No Soliciting Signs

They came again! Jehovah’s Witnesses came to my door and it was obvious they came to me because they were signing to each other. I have a “No soliciting” sign right by the doorbell, but they probably don’t see themselves as solicitors.
I can’t find a sign or information that takes care of the religious groups. I’m quite happy with my religion and have a relationship with G-d. I don’t need complete strangers talking to me about it and I don’t have time to shoo them away.
I love the funny sign here, but it’s too long and I doubt they’ll read it. A comment in the entry refers to yard signs, but I think the sign by the doorbell is enough as I hardly ever get solicitors anymore since posting it. Besides, I already have two signs in my yard and they’re more deserving of the space (kids’ sports).
Here’s a funny sign I found on Amazon. Perhaps, I need to do what Grant suggested. Post another sign below that says, “No religious visits.” I like that.

22 comments

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    • Sam on March 3, 2007 at 5:48 am

    Why not post a sign that says…
    BEWARE of
    Pregnant PMSing Pit Bull Guard Dog

  1. I made my own and have it on my front door. It says in very large type:
    “No Religious Solicitation, please.
    No Salespersons, please.
    No Bullies, please.”
    In smaller type it says:
    “We welcome guests, family, neighbours, friends, stray animals, lost kids, wildlife, mail carriers and delivery persons with open arms and friendly smiles.
    “If you have an agenda, shoo. Go on, off you go.”
    So far it works, but one enterprising duo of deviants decided to come around to my back door, through a gate and everything. *sigh*

    • kyle on March 12, 2007 at 1:10 pm

    I have one in a clear plastic sleeve at eye level on my front door. Covers all bases and works like a charm! It reads…
    “Private Property!
    Please, no solicitors!
    If you are trying to sell or promote a product, service, religion, or way of life — we’re not interested! If you would like to leave information on the porch, please do so without knocking and disturbing our household.
    Thank you for your consideration and have a nice day.”

    • James Cooney on April 4, 2007 at 4:15 pm

    ABSOLUTELY NO SOLICITING
    WE ARE VERY CONTENT WITH OUR RELIGION
    PRAISE ZEUS
    WE HAVE CHOSEN OUR DESIGNATED CHARITIES
    WE HAVE NO DESIRE TO BUY PRODUCTS OR SERVICES
    WE ARE VERY BUSY FOLKS AND WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR RESPECTING OUR RIGHT TO OUR OWN PRIVACY

    • Diane Tanner on April 21, 2007 at 7:36 pm

    Treat it like the 11th Commandment and it will drive them away…
    THOU SHALT NOT WITNESS HERE!
    Works like a charm. And if it doesn’t, try garlic over the doorway.

    • William N on April 25, 2007 at 11:08 pm

    It doesn’t matter what you post on your door. I have a No Soliciting sign on my gate which is 15 feet from the door and they come anyway. It is apparent they can’t read or can’t read english. I especially hate the flyers because they hang them on the gate right next to my sign.

    • Anonymous on April 29, 2007 at 11:54 am

    Found your blog because I just had the same problem. The red “No Soliciting” sign is right on the front door. They rang the doorbell. I said, “We don’t accept religious solicitors here,” and they said, clutching copies of Watch Tower, “Oh, but we’re not solicitors!” I decided that my sign only keeps out people with at least a fifth grade reading level. After scoping on the web (which is how I found your blog), I am having my own custom sign made: “Going Door-to-Door? Please go away.”

    • Christeen on June 29, 2007 at 8:13 pm

    This one says it all:
    I SHOOT EVERY THIRD SOLICITOR. THE SECOND ONE JUST LEFT.

    • Jill on September 16, 2007 at 4:20 pm

    We have TWO gates before you get to our front door…and each gate has a No Soliciting sign…and two people, in white shirts and ties (my suspicion: some religious folks – it’s sunday) came on through and knocked on the door. I am pissed off and am not sure how to stop this invasion other than putting locks on the gates.

    • anonomous on September 24, 2007 at 10:38 pm

    this may be of some interest to you people who have issues with solicitors.
    At my old school we used to go door to door selling honey(a type of solicitation). however some of the students had the “grand” idea of going to a house with a no soliciting sign and wrecking the mailbox(ie writing the f word) and\or ringing the bell and running like hell. i haven’t gone to that school for a while now but i sometimes hear rumors that this ring and run thing is still in operation. to all those who want to stop those annoying ring and run tactics chop all trees and shrubs down and put in lawn or decorative rocks(to improve lines of sight. one kid got caught in the act because the owner happened to be at the front 2mins after the bell rang and saw him on the sidewalk. Busted!!! ) or get a survellance camera and install it at the front door. rumor has it that the #1 rule is that you are not supposed to bee seen when you pull off this type of stunt. these 2 tips will help stop some of the stupid pranks these junior salesmen are pulling off. btw i was never part of this
    i think this is called disturbing the peace. but some students think it was is and will continue to be the best fun on the job ever.
    one student reported that when he did this some guy came out 4 mins later and yelled “who the F did that” or so goes the rumor
    no soliciting signs are what the so called honey vandals use to pick their targets

  2. I simply put a “no soliciting” sign on my door, but the religious people still come and knock. Any suggestion? Is “no soliciting” only limited to selling only?

    • Onikaze on March 30, 2008 at 12:08 pm

    Solicitation is defined in part as: “To seek to obtain by persuasion, entreaty, or formal application.” They don’t have to be selling something to be soliciting. In the case of religious folks they are seeking to obtain your agreement, membership, etc. by persuasion, entreaty, rhetoric, etc. They don’t want your wallet, they want your brain.
    I’m thinking about adding this definition to my “No Soliciting” sign if the churchies become a problem. Then I can give them an impromptu English lesson.

    • Jana on June 18, 2008 at 11:55 am

    I stumbled on this blog like the others looking to see if JWs could be legally considered ‘solicitors’. I was sitting here just checking my email and some JW came ringing my doorbell. I have a “No Soliciting” sign right at eye level by the doorbell. So after seeing them in the peek hole, I just went back to my comp and starting googling soliciting issues. They rang my bell and knocked on the door for five minutes! I have 2 kids sleeping right now so my blood pressure is through the roof at this point! I would go to the door and kindly ask them to leave, but I have tried that before. They don’t leave!! Can this be legal?

    • Meryl on June 18, 2008 at 12:27 pm

    Jana, I haven’t had a problem since I put up a “No religious visitors” sign right next to “No solicitors.”

    • Cindy on June 27, 2008 at 5:49 pm

    Hi all,
    I just added these items to my online store because I’m so sick of solicitors, too!

    • Happy Girl 2000 on August 6, 2008 at 4:52 pm

    My dad used to take care of that by stopping whatever the sign-ignorers were saying and lecturing them on what “NO SOLICITING” meant. Any time they tried to argue or interrupt, he’d just keep loudly lecturing them all the way back down to the sidewalk. They never returned.
    My old boyfriend saw some JW’s coming up the walkway and just answered the door naked- he made sure the door covered his naughty bits so he couldn’t be busted for indecent exposure, but the JW’s left in a hurry.
    I don’t think any of us has to be polite or even tolerant of people who willfully ignore our signs- or even be polite to those who pound on our doors when we have NO sign. Shutting a door in a sales person’s or religious peddler’s face gives them a quick and solid message. I’m not advocating being an a–hole, just being very firm in the protection of one’s privacy.

    • Marco on August 29, 2008 at 11:52 am

    We are seeing more and more people placing the no soliciting signs on businesses and their residence, and I think it has to do that solicitors are getting more and more aggressive. I am talking about the sales people here, the religious solicitors, I will talk to for a little bit, however when I am busy I will tell them that I am busy doing whatever I am doing, and wish them good luck!

    • Anonymous on October 5, 2008 at 11:46 am

    How about:
    NO SOLICITING!
    NO Salespeople
    NO Home Improvement Contractors
    NO Religious Proselytizers
    NO Nonprofits
    NO Political Canvassers
    LOTS OF TRESPASSING ARRESTS!!

    • Anna on November 5, 2008 at 4:30 pm

    A guy just came into my store selling Disney products and I asked him if he saw the sign on the door that’s directly at eye level he said that it doesn’t refer to him because he is not a prostitute.

    • Alex on December 27, 2008 at 1:46 pm

    What I have read of DTD Salesmen, No Soliciting signs just means the person behind the door doesn’t have the guts to say “No”. We want the sign to talk for us.
    I cut out the alarm pedelers with an “Protected by Allied Alarm” company sign I bought off ebay.
    After some neighbor hood kid rang my doorbell for 30 seconds straight while my son and I were napping, I disconnected it. It has been that way for 7 years. Anyone else knows to knock.
    Someone should make a doorbell that shocks the user instead of ringing the bell. Wouldn’t be too hard to do, just take the bell out of the loop.
    So far, if someone does leave something on my door step, it’s when I am not home or if I am home, I don’t hear the doorbell that doesn’t work.
    Maybe a sign on the gate that says, “ring bell for service”. Then just have a doorbell button on the gate and a couple wires that don’t go anywhere. They can stand out there looking like an idiot, pushing a button that doesn’t work.
    Also, all DTDs have had the door slammed on them. It’s part of the job. Most have to be pushly because no one would buy the crap they are trying to sell. If it was that good, wouldn’t we be out looking for it already? But if you don’t feel like shutting the door on them, a bullhorn at two feet will get your opinion across. They can’t interrupt you then. I know you can find them at Radio Shack.

    • Susan on August 17, 2009 at 2:52 pm

    I’ve added “no community organizers’ to my sign.

    • Randall on September 11, 2009 at 7:22 am

    NO SOLICITING!
    VIOLATORS WILL SHOT!
    REPEAT VIOLATORS WILL BE SHOT AGAIN!

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