Kirby Vacuum Cleaners

Kirby Vacuum Cleaners • In-Home Demonstration • Three-day Return Policy • "Trade-In" Policy • Warranty Service • Poor Quality • Elderly & Infirm • Home Alone • Neighborhood Pests • U.K. Complaints • South Africa Complaints • Andrew's Kirby Adventure --- • Kirby Sweeps Up in West Virginia • Arizona Sues Kirby Distributors • Kirby Salesman Arrested • Salesmen Respond

The door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesmen has been the butt of many jokes. But unfortunately, the customer is seldom the one who walks away laughing. Best rule of thumb: never let any salesperson or solicitor into your home. If you ask someone to leave and they don't do so, call the police. It may seem harsh but it can avoid many problems, like those catalogued below.

Even a 15-year-old can see through most of the Kirby pitch, as Andrew recently demonstrated.

Heed this word of advice from Christie:
I worked at United Financial Consumer (a loan company for Kirby vaccums) office. The sales tactics used to sell Kirby's are much the same as Mattress Warehouse in that they mislead customers into thinking free financing when in fact after signing the bottom line you have just taken out a loan.

People they target are often elderly and they train young men and women that these customers are the ones to persuade. People who fall into debt often think they need to pay their car loan before they pay for their vaccuum, not realizing the type of loan they have signed is just as seriously detrimental to their credit rating.

Heads up on getting any type of financing: Look to see what company is actually doing the financing and before signing call the finance company and have them reiterate what the terms are!

We would add that every loan transaction must include a Truth In Lending statement that spells out the terms. Consumers need to read this carefully. It's almost always better to arrange a loan elsewhere, pay cash or do without.

Peter of Watertown, MA January 28, 2008
I was a dealer for Kirby Vacuum for 2 years. I was one of the company's Super-Stars and was richly rewarded for my efforts. The tactics are hard-sell and confrontational, but legal in every way. Many more people fail than succeed, but the company has created more millionaires than any other company in the world. The machine itself is so far superior to any other vacuum on the market that it makes the competition seem like toys. It's an investment, but unfortunately one that many buyers can't afford.The machine [at the time] cost the dealer 250 and sold for 1500. It is a great product, sold through an imperfect system, by legitimate, but extremely mercenary, dealers. If you are hard working, don't mind slamming people into purchasing a machine that they can't afford, you can make a fortune. If you buy one, you get the best machine on the market; but you pay for it. As for the free rug shampoo--use your head: nothing is free.

Elizabeth of Salem, CT January 27, 2008
My mother-in-law is 86 years old and lives in senior housing. Two years ago, a Kirby salesman tried to sell her a very expensive Kirby vacuum cleaner. She has a three room apartment! Talk about sleazy, trying to sell Kirbys to seniors on a fixed income. Fortunately, she remembered I had one and called me. I told her to call the salesman and cancel the order. I had a Kirby and hated it. It was too heavy to use on the stairs (25lbs.?) and you had to carry the accessories holder with you to every room you cleaned. I gave mine away to my daughter and as soon as she could afford to buy her own vacuum she did.

Aja of White House, TN January 22, 2008
I purchased a Kirby vacuum and had 3 days to test drive it in my home. After 2 days, I came to the realization that it was an amazing vacuum but no where near worth 2000.00. So I returned it within the trial period and canceled my contract. After a mild hunt down to get my deposit back, I finally received it. I thought at this point my stress with this company was over. WRONG! I had made the mistake of telling United Consumers to draft the money out of my account for the Kirby and was told by the people at J&K that I would not be charged. WRONG AGAIN! I was in fact charged for the Kirby a month later. When I contacted United Consumers and J&K Distributing to get a return of my money I was shocked to find that U.C had never received any word that my contract had been canceled. I then contacted J&K Distributing to get my money returned from them and yet again got the runaround. I got the excuse that all canceled contracts were sent to U.C and it wasn't their fault that United Consumer charged me. This company is a scam and would rather run you around then run a business properly. I do not recommend ever falling for the Kirby scam.

I was wrongly charged for the Kirby which then put my checking account over its balance and subsequently I was charged an overdraft fee. United Consumer said they would have to contact J&K Distributing and talk to them about how to handle this situation. Someone from U.C would then contact me and work on sending me a check for the fee. But no word on the overdraft fee I was charged due to their wrongful charge.

John of Arcadia, CA January 22, 2008
When I got interviewed, the manager keeps saying: Your salary is 1800 a month guaranteed, but you have to make 50 demos completed in one month. I had three days training without pay. I quit after first week of knowing the truth about this so called Kirby company. Objective: to show and sell the vacuum to customers.  What to do: 50 demos in one month. Average two demos a day. How long for each demo: At least 3 hours to complete. Hidden story: If salesman/woman cannot complete showing customers from beginning until done, then the demo is not counted, and will not get paid. What usually happens: Homeowners have to watch and listen in the demos in those 3 plus hours. Normally, they will get tired in the first hour of demonstration. Homeowner will find a way to reject the deal and want salesman out of their homes. Sometimes homeowner will get frustrated and act impolite toward salesman in order for them to understand what NO means.

Salesman also gets frustrated because he got 49 demos completed, and he needs one more to be done to get paid. If not, he will start from the beginning of the month again. (Do a lots of walking from house to house, wait for car to pickup, skip lunch, dog beaten, physical and emotionally exhausted.) From those hidden mystery facts, it will become a predictable result. Most of the time, it was a disaster. Kirby selling strategy: Lie to customer about timing for demo, and force customers to buy the vacuum. My question: Is there another motive behind this kind of sales tactics? Why make an American product look so bad with these kinds of sales strategies? Who set up these plans? Who is responsible for doing this? If you are an American customer, then you can feel something is wrong about this. Don't be trapped in by free gifts or free carpet cleaning. Do not hesitate to say NO. Feel freedom; be a happy American.

Barbara of Orange Park, FL January 20, 2008

Barbara of Orange Park FL (01/20/08)
I have read numerous disasterous reviews on our website. I only want to tell my experience. My husband told me he had someone cleaning some spots on our carpet. I came to find a Kriby demonstration. I too, had purchased a Kirby years earlier and it was not what I truly wanted at the time. I however, I bought this Kirby with the information I knew both from my previous purchase and from the benefits stated.

I have to say I am very happy with the looks of my clean carpet as well as the clean smell. I gave 2 referrals of friends who I know have been owners of Kirbys.

I hope this puts a different spin on all the negative that was posted on your website. So many times we take the time to complain and we take it for grant it when we are truly satisfied that everyone else was, too. I will admit it was a very long time consuming demonstration, but was it necessary for me to be equipped with the knowledge to make my decision? I think it was. I never felt the need to ask these people to leave. I never felt they were pushy. I was aware of them using selling techniques. Duh, they were salespeople - that would be expected on any item. Thank you for reading another viewpoint.

Gary of Pacolet, SC January 18, 2008
Let me just say that I am very disappointed with the Kirby representative that came knocking on my door. After a 3 hour presentation of the Senitra model, I was impressed with it and finally said OK. I gave them a 60 down payment and MY vacuum. I was up front with them saying I had no credit. They said they would take care of it and bring me a refurbished one (of the same model) for 400 less and finance it. Instead, they brought an earlier model (G5), along with another 2 hour presentation and wanted 1000 for it. I said that I was told it would be a refurbished Senitra model and the G5 model sells for 549. I was given my refund of the 60 down payment, but I have been without my old vacuum for the past 12 days. I have called the representative several times requesting the return of MY vacuum and been promised return time and time again. Beware of these salesmen.

Ed of Copley, OH January 14, 2008
My 82 year old mother has a small house with no more than 200 sq. ft of carpet in two tiny rooms. And in those rooms, only about 80 total sq. ft can be accessed by a vacuum cleaner. Of course, she is on a fixed social security income. The nice Kirby salesman still sold her one for only 1,200 (special price). My mom said he was working his way through college, and loved the Lord. I contacted Kirby corporate here in Cleveland, OH (a division of Scott Fetzer) and threatened to report them to the state attorney general for preying on senior citizens. My mom had her check back the next day! Kirby salespeople are nice young kids, but are pressured to sell anyone and everyone, regardless of the circumstances.

Nadya of San Diego, CA January 13, 2008
This man used fraudulent means to gain entry to my home. He had a young girl come to my door, pretending to represent a new local carpet cleaning company. I would have never let these people into my home, had I known they were Kirby Vacuum Cleaner salesmen. She said that they used a special non-toxic shampoo and that if I let them clean one room in my home free of charge (a get-acquainted special), I would be so delighted with the results, I would no doubt want the rest of my carpeting cleaned and they would give me a great price on cleaning the whole house. It sounded on the level, so I agreed. She said her guys would be by in 10 to 20 minutes to start the free cleaning. The 2 men started by vacuuming the frontroom carpet, then shampooing. It was in the middle of shampooing, that they informed me that they were Kirby Vacuum Cleaner salesmen and the hard sell began. It was relentless! Their boss, Mr. Escalante-Posada kept calling on the phone. I couldn't get them to leave. They were here for hours. What a terrible predicament. They had to finish cleaning the carpet and putting the furniture back. I have Parkinson's and post-Polio. It didn't occur to me to call the police. I finally bought a vacuum to get them out of the house, thinking I could rescind the sale after they'd gone. Wrong.

I called Mr. E-Posada immediately after the two men left and tried to rescind the sale. He was rude and abrupt and told me he'd discuss it in the morning. He told me he'd call me at 8 AM. Of course, he never did. I called and e-mailed Kirby right away. They were disappointed about my experience, but did nothing. My credit card company, though it is obvious that fraud, duress should have been enough to cancel this sale, is siding with this unscrupulous businessman, because he claims the letter I wrote to cancel the sale got to him 3 days after the sale. I was given 4 different addresses/phone numbers for his official business address. It was not easy to track him down. He told me that he would refuse delivery of the vacuum, even if returned. Further, I am sure I was sold a demonstrator unit. You should see the bedraggled materials that came with the vacuum! The man has been so nasty, threatening and bellicose with me, I have no faith in him as regards getting this product serviced. I do not want it. I never did. I sincerely want to prevent this from happening to anyone else. Kirby is a terrible company.

Ellen of Champaign, IL January 4, 2008
After taking over 3 hours to go through this demonstration, when I was told that it would be only 1/2 hour, I ended up trying a carpet cleaning system for a day or so. After 1 day, I decided not to keep it, as it was extremely heavy to maneuver. I then was told that my credit card had been charged, and I would not be given a refund for a week or so, instead of crediting my acct. I then asked for my original trade-in vacuum back. Remember, this was the very day after the demonstration. They picked up the Kirby on that day but did not have my cleaner on their truck, so I would have to wait until the next day. That next day I was given an excuse as to why I could not get mine back yet. This want on for a week. They finally called and said that they were returning mine. When they arrived at my house, I was told that mine had been donated to a church. I had had a very good Panasonic vacuum.

This Mike then told me that I was to be given a brand new Kenmore instead. It is in no way near the value of my Panasonic. It doesn't have the features that mine had. If I had wanted a Kenmore, I would have purchased one instead of the one I had. I was lied to numerous times, having been told that my original was on the truck. Not only did I not have the 3 days to make my decision, they were unwilling to hang on to mine for the 3 days. They get the tax write-off [or sold it for profit] for the donation of my vacuum. I totally lost on the deal of the demonstration free of charge. What a racket. My message LOUD & CLEAR:  DO NOT EVER OPEN YOUR DOOR TO THE KIRBY PEOPLE UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED TO BE TAKEN!

I was out the difference of the price of the vacuum that I owned (250), and the one I ended up with (<100)...to say nothing of the value of my lost time and the consternation.

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