We don’t know if door-to-door soliciting went entirely away during the past few years, but in the past few days we’ve received reader complaints/alerts about solicitors for the first time in two-plus years – so here’s a refresher course of what you should know, from the Seattle Municipal Code:

*Door-to-door (residential) selling is allowed between 8 am-9 pm.

*The entity for whom the seller is working has to have a license, and the seller (agent) must have ID showing the license and the agent’s name: “All licensees and agents shall conspicuously display on their outer clothing their residential sales license or residential sales agent licenses when selling.” If you choose to open the door, ask to see it immediately: “Each residential seller or agent shall, immediately upon contacting the prospective buyer, disclose to the prospective buyer his/her name, company, and the product or service represented.”

*Solicitors are required to honor a “no soliciting” sign if you have one. Whether you do or don’t, they’re also required to honor this part of the code: “If requested to do so, (the agent) shall leave the premises immediately.”

The full set of rules is here. Also, the Better Business Bureau‘s advice is here.

After a few questions about door-to-door solicitors in recent weeks, and a report tonight, it’s time for a refresher course on the rules. First, the report sent by Nicholas:

Just wanted to give our neighbors a heads up that at about 6:00 pm tonight we had door to door solicitor come to our house on Alki and claim to be selling magazine subscriptions with an emphasis on making a commission if you buy multiple years’ worth of the product. He was a mid forties black man with glasses, button down dress shirt, slacks and white sneakers- his dress looked like he stepped out of the mid-nineties. He claimed to be part of an organization called Young Connections That Work and when we looked that up online while he was at the door the website came back with an Error 404 message. He said he was up from Tennessee and that he has been doing the magazine sales for about 3 months. He was carrying a binder with magazine offerings and prices as well as “receipt” booklets. He was pleasant and not aggressive, though he repeated himself often and deflected our questions about the organization. He also smelled of alcohol. When we finally told him we weren’t interested and didn’t feel comfortable with the level of information he had, he told us he would be back again soon.

After he left we did some more digging and found multiple businesses listed as operating out of the same address connected to Young Connections That Work – none of which seem legit. We’d caution anybody who is approached by this individual or anyone else with a similar story.

Nicholas says the solicitor did not display a license. While that’s not required for charity-donation soliciting, it is required for sales. from the Seattle Municipal Code:

*Door-to-door (residential) selling is allowed between 8 am-9 pm.

*The entity for whom the seller is working has to have a license, and the seller (agent) must have ID showing the license and the agent’s name: “All licensees and agents shall conspicuously display on their outer clothing their residential sales license or residential sales agent licenses when selling.” If you choose to open the door, ask to see it immediately: “Each residential seller or agent shall, immediately upon contacting the prospective buyer, disclose to the prospective buyer his/her name, company, and the product or service represented.”

*Solicitors are required to honor a “no soliciting” sign if you have one. Whether you do or don’t, they’re also required to honor this part of the code: “If requested to do so, (the agent) shall leave the premises immediately.”

The full set of rules is here. Also, the Better Business Bureau‘s advice is here.

Bill Fry of the West Seattle Soccer Club was surprised to encounter a solicitor who … not knowing Bill’s affiliation … claimed he was collecting donations for WSSC (among other things):

The individual pictured below is soliciting donations under false pretenses.

He says his name is Omar, and that he is collecting money under the sponsorship of the West Seattle Soccer Club, the South Park Soccer Club, the South Park Community Center, and Children’s Hospital.

I know of at least one business that gave him cash. They forwarded the photo below to me on Saturday.

Today, he came to solicit my business, La Mexicana, unaware of my role with the soccer organizations above. When I confronted him, he refused to provide his last name. He was holding a note pad with a Seattle Children’s Hospital logo in the bottom right corner. I asked him if he had a letter from Children’s, or the WSSC, or the South Park Soccer Club, and he said he was just a volunteer. I asked him where the money went, and he said he gives it to a woman at the South Park Community Center, but he refused to provide her name.

I contacted the Community Center and forwarded his photo a few hours ago. The program manager, Shannon Anderson, said that he does not know this individual and that he is not acting on behalf of the community center.

Bill was planning to contact police.

It’s door-to-door-soliciting season, A few notes have arrived in the WSB inbox, and we were making plans for the periodic “here are the city laws” reminder, when this suddenly made things more urgent. From Lily Mabbott with the Boys and Girls Clubs of King County:

We have had a couple people contact our organization because at least one man (there may be more than one) is posing as a door-to-door magazine salesman claiming to collect donations for Boys & Girls Clubs. He is not affiliated with our organization and magazine sales is not a way that we fundraise.

The caller I spoke with lives in the Fairmount Park area, zip code 98126. She described the person as late 20s/early 30s tall black man who was well dressed and has a well-groomed beard, carrying a clipboard.

Now, the rules. First, note that they don’t apply to those seeking charity solicitations – legitimate ones, anyway. Otherwise, from the Seattle Municipal Code:

*Door-to-door (residential) selling is allowed between 8 am-9 pm.

*The entity for whom the seller is working has to have a license, and the seller (agent) must have ID showing the license and the agent’s name: “All licensees and agents shall conspicuously display on their outer clothing their residential sales license or residential sales agent licenses when selling.” If you choose to open the door, ask to see it immediately: “Each residential seller or agent shall, immediately upon contacting the prospective buyer, disclose to the prospective buyer his/her name, company, and the product or service represented.”

*Solicitors are required to honor a “no soliciting” sign if you have one. Whether you do or don’t, they’re also required to honor this part of the code: “If requested to do so, (the agent) shall leave the premises immediately.”

Read the full set of rules by going here.. And note the city says they don’t apply to sellers of “newspapers, or fresh or perishable food items.”

Two from the WSB inbox. First – Thom reports what might, or might not, have been a case of package theft in the 6600 block of Admiral Way:

Just had an odd situation that might be a package/delivery theft. We ordered an Amazon Prime Now order with some groceries (a ribeye, butter, case of water, Epsom salts, etc) and got a notification at 11:32am that it was delivered. We never heard anyone knock, and the dog didn’t bark – although she usually does. It’s an apartment building so we checked in front of other doors, by the mailboxes, around the property, etc – but didn’t see it anywhere.

When we called Amazon customer support they said their system showed it was delivered to our address, per GPS and to wait until noon. If it had not shown up by then they’d refund the cost.

So, either someone snagged it immediately after delivery or it was delivered incorrectly to someone else, but we were asked to check with neighbors and look all around the property for it just in case it was delivered to the right property but the wrong door.

All searches were fruitless and we got a refund and placed a new order. There’s not enough information to tell if it was a delivery error or a package theft but I’m dropping a note in case anyone else in the neighborhood has anything missing today- or in the off chance someone is wondering why they got an unexpected delivery of a ribeye, case of water, butter, Epsom salts, etc.

Second, a door-to-door visitor reported last night by Erik:

Young woman came to my door (North Arbor Heights). Just now asking to sign an iPad about something to do with bees and Washington state laws. Asked for cc # or $. Just a heads up. I refused.

We checked here – no initiatives being circulated right now with anything related to bees. Remember that while charity/political solicitors don’t have to have sales licenses, you still have the right to ask for ID and any other proof of who they are and what they’re soliciting for.

3:45 PM: We’ve been meaning to publish another reminder about the door-to-door-soliciting laws, as we’re getting reports of questionable solicitors again. Now it’s urgent, as Tom just e-mailed a warning about magazine sellers claiming to be benefiting a local nonprofit – which in turn told Tom they’re not affiliated. The solicitors came to Tom’s house in the 6000 block of 21st SW, and at first he was impressed:

But when we started to get into the money, their demeanor changed, it started to look like THEY were getting the money, not a charity …..and it didn’t feel right. So I gave them checks with the idea I’m gonna check this out then cancel the checks if it doesn’t pan out. Then I contacted “Mary’s Place” (where they said the donations go to). Mary’s Place said it’s a scam that they are being used a lot for this spring, and advised me to file a police report. I cancelled the checks.

Tom forwarded a receipt in the name of “PS Circulation” (many references online) as well as the reply he received from Mary’s Place (which IS a bonafide nonprofit all its own, helping homeless families, with shelters including a new one in White Center, but NOT seeking donations in this way).

Before you even consider opening the door to solicitors – know the rules (we recapped them again here).

9:59 PM: We’ve also heard from another local nonprofit that solicitors are using their name without authorization or connection. West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) executive director Shalimar Gonzales e-mailed us to say a member told her that two solicitors were going door to door “asking for donations for the YMCA … The YMCA does not solicit donations door to door.”

The holiday season seems to have brought an uptick in door-to-door soliciting in West Seattle – we’ve received several messages with concerns/questions in the past few days, like this one from Mark in Gatewood:

We had three separate attempts for solicitation over a two-hour period starting just after dark. We did not answer, but could see it was two men. Loud, insistent knocking.

We later called a neighbor who answered and were told they said they were from CenturyLink.

I know there have been other reports in the past about them, just wanted to give a heads up in case others were concerned or worried.

Very disconcerting. Amazing to think that any reputable company would send its employees out like that, after dark on a Friday night.

That’s the most common report we’ve been getting, but others have mentioned people trying to sell magazines. We have no way of telling you whether the person at your door is or is not legit, but here are some of the major rules about door-to-door selling in Seattle, which we recap every few months when the inquiries start peaking again:

*Door-to-door (residential) selling is allowed between 8 am-9 pm.

*The entity for whom the seller is working has to have a license, and the seller (agent) must have ID showing the license and the agent’s name: “All licensees and agents shall conspicuously display on their outer clothing their residential sales license or residential sales agent licenses when selling.” If you choose to open the door, ask to see it immediately: “Each residential seller or agent shall, immediately upon contacting the prospective buyer, disclose to the prospective buyer his/her name, company, and the product or service represented.”

*Solicitors are required to honor a “no soliciting” sign if you have one. Whether you do or don’t, they’re also required to honor this part of the code: “If requested to do so, (the agent) shall leave the premises immediately.”

Read the full set of rules by going here.. And note the city says they don’t apply to sellers of “newspapers, or fresh or perishable food items”; nor is a license required for a person who turns up at your door seeking charity donations.

If you do buy something from a solicitor, you have cancellation rights.

For the first time in a while, we’ve received a flurry of e-mails in the past few days with reports of/concerns about door-to-door sellers. You might not be aware of city law, so here’s a recap:

*Hours for door-to-door (residential) selling are limited to 8 am-9 pm.

*The seller’s employer has to be licensed and the seller (agent) has to have ID that shows the license and the agent’s name. Regarding the ID, “All licensees and agents shall conspicuously display on their outer clothing their residential sales license or residential sales agent licenses when selling.” Ask to see it before you even listen to a pitch. And beyond the ID: “Each residential seller or agent shall, immediately upon contacting the prospective buyer, disclose to the prospective buyer his/her name, company, and the product or service represented.”

*If you have a “no soliciting” sign by your door, it’s illegal for sellers to ignore it. If you don’t, you still have no obligation to listen to a pitch – city law includes the stipulation that “If requested to do so, (the agent) shall leave the premises immediately.”

You can read the rules in their entirety by going here..

A big exception – if someone is just asking you to donate to a charity (not describing a “sale” of something as a “donation”), they don’t have to be licensed. Also: The types of selling that don’t require licenses under Seattle law are “newspapers, or fresh or perishable food items.”

P.S. If you do buy something door-to-door – be aware of cancellation rights.

After receiving two inquiries this hour regarding someone going door-to-door in Arbor Heights asking if people are interested in selling their homes, we’re wondering if this is happening on a more widespread basis, and if you have any firsthand experience with it. Both people who mentioned it say the man didn’t offer a card – one family said “no” and he left, the other pointed out houses for sale nearby, and they were given a handwritten note with a phone number. If you work in real estate or development, is this a legit, common tactic? We have heard realtors say they need more houses to sell, but not necessarily that they’re going door-to-door looking for them.

There’s been a resurgence of complaints/concerns about door-to-door solicitors in West Seattle lately. Some people have posted notes in the WSB Forums, but with more mentions showing up in all of our message boxes, from e-mail to Facebook to text, it seems like a good time to at least talk about the rules.

Most of the complaints we have heard have NOT been simply for the solicitation itself – but mostly because they were aggressive and/or rude. For example, we received this one today from Fauntleroy:

Just had an aggressive door to door magazine salesman in the last 30 minutes or so. Name Mike and claimed to be new here from South Carolina on a job program. No contact info or web information that could be looked up and referenced. He just had some magazine info of laminated paper and was pushing aggressively to try and get a donation/subscription.

He went away frustrated when I said I didn’t conduct any business from door to door sales.

The archives show it’s been a while since we recapped Seattle city law – so here again are the rules for door-to-door soliciting, aka “residential sales,” as shown in the Seattle Municipal Code. Key points to remember: If they are selling something, they must have licenses and IDs and they should not be the least bit reluctant to show both to you; hours are restricted to 8 am-9 pm; if you have a “no soliciting” sign, they’re supposed to leave you alone. But if someone is simply asking for a charity contribution, they do NOT require a license. And if you suspect they’re not really soliciting, but perhaps casing – they jiggled the doorknob, for example – police say, don’t hesitate to call.

P.S. For even more details from SPD, see the second half of this Crime Prevention newsletter from last year (PDF).

First time we’ve had a door-to-door alert in which it seems someone may be out there pretending to be affiliated with us. Just got a call from a manager of a Junction apartment building who says a man was there claiming to be doing a survey about Junction parking, and she said he claimed to be affiliated with West Seattle Blog. (Before we finished writing this, she called back and said he had tried to go to another nearby building, too.)

We would NEVER do a door-to-door survey OR a telephone survey OR a “stand on a streetcorner and ask people questions” survey. If we have questions for you (as we did a year and a half ago), we’ll ask them online.

The caller said the man had no ID but identified himself as “Mitch.” She described him as 60-ish, 6 feet tall, heavy-set, sports jacket and blue jeans.

Please let us know if you have had anybody claiming to be with WSB turn up at your door – or if you know this is some OTHER survey (the city had been doing another parking survey not so long ago, but we don’t believe they ever go door-to-door) – editor@westseattleblog.com or 206-293-6302 if you don’t want to comment here. Thanks!

Since door-to-door solicitors are often a hot topic here, we thought you might be interested in a news release sent today by State Attorney General Rob McKenna‘s office in Olympia. No specific companies named, but a general warning about the “door-to-door magazine sellers from out of state”: Read More

Solicitors still seem to be out in force. Two more reader reports have come in – read on:Read More

Over the past few days, we’ve received multiple reports of door-to-door solicitors – or people claiming to be – working this area. Ahead, some of those reports, and a reminder about the rules, in case somebody turns up at your door:Read More

They might be legit, they might not. Two of your West Seattle neighbors wanted to share door-to-door alerts from encounters last night, just in case:Read More