Fellow Americans, what are some practical and effective (i.e., polite yet firm) ways to stop solicitors from coming to your property?

39 comments

  1. 1. Live in an apartment, condo, or some other unit where the entrance is an interior hallway that requires a key or FOB to access.
    2. Don’t answer the door. If you’re in an urban area its just kind of one of the things you have to deal with

  2. “I actually just had that done last week” or “I’m already contracted for that”.

  3. Usually a sign is enough, most solicitors don’t want to be yelled at or have the police called on them for trespassing when it’s already been posted.

  4. Put up a no solicitors and no trespassing sign. Then call the police when they show up.

  5. Tbh I haven’t really seen this as an issue since I was a child in the 90s in my area.

  6. Big pit bull chained to an old tire full of concrete, fly a “Don’t Tread On Me” flag, and put up a bunch of Trump signs.

  7. Like, who are you even trying to get rid of? Mormons and Girl Scouts? I don’t think I’ve ever *seen* an honest-to-god door-to-door salesman.

    A locking fence should do the trick, though.

  9. Put up a sign. More often they will be adhered to. When they don’t, call the police.

  10. Hanging a “no soliciting” sign on your door is enough to stop them (in my experience). Anyone rude enough to ignore the sign generally isn’t going to be gotten rid of through polite means.

  12. Luckily covid stopped most of them for a while. Now I get the vivant people or some bombastic as hell guy that calls himself the meat man. He sells steaks or some shit and is sketchy as all hell.

    I’m getting a no solicitors sign soon.

  13. When I worked as a canvasser, we just respected any “no solicitors” sign that was clearly posted. Why waste our time at a house that has already communicated they don’t want us there?

  14. It’s dependent on local laws (and enforcement) but a visible “No soliciting” sign is generally enough them away. Religious groups, and charities tend to be exempt, but I don’t see why a sign for them also wouldn’t deter them.

  15. Put up a “Shhh! Baby sleeping – do not disturb!” sign. I’ve never had a solicitor ignore that but they often will ignore “no soliciting” signs.

  16. They make motion detection lawn sprinklers. Good to prevent people walking on your grass, dogs pooping on your property, and solicitors all in one go.

  17. Put up a no soliciting sign… I see people come up and instantly leave when they see the sign. I see em on the ring doorbell

  18. When I bought my house I was told to say your renting. Works pretty well. What works better is not answering but the renting thing is a good backup. You can also just say no thank you and close the door.

  20. I open the door and simply say “no, have a nice day”
    Closing the door

    End scene.

  23. Luckily I don’t get a ton of them, usually just a half dozen or so over a summer season.

    I have no idea how to get them to stop effectively (I have a sign up that they pretend to not see), but I do know that I can stop them from wasting my time by just rudely ignoring the assholes. I don’t answer my door for anyone I don’t know or was not expecting.

    If you’re having problems with Jehovahs or Mormons you can tell them you’re excommunicated from the church. They’re not allowed to talk to former members and they won’t come back. Alternately answer the door and hit em with some satanic shit but that may backfire and result in some poor idiot missionary kid trying to save you.

  25. We have 2 signs

    1. Beware of guard chihuahuas. They gonstraight for your Achilles.

    2. Beware: guard goats

  26. Put up a no solicitor sign and get a Ring doorbell, that way if it’s Girl Scout selling cookies or something you actually want then you can see on your phone before you answer the door

  27. My doorbell stopped working a couple of years back and I have not fixed it. If I don’t know your coming, and you don’t have my number, and you don’t bang on the door, then I won’t know you are standing at my front door. I came to realize that this was a feature and not a bug. I have no desire to fix my doorbell.

  28. Peep hole. I just look through the door. If they’ve got a clipboard I don’t answer

  29. Tell them not to come back. Particularly with phone solicitation, there are laws in place that forbid them from calling you back if you specifically and clearly tell them not to. Not sure if that’s the case with door to door, but I polite but FIRM message to not come back again will probably help.

  31. I have a sign on the front of my door. People respect it and leave me be.

  32. A “no soliciting” sign helps. If they don’t respect it get the name of the company, the name of the person, and write down the date and time.

    Send a demand letter to the company with those details asking for $500. Most of them will just ghost you and make sure their people don’t bother you again, but a few will agree to settle because their employee violated the law.

    Word will also get around to avoid you, so you will occasionally get some money from it and fewer salespeople will come to your door. Win/win!

  33. I live in the country, so I rarely have anyone coming here to sell me anything. It would be too inefficient for them to go door-to-door when the houses are this far apart.

  35. I haven’t answered my doorbell in years. Only strangers ring it. Friends and family know the back door is open.

  37. A sign could be your only legal way of ensuring they don’t bother you. If they do still bother you (assuming your jurisdiction has laws about that) you can report them. Report enough of them and they will probably stop.

    Other than that, they’re just going to keep on coming. It’s not like they’ll bother telling the next guy to skip your house and they probably won’t remember you the next time.

    Are they really that big of a deal?

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