Do you answer the door when not expecting someone?

M

micmclo

Registered User
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168
I never do
It's either the TV license inspector, some religious group, charity collectors or a salesman.
And I don't want to talk to any of them. Have often left people knocking on the door when they know well I'm there with the lights and maybe music on.
And if it were an emergency and a neighbour in trouble well they would shout, not just knock on the door and stand in the dark outside

Anyone I know calling over would call me first and it's never an issue
The postman is in the estate the same time every day so I would answer around that time, might be a parcel. Only exception I can think of

Am I alone in doing this?
And while I'm not a lady living on my own I could understand why they might not want to answer doors late in the evening too
 
I would answer the door regardless but if I didn't know who was at the door and on my own then would use the door chain before answering.
 
I would normally answer the door but i have had a couple of times where i haven't answered it, mainly if it's late in the evening and i'm on my own in the house.
I once answered the door to a man doing a survey and let him in, he sat down with me for about 15 minutes but when my husband heard about it he freaked!
he was an older man, probably 60's but really he could have been a lunatic and in retrospect i shouldn't have really brought him into the house.
I don't like the mentality that anyone could be an axe murderer but i suppose you never know.
I think if i was on my own in the house with young children i would certainly be much more wary.
 
After a certain hour of the evening I don't. Everyone we know would let us know if they're popping over. And I find that those who call to the door around dinner time or after are all cold callers collecting money or selling stuff, so I ignore it. I understand from the caller's view that this is the period when most people are at home, but I just find it so rude that they would also know that people will be sitting down to dinner at that period or that those with small kids would be busy trying to get them to bed or have just got them to bed and wouldn't appreciate the interruption.

Some are persistant in knocking if they see the light on and that's when I do answer, but they soon regret their persistance fairly soon after the door is opened.
 
Latrade said:
After a certain hour of the evening I don't.
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I always answer the door, but we don't normally get nuisance callers. However I do have a bee in my bonnet about people phoning the house after 9pm.

And, for door callers, when did it become OK for school kids to ask for sponsorship and expect the money up front ? When I were a lad rolleyes you had to come back with proof that you'd completed the walk or cycle or swim or whatever and, if asked, show the blisters incurred, before any money changed hands.
 
Nope. But I usually check outside thro the window just in case it's someone I know. I have a big brass knocker and one of my friends delights in frightenin the bejaysus out of me by hammerin on it!
 
I have an intercom so I can pick up a phone handset in my kitchen/living room and answer that way - without going to the door. Occasionally in the summertime the window and curtains could be open and the person can actually see and hear me answering the intercom but I dont care what they make of it - its safer.

I did once answer in the middle of the day on a Sunday afternoon and it was a young woman who was trying to scam me. She was later picked up by the guards in someones property where she had walked through an open side gate and entered the property through the kitchen door at the back. I wondered afterwards if Id been taken in by her and left the front door to get money would she have just walked into my property?

I also dislike the aggressive sales tactics of the utility providers who call and prefer to just get rid of them over the intercom or not answer at all.

Ive no interest in anyone peddling religion, or in 'artists' who claim to be selling their own work.

I know the times the postman or milkman call so would usually answer the intercom expecting it to be either of them anyway and then go to the door.
 
One of the benefits of living in an apartment is that unrequested callers can't get past the gates to bother me.
 
I answer the door if I am there (other half doesn't though as he figures a friend would ring the phone and say it's them outside) But I always have the door chain on (for safety reasons) so the door just opens slightly, enough for me to realise they are selling something or whatever and then I politely tell them I have no interest and close it as quick. I have a policy of giving no cash out at all to anyone at the door. I don't feel bad, I give to charity just not at the door / supermarket.
 
I always answer and never use the door chain.
I’ve no problem saying no to charity collectors and if I have time I enjoy winding up the This post will be deleted if not edited immediately Freaks.
If it's someone trying to force their way in, well, I enjoy a challenge.
 
I only answer the door if I'm expecting someone. Apart from people selling stuff or doing surveys, I also hate having unexpected visitors. Probably very anti social of me but I really don't want visitors dropping in when I'm eating my dinner or have changed into my pjs and am catching up on programmes I've recorded.
 
In my experience, there are seldom any callers after 9 pm or so. If there was, I'd stick my head out the window to see who it was.

Before 9pm, I have no difficulty with people calling. I have no problem with someone trying to sell me a product/service at the door as long as they have no problem when I invariably tell them I've no interest.

In fairness to callers, it's difficult for them to know what might be the most convenient time for a particular household. In any household with children, there's never really a good time before they go to bed and at that point it's too late to call anyway.
 
No, never, no matter what time of day or evening it is, if they are not expected then they get ignored. I am glad it's not just me as the men of the house think I am odd for ignoring the doorbell.
 
One word of caution...

A couple of years ago I never answered to door, on the basis that anyone calling rang or texted in advance.
One Sunday morning I ignored the ring (twice). Next thing I heard a window smash downstairs and someone shuffling around.
I rang the guards and fortunately they caught him red-handed, but I've never ignored the bell since!
 
If I answer the door and it's someone I don't want to deal with I apologise, say I'm in the middle of something important and close the door - usually the football on at top volume in the background!!
 
JP1234 said:
No, never, no matter what time of day or evening it is, if they are not expected then they get ignored.
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+1, I only answer the door when I know that someone is calling. Any 'cold caller' who proceeds to repeatedly ringing the bell or hammering the door will definitely get very short shrift.
 
I always answer the door...could be a neighbour popping round as this happens the odd time. We can see who is outside anyway and have a big enough drive way to lock the gates with the zapper and release the hounds!
 
I'll be conducting a survery among residents in the coming weeks in support of various proposals to improve the area.

I hope none of you live on my road!
 
PLease answer the door to the census enumerator. I'm doing this job at the moment and I just have to go back again if I can't hand deliver a form.
 
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