Door-to-door alert: Solicitors in Gatewood

Couple notes tonight about solicitors in Gatewood – whether legit or not, it’s not clear, but those who e-mailed to share the story thought they seemed suspicious – read on:

Heather has been visited twice in the past two nights:

Just had a young man come to our home, saying he was fundraising for his baseball team’s trip to Hawaii . To make a long story short, he pulled out the same exact same tattered pamphlet as the girl who came to my house yesterday (or maybe the day before?) that I wrote to you about. Same basic story… book fundraiser, donates books to Seattle’s children’s hospitals, is going on a trip. Not sure of the validity of the story, but it seems the only thing these people can show for their fundraising efforts is a tattered pamphlet.

And from Tom, also in Gatewood:

Wanted to let you know that someone just came to our door selling magazine subscriptions to send his softball team to Hawaii. He did not show a badge or anything like that. We live by the water towers at 35th and Myrtle. Maybe you could send a warning out to other readers.

Since publishing this, we’ve heard again from Heather, who points to this as a resource for anyone interested in background on traveling sales crews – which she suspects is the situation here.

10 Replies to "Door-to-door alert: Solicitors in Gatewood"

  • Junction August 17, 2010 (11:29 pm)

    Same kid came by our house on 42nd last night. Same deal, claimed to be trying to raise money for his baseball team and their Hawaii trip. He tried to be real slick…way too slick for a regular kid trying to raise money for an honest cause. He even claimed to live a few blocks over and offered up an order slip as proof. He was full of $&@?!!!

  • Jennifer August 18, 2010 (8:00 am)

    We had a young man…say 20ish or so come to our door I believe it was last week or the week before.. We have a no soliciting sign and he said I saw your sign but figured since I was your neighbor and live over on Stevens it would be ok. I’d never seen him before. Then he pulled out some document out of his pocket and started to give a spiel about supporting this winning kids baseball team. When I told him I wasn’t interested I saw anger cross his face but then he turned and left. Very creepy. He is not a very good liar. This was in the area by PCC.

  • HolyKow August 18, 2010 (8:58 am)

    This person came to my door last night, did not answer, saw them on the way off the property…

    There oughta be a law….oh yeah…there is…trespassing…

    hk

  • Robin August 18, 2010 (12:56 pm)

    Fauntleroy neighborhood…Yesterday two individuals came to the door around 3 PM. A male and a female who I am guessing were in their early 20s. They said they were going on a trip abroad and were seeking funds. They mentioned they had met several of my neighbors. Since I was robbed one week ago I found this highly suspicious. I contacted several neighbors. No one else met these individuals. They didnt even have a worn/torn brochure…

  • dhg August 18, 2010 (1:11 pm)

    Happened here near Fauntleroy Church last night. Young lady claimed to be a neigbor’s daughter, then said she had a scholarship for college from Discovery Channel / National Geographic but still need to meet other expenses. She then pulled out a ratty magazine subscription sheet.

  • Carol August 18, 2010 (5:30 pm)

    Same here, Fauntleroy Neighborhood….two young people soliciting for a trip to Austraila. The young man had a southern accent.

  • vb August 18, 2010 (8:20 pm)

    same thing here, last night or night before about 3-4pm. Same spiel..money for a trip, “I’m your neighbor”… sluring words, dirty fingernails,(not sure why that jumped out at me) seemed to be on something. Told him someone was in the area week before and no one believes you are a neighbor. Couple weeks ago,diff guy same spiel, said was a student at WASU, and lived couple blocks away, I asked for student ID and drivers liscense…had neither…got verbally aggressive as walked away. Sounds like old mag scam crews, with a new spiel.

  • Lonnie S. August 18, 2010 (9:02 pm)

    At 48th & SW Dawson last week, same story from a dark complected young lady who said she was a neighbor who lived on the corner of 48th & Alaska and had recently helped another older lady neighbor who’s dog recently was hit bay a car and was on a fund raiser to send their baseball team to Hawaii and that some of the proceed would be donated to a school. Just did not feel right.

  • West Seattle Steve August 18, 2010 (10:08 pm)

    I had a girl with the same story about a trip to England. We live near Schmitz Park Elementary.

    She said she was a neighbor, but then she asked if I had any kids. Huh? If you were my neighbor, you’d know.

  • Clockwoo August 19, 2010 (3:45 pm)

    Yep they were on Vashon Island this weekend – the cops kicked them off and sent them packing to Tacoma. Same deal “I’m your neighbor blah blah blah.” I checked with the Vashon police and they said they were all from Arizona and did have legit solicitors paperwork but that they had been getting complaints about how lying and aggressive they were.

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