Have any of you worked as/encountered teen door-to-door magazine sales?

I just know that we had a “magazine drive” at my middle school. It was a big deal. But it wasn’t a real “job” and it was completely optional. You just won things if you sold a lot of them.

Oh yeah, @DominicX, those are okay. These are actual “jobs” and they travel around the country.

I have answered many calls pertaining to door to door magazine salesmen. most are young, just out of high school, aggresive and will not take no for an answer. most come from another state and they ride in vans from one state to another. a permit is required in my jurisdiction. no permit- no selling. the ones that i have stopped, i tell them to never place your foot in the door to stop it from closing, if a person does not want to subscribe. this is considered criminal trespassing in my state. most people tell me these people are a nuisance and sometimes i agree.

Yes, briefly, when I was a teenager. It was horrible work then; I can’t begin to imagine how much worse it would be today in this don’t-bother-me culture of No-Call lists, Call Screening, etc.

Those travelling magazine sales groups often hire runaway teens. They are shady and pay them terribly. I had a friend that joined one of those crews after high school. She joined because they promised work in Hawaii, and they never went. They hook you in with a promise of travel and great pay.

Yes. The same with the crazy Kirby sales people. The thing is that you get lured in by the promise of so much money every week. But then when you get in, they then tell you something totally different. So what I found out is that the ones who have bills and stuff to take care of are the ones who will do anything to make a sale. They will lie cheat and steal.

I have bought the magazines – they said it was to help pay for college and I’m a sucker. I actually did get the magazine the second time, but not the first.

I have bought stuff at the door a few times. I talked to the salesmen, some had college bills and some had engineering degrees. They were door-to door because of the recession. I didn’t have any thing bad happen.

Never. Must be an American thing.

If I’m suspicious, I always say “You’re not from this neighborhood, are you?” and if they say yes, they are, I ask them what school they go to. I support the kids from the local schools who are selling something to help their bands and choirs, their teams, and their theatre projects. If they can’t name a school in this district, I just say “Sorry.”

Occasionally they admit that they were brought in by van from some other town, and they may even look scared and say that they need two more sales to make their quota before they get picked up or they will be in trouble. These pitches never move me. I won’t encourage the folks who use kids this way.

Sometimes I tell them that they’re the third such solicitation in a month’s time. The least the organizers could do is take them into fresh territory. I feel sorry for the kids, but I am already supporting two young people while they go to school and/or look for work,. and they are not expecting trips to Hawaii.

Years ago I had teens come to where I lived and I ordered magazines to be sent as gifts that never materialized. Ever since then I’ve turned down any similar offers.

Yea, what they used to do is use people who just got out of jail, or rehab to do magazine sales ( don’t know if that stil goes on or not). But I would buy sometimes just to let them know they are doing a good job for staying away from the drugs or from the booty-house.