Special to the News-Sun
The Highlands County Sheriff's Office is warning local residents about the rise in number of door-to-door salespeople in the area.
"Everything from vacuum cleaners to meat to floor cleaners and water treatments, people are coming around offering to sell you the best product ever. Door-to-door salespeople do not have to be licensed in Highlands County, so unless they give you background information it's not going to be on file at the county and they have not been verified," said HCSO public information officer Nell Hayes.
"Fortunately over the years we are seeing the number of victims decreasing, likely due to the vigilance of our Neighborhood Watch groups and a concentrated effort on the parts of the Crime Prevention Unit, Road Patrol and Criminal Investigations, but we still have people that make deals they wish they hadn't made."
Hayes urges residents to understand that when salespeople are invited in to a home, a product or service is bought and that product does not live up to the hype, the majority of the cases are civil in nature and not subject to action by law enforcement.
"Unfortunately you have the right to make a poor decision. Our advice is to refrain from doing business with door-to-door salespeople unless you have verified their product or service through the Better Business Bureau or unless you have already established a good relationship with them. Please remember the three elements of a scam: If it's too good to be true, there's an element of secrecy and there's an element of urgency ... it's a scam?"
Hayes gives another thought to consider. "By allowing someone that you don't know to come into your home, you let them see what valuables are there, if you have an alarm system or pet, if you live alone, what your routines are and maybe even if you have medications that could have street value. Good salespeople can find out a lot about you simply by asking a few pointed questions and asking to use your bathroom. Please be cautious about who gets to enter your home and your life"
Questions on door-to-door salespeople may be directed to the Crime Prevention Unit (Nell Hays) at 402-7369 or call Central Dispatch at 402-7200 and request law enforcement response.
Sunday, January 13, 2013 - www.newssun.com/011313-door-to-door