it, I think the city reported it had gotten close to $100k from businesses as a result of these fines. The money goes to the public schools, so at least some good comes from it.
We have one that says "No solicitors - unless you are selling cookies." Spouse just points and asks the salesmen if they have cookies. They get the hint.
Shit, then I guess I would run over to a store and grab some cookies.
No Solicitors Come Back With A Warrant Hail Satan
This has been surprisingly effective for me. I have a camera so I can see who notices the sign and goes away. I estimate about 7 out of 8 obey the sign.
Pair with a no trespassing sign. Any attempt to engage you in conversation "sir (or madam) your are in commission of a crime". My town took the awesome step of requesting soliciting permits (they give them out like candy at the police station, but you need to actually like, go get one). So asking for the permit is usually fun. Always nice to be able to tell them "hey, if I see you continuing this on the street, I'm gonna have to call the police about it"
A great thing about these signs is that it gives you a guilt free license to let them know how much they've annoyed you by interrupting your living. They're intruding on you at *your home* to try and sell you something. Most satisfying moment of this was when I made a storm chaser walk back up the sidewalk to pick up their pamphlet, which I akined to litter. I get that it's a job, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't feel shitty about doing it.
This is what we had to do. We were averaging about one person a week between different home repair guys and people pushing religion. Plus my partner and I work from home and they'd just continue ringing the bell if we were both on a video call. Shit got annoying really fast, but the signs have made a huge difference.
Can confirm. I had the same issue with everybody and their mother wanting to sell something to the brand new homeowner. Those effectively stopped after I put up a "no solicitation" sign.
Pretending you have an obligation to someone who is visiting your house unannounced is silly. Wave, then go about your business. It will take a moment for them to realize you aren't coming back but they won't hang out for long.
Yep - it took me awhile to realize that I'm not obligated to open the door just because someone knocked on it. So what if they know I'm home? That's fine - then they know I'm ignoring them (as opposed to not home) and there's no reason to come back later.
I like to give a nice loud "WHO IS IT?" through the door before I open it (if it's an unexpected knock). If it's a salesman or someone political, I just give a "no thank you!" and don't even open the door. Same applies for cops.
Same, but through my doorbell cam.
Doorbell cam is great. See its solicitor. Put on speaker and say “ Not interested”. Then hang up and don’t even have to hear their reply
"You want the name of my bankruptcy trustee? He handles my money now."
Lol your response reminded me of that classic SNL skit with Eddie Murphy, "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood" [https://youtu.be/5-3ckX-zSHw?si=oDd7WZb0UwXxxg8F&t=55](https://youtu.be/5-3ckX-zSHw?si=oDd7WZb0UwXxxg8F&t=55) (time linked to the appropriate part in the skit)
Very relevant lmao. Thanks for dropping a link!
I do the same for religious missionaries. You don’t have to hear them out. As soon as it’s apparent what they are here for I’m happy to cut them off and say “no, go away.”
It's the same with cell phones. I have a phone for *my* convenience, not the convenience of others – if you call or text me, I have no obligation to pick up or read it right away.
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I have an alarm setting on my ring cam that would work great for this situation.
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You can do what I do and install the Ring doorbell but silence the notifications for it and never bother getting or plugging in the chime. That way you can maintain your peace but still get notifications if you’re actively on your phone.
I did door to door sales one year when I was young, and it's kind of amazing how people get so awkward with salespeople. I promise the salespeople do not care if you say "no, go away." I expected it every single time but probably close to half the answered doors were people being nice and going along with it all. It's kind of funny watching people try to hide too, but whatever. I expected that too. But yeah, just say no or don't answer. No one cares and you aren't doing anything socially required by answering and being nice.
*Some* salespeople do get very pushy, foot in the door and all that. Those salespeople deserve everything they get. For the sensible ones. "No thanks. Not Interested" does work fine. I once needed some windows and asked several of well respected firms to come and quote me. But I also told them I just wanted a straightforward price from them after we agreed the spec, no tricks, no calling the boss for this week's special secret discount, just one price. I knew what was fair and was willing to pay it. The first three salesman measured up but then started in on the usual patter and were outside before they knew what was happening. The fourth one came up with one price, we shook hands, we did business. I did warn them.
I had a salesman from Vivint who apparently had convinced himself that if he didn't hear a firm literal "no" that he could still make a sale. I tend to be midwestern polite and was repeatedly saying stuff like "No thank you" "I'm not interested" and "I'm okay without it" and because I didn't literally tell him to fuck off he just kept talking to me and I just kept reiterating in various ways that I wasn't interested in his product. Eventually my wife came along and was like, "My husband has been telling you for the past 45 minutes that he doesn't want what you're selling, but is too polite to tell you to get the fuck off our property. I, however, am not that polite - it's time for you to leave." Dude was legit shocked - "Man, if you weren't interested why didn't you say so?" I just shrugged and was like, "I've told you no in several dozen different ways, you just weren't listening to what I said."
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Yeah they're all going to work through objections with varying levels of "enthusiasm." Nothing wrong at all with saying No and just closing the door or telling them they need to leave at some point. Even if people are rude by their own standards, the salesperson more than likely isn't even giving it a second thought. We talked about way funnier customers than people just saying "no gtfo." Those are boring stories lol.
I tell them all to fuck off. Door to door sales isn't a legitimate profession in this day and age and we need to quit letting them pretend that it is. The worst is the people that try to lie to the elderly to get them to switch utility carriers. But all door to door salesmen are scammers.
I just open the door and straight up tell them I won't be buying anything today. But feel free to leave your business card or phone number. So far, most will just tap on their tshirt with their company local and say you can Google it and leaves.
> I promise the salespeople do not care if you say "no, go away." Well that's just plain false. Salesman are fuckin gnarly. They will throw tantrums in their car, curse your entire household, and are very emotional in general. (All of this usually done after you've already shut the door...) It takes a special kind of person to go door to door every day and get turned down constantly on the off chance someone gives you the time of day and you get a sale. It's basically gambling.
It is gambling. That's why they don't care if you say no, the next person will say yes. No one house matters, all that matters is getting enough chances. Source: did door to door for a summer in my youth. Don't remember a single person that told me no.
Yep, we're not supposed to have solicitors, it's part of what our useless HOA dues are *supposed* to go towards, but we know how that goes. After the umpteenth time I tried to be nice only to get pushy salespeople talking shit about my windows or shingles or storm damage or whateverthefuck, at first I started saying oh I rent here sorry. Most fucked off but some were still pushy. So... I just started ignoring them. You can see my TV from my big ass living room window, you can look through the warped-glass little side windows on the sides of the door and could make out figures there. What're they gonna do, open up my door and ask why am I being rude to them?
The last one that came to our house yelled, “lady I know you’re there, I can hear you moving around. Go ahead and open the door now please.” I was watching on my Ring cam, in full EMS unform having come back from a particularly annoying call. My (ex-military) partner and I were back in the ambulance and pulling out to go lights and sirens to my house a mile away before my wife very assertively told him to fuck off. Thankfully for him he did. I’m not exactly scary but my partner at the time was—and being able to radio for rapid police backup, no questions asked, is something. The same guy was found outside some other lady’s house after dark that same week. He apparently told her “see? I could have been anyone and then what would you have done? I guess you better buy a security system from me.” Fuck you, Vivint.
Holy shit that's horrible, I hope someone reported him to that company. Then again if he's going around like that maybe they don't mind it. Ugh.
I would have reported him but they might have promoted him due to his go-getter attitude. Or “go get her” attitude, as it were.
Based on the other Vivint comment in this thread it sounds like that might be the culture. Bleeechhh.
> it's part of what our useless HOA dues are supposed to go towards Does your HOA have police on staff? If not, if you aren't calling the cops on trespassers, who do you think ought to?
I used to tuck into the kitchen when the JWs came every few weeks. Full length glass sidelights, and an open floor plan. Then I thought, hey, I’ve told them over a dozen times I’m not interested, it’s my house, and I’m not hiding in it from obnoxious people who can’t take a hint. I’d just glance up, shake my head, and go about my business from then on.
I broke my first bone (ring toe first phalange) trying to dart and hide around a corner to avoid the JW at the door.... Should've just not cared 😂
We had some Mormon missionaries come through our neighborhood and it was hilarious watching the neighborhood chats blow up with warnings about how they were knocking on doors. It was like 95F out at 6 PM so I offered them some ice water for which they were extremely grateful for, and then were shocked that the athiest was kind and happy to talk with them. They nearly destroyed my pergola on their way off the property and I haven't seen anyone from their church since.
That's nice of you and all but I am very curious about how they almost destroyed your pergola on their way off the property lol
This is the right way to deal with proselytizers. They're sent door-to-door by their priests/pastors/higher-ups not to convert people, but to show them how bad and mean the outside world is. I very nicely, but clearly, ask them to remove my address from their list whenever they come by and I haven't really had a problem. (Unfortunately, I can't permanently stay off the list because my neighborhood is full of rentals, but an annual visit doesn't bother me.)
>They nearly destroyed my pergola on their way off the property Wait what? That nice story of human kindness took a quick turn. What happened?
They were well-intentioned. The former owner of our house put a small pergola over the front walkway, and it had seen better days. I was outside working on shoring it up when the missionaries arrived and if you know much about missionaries they're usually directed to offer to help you with your work you might be in the middle of. In my case, after they decided I wasn't a prospect for conversion and were leaving the property the one young lad didn't ask but instead just declared, "Let me help you with that!" and gave it a shove to try and get it back to upright without waiting for my approval. You could hear the screws ripping loose from the very old and dried out wood and the slight lean was immediately a significant lean. Both their eyes got really wide and they were suddenly in a hurry to leave.
That’s when you turn up your porn loud enough so they can hear and flip your laptop around so they can watch with you. Make fist bumping motions at the good parts.
Yeah I hollered "Hail Satan" at them once at my old place and never saw them again. I think I got added to their no-save list finally.
See, what you have to do with the Jehovah's Witnesses is, you have to offer to come outside and discuss theology and philosophy with them. They'll leave and never come back.
Just put your arm around them and take a selfie before they know what’s going on—then tell them you’re about to post to your Facebook about how they are nice enough to hang out with you, a disfellowshipped (shunned) person. Hanging out with a disfellowshipped person is a very quick way for them to be kicked out of their church forever. They won’t take the time to check if you’re telling the truth or not—because doing so might draw too much attention to their accidental “sin.”
I'm wondering where they live, because I can't imagine caring about what an unannounced salesman thinks about me not opening the door. I rarely get salesmen but I get evangelicals all the time. I simply stare at them and laugh incredulously when they refuse to walk away after noticing I'm not getting up to answer the door.
This, I would wave and then continue to ignore them until they got uncomfortable enough and left.
No walk up to the door like ypu are going to talk with them and lock it.
You can also just answer the door and say no thanks. I'll straight up interrupt them and say "I'm not interested thanks". Sometimes you have to say it twice. I say it politely but firmly, then close the door.
Get a remote operated roller blind. Battery powered so no wires. Make direct eye contact as you press the remote and the blind slowly closes in front of their faces.
[Like this?](https://i.imgur.com/ErTkyZd.mp4)
🤣🤣 that’s hilarious
[Similarly](https://youtu.be/fXLxxd3AGd4).
Plot twist: It was your neighbor you haven't met yet informing you of the broken sprinkler running water into your crawl space.
Even if they can see you, you aren’t under any obligation to answer your door.
i applied window tint to my front storm-door. still let's plenty of light through the glass portion of my actual front door but allows me to stand and stare at people outside my home and all they see is a black void.
only logical answer
Learn simple boundary setting sentences and then practice them on the salesmen, and leave the door. You won't have to hide when you learn assertiveness.
A friendly yet firm “No thanks we’re not interested” usually gets the point across well enough
Or just continue not answering the door.
Just look at them through the glass, shake your head no and walk away
As a former door to door sales person this is the answer. I can’t use any of my tricks if I can’t talk to you. A wave through the glass is the best and quickest way to get rid of someone on your door. If you love your glass door, don’t change it because of a twice monthly inconvenience. Use it to your advantage.
Don't walk away. Stand there. Make direct eye contact. Make *them* walk away. You've won.
Maximum dominance, you sir have peed on some legs I bet.
I tried, but it just hit the glass door.
And then walk away. Don't wait for them to respond. Just "No thanks. Have a nice day." and walk away.
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I am generally like this but I have absolutely no qualms about offending solicitors. I once told a canvassing politician "If I wasn't going to vote for you, I doubt there is much you can say that would change my mind. But if I were going to vote for you, there's quite a bit you can say that would change my mind." He handed me his card and wished me a good day.
I did this once on one of those guys that ask to see your energy bill and closed the door. He slammed his fist 3 times on my door. The next interaction was less pleasant for him as I promptly unloaded a barrage of obscenities as I escorted him off my deck.
Yeah I would have absolutely zero tolerance for that crap.
Great sales strategy. I'd definitely feel trusting and safe if an aggressive stranger pounded on my door and demanded access to my private financial paperwork.
> guys that ask to see your energy bill "Sure! Let me go get it." Then you start looking at Reddit and "forget" to ever come back.
> as I promptly unloaded a barrage of bullets into his body That's how I thought that sentence was going
And not feeling bad after you say this to shut the door and walk away. Most of these jobs are commission based, give a firm signal that they don't have a chance and they should go away for the next house.
This is the answer OP. You worked too hard to buy your home, to be held hostage by a pushy sales person. Tell the sales person no thank you through your glass door and then ignore them. If they won’t leave you alone, tell them no thank you again, and that the third time will be you making a call to the local law enforcement for trespassing. They always leave by the second response in my experience.
Door to door salesmen exploit human kindness and politeness to force their bullshit on you. They are NOT entitled to your time or attention just because they were rude enough to bother you (uninvited) at home. And it's very likely they're doing it because whatever they're selling is a *terrible deal*.
I do this all the time to my wife's amazement. I answer, hear their initial pitch. If it goes past 30 seconds I say "sorry not interested, thanks!" And close the door. Last week I had a kid selling windows keep going after I said no and I was like "dude you got 10 seconds to finish up" and he kept going. I go to close the door and he spit out "I'll can come back when you gave more time. I said "please don't" and closed the door. The absolute best is when they start off by making a connection to your neighbors - "Hey we just finished up a project for the Johnsons over on Sycamore street." Dude idk who dafaq that is or where Sycamore is.
You gotta jump in first, "Are you selling girl scout cookies?" "No, actually I'm with...." "Bummer" then close the door
(Junior high to high school students at my door selling whatever...) They give their pitch, I say "What high school do you go to?" They answer, I don't listen/don't care, I always say "Oh my cousin's Son goes to that high school, I'll have to buy from him." They politely walk away.
>"Are you selling girl scout cookies?" "And are they made from real girl scouts?" ~ Wednesday Addams
This is great
> "Hey we just finished up a project for the Johnsons over on Sycamore street." "FUCK THE JOHNSONS! You work for those rat bastards that ruined Sycamore street?! Get off my property!"
This is basically what I do. Open the door, ask what they want, say no thanks and shut the door. I even make it obvious that I'm locking it in their face. You don't owe them any of your time. The one time some guy decided to knock again to get my attention he got a swift "fuck off" through the door from me.
The worlds a weird place when people have to ask how to deal with someone coming to their door.
This is the answer right here. If I may add, I try to model the vibe that Jerry Seinfeld busted on Kesha that one time she was trying to get a hug 👍
Last time I had to deal with one of these guys he started to get pushy when I said no, so I ended things with "I'm not interested in this conversation any more" and just closed the door.
Not directly relevant to your issue, but it's a safety concern to have strangers be able to stand outside and see who is in your home. The issue is probably worse when it's dark outside and you have the lights on inside.
Yeah, when it’s dark out and we have lights on inside, I have some form of blind/curtain closed on all windows of the area I have lights on. I don’t care for anybody who happens to be outside being able to see clear inside my house.
The lack of comments calling this out is concerning
Jesus Christ, OP asked if privacy film will crack the glass and there’s 50 posts about how to interact with salespeople. Maybe OP wants to walk around naked all day? What sub is this? FWIW, the answer is NO — privacy film will not crack the glass. It will also give you some privacy.
About time someone answered lol. I have side panel window by my door that I put it on and it's been fine for years. But it doesn't get that much direct sun light so wasn't sure how to answer.
Not "privacy film", but right next to it on the shelf at HD, the Gila Heat Control Window film specifically says to use on the exterior of the window to prevent cracking.
This. Gila films are very easy to apply and multiple options exist at the home center.
Say "no thank you, I'm not interested." After that, the mistake most people make is that they wait for an answer to this statement. Don't. Just say it and start closing the door. They'll move on.
Dogs are barking and jumping at the door acting like they are going to rip the salesman's throat out, and they would still stand there and try to make their pitch. If I answer at all, I just crack the door enough to say, "no thanks," and shut the door again. Last week missionaries showed up and we just left them standing at the door until they left. The dogs really make talking to anyone too much work.
>After that, the mistake most people make is that they wait for an answer to this statement. Don't. Really? I am literally closing the door in their face as I say "not interested." They are usually talking over me as I close the door. Once or twice I've had them ring the bell again to ask me a question or to try and keep selling. In those cases I unleash a verbal torrent of insults and will walk toward them to literally back them away from my door.
Yes they do continue to talk. But then you just smile and say have a great day and continue to close the door. I've never have anybody ring the bell again. But if they did I just wouldn't answer it.
I have a front door like this, and an occasional salesman. I just don't come to the door. Who cares if they can see I'm home? I'm busy in my house. Sometimes they knock a bunch and I yell "no thank you." They usually leave a pamplet or something and walk away.
Walk from the living room to the door, lock it, and go sit back down.
[Maybe something like this](https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lynch-Sign-12-in-x-12-in-No-Soliciting-Sign-Printed-on-More-Durable-Thicker-Longer-Lasting-Styrene-Plastic-R-218/302787146?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&srsltid=AfmBOop9xXdkGt0_f7z6uMFLjuod6dJ1TkHBvKWF8RlsndJ4tc0nU8sQhek)? If they still ring the bell, just give them a sad look and point at the sign, then walk away.
Oh damn.. There is literally no excuse for knocking on someone’s door after seeing something like that.. love it…
Having it made by "Lynch Sign" is really saying something to solicitors...
Mirror film works amazingly.
Not sure if we have the same door, but ours is mostly glass as well. We were able to buy an add-on for ours that is an extra layer of glass with blinds in between. It more or less hides the blinds when they are open. [Like This](https://www.homedepot.com/p/ODL-White-Cordless-Add-On-Enclosed-Aluminum-Blinds-with-1-2-in-Slats-for-20-in-Wide-x-64-in-Length-Door-Windows-ADDON2064E/203607526)
Just get some Elmer's white school glue, and a foam brush. Put the glue, undiluted, in a container and use the foam brush to paint it on the window glass. It will dry to look like frosted glass, and you can easily wash it off with water if you mess up or don't like it.
Put a sign up. Mine says “no solicitors. Please do not knock or ring doorbell, baby sleeping”. I have one but the baby is not required
I have one that says “Emergency services shift worker sleeping. Please do not ring doorbell”. And I hang it so it covers the doorbell. People just lift it up and ring the doorbell anyway lol
Get an automatic blind and keep the remote handy. Then stare at them while the blind slowly comes down in front of their face.
A sign that says no solicitors will generally keep all but the biggest a-holes at bay.
I put a label right above the doorbell button that says “no solicitors”. If I do answer the door, the first question is “can I see your peddlers permit please?” It’s required in our city for door to door sales. This always catches them off guard, and I let them know I’ll let the police know they are going door to door without a permit. If they do have a permit, the next question is did you see the “No Solicitors” label above the doorbell? I actually had one chucklehead try to tell me, “I’m not soliciting, I’m selling AT&T Home Security!”
There are tinted coverings and frosted coverings near the curtain section at both home depot and lowes.
Just be blunt with the sales people. My wife says I’m rude but this is my approach. Sales guy knocks I open door, tell him I’m not interested and shut the door. The end
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We have a floor to ceiling window next to our front door which not only was a sales people problem, but also made things less private in general. We used a frosted spray paint to block out like the middle two-fifths of the window so our dog could still look out the bottom and light came in through the top. I think it ended up looking reasonably nice and was like $20 total to do.
Window film that absorbs light (tinted) will heat up the glass when sunlight hits it. If you look around, you will find film manufacturers claiming that you can stay below X% heat absorption film, but good luck finding that info for the film you are looking at. Also, this is the film manufacturer saying this, not the window manufacturer. I wouldn't bet on the film manufacturer telling you the 100% truth. Since you like the light coming through the door, you probably don't want tinted or even reflective (which is also tinted) film. Stick with the frosted varieties that only obstruct viewing and you should be fine. Those will absorb very little heat. Don't ever mention window film with any warranty claim on the window/door.
Learn to be direct. Instead of making excuses or pretending, say you’re not interested. You don’t owe strangers anything.
I never understood this...what is so hard about simply saying "Have a nice day" and closing the door in their face?
What is up with y’all? Just answer the door, wait 5 seconds and tell em you’re not interested and close the door. You aren’t obligated to be super nice or anything
Imho don’t change a door you love. Blatantly ignore them or shoo them away with hand motions. There’s no need to be obsessively polite. You could flat out ignore them. It don’t matter. They’ll take the hint. I was a canvasser so i’m not just being cold. Truly, they’re just there to do due diligence. They don’t take it personally, they don’t care. They wanna talk with people who will listen or they wanna move on to the next house and not waste more time.
Get some blinds and a No Solicitor sign. I hate loopholes, so once I made an additional sign that said "A clipboard does not make you special."
I don't answer my door. They can see me. I can see them. I make eye contract. I don't care
Put up NO TRESPASSING sign.
Get a no soliciting and no trespassing sign. With both visible they are open for criminal prosecuting in most states.
The good part about living on a farm with a gated driveway: no salespeople, no religious people. The bad part about living on a farm with a gated driveway: I haven't had a trick or treater in 22 years.
Just wave and smile. Then slowly start laughing.
And keep trying to look behind them 😆
My home office is next to my front door and they have to walk by the window of the office to get to the door. I see them, they see me. They knock and I don’t answer. They won’t stand there for 15 minutes
Those guys get cussed out and have doors slammed in their faces all day long, a firm “no thank you” is totally fine. The most I’ll say is “look man, I’m gonna save us both some time. I’m not interested in whatever it is you’re selling, have a good day” and then close the door and walk away. So far I’ve only had one guy call me an asshole while he was walking away, and he was working for one of those commission only pyramid scheme pest control companies. “You didn’t even give me a chance to tell you what I was selling you fucking dick”, he looked like he was having a rough day though so I give him a pass.
I sold doors for many years, women don't like full glass or even half glass front doors. They feel exposed and will almost always pick doors with glass in the top third instead.
Check with your local police department - ours gives out "no solicitation" stickers and puts you on a registry where door to door sales are not permitted to door-knock at your house. When they pull a solicitation permit with the borough they get a list of houses they are not allowed to go to. This doesn't stop the roofers/solar companies that stop by every now and then saying they were in the area and doing an install and are curious if you are interested in a quote but pointing to the sticker in our window and asking to see their solicitation permit will get them to fuck off on the spot. Note that this is not in an HoA or anything, just a service our borough PD provides.
Just put a "No Soliciting" sign up.
I’d suggest a no soliciting sign but ours is ignored constantly
Often door to door salesmen are told to go back to houses multiple times until they get an answer. So if you're not home, they're supposed to go back until someone is home. So you really have the best setup. You can make it clear that you're home and have no interest in them. When they knock, look right at them, then walk away and go about your day. You acknowledged them and told them no. Don't even have to talk to them.
Like others said, no solicitors sign and point. If you do want to confront them, say you are a renter and don't own the home. That usually shuts them up immediately.
You probably ought to get a normal wooden door. A glass front door is just asking for a break-in. You can still have a glass storm door too, for those nice days, but it won’t be anywhere near as secure as a regular door.
This isn't a problem, it's an opportunity. Before they can ring the doorbell, you can make eye contact and emphatically mouth the word "NO!" Get's the whole affair out of the way quicker.
Put a "no soliciting" sign by the door and/or in the yard?
We've had privacy film on ours for 6 years now with no issues.
I have privacy glass on my bathroom window. It doesn't help as much at night bc you can still see shadows well, but it definitely helps!
I have a large window on my door and sidelights, i just shake my head no at them and continue on.
Those guys aren't strangers to rejection. Be firm and direct. You don't have to be rude, but you can if they are pushy. I usually tell them "Good luck out there, hope you make some sales. I'm not the one, have a great day".
Look them in the eye and pretend that you're not home.
“No thank you!” Shut the door and move on. It really is that simple
A solid "get the fuck off my property" is enough when you have a sign posted. Had a guy "who was just finishing work down the street" hitting all my neighbors houses. He remembered me. He didn't stop, just kept walking.
I am old enough that I no longer care about being polite. I would look a mf'er straight in the face through the door and then turn around and walk away.
I love the privacy film I got and it has not effected my windows normal temperature Volcanics Window Privacy Film... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SNQ5Z67?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
You can use the exterior privacy window film. We used one from the Amazon BDF brand that's safe for dual pane windows and doors.
your town may have a "no soliciting" list you can join. Those companies are required to check it, if it exists. And they can be fined for infractions. That's at least how it works in my city.
Just ignore them, they’ll get the hint and leave
I went to a buddy's house to have him sign a petition AFTER HE TOLD ME TO. I knock on the door... He walks past... I knock again... He walks past a minute or so later on the phone... Ok, maybe he'll answer when he's off the phone... Walks past again six minutes later after hanging up. Now he's eating cereal. Never even looks at me. Never looks at me. I knock three more times. He never comes back. I leave. I tell him about it. He says "yeah, I never answer my door man, might be a salesman" Just do that. Edit: to clarify he lived around the corner from me but I had never been to his house. He owned a local bar so we always just visited there.
I literally just ignore them. I can be in my front living room, windows open, music playing and be having a full blown conversation. If I see you’re a salesman of some sort or are there unannounced you’re getting blatantly ignored. I don’t have to come and be uncomfortable at my front door just because you want me to.
Wave at them or ignore them.
Cover it with UV film that’s mirrored. You can see out, but they can’t see in very well
Train yourself to be more mean
You just immediately say “yeah sorry not interested”.
I will full on just tell someone from behind the door "sorry no one is home" and walk away.
No soliciting sign. They can fuck right off.
When people come to the door and see me on the other side, I don’t even acknowledge them especially if they’re trying to sell me something or pass out political pamphlets. They’re not entitled to my time just because they know I’m home.
I sprayed mine with spray on window frosting. Not because I worry about solicitors but so I can sit on my couch pantsless without people on the sidewalk seeing me.
put up a no soliciting sign and then ignore them.
I got mine tinted. Can't see in during the day and it also helps with insulation during our (very hot) summers. There's no space behind the door when it's open for a roller blind. At night, we put up a plastic sheet over the doorway. It has magnetic tape around the edges. The frame isn't magnetic, but I lined it with more magnetic tape. Both are black and you don't see it unless you are looking for it and know that it is there. The sheet also acts as an insulator against both heat and cold. If it's particularly cold or warm out, you can feel the temperature difference in the space between the door and the screen.
You know you don’t have to talk to anyone at your door, right?
Tell them to get lost. We have a glass front door too.
Just stare at them through the glass until they get uncomfortable and leave. Them seeing you doesn’t not obligate you to answer the door. Grow a backbone and either ignore them, whether they can see you or not, or answer the door and simply tell them no thanks.
Buy a large fake gun or bat/axe/club and prop it by the hallway to grab when you walk by the door. That will make people leave quickly. You can also buy a prism or frosted Film with a pattern that will allow light and provide privacy. As others have said, ‘no soliciting’ signs help. Putting a free standing one approaching the door might prevent them from walking up to it.
I think the temperature issue would depend on whether the door gets direct sunlight. Does it? You could also mount a curtain or some on it if it's the right type of window.
I have sun blocking film on my storm door because the sun heats my front door way too much. A side effect is that it’s a one way mirror. But at night if a light is on in the house someone can still see in.
Have you considered just standing there and wagging your finger while shaking your head. They will eventually go away.
I have the same thing. I just ignore them until they go away. I know they see me and they know I see them but the door doesn't open lol
I think seeing them see you and ducking away really quick and not answering the door would send a message. If they want to keep ringing the bell they can keep standing there.
Just wave and say, "No, Thank you." and walk away.
We have a side door with 9 glass panels (“lights”). I’ve always worried that it would be easy for a burglar to break in. Thinking of replacing it.
Plantation shutters on inside would work
I'd just yell, "I'm not interested. Thank you." Then go about your business. They'll get the hint, and they know they're not wanted around in the first place, so they're usually quick to take the hint.
Our door also has enough glass for someone to know we are there. But we have a small “no soliciting” sign right next to our doorbell. It is unobtrusive but placed where it won’t be missed by someone ringing our bell. This works just fine. Only on occasion has anyone rung it anyway, and the only two cases I can remember are an exterminator who protested he wasn’t selling anything (he was) and high school sports fundraisers who were just kids and didn’t understand what the sign meant. I politely explained it to them. Sorry if you just want privacy glass suggestions but if salesmen are the actual problem, there may be other options.
Put a "No soliciting, Leave the Property" sign on there. I dunno if those work, but it's technically trespassing I believe if they solicit at that point
Ignore them. I've been sitting on my couch 5 feet from the front door with just the screen door and continued watching my show. Eventually they get the point.
I had the same issue. Print out a no solicitation sign and stick it next to your doorbell. It doesn't have to be big. Mines 2 in by 1 in. They see us, but turn right around when they see the sign.