A national Do Not Knock campaign, aiming to put a stop to unwelcome, dishonest and intimidating door-to-door salespeople, has begun. The Consumer Action Law Centre has launched a new interactive website www.donotknock.org.au. The centrepiece of the campaign is the free Do Not Knock sticker which, when displayed in a prominent location, sends a clear message to salespeople – they are not welcome at this residence.
For many Australians, particularly the elderly and people living on their own, being visited by salespeople can be an unnerving experience. For others, having valuable time at home with family and friends interrupted by pushy salespeople is simply an unwelcome distraction
Consumer Action developed the sticker a few years ago and, not surprisingly, it struck a chord with community members. Organisations including Financial Counselling Australia and Victoria Legal Aid are also supporting the campaign, and so far 50 community agencies across the country have agreed to distribute stickers.
The Do Not Knock website, www.donotknock.org.au, allows people to print their own sticker, find nearby stockists and find out about their legal rights as a consumer and householder. A Consumer Stories section is updated regularly with feedback from people who use the sticker. The site include real world stories on tricky energy salespeople and how an effective community education campaign helped empower Sudanese and Congolese consumers in Shepparton, – they’d been secifically targeted by misleading and deceptive salespeople. The media section links to recent media reports and is already growing, thanks to good coverage on the back of a Herald Sun article published on 28 November 2011.
More information on the campaign, including where to get the stickers and residents’ legal rights are available at www.donotknock.org.au. If you want to become a partner organisation and help distribute stickers, fill in the web form or contact Sarah Wilson sarah[at]consumeraction.org.au
The Do Not Knock web site is the place to go:
- to order stickers and find out where you can pick them up near your home
- to read consumer stories about the problems with door to door selling and the success of the Do Not Knock sticker
- for tips on avoiding high pressure sales
- for info on your legal rights about door to door sales and telephone marketing
- to help distribute stickers as a campaign partner.
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