Bogus ADT salesman? Scary

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

We just had this guy come to the front door. He was dressed in a baseball cap saying ADT, a shirt saying ADT, and a binder saying ADT. He was short, blue-eyed, heavy-jowled and wore shorts.

I opened the door and asked what he wanted. He said he was from the advertising department of ADT and was offering free systems in our neighborhood as an advertising measure. He asked if I had a home security system. I don’t remember what I said! I think I may have just said, “I don’t need your services,” but I may have said no, that I didn’t have a security system.

My husband was listening from upstairs and came down at this point. He listened to the guy for a minute and then said, “Can we have your business card?” And the guy said no!!! He said he couldn’t give us a card because of (some bullshit). And then he said thanks and left.

He went down the street. Me and Mr. E looked at each other and he said, “Call the cops.” So I did. I also sat out on the porch and kept an eye on the neighborhood so I could get a license plate number. Eventually I saw the guy coming out from the back of my neighbor’s house and walk rapidly down the street.

There was a white car waiting for him, no decals or anything saying ADT. He got in. I ran down the street and managed to catch the license number. It was a Pennsylvania license plate, and I live in Ohio. The guy saw me, got out of the car, and gave me a number, saying I could call ADT and give them the number.

After he left, that’s precisely what I did. ADT didn’t know what that number was, and also said they had received calls like mine before! I called the police and gave them the license plate number. They came out and said they were going to drive through the neighborhood, but I haven’t heard from them that they had caught the guy.

So now I’m scared half to death, thinking about my poor defenseless kitties, and my computer and my own self, and how vulnerable we all are. I’m going to keep the gun close tonight, for sure! (we don’t have kids, so don’t worry about that)

What I wonder is, does this sound as suspicious to you as it does to me? Was I right in calling the police? Am I right to be very paranoid right now?

2

It seems likely that he was casing your neighborhood, looking for somone to rob later. Your reaction probbably scared him off though. Do be careful with your firearm.

3

Of course my first reaction was, might wanna warn your neighbors they were snooping around, but then I started thinking… Warn them of what? Big scary guys coming to rob them in the middle of the night. If someone told me that, I’d be sitting in the middle of the room with a baseball bat. So I dunno. Be careful!
-Lil

4

I used to work for an authorized ADT dealer going door to door giving away (selling service) security systems. The guy was probably working for one of those companies. They hire some pretty shady people because it’s straight commision, if the people you convince to get a system have bad credit, no pay for you. Did I mention it was the worst job I ever had in my life?

ADT is corporate and they have authorized dealers that do this sort of thing all the time. The notion that they have no idea what was going on is bullshit. Not exactly a great business generator but all I could think of when I read your post was “I’m glad you called us, that guy certainly sounds like a criminal casing your home. You DO have a security system don’t you?”

Burgulars don’t usually introduce themselves before robbing you (some have though) there are much easier ways of finding out if you have security.

Our van did have an ADT logo, but we had other vehicles that didn’t (including our BWM Z3).

Does that sound like something a caught criminal would do? Were they planning on hitting every house on your street? while giving everyone on the block a good look at them? ADT knows next to nothing about their authorized dealers BTW.

Good job being vigilant, and the guy did seem shady, but I’d hesitate to send your neighborhood into a panic over it. I left many a house in a hurry while working there, and it was never because I was casing the place.

5

Most communities have anti-solicitation laws. Check your local ordinances. Most places require anyone going door-to-door to get a vendors license with a picture. The town checks the guys credentials for you, if he has one then you know he works for that company. If the guy doesn’t have a license then call the cops. A lot of burglars will come case a neighborhood posing as salesmen. It is still more likely that he wasn’t. It doesn’t hurt to be careful. I hope you contacted the police and gave them the plate number. They can keep an eye out in other neighborhoods for this guy.

6

Ah! So, you do have a security system! :wink:

7

Thank you for your post. I am going to talk to Brinks tomorrow. His behavior was very strange, and I still don’t think he was an actual salesman. But your post makes me feel a little better, but not so much I won’t get a system installed now, if only for the peace of mind!

Another good think that happened from this is that my husband finally wants that dog I have been talking about forever! Yippee!