Do not call

us by telephone - or at the door.
We registered with the "Do Not Call" site when the service first became available. We were tired of saying "We do not do cold call business over the 'phone". We were also tired of 'phone calls at the most inconvenient times of the day and, sometimes, late at night.
The problem is that companies seem increasingly to be ignoring the law and circumventing it by using "real live people" to knock at the door instead. These people also believe that they can ignore our polite "No canvassers please". Now, to me, a canvasser is anyone who knocks at the door collecting for charity OR trying to sell you something. I mind the former far less than the latter (provided they are genuine volunteers and not paid collectors) - give them a few dollars and tell them politely that you really prefer to donate to the charities of your choice in your own way and they will go away.
The other sort of canvassers are a different matter. If you are local real estate agent I do not want the house I live in given the once over for a 'free evaluation'. The house is not up for sale and not likely to be in the forseeable future. Why waste my time - and yours? If you are from Telstra I am not interested in listening to why it would be better for me to return to Telstra. You had a chance for our business and you failed to deliver a service. The new company does well and you are trying to sell me something. We DO NOT do business at the door. A rainwater tank - did you notice the multiple tanks as you came in? Guttering? It came with the tanks. Roof cleaning - did you notice the state of our roof? Lawn mowing? Notice the lawn has just been cut, well cut and with the edges neatly trimmed? We pay our friend a very reasonable amount - and he usually comes in for a couple of glasses of cordial as well.
Yes, business is tough. You want to try and sell yourself but, if we do not need you, we do not need you. We do not want to be bothered by you.
And, if you happen to be from the Mormons, the Jehovah's Witnesses or any other like group then do not even think of bothering us. As a last resort there is always the possibility of an action for trespass - and I am beginning to think that it would be worth taking just so that some of you get the message and I can go back to writing something worthwhile instead of growling and mewing with rage.