Letters to the Editor
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I still think she should post the name and number of the contractors right here, but maybe that is just me.
well, she said "a national home improvement chain."--
that's Home Depot or Lowes.
Well, they subcontract all their installation work out to small local people they don't guarantee or cover for liabilities.
(assuming any of this is true)
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Another reason to contact the police is because, above and beyond getting a police report, you need their expert help and advice, and they really need to be aware that these folks are operating in your neighborhood or town.
yeah, if you don't call the police, you're putting your neighbors at risk.
LW, call the police and then let us know what they said.
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Oh gee I hate to say this BUT
On some days it sounds to me like at least 20% of the people who read Salon display signs of Asperger's.
Several of the letters to Cary have described problems that sound like the same problems that my own Asperger's has caused me.
This kind of problem -- being unable to say no to a stranger - is described in "Asperger's and Girls."
Women with Asperger's are often preyed upon by aggressive people, especially by men. These kinds of men can often tell who we are and target us on purpose, because we tend to be idealistic about people and hence are less suspicious and more open and honest with strangers than we really should be.
We can be like children sometimes.
I'm not claiming to diagnose the LW, because obviously that takes a skilled professional.
But I think she should consult with a professional about this and see if Asperger's is mentioned by the professional.
A diagnosis like that could explain to her why she trusts complete strangers so much and why she has so much trouble defending her personal boundaries against people determined to annihilate them.
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Is it real? Is it fake?
This letter is so bizarre and over the top that I can barely imagine any of it actually happening. I do wonder if the Salon staff were wondering which issue to illustrate today, and "personal boundaries" came up. Either that, or the LW is embellishing all over the place. $50, indeed! (And she *took* it?) And asking her out to dinner? Her meek acquiescence is the most bizarre part of all, signing the contract to get rid of him. Like paying cash to a burglar, or handing him all your jewels, so he'll get out of your
house.
I don't know why people concoct letters like this, when there are so many real concerns out there.
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A con for free?
It doesn't appear to me that this was a traveling salesman. She says that she received a visit in her home from the saleman. Sounds like she had contacted the company and they sent him out, which would account for her being a bit more confused and letting him go on longer than if he was just somebody who showed up at the door unannounced.
And while I agree that this could be a con, it's hard to immediately see what the con is if they're offering to do the job for free.
I agree with the advice about learning to say no. As someone who has always had difficultly with conflict, it's been hard to learn to set boundaries, but therapy definitely helped. Getting good and angry helps too.
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You need a big dog...
Bring the dog into the house on a short leash and tell the old fart to take a hike. I'f his hearing isn't good, he'll still be able to see the K-9s on "Killer" and get the message. If necessary, sic the hounds on him until he is off your property. You might also consider posting a "No Tresspassing" sign or "No Soliciting" by your gate or on the edge of your property. You can also put a sign by your front door that says "This House Protected by Smith & Wesson". Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. Of course, you should never hesitate to call "911", that is why you pay your taxes, for protective services. Now if "911" is far away and you live out in the sticks, you may want to do some research into your state's laws about carrying a concealed weapon or learn to shoot a firearm. A shotgun is my prefence for home defense and intimidation. A blood-suckin' lawyer will just take your money and you're still stuck with a valid contract. Contact your state's Attorney General Consumer Protection Division and file a complaint. Remember to shoot low, they be ridin' shetlands.
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Weird assumptions in the letters column
Why are so many of you assuming this was some random person knocking at the door? When I read this I thought she had scheduled an appointment with a contractor from Home Depot or Lowes. Of course you'll let the person in and spend 2 hours with them, tolerating the mild weirdness at first because you asked for this appointment. Yes, as the weirdness became threatening or crude, she should have asked him to leave, but this weird obsession you all have with Travelers and traveling salesmen is just strange speculation.
Like I said, this guy was weird. So I called this national chain and spoke to very concerned people there. I received many calls and apologies. Within 24 hours, the president of said company offered to do my entire job for free.
She said there were many calls, not that the president immediately got on the phone with her. She spoke to multiple people and it doesn't say she just called the number on a piece of paper the salesman gave her. If she scheduled this appointment, she likely had a number to call.
To those of you who are sure this is a scam because "National companies don't give away $14,000 for free" or "They'd never make that offer without an attourney present to sign a 'don't sue us' form", this was an offer over the phone. If she takes them up on it, they'll have her sign all kinds of things, especially forms stating that she can't sue after accepting it. They'd likely be happy to get out of this with only $14,000 in contract work as opposed to attourney fees, potential settlements against them, bad publicity, etc. $14,000 is dirt cheap to a national company like these. And there are likely other conditions too, like a gag clause.
I also don't see why some people see the switch from "scary person threatening me" to "what can I get from them" as being so odd. If the guy was an employee of the company, she's just looking for compensation. The kind of compensation they're offering is something she was looking for anyway. Yes, she needs to hire an appropriate lawyer, but her reaction is not that strange. Hell, if she were to contact a lawyer and just recount what happened, he'd likely immediately start talking about compensation, she's just a step ahead of the curve because the company has already made noises about buying her off.
Between the "It's a fake" letters and the "OMG, Traveling Salesmen!" letters this letter column reads like a UFO community.