Terry has a story that illustrates why it’s not a good idea to have a too-trusting person — say, your mom or your kids — answer your door. If the answerer has the tendency to offer up unsolicited information about when you’ll be away, he could give an unsavory caller an indication of when to rob you.
Terry writes:
My wife just called me kind of panicked.My mom came over and while she was there somebody knocked on the door (Our front door that we never use).
My mom answered and it was a person offering to clean our carpet in 1 room for free (I am sure he was selling vacuums).
So my mom tells him no thanks and when he goes on, she tells him “This is just a really bad time because we are going out of town for the weekend”
He then sees our dog and asks what kind she is (My dog is a great big Anatolian Shepard) and she tells him how sweet she is.
After he leaves she shut the door and told my wife “I just hate people like that, they give me the creeps!”
So, now we are paranoid that when we get back, our house will be empty. (Leaving Fri and returning Tuesday. And our dog will be at a kennel)
We live in a rural area and well off the street. A robbers’ paradise.
What can we do to stack the cards back in our favor?
Terry adds that he’s considering having his parents house sit for him, but that seems too cruel. What do you do to prevent your house from being robbed while you’re away?
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What a major screw up. Living in the back of beyond myself I know how bad its gotten when they have a clue you’re not at home. A neighbor, neighbors here are 1/4 mi. away, had his place emptied one day while he was at work. People are having their homes broken in to while at church.
Have an established pattern of coming and going and nothing short of hiring an armed guard while you’re gone is going to keep them away if you’re a target.
Not answering the door isn’t always the best idea
About a year ago I was home alone and someone knocked the door, I ignored it as I wasn’t expecting anyone and carried on watching TV
5 minutes later two guys were in the back yard trying to open the backdoor
If I answered the door they would probably have realised someone was home and f***** off
Not having anything anyone else would consider worth stealing has always worked for me.
Here’s a tip: never accept something being offered “for free” when someone knocks on your door (like a roll of paper towels, a newspaper, a free cleaning etc.). If you do this, you’ll subconciously think you ‘owe’ this person something. The soliciter will make you feel this way too.
I’ve had kids hand me a “free” newspaper, and then ask that I subscribe to it or buy an entertainment book. When I say no, they ask for the newspaper back! I also made the smae mistake with a vacuum cleaner salesman. I decided it wasn’t a good idea before they could get to cleaning. They took the “free” roll of paper towels back.
So not accepting anything makes it a lot easier to say no.
I’m to OP.
Mom did the talking.
Dad couldn’t believe MOM said that.
Update.
They came by my house around noon. Then appeared at my mother in laws house at about 7:20pm
My wife happened to be at the house and she opened the door. (We all live next door to each other. Mom 2 door to my left, Mom in law behind me) She told them they were not interested and got a description of the guy.
Turns out there were 3 people (2 waiting in the old beat up 15 passenger van.
She then called the sheriff and told them what happened, to which he said “She may have well just handed him the keys to the place”
Sheriff also said they had received a lot of calls about them and will be sending a car out.
They want to “Talk” to them. (I guess they gave the creepy vibe to many other people)
I had to run out and return a redbox and on my way back I saw the van, and was able to get the license plate number.
If something should happen, at least there will be a few people around to give a good description.
Also, Most of my portable electronics will now be going on vacation with me.
(And now my house will be safe and my car will be stolen)
People at my door? Put a face mask on. Say you are too busy caring for infectious, contagious people. Might want to step away from the door, sir. I don’t know if I disinfected enough after that projectile vomiting incident coming back from the hospital. But, while you’re here, does it smell like diarrhea to you?
Funny, salespeople never really stick around…
Is it Terry who thinks having his parents housesit is too cruel or just Phil? I’m not sure waterboarding his mom would be too cruel…but housesitting certainly isn’t. Thankfully, my mom is smarter about that kind of thing than Terry’s mom.
Worse than that was a security system salesperson who started asking questions about our house’s security system….do you think I’m stupid enough to tell him that?
I told him to “Get off my property” in a voice that insinuated that if he was still there, I’d have a shotgun pointed at him.
I never let my in-laws in my house.
There’s no cure for stupid.
But paranoid they can deal with.
robbers will knock/ring door bells to ask innocent questions, like, door-door selling or feigning lost traveler asking for directions just to see who’s home.
your neighbors might be the best safeguard
Why do so many people think they have to answer the door? If a stranger appears, they can read the posted message. “If you aren’t expected, we may or may not be at home” Please announce your presence or leave a message after pressing the second doorbell button; the red one” Than I ignore 99 percent of the door bell ringers. Of course winter is great as I won’t shovel the four feet of snow covering the walk. I’m still waiting for answering machine, security camera combo to show up on the market.
Don’t answer the door unless you are expecting someone. I bought my place three years ago. The doorbell didn’t work. I haven’t gotten it fixed yet. Nobody can tell when I’m home just by ringing the doorbell.
I pay for an alarm system, with cellular backup.
1. Move to a guard-gated community. It’s affordable if you’re willing to live waaaaay on the outskirts of town (well, to me it is). Since living here, I’ve had only one salesman in 6 years, and there have been zero break-ins in our section of the subdivision. Of course our houses are the smallest and least lavish in the community, so that may be part of the theft deterrent.
2. For those of you in the Southwest: Plant large, angry cacti in front of all your windows! Even with a hatchet, I don’t think a bad guy wants to risk a saguaro falling on him to break in and attack me.