The holiday season seems to have brought an uptick in door-to-door soliciting in West Seattle – we’ve received several messages with concerns/questions in the past few days, like this one from Mark in Gatewood:

We had three separate attempts for solicitation over a two-hour period starting just after dark. We did not answer, but could see it was two men. Loud, insistent knocking. We later called a neighbor who answered and were told they said they were from CenturyLink. I know there have been other reports in the past about them, just wanted to give a heads up in case others were concerned or worried. Very disconcerting. Amazing to think that any reputable company would send its employees out like that, after dark on a Friday night.

That’s the most common report we’ve been getting, but others have mentioned people trying to sell magazines. We have no way of telling you whether the person at your door is or is not legit, but here are some of the major rules about door-to-door selling in Seattle, which we recap every few months when the inquiries start peaking again:

*Door-to-door (residential) selling is allowed between 8 am-9 pm.

*The entity for whom the seller is working has to have a license, and the seller (agent) must have ID showing the license and the agent’s name: “All licensees and agents shall conspicuously display on their outer clothing their residential sales license or residential sales agent licenses when selling.” If you choose to open the door, ask to see it immediately: “Each residential seller or agent shall, immediately upon contacting the prospective buyer, disclose to the prospective buyer his/her name, company, and the product or service represented.”

*Solicitors are required to honor a “no soliciting” sign if you have one. Whether you do or don’t, they’re also required to honor this part of the code: “If requested to do so, (the agent) shall leave the premises immediately.”

Read the full set of rules by going here.. And note the city says they don’t apply to sellers of “newspapers, or fresh or perishable food items”; nor is a license required for a person who turns up at your door seeking charity donations.

If you do buy something from a solicitor, you have cancellation rights.