ASOTIN – Door-to-door solicitors have been around for decades, and while they may not be nearly as common as they once were, those who are still around, can provide great products and services. But, there are also risks associated with this type of transaction. Asotin Police Department offers some safety tips when conducting transactions with them:
- Always ask if they have a business license or solicitor’s license and ask to see it. If they do not have one, call the police. A business license or solicitor’s license is not a guarantee on the product or people. It is just a “permit” to be able to do business or solicit in the city. Be cautious when doing transactions with these types of salespeople, as there is no guarantee of their product or services.
- If you don’t want them at your door, ask them to leave. If they don’t leave, call the police. At any time, you can request they leave. After you request, they leave, it is trespassing for them to not leave the property.
- If you do decide to conduct business with them and let them in your residence, there are risks involved with this. Not all solicitors are bad, but there are some that use this to “case” residences. They can see what is in your residence, and what type of security you have, ie alarms, dogs, or locks for example. They can also see what you have that may be valuable. If they are left unsupervised AT ALL, they can also steal items. They may ask to use the bathroom and make a side trip to other rooms unsupervised. They can also unlock windows or doors for easy entry later. ALWAYS keep them in sight and watch what they are doing.
- If you do finish the transaction, be careful of payment options. If you give them your credit card information, or you give them a check that has the bank routing numbers on it as all checks do, they can access these accounts. Try and do transactions in cash, don’t give out personal information: DOB, social security numbers, passwords, card information, bank information, or anything else that may be used for identity theft.
Be very cautious when conducting business with any unknown business or people. Not everyone is scrupulous. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your local Law Enforcement office. The public is our eyes and ears, so we don’t always know what is occurring unless we are contacted.
