The TSI says door-to-door selling should be illegal

People who are sick of uninvited callers and residents should work together against the practice, the Trading Standards Institute says.

Door-to-door cold calling has been linked to crimes like distraction burglaries, it adds.

But the Direct Selling Association says the no-go areas will penalise legitimate traders and put unreasonable restraints on good businesses.

Stronger laws

Residents would need to work in partnership with local Trading Standards and the police to put up signs and give out door stickers showing sales people are not welcome.

Unwanted sellers would then be reported to the authorities.

The institute, which is launching the scheme on Thursday, says it is particularly concerned about criminals using doorstep sales as a front.

It is now calling on the government to make such selling illegal.

"We hope the government will act soon to introduce stronger laws but, in the meantime, communities can do something for themselves with our help," chief executive Ron Gainsford said.

The scheme has been trialled in some parts of Cambridgeshire, leading to an 11% fall in distraction burglaries.

A survey carried out by the TSI in 2003 found that 96% of the 9,000 people questioned were opposed to uninvited doorstep sellers.

Other no-go zones are already planned in West Yorkshire, Lancashire and Hertfordshire.

Your comments

No-one from that company ever called again Mark, Staffordshire

After repeated annoying visits I decided to allow a double glazing salesman in to give the sales pitch. I let them go through various pricing schemes and picked out some options and when the time came to sign the agreement I told them to get out of my house and that they should take the lesson well and not bother anyone else in the area. The salesman was shocked at first then angry then tried a variety of tactics such as guilt tripping by moaning about his pet dog locked up in his house all day. As I became more threatening he left and no-one from that company ever called again. He did complain about me wasting his time which I found most ironic.
Mark, Staffordshire

I moved house to a remote area to get away from the doorstep harassment from people selling everything from gas to frozen fish. That 96% figure is very telling - even legitimate doorstep sellers should take note: you are not welcome so stay at home and protect your reputation. Now, can we do something about those unwanted telephone calls from far-away places?
Pete, Bristol, UK

There are many advertising and sales methods available that are less intrusive, irritating and risky. If these companies have a genuinely good product they should use the thousands of other advertising media that are thrown at us every day.......web, papers, leaflets, mags, SPAM, junk mail.
Fiona, London, UK

Dear oh dear. Don't some people take things seriously? There is no law that says that whilst you are in your own home, you have to answer the door. Same goes for the telephone. Just think of that irritating advert with the woman calling the call centre to say that she doesn't want to be disturbed by them calling to see her things whilst she drinks her can of cold coffee. Don't waste your time and money, just don't answer the telephone.
Simon, West Sussex

As a home based worker I used to suffer more than most to the constant interruption of so-called business people ringing the door bell and offering their wares. This could range from their cheaper gas to folks wishing to save me from evil. That is until I displayed a huge sign saying in no uncertain words NOT to call. They now appear to have got message, well most that is!
Adrian Humphreys, Shrewsbury, Shropshire

I no longer answer the door if I'm not expecting a caller Kelsa, Bath, UK

My philosophy is that if a product is good enough it should not *need* to be sold door-to-door. I for one am wholeheartedly sick of certain telephone and energy companies relentlessly targeting my street - I no longer answer the door if I'm not expecting a caller. I would love to see an opt-out scheme similar to the telephone preference service so they just miss my house out.
Kelsa, Bath, UK

Traders need to realise that the way people shop and initiate purchases has changed over the years. If I want something, I will research it and then make an informed decision on it. I am not prepared to have someone come to my door unrequested to try and sell me something. Anyone turning up at my door would more likely put me off buying their product than anything else!
David Rolfe, Farnborough, Hants

Cold calling is not an ethical manner in which to conduct business, nor is it generally welcomed by people. Add to this the opportunity it presents fraudsters to prey on the vulnerable and I'd say there's no good reason not to ban the practice entirely.
Joseph, Oxford

If I want to purchase something I will source and price the product myself. Cold callers serve only to irritate me and lengthen the list of companies I and my family will not use.
Kathryn, Hull, UK

An excellent idea. Can we also have the stickers phrased to include all unwanted callers such as religious groups?
Jack, Essex

I agree 100% with any decision to restrict cold calling, whether it be doorstep or nuisance calls. If I want to buy a product I will make that decision in my own time and purchase from a reputable company.
Tim Neale, Hyde Heath, UK

There is no place for doorstep salesmen in this day and age Tony, Cheltenham, UK

There is no place for doorstep salesmen in this day and age. We are bombarded with advertising from all directions most of it contradictory and very unhelpful, we should at least be able to "pull up the drawbridge" to this rubbish in our own homes. Organisations like the Direct Selling Association belong in the 1950s and beyond, the only way to be certain about who is calling is to "weed out" the unnecessary.
Tony, Cheltenham, UK

I also am opposed to uninvited doorstep sellers. Yet I feel sorry for the salespeople - they want to make a living. But I feel very strongly against the companies who push those people for door to door sales. We should all vote against the companies who push such people into door to door sales.
Amer Fathallah, West Molesey, Surrey

I'm not happy with cold callers at the door. Some can be extremely pushy and will not take no for an answer. Shutting the door in their faces seems to do the trick but this can be difficult to do as it is so rude. I really think this sort of practice should be stopped - if I want to buy something of give money to charity I will actively pursue it on my terms.
Chris, Taunton, UK

There is no reason for door to door salesman other than to allow criminals to check if anyone is in or elderly. It should be made illegal.
John Cooper, Poole

I turn away door-to-door salespeople as a matter of course. If there is something that I want then there are more than enough other ways for people to gain my attention. I would rather choose where and when to decide on something rather than have someone attempt to sell to me on the doorstep.
Mick, Bradford, UK

Excellent idea, can't wait to register! By the way, can the Direct Selling Association explain what is so "unreasonable" about wanting to be left in peace? As a matter of principle I do not buy anything unsolicited from the doorstep, so why should I be pestered?
Derek England, Erskine, Scotland

I no longer answer the door to uninvited callers: there are too many of them, and they are a pain in the neck - always calling at inconvenient times anyway. I don't need them as there are plenty of other ways to find goods and services that I want. The sooner there is a law against this practice, the better.
John, Milton Keynes, UK

Without using a direct sales approach, many of these businesses would fail Judge Dread, London

There are a number of door to door sales people who promote local businesses - the kinds of businesses that could not afford to run a conventional advertising campaign. Without using a direct sales approach, many of these businesses would fail. I think if people were a little less paranoid about having someone on their doorstep then we would not be having this debate. Learn to say no (it's easy) - if you do that, you will find that you will no longer have a problem with door to door sales people.
Judge Dread, London

Couldn't this law apply to all of those who try to use a hard sell when your at home, i.e. telesales. It bothers me when I am eating my dinner and someone phones to sell you windows. The easiest way to get these people off the phone is to say "I'm going through a tunnel" then hang up!
Mat, High Wycombe

I also worked in door to door sales in my student days and can assure you that if it is done properly there is no need to take the 'hard sell' approach. Providing I was positive and approachable when I knocked on someone's door then by and large I was greeted with civility. The fact that this line of work enabled me and hundreds of my contemporaries to earn enough money (100% commission)to get through our studies without taking term time jobs, indicates there is plenty of 'need' for the goods we sold.
Jill Fletcher, Glasgow

I work evenings and weekends and so am often in during the day. I have recently taken to hiding in the backroom to avoid answering the door or telephone. Cold calling should definitely be banned so we can all get some peace.
John, Manchester, UK

If people really want things they will track it down themselves Michael Hughes, Glasgow

As somebody who did some door to door selling in my student years I am sorry to all those people I bothered while they were watching their favourite TV programme. Ban all door to door selling. If people really want things they will track it down themselves.
Michael Hughes, Glasgow

I already have a sticker on the front door, but apparently most salespeople can't read. And I don't see why they are so affronted when I tell them I'm not interested in whatever they have to sell. If it's something I want, I will search it out.
Mark Dorman, Leeds

If they expanded it to cover those "selling" a religious viewpoint, too, I'd be very happy
Pete, Swindon, UK

I worked as a door-to-door salesman for 1 year and would strongly agree that cold calling should be banned. Because the job was commission based it puts a lot of pressure on you to get into people's homes and make sales at any cost. This includes getting people to sign up to credit agreements which they could afford.
David Lord, Southampton

I believe strongly that all cold calling should be illegal. If I want something I will call them, I do not need people banging on my door asking me. And while we're on, let's get rid of all the junk mail deliveries as well. I'm sick of my hallway being filled up with rubbish that I then have to take to the recycling bank.
Stan A, London, UK