History of the Do Not Knock campaign

The Consumer Action Law Centre has been distributing Do Not Knock stickers to Victorian households since 2007.

The stickers were created to help consumers say no to pushy sales people, and to stem the flood of  consumers seeking our help getting out of contracts for products and services they felt pressured into signing up for at their own front door.

Key problems with door to door sales

Fast forward to 2011, and door-to-door marketing and in-home sales remain an ongoing cause of consumer angst.  Whilst the Do Not Knock campaign has a focus on preventing  unsolicited sales visits, it also hopes to shine a light on unsavoury sales practices that require greater scrutiny, such as:

• High pressure techniques, which rely on a range of psychological techniques and social pressures, including manipulation of emotions,  to increase the likelihood that certain consumers will sign up to contracts;
• Misleading and deceptive conduct, which can include overstating benefits or savings, retailers switching customers without consent, and marketing to non-account holders;
• Goods and services that don’t live up to the promises, often combined with debt problems due to the cost,  particularly for disadvantaged and vulnerable consumers; and
• Targeting of vulnerable groups who for any reason are not equipped to resist the hard sell.