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What to know when a salesman knocks on your door

Posted at 5:55 PM, May 03, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-03 22:53:58-04
It's not unusual to get a salesman knocking at your door. But one valley couple says a recent visit set off some alarms.
 
"I just want people to be aware," says Tori Williams.
 
She and Kristopher Cook say a home security salesman came by their place last month.
 
"He had a baby blue shirt on, with a little ADT logo on the sleeve," says Kristopher.
 
The guy was offering free installation. But to get the special deal, Kristopher had to let him do a "walk through" of the house.
 
"I just declined and said, no thank you," says Kristopher.
 
But the sales rep wasn't taking no for an answer.
 
"It's free, it's all free. All we have to do is walk through your house," Kristopher recalls.
 
Kristopher says the guy eventually left. But he didn't leave any type of flier, or even a business card, which left Kristopher and Tori wondering.
 
"I don't know if it was real or not," says Tori. 
 
The reason they're so concerned, is because someone broke into their home back in October.
 
"And before our robbery last year, we had someone come to the door from a different company, saying the same thing," says Tori.
 
She and Kristopher are afraid burglars may be posing as salesmen just to get a look inside different homes before breaking in. So they asked Contact 13, how do you know if you're dealing with a legitimate salesman?
 
We reached out to ADT, and here's what we learned: The security service company's representatives, will always give their name. They'll always have a business card. And they'll always leave you with a brochure.
 
But that's not all. All door-to-door salesmen must carry a Clark County Solicitors License plus an ID card that includes their business license number.
 
Kristopher and Tori definitely don't think they were dealing with a legitimate salesman. So now they're taking time to warn others.
 
"Don't be so naive, you know what I mean. Just because they have a shirt with a logo on it... Ask for a pamphlet. Ask for a card. We didn't ask that, but now we know," says Tori.