WEST FRANKFORT, Ill. (WSIL)-- Several towns in southern Illinois have sent out statements warning about certain door-to-door salespeople, including in West Frankfort. Â
This comes after people started calling in to complain about being harassed.
Trea Swan lives in the next town over, Ziegler, Illinois, and says his family has had several encounters with door-to-door salespeople for solar companies. He says each time he has asked them to show a permit for soliciting.
“As soon as I opened the door, I said, ‘Hey, do you have your permit from the city in order to solicit and everything?� And he's like, ‘No, my boss has that.� I said, ‘Do you have any business ID or anything like that identification of where you're from, what business you're with, and everything?� Swan said.
He says nearly every time the answer has been no.
“That's a red flag for me at the very beginning,� Swan says. “You know, everybody around, they carry some type of business ID or anything.�
Swans� experience is one that a lot of people are going through in southern Illinois, leading some cities to put out statements about solicitors.
West Frankfort's Mayor Tim Arview said over the phone they started seeing problems with some energy companies soliciting since January.
“They'll mention Ameren, and it confuses residents, especially some of the older ones,� Arview says. “No energy companies have any permits to solicit in West Frankfort.�
West Frankfort says Clearwave is currently the only company permitted to do door-to-door sales in town.
“We require a background check. There are things that we require to issue a permit. And, like I said, so far we haven't had any issued yet,� Arview said.
But Swan says it's getting to the point where people are warning each other on Facebook when and where the salespeople might be next.
“Hey, they just left my house. They're going to be, you know, on this road next,� Swan said.
He says it might be time to stop answering the door at all.
“Instead of just warning people, just don't answer your door just because it's just getting annoying at this point,� Swan said.
West Frankfort officials say if people are approached by a solicitor they should call the city hall, or the police department's non-emergency line.
