I am wondering if anyone else is bothered by the excessive sales techniques used by the cart vendors in Paseo Nuevo (especially those between Teavana and Gap with hair and skin products)?
My daughter and I were followed for 3 stores by one of the vendors even though we had clearly told him we were uninterested in his product. He kept shouting questions at us, and it was uncomfortable. If I am just walking through Paseo Nuevo, I don't want vendors to be so aggressive.
Is anyone else experiencing this?
COMMENT 296574P
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2012-07-11 10:00 PM |
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I hope you complained, vigorously, in person to the mall manager, otherwise this practice will certainly continue.
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COMMENT 296575P
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2012-07-11 10:06 PM |
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Some of the vendors (am told this was the case in the past) are on special visas. Am interested in more information on this.
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MESARATS
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2012-07-11 10:54 PM |
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Pretty common in malls all over. I just ignore them, but if the busker type cart sellers in Paseo Nuevo are unnerving you, you are really going to hate international travel.
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COMMENT 296585P
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2012-07-11 11:47 PM |
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If you can't handle that stay away from lower State Street where the aggressive panhandlers beg and stink.
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COMMENT 296588
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2012-07-12 06:04 AM |
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I walk through there with my teens every weekend and the guys have always been fine! Jovanni is especially adorable with his Italian accent. If you don't want to talk to them and smile politely while saying no they should back off. I think your story of being followed for 3 stores is probably an exaggeration...but if it isn't then you should complain to the mall manager for sure.
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LALALALA
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2012-07-12 06:26 AM |
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three words: NO EYE CONTACT.
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COMMENT 296604
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2012-07-12 07:25 AM |
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Yes, they are over the top and almost in the same league as the aggressive panhandlers on State St. Some of what they say is borderline sexual harassment. Just because you are a greasy with an accent doesn't make this behavior OK.
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COMMENT 296607
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2012-07-12 07:26 AM |
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Big deal.
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COMMENT 296618
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2012-07-12 07:40 AM |
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Venturing outside the bubble is extremely dangerous. When passing through the treacherous paseo nuveo corridors, keep your head on a swivel and clutch your LV purses close to your chest all at times.
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COMMENT 296619
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2012-07-12 07:41 AM |
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618 FTW
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COMMENT 296621
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2012-07-12 07:45 AM |
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I did smile politely while declining their sales pitch, but was followed and taken by the hand to their cart before I realized this could be happening! I should have called the police. Shopping downtown is not what I enjoy, so I had not been in the Paseo Nuevo Mall in years -- before these vendors were everywhere.
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COMMENT 296624P
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2012-07-12 07:58 AM |
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Not sure I would call it aggressive, more like persistent. I'm not big on the heavy sales pitches, LALALALA is right, just avoid eye contact if you really don't want to be bothered. Do go to the Mall office and relate your experience, I'm sure they don't want people to be scared off while shopping!
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COMMENT 296625
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2012-07-12 08:01 AM |
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They don't have the huevos to harrass me!
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COMMENT 296626
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2012-07-12 08:04 AM |
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The negative references to people being foreign concerns me; not a nice tone. Annoying salesmanship occurs among Americans, too. I am in the camp of what's the big deal, what's new, just walk on.
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COMMENT 296632
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2012-07-12 08:11 AM |
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They are TOTALLY aggressive, and YES ... they DO follow people. Those of you who think it's 'no big deal' - try walking through there with a teenaged girl. It's ridiculous and uncomfortable.
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COMMENT 296637P
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2012-07-12 08:33 AM |
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It is pretty out of control in many malls I have been in. I must have hair that needs straightening. ANyway, put your cell phone up to your cheek, play like you are having an argument on it, no eye contact and march on...
Fact 1 ... they are foreigners.
Fact 2 .... they are surely tied to their sales on commission.
Fact 3 .... you can say no in any tone you like!
Fact 4 .... people don't have the right to talk to you if you don't want to talk to them, and they sure do not have the right to touch you...
call it be phobic of people from other places if you like bloggers, call it her being a wuss, but the facts above remain...the mall has lost any business I can do elsewhere because of this practice...that's a fact too.
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COMMENT 296639
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2012-07-12 08:35 AM |
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Yes, but I just ignore them and keep waking. However my teenage daughter has said they follow her and grab her hand.
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COMMENT 296646
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2012-07-12 08:49 AM |
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You're overreacting, they aren't going to harm you, it is not hard to say no.... You're a parent, you know how to say a firm no, I hope! Jeez
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COMMENT 296650
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2012-07-12 08:54 AM |
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This is why it's so easy to sell people almost anything. It's so difficult for people to say no and stand up for themselves.
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COMMENT 296655
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2012-07-12 09:01 AM |
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If they are harassing you, the mall people would get rid of them now. They have to have permits from the City to be there and definite you could get there permit revoked. The business owners will all support you as they hate that the carts can come in with very little infrastructure costs and sell stuff- it's hard to compete.
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COMMENT 296658P
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2012-07-12 09:03 AM |
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OP here, thanks for the insight...and just an FYI- we did say no, and the guy did grab my daughters hand..even though we were not making eye contact and moving away from him. Our behavior was correct, the vendor is the one with a behavior problem...Honestly if I was anywhere else, and someone did that, I would call 911 because it was intrusive...I would be curious if the same happens to men? Men are also capable of purchasing these products..are men getting followed and grabbed? Or just teen girls? I will contact mall management...great idea!
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MTNDRIVER
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2012-07-12 09:12 AM |
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If the guy grabbed your daughter's hand, I think you should let mall management know. That's invasive. The rest of it, though--just say no, and mean it, and ignore the follow-up spiel. It's hard to make a living selling on commission.
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COMMENT 296664
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2012-07-12 09:14 AM |
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Thank you for posting! I thought It was just me that felt this way... I went to Paseo Nuevo the other day and the man outside of the Lululemon area was so annoying! Not all of the vendors are alike; the man that has been there with the cell phone covers for years never bothers anyone but this guy was just rude and followed me and it was very uncomfortable. Now that this has come up on Edhat I will make sure to call the mall management and hope others that have had this happen will as well!
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COMMENT 296667
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2012-07-12 09:15 AM |
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Get over it!
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COMMENT 296687
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2012-07-12 09:42 AM |
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Yeah, the sea salt cosmetic guy has grabbed my hand as well and I was shocked at his forwardness but he was quite charming so I went along with it (the first time). The upside was I got one hand very nicely exfoliated, the downside is that every time I pass by there now I have to say a firm no. I would rate him as slightly creepy and suggest management tell him to dial it down a notch and no physical contact unless he asks first.
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COMMENT 296691
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2012-07-12 09:45 AM |
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There is one particular vendor that does this and it is quite intrusive and aggressive. It's been happening for a few years at least. I am VERY good at avoiding eye contact and sending the message to not bother me, and it doesn't work with them. And for the record I have lived in other countries and gone to other areas. The point is, this is not expected nor acceptable here. Just because something is a cultural norm somewhere else does not mean it should be tolerated here. It's a cultural norm in some countries to aggressively sexually harrass women in public - should we allow someone to do it here just because they are foreign? When in Rome...
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COMMENT 296697P
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2012-07-12 09:51 AM |
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Save money, save time, save the environment: Just say no to unnecessary accumulation of goods and unnecessary use of personal services. Buy the minimum you need and get rid of that which you do not use. Unclutter your life.
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COMMENT 296711P
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2012-07-12 10:06 AM |
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More bothered by the loss of the fountain.
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COMMENT 296713
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2012-07-12 10:07 AM |
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A lot of these young, newer vendors (the Dead Sea cosmetics and Talk and Play cell phone accessories) are Israeli. They are more forward in their pursuit of women. It's a holdover from a middle eastern mentality. They don't know that this behavior is not considered flattering or desirable by the local women. I agree it's obnoxious. I'm of a "certain age" but still trim and hot looking, so I get hit on by these guys every day since I work down town. They don't care (or don't realize) that I'm old enough to be their mother.
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COMMENT 296721
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2012-07-12 10:14 AM |
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I once totally ignored one of the vendors in Paseo Nuevo who followed me and was very persistent. He was disturbed at the state of my nails. Since I work in a barn, I don't even try to keep them nice. He ended up buffing them and they instantly looked 100% better and stayed that way for days. Who knew? Thanks, mister adorable foreign guy. I'm going to come back and give you a big, fat kiss. Then you can write to Edhat and complain about the aggressive Mom-types who hug you and try to smooch you!
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COMMENT 296723
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2012-07-12 10:16 AM |
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I would say in these extreme cases that you SHOULD make eye contact, and say clearly that they should back off or you'll call security. No one should be made to feel afraid. The customer is always right. Why let people walk all over you?
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COMMENT 296732
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2012-07-12 10:26 AM |
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697: That doesn't help the OP at all, and is completely off topic. Keep your sermons to yourself. OP: I think we need to start making big scenes when this happens. Tell your teens to yell something like "Don't touch me" and bring attention to this moron. (I would pay to see a trend of teens yelling "Stranger Danger!" at this guy! It'b be hilarious, and would make everyone look.) Man, I had no idea how lucky I was to not get harrassed by this guy. I walk through all the time, and they never follow me - I avoid eye contact & if they ask, I either ignore completely or shake my head No - don't speak to them. I would FLIP if they grabbed my hand.
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COMMENT 296748
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2012-07-12 10:51 AM |
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6713...."not acceptable here"???? You know American women have been flocking to the Mediterranean to experience this level of "attention" for at least 2 generations, don't you? Stop being so passive, which is perceived by the aggressive in the sexual dance as acquiescence. Say "no" and mean it.... add a few expletives and threaten bodily harm, that's what your purse is for. Or take a different route and avoid the "unwanted" attentions. Parents of teen girls: stop with the hovering. Teach your girls to be able to take care of themselves rather than have to rely you for life.
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COMMENT 296772
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2012-07-12 11:43 AM |
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Spray Mace in their face and tell them next time you will get tazed.
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COMMENT 296778
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2012-07-12 11:59 AM |
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The vendors are run by an israeli who DEMANDS sales from his workers who are treated like slave labor- Most are israeli students that are under the owners control while here in the US.
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COMMENT 296805
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2012-07-12 01:28 PM |
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I made the mistake of falling for a sales pitch for a product once in Thousand Oaks Mall. Long story short, but turns out I was allergic to it and tried to return the same day, but the guy said "no way - no returns" I ended up disputing the charge with my credit card company and had it reversed. The people selling this junk are just pests.
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MTNDRIVER
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2012-07-12 02:06 PM |
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I did a little Google search and found a couple of notice boards and this blog with complaints about exactly the same thing--sounds like the management trains the sales people for the Dead Sea Salts products to be pretty obnoxious. Here's a link to the blog:
http://marynewsom.blogspot.com/2009/02/kiosk-sales-at-malls-too-aggressive.html
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COMMENT 296833
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2012-07-12 02:50 PM |
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Well, people ARE buying their products, I guess their tactic is actually working. If by harrassing people leades to sales, why would they stop?
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COMMENT 296850
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2012-07-12 03:33 PM |
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I Tell them to go jump off Sterns Wharf if they harrass me.
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COMMENT 296959P
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2012-07-12 09:11 PM |
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Dead Sea products are manufactured in the occupied West Bank. Yes, the salespersons are trained to be very aggressive - am glad this issue is being posted.
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COMMENT 297336
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2012-07-13 07:21 PM |
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I'm in that area all the time and I find a simple, "No, thank you" suffices in getting them to go onto the next person. I can't believe you had such an awful problem. Complain to mall management if you feel you were harassed....don't let it go. I'm sure they don't want that kind of behavior in the mall. On the other hand, this is kinda how these vendors do business. Developing a thick skin isn't something us SB residents are known for, but letting something like this bother you for more than two seconds is weirder than their behavior, imo.
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FLICKA
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2012-07-16 09:19 AM |
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I don't think being upset by their behavior is weird, or you should just "forget it". Complain to mangegment
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