Door-to-door solicitors must show ID
Fri, 2015-11-20 12:18
News Staff
By LYNETTE SOWELL
It began with a knock on the front door of Kelvin and Cassandra Holt’s residence on Kenney Drive door on Saturday. Cassandra opened the door to find a middle-aged Caucasian male, wearing jeans and a plaid shirt, on the other side.
The visitor claimed to be from ADT, but according to Holt, he neither offered nor displayed any company identification. The Holts’ security camera captured clear images of him and of his ride, four-door sedan driven by another male.
“This man had noticed our Brinks yard sign and wanted to ensure that we had upgraded our system from Brinks to ADT. He wanted my wife to open our glass security door so that he could perform ‘maintenance’ on our alarm system,” Kelvin Holt said. “My wife declined and walked away from the door.”
Holt also shared the security camera images of the individual and the car with the Copperas Cove Police Department, he said. He noted he has two No Soliciting signs displayed on either side of the front door.
Holt said a quick call to ADT by his wife revealed the company wasn’t aware of anyone working the Copperas Cove area, although the man could have been an independent contractor, the ADT representative told her.
ADT said a valid employee or contractor should have had some form of clear identification stating as much.
The Better Business Bureau urges individuals to exercise caution—you don’t have to invite anyone into your home. Also, they must show ID when asked for identification.
Some door-to-door security system salespeople from competing companies will use high-pressure tactics to lure homeowners into making “updates” to their current system by signing on with the new company.
The city of Copperas Cove does not require a solicitor’s permit for security companies, as they are strictly regulated by the state, said Kevin Keller, the city’s public information officer. Satellite television companies, however, would be required to obtain a permit.
The Better Business Bureau also suggests individuals do as the Holts did—call the security company and verify they have salespeople in the area, and always let the buyer beware.