Florida Law For Door To Door Canvassing Need Help.

[uncbunnkey]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida

Hi i am a small time painting contractor who would like to go door to door giving away FREE estimates to home owners, the law in my county says that if im selling something over $25 that i need to have a solicitors license per person in my company that is helping me . it takes weeks and weeks to get an approval and lots of money. I called the county and asked if it was ok to give away free estimates and she said technically yes but if a person calls the police they could tell us to get the license lol.

What do you all think we are not charging anything for the estimate and if the customer wants us to go ahead and do the job we are asking them to call the office to send out a salesperson who can help them.

Whatcha think?

 

[adjusterjack]

Sorry, but the public perception of those kinds of solicitations are that they are scams by fly-by-nights who will take your money and disappear. You might not be like that but you will be perceived to be like that and likely turned away and maybe not without an earful.

I get annoyed when somebody comes to my door and says "I can paint your house for $2000" or "I see you need a new roof, I'm a roofer." That last one actually happened two weeks after my house had a brand new roof put on. The schmuck was either stupid or a scammer, or a stupid scammer.

I don't mind finding a business card on my door (I toss flyers) because they are easy to save and I can call when I need that kind of work.

There's no legal issue here. You're welcome to try it and see how it goes.

 

[Zigner]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida

Hi i am a small time painting contractor who would like to go door to door giving away FREE estimates to home owners, the law in my county says that if im selling something over $25 that i need to have a solicitors license per person in my company that is helping me . it takes weeks and weeks to get an approval and lots of money. I called the county and asked if it was ok to give away free estimates and she said technically yes but if a person calls the police they could tell us to get the license lol.

What do you all think we are not charging anything for the estimate and if the customer wants us to go ahead and do the job we are asking them to call the office to send out a salesperson who can help them.

Whatcha think?

I think that you're soliciting door to door for something that is worth more than $25 so you need a solicitors license.

C'mon...you already know that.

 

[Zigner]

There's no legal issue here. You're welcome to try it and see how it goes.

I disagree with you here. The OP will be breaking the law by not being licensed. He is soliciting door-to-door.

It's not different than selling vacuums door-to-door. It costs nothing to find out how much the vacuum cost...

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida

Hi i am a small time painting contractor who would like to go door to door giving away FREE estimates to home owners, the law in my county says that if im selling something over $25 that i need to have a solicitors license per person in my company that is helping me . it takes weeks and weeks to get an approval and lots of money. I called the county and asked if it was ok to give away free estimates and she said technically yes but if a person calls the police they could tell us to get the license lol.

What do you all think we are not charging anything for the estimate and if the customer wants us to go ahead and do the job we are asking them to call the office to send out a salesperson who can help them.

Whatcha think?

I agree with Zigner that what you are proposing is solicitation. What you are offering costs more than $25 even though the estimates for your services are free.

I suggest you print up flyers advertising your painting services and ask local store owners to post them. You can print up and hand out business cards in your community. Advertise your painting services in free publications and on Angie's List. There are better ways to promote your painting business, in other words, than risking the ire of the homeowners you hope to have as clients by approaching their houses unannounced and uninvited.

Here is a link to Florida laws on solicitation (check sections 501.021 through 501.055): http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0500-0599/0501/0501PARTIContentsIndex.html

As a note: A door-to-door salesman was recently shot by a homeowner in Florida for trespassing on private property. It is not only homeowners who need to be wary of those going door-to-door, in other words, but those going door-to-door legally (like Jehovah Witnesses) need to be cautious, as well.