Letters from the Captain
- STTOP! In the Name of Traffic Safety -
COVERING VAIROUS LAW ENFORCEMENT RELATED CONCERNS IN THE SANTA CLARITA VALLEY
-HELP CLOSE THE DOOR ON AGGRESSIVE SOLICITORS-
HELP CLOSE THE DOOR ON AGGRESSIVE SOLICITORS
by Captain Anthony La Berge, Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station
The Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station has received numerous calls from residents complaining about aggressive and discourteous salespeople that have been visiting homes and apartments in our community. These sales crews are typically visiting the area from out of state locations in an attempt to sell subscriptions to magazines or other products. Many complaints both to the Sheriff’s and the City are directed not only at the rude and aggressiveness of the solicitor, but also the late hour that the solicitor has made the house call. Some of these door to door calls have occurred as late at 10:00 p.m.
Both the City of Santa Clarita and the County of Los Angeles have ordinances in place that address door to door sales. In one night alone, the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Department responded to over 10 calls from local residents complaining about these solicitors. From those calls, deputies arrested two Illinois residents for violating the County ban on soliciting without a license and solicitation after hours. Additionally, three individuals from Missouri, Kentucky, and Illinois were cited and released for similar 
violations.
These sales agents typically are brought to California by companies promising positions where the person can work independently or establish their own company, only to find that they are grouped with as many as sixty others living out of budget motels and traveling from city to city. Selling door-to-door is a difficult task for the salesperson. It is not uncommon for many homes to be approached before a single sale is made by the solicitor. As a result, door-to-door salespeople must make a larger commission on each item they sell in order to make any profit, making items sold by door-to-door turn out to be more costly than they would be if purchased elsewhere.
As some of the companies and individuals that solicit door to door have been fraudulent and work without permits, the City of Santa Clarita suggests the following useful tips on how to deal with door-to-door salespeople:
- Take your time. Don't buy on the spot. It's best to do some comparison shopping first. A reputable salesperson will be willing to come back after you have done your comparison of prices and quality.
- Find out if the salesman has a solicitor's license. Ask to see the salesperson's solicitor's license. The license will usually be issued by the either the City of Santa Clarita or the County of Los Angeles and should in the name of the person at your doorstep.
- Be very cautious about letting the salesperson into your home. A person who claims he or she is a salesperson may really be someone intending to burglarize your home or commit another crime. It is not unusual for the solicitor to ask to use your restroom; we recommend you say no! What may happen is that once in the home, the salesperson often refuses to leave. Residents should immediately threaten to call the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Department. If the solicitor still refuses to leave, place the call to 911.
- Do not allow the salesperson to make calls from your home. Many of the residents have reported that the salesperson has attempted to enter the home by the request to use their telephone.
- If you do make a purchase, please always make checks payable to the company not to the individual. Be cautious about giving out your credit card information on sales orders. Ensure that the company is a valid company to protect yourself from credit card or identity theft fraud.
The door-to-door salesperson should, at the time he or she first contacts you, make you aware that the purpose of the contact is to make a sale. Many times, the sales person will initiate a sales call by stating that they have been entered into a personality contest and simply need you to rate their personality. Different approaches have been seen throughout our community in attempts to make high-pressured sales. The salesperson will want you to sign a sales contract if you make the purchase. Here are some helpful tips which you should keep in mind before signing a sales contract:
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Do not sign anything until you know exactly what you are signing and understand it.
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Obtain all promises in writing and keep a copy. We suggest as well that you have the salesperson sign your written record of these promises stating, "seller and buyer” have on this date agreed to the provisions as stated above.
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Look carefully at the contract to be sure it has no blank spaces or hidden/covered portions. If it does have blank spaces, cross or line them out so that the contract cannot be filled in with terms you have not agreed to after they leave.
- Make sure your copy of the contract is the same as the seller's.
In some cases, door-to-door solicitors may be “casing your home” to burglarize it at that time or at a later date. They have been known to walk into open garages or open unlocked car doors and help themselves to a resident’s belongings. To address the increasing concerns of the local community regarding this issue, the City of Santa Clarita has begun preliminary work on additional permitting requirements as well as restrictions for door to door sales calls. You may contact the SCV Sheriff’s Department at (661) 255-1121 if you have a door-to-door solicitor arrive at your home after 8 p.m., which is in violation of the current City ordinance, or if the solicitor becomes aggressive and refuses to leave.
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Best regards,
Captain Anthony La Berge
Chief of Police
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station
