No Soliciting

What good is a blog if you can't vent a little?

What does No Soliciting mean to you? I'm tired of coming home to find papers stuck in the door jam of my front door. Since we've moved in almost 6 months ago I've received about 20 business cards and fliers soliciting landscaping service. I've received well over 50 advertisements for a home security system both as fliers and door to door sales people. 30 of those have been from ADT, 17 from Monitronics and 3 from companies I've never heard of before. Maybe they think that if they pester us enough we'll finally cave in. Um, what else - Softwater, painters, swimming pools, bottled water, Dish Network and a load of other crap.

I finally invested in a $1.99 No Soliciting sign and stuck it on my door. Since then I still get 3 or 4 fliers stuck in my door A WEEK. I have no problem with small businesses and cheap advertising, but how about a little professional respect and courtesy for the consumer? No means no, not maybe. Skip this house and move on.

I called the number on one of these fliers. This one was another home security system and I asked the guy why he left the flier on my door when I clearly have a "No Soliciting" sign in plain view? He said that no soliciting means "don't knock or ring the doorbell, just leave a pamphlet." That's about when I wanted to reach through the phone and put him in a choke hold. I pointlessly argued with him for a few minutes then hung up. I guess I need a no soliciting picture of a stick figure putting a pamphlet in a door, circled with a line through it.

Maybe "soliciting" is one of those tricky grown up words that is so commonly used we can just make up our own version of what we think it means. Any way, I'll keep calling the numbers on these ads to complain. We all should, maybe it would make a difference.

I just came across this article from azcentral.com today. Look what's happening in Gilbert. I'm Jealous!



Gilbert officials to discuss banning fliers

Mike Walbert
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 31, 2008 01:01 PM
A proposed change to Gilbert's code would make it illegal for landscaping firms, pizza shops and other businesses to place unsolicited fliers on certain properties.

The Town Council will tackle the issue Tuesday night at its meeting.

At stake is a proposal that would bar handbill advertising, phonebooks and leaflets from properties where "no soliciting" or "no trespassing" signs are posted clearly.

The proposal would also bar knocking or doorbell-ringing on those same properties and hold businesses responsible for any violations. Subscribed materials, such as newspapers, would still be allowed.

Door-hanger advertising currently is legal in Gilbert.

But the practice came under fire last November, when Gilbert resident Naida Bloch asked council members to ban unsolicited fliers.

At the time, Bloch said she encountered more than 90 advertising/soliciting trespassing incidents at her home since November 2005.

However, the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce has expressed concerns about fairness and the impact such regulation would have on small businesses utilizing door-hangers and fliers as an affordable advertising method.

Under the proposal, violators would receive three written warnings within one year before facing a Class 1 misdemeanor, which carries up to $2,500 in fines and six months' jail time.

Tuesday is the first chance for council members and the public to discuss the proposed crackdown.