Today I got disturbed by a new kind of door to door annoyance, the Meiji Drink salesman. He rang my interphone and kept saying ‘Meiji desu’. I saw through the camera he was wearing a full Meiji drink delivery outfit and carrying boxes of Meiji products. So, I thought he was a deliveryman who got the wrong address.
I opened the door, with the chain still on the door and told him we didn’t order any Meiji products. He then started to explain he was giving away samples of Meiji products to try. I said, no thank you (iie kekko desu) . But he persisted to keep pushing them on me. So I said I don’t want to drink your products and started to close the door. He stuck his foot in the door trying to give me another sales pitch and I yelled at him in Japanese “What are you doing? I’m calling the police!” So he pulled out his foot and I slammed the door.
After a while, when I thought he left, I went outside my door, only to find he left a box of Meiji products I didn’t want (milk, yogurt, some other products) along with sales brochures. Now I’m pissed because he left a bunch of unwanted crap in front of my door that I have to throw out. And I’m sure he will come back to ask if we drank it. I don’t want to bring it inside, but I don’t want to leave it out in front of my condo door until the next garbage day.
Anybody else had to deal with this kind of thing?
24 comments
Had a few salesman, a few religious groups, and even had a home contractor come to my door. Politely decline but accept any brochures to get them away ASAP. Any free stuff I accept with “I’ll try it and if I change my mind on purchasing I will be sure to give the number on the brochure a call”. Get free stuff and have never been bothered a second time. Never found a need to be combative.
I’d be loving that free stuff and hoped he came around once a week.
Just ignore it and move on with your life? No need to be so combative, say no and move on.
He came to mine too. I gratefully accepted all the milk-based products, and will continue to do so until he tries getting me to pay for something, in which case I’ll tell him to bugger off.
He left you a bunch of free stuff and you’re complaining about it?
Meiji are no fun around my neighborhood. Every three months or so a new person shows up with the goodie bag trying to introduce themselves as the new area rep. Now I spot them on the intercom and don’t even open the door.
If you’re feeling spiteful, take the sample bag back to their office and really chew the manager’s ear off for half an hour, in which they cannot plan another sales assault on unsuspecting neighborhoods. Other than that, you gotta yell iranai AND close the door before they finish their sales pitch. You don’t want to have a conversation with them. And by them I mean pretty much any one who shows up at the door unsolicited.
I’ll take the free groceries.
I love them. Free drinks, just tell them you will not sign up when they come to collect the empty bottles.
I wouldn’t mind getting free samples from Meiji to be honest. But the foot in the door is a little too much.
Unintentionally hilarious story?
“Take the free fucking milk!”
“Get out!!!”
I’ve had Meiji and Yakult come around with sample baskets before and I gracefully accepted them all, then politely declined when they came back to sign me up for a subscription. People drop by unexpectedly all the time here. How you handle such disturbances to your serenity have a big impact on how you’re viewed in your neighborhood. If you want to get along with the natives it’s better to handle unwanted visitors with grace and tact. If you don’t care about your reputation in the neighborhood then keep slamming your door in people’s faces.
oh wow..
wish I could get free stuff :'(
All I get is bills and NHK letters ='( No one come to my door with a box of freebies.
Huh? Close the door
Oh yes. We got free samples too. May be 3 or 4 items.
Also note that, they will come again to ask for empty bottle and your opinions.
We told him it was delicious but no intention to subscribe. Also we used the empty bottles to keep spices and all😂😂, and told them we threw the bottles.
It was friendly and straightforward conversation.
Living in an area of residential housing we often get cold-called by building contractors. A common pitch is “We’re renovating a roof in the neighborhood and we happened to notice you have lot of leaves in your gutter. We already have our ladders here so we’d be happy to clear them out at no charge.” I once took them up on the offer. When they came down it was “Ooh, looks like you’ve got quite a lot of moss and erosion on your tiles, plus one or two look a bit crooked. Don’t you think it’s about time you had the whole lot repainted”.. and so on. Politely refused. Others still come from time to time.. paint your exterior walls, fix your gutters, etc etc. Salesmen gotta sales I guess.
How dare they! Come to my house, try to give me free drinks! Dam this country!
I just got it today! I don’t understand fully what he said, until I hear the term “sample / sempuru”.
He just wanted to give free milk. I received the package with a brochures, happily.
I understand the foot at the door was unnecessary tho.
Three things:
– 1 Don’t touch anything he left over there.
– 2 Bring the package to the nearest Meiji office, tell them what happened and tell them you don’t want to be visited again.
– 3 Put a sign on your door that says you don’t want any sales visit, you can find them in any home centers and also online.
Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Take your free shit and don’t open the door next time if it bothers you that much.
Can’t you complain to the police about the littering?
Meiji guy comes once a year, i love the samples. When he comes back the following week i just tell him i can’t afford it and that’s that.
Sounds sorta like the milkman, Meiji being one of the older dairy companies in Japan. That’s so retro.
Would pay for the novelty of seeing him deliver my milk, yogurt, and processed cheese.
But, you know who’s got him beat?
The Co-op Man. The CMan delivers both milk, and meats… Soo…
Hmm, tough choice.
*Creep pulls a literal foot in door*
*OP reacts the way a normal person reacts*
JP weebs: “jApAn sO cOol! YoU pRoBleM!”
Why you hate free samples so much? The Meiji guys are my favorite. Although I hadn’t have one try and foot the door.
It’s the Jehovahs that are annoying and persistent, I say as someone who answers the door naked and very drunk.
That’s also a tip to get double those little yogurts.
Edit: also is it like some gaijin thing to not avoid the impulse to answer the door. My mom definitely fucked me up but I have reaped the benefits of terror and hide when you hear the doorbell.
When I’m sober I just instinctively hide on the bed.