A solicitor tried the door handle to my house when I didn't answer the door. Am I overreacting or is this really inappropriate?

[Anonymous]

My doorbell rang, I looked through the peephole and saw it appeared to be a solicitor of some type and I didn't recognize him, so I didn't answer. I was still nearby when I heard the doorknob jiggling. Thankfully, I always keep my door locked, but it weirded me out. I opened the door after he left to find a card trying to sell something with his name and number on it. I am thinking about calling the company. I don't want to overreact, but I just think it's highly inappropriate to try to open someone's door to their house like that. I mean, what if the door would've been unlocked? It would've been even more inappropriate for him to come in or look around!

Am I overreacting or is this really weird for a stranger of any kind?

By the way, this was not the screen door, this was the actual door to the inside of the house.

[WindAtMyBack]

First, be sure of what you heard. Could the doorknob jiggling just be him hanging something on the door? There is not always an easy way to place calling cards, or other sales material. It might take a bit of doing to get it to stay put without the wind blowing it away.

If you are sure that's not what it was, it is most definitely not proper to be trying the door knob. No sales person should ever do that. Most likely everything was OK. But you are not over reacting if he really was trying to get in the door.

If this was an individual, I would not call the number on the card. I would not acknowledge it in any way. If it's more of a business and this guy was just a salesman, you can maybe report it. If they get multiple reports on the guy, they might do something about it.

Also, you might want to discretely check if this is a legit business. There is a small chance that it's a thief pretending to be a salesman as an excuse to check for unlocked doors. I know thieves do this with cars. They just randomly check car doors to find ones that are unlocked. I've heard they do similar with houses.

The odds are very high that he is gone and will stay gone. I don't think you need to worry. But obviously continue to use caution and keep you doors locked.

[Asker]

I actually thought at first that he was just hanging something on the door, until I saw that the card he slipped between the screen and regular doors was rectangular and could not be hung up.

[CrisBeWoke]

Very obviously inappropriate, if true. There is a reason why people can have their freedom taken or be attacked, even shot for stepping over that private threshold. You should have cameras and/or some type of security system anywhere these days. It would be hard to prove without evidence (video/image/finger prints or possibly a history of doing this). Can’t hurt to cal but please let them know your concern about overreacting just wanting it to be on record if it was true. Wouldn’t want to ruin someone’s life over a mistake or misunderstanding. Doors move and make noises and people can hear and even see things that didn’t happen sometimes.

[MORPHEUS_12]

I think you are overreacting. This is what they do. If you have a glass storm door you should lock it from the inside so no one can open it to put any sort of literature inside. Also you might consider putting up a no solicitation sign at the door. I live in a townhouse community where we own our home. The solicitations got so bad they would come daily. They would ring on the door bell and then 30 minutes later come back to ring it again. It would scare my cat and she wouldn't come from under the bed for hours. I even went as far as to disconnect the door bell wiring so it wouldn't ring. Plus I also bought a sign from Amazon. Here is the exact same sign I have and so far so good.

[lanadelrey25]

Well just think, what did he plan on doing if he saw it was unlocked?

[RemoErdosain]

That's really inappropriate, and also weird. Be careful: He might be using that card as a wildcard to save him from being suspected on his real intentions. It sounds very shady that he would do that. I think you would be right in calling the company and telling them about the incident, but also be really careful with that door and security in general, just in case

[Samoht_Sirrom1]

... Already said that... lol first even

[Samoht_Sirrom1]

Besides you're assuming they really work for the company and it's not a spam or spoofed number.

[RemoErdosain]

@Samoht_Sirrom1 I didn't see your opinion until after I posted mine. It took me awhile to write this. I couldn't care less if you posted first or last. This isn't a competition, but trying to help someone

[Samoht_Sirrom1]

I'm pretty sure it's meant to convey opinions... Which MIGHT or not be helpful to the person.

[Juxtapose]

@Samoht_Sirrom1 Fuck off with that "I WAS FIRST DAWG" shit.

[Samoht_Sirrom1]

? I ain't said anything to you this entire conversation

[Juxtapose]

@Samoht_Sirrom1 You're inviting interaction by posting on a public forum lol. It's the entire point of this website.

[Samoht_Sirrom1]

Here I was sure the purpose was to answer questions and provide a number of possible opinions that the question asker would then review and possibly decide upon a course of action based on the opinions that they felt more closely matched their personality or personal views... Silly me.

[Juxtapose]

@Samoht_Sirrom1 And yet it allows people besides the asker to engage with you. Wild!

[stuntbrain]

Wildly inappropriate to attempt to enter uninvited and a good way to get hurt or killed. Some states give homeowners legal justification to use deadly force against home invasion. Was the card attached to the doorknob by any chance?

[Asker]

No, in fact, I first thought he was trying to hang something on the door handle, but it was just a rectangular card slipped in the space between the screen door and house door, with no possible way to hang it on the door, which is when I got freaked about it.

[stuntbrain]

There's probably nothing to worry about but it couldn't hurt to call the number. Ask questions like an interested consumer and get a feel for the legitimacy of the business

[NamerOfStars]

No, you're not overreacting; that's creepy as hell. I'd definitely give them a call and tell them to have him cut it out. There are places where that kind of behavior can get you shot.

[Samoht_Sirrom1]

Call the police report an attempted breaking and entering it's possible they use the card as a "plausible reason" to see if you're hime.

[Bananaman177]

Just remember, if somebody really wants to get into your house, they can bust down a locked door in about five seconds flat, and windows are even easier.

[BeMuse]

That sounds like a typical bugler… He’s probably in your backyard checking your windows and your other doors right now.

[BeMuse]

*burglar

[FeenaK]

No that is not normal at all. You should file a report

[SunnySri]

It's truly weird mam. And I want to appreciate you for the smart thing you did of keeping your house locked always.

[Juxtapose]

They would have about 2 seconds to gtfo before I beat their ass.

It's probably a thief, keep locking your shit.

[Anonymous]

Meh. He probably just needed to pee and would have flushed and left without a trace. No he peed in your yard...

[Jamie05rhs]

No, you're not over-reacting. And this is why you should always keep your doors locked, people!!

[Tslav_]

He just wanted to verify that nobody was home, no way that not a single person answered that day

[Feelicks]

Probably a thief casing the place.

[Dinosaursandanime65]

When YOU meet, YOU will slatra.