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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.
Carla of Parrish, FL January 3, 2008
Last week my doorbell rang. It was a young woman who said they were going around the neighborhood giving complimentary shampoo cleaning in one room, and it would only take about 15-20 minutes. I thought they might be a cleaning company trying to generate some business. I told her if it would only take 15-20 minutes sure, because I was getting ready to go run some errands. She said they were just finishing up a neighbor's home and would be right over. Upon entering my home, she began to unload the Kirby. She then proceeded to ask me to fill up a container with warm water and hand her a towel. I let her know to be careful with the water on our floor. They are laminate and should not have water on them.
She then proceeded to clean my sofa, filling up these circle filters. At first she was having a hard time, she was not picking up much dirt at all. Needless to say, about 2 hours later she moved on to unmake my bed and clean my sheets, and then she moved onto vacuuming my bedroom and finally at about 2:45, she started to shampoo my rug. I let her know several times throughout the process that I needed to go and if it would take much longer. She kept saying about another 10 minutes, I need to show you another feature. I let her know about 20 minutes into the presentation that I was not working at the time, and had no intention of buying this vacuum. She continued to disregard my needing to leave. Finally at the end of her presentation, she called over her supervisor, who I told right of the bat that I was very pressed for time now, that I didn't think it would take this long, and that I am not interested in paying 2200 for a vacuum.
She still proceeded to negotiate with me until she finally got the clue. The girl doing the demonstration began to pack up and proceeded to leave me with a big mess to clean up. I rushed out the door right behind her. Upon getting back home, I discovered that my floor was damaged. She had left soap suds sitting on the floor along with spots on my bedroom carpet, a dirty tub that she used to dump the water from the Kirby, and a very dusty carpet in the family room. What a horrible experience. I felt like I had let these people in my home as guests, and they had long overstayed their welcome. I called the office that night explaining what had happened. After almost a week, one of the Supervisors that came that day came in and looked at my floor. She said she knows that the Kirby didn't do any damage and that they have been in hundreds of homes, and nothing like this had ever happened. I explained that I didn't say it was the Kirby, but the suds and water that they left sitting there.
Needless to say I got nowhere with her. I later asked her for her manager's number; she said she didn't have it, but I could call the office. Conveniently when I called the office and said who I was, nobody was available, they were all in meetings and didn't know when they would be back. I can't believe people like this are still in business. They should really crack down on a business like this. Damage to floor, lost 3 hours of my time, dirty floors, spots on carpet. George of Tallahassee, FL January 2, 2008
Purchased a Kirby Vacuum Cleaner on 8/26/07 for 900.00. I canceled the contract within three business days. After several calls to Mr. McDaniel, he came to our home on 9/22/07 to pick up the vacuum. He also signed a written statement, promising the 900.00 refund and trade-in items as of September 30th. Have received no refund for the vacuum cleaner, nor all of the trade-in items.
We are out 900.00 dollars and do not have a workable vacuum. Ken of Davenport, FL December 28, 2007
The company advertised 12/24/07 for 450.00 a week starting salary, and now it has changed to 400.00 a week this week, to demonstrate Kirby vacs. But they are scamming people and are rude to customers, as well as to the employee. Somebody needs to stop them.
Mona of Union, CT December 16, 2007
The demostrator misled me about being able to use the Kirby vacuum w/shampooer for washing floors as well. I cannot get the unit to suck any soap up. I felt pressured into purchasing it. I told him I could not afford it, but he talked me into it as he would not leave my home. It was suppose to be a 90 min. demonstration which turned into over 3 hours. He did not even buff my floors for free as promised. He was into small talk. I warned him of my time limit several times but this did not help. I bought it to get rid of him. My husband was not home and he talked me into trading in my vacuum for a better deal, which did not figure out moneywise properly. I told him I could not afford it.The vacuum is way to heavy to handle properly. I have a bad back & shoulder. They are not easy to get a hold of and really don't care once you purchased it. They say you only have 3 days to change your mind. It was not what I was looking for. I was also pressured into giving friends names that they called and lied to about how much I loved the way my floors came out. They never did them. I would like to return this to them with some sort of refund that would be fair so I can purchase somthing I can use.
My shoulder is hurting more now. I cannot use it. Lanny of Laramie, WY December 14, 2007
My grandaughter went to work for a Kirby store in Loveland Colorado.They said they would set up the demonstrations and there was no door-to-door. Well, that was a lie, but the worst part is on her cell phone she received filthy e-mails from a coworker. She made a complaint and then was harrased for it. She did not feel comfortable going to her job so she quit and now they do not want to pay her.The e-mails were clearly sexual harrassment.
Brian of San Jose, CA December 13, 2007
Well, I just want to thank all for sharing their experiences with Kirby. I was just hired and was going to attend a training class for the next three days, unpaid. I thought that this job as too good to be true, and I was right--after reading everything. It is a shame that my fellow citizens of San Jose might be scammed by this evil company. I do hope anyone who even thinks about working for them reads all that is posted here.
I am pretty mad that I wasted part of my day interviewing with them. Julie of Roscoe, IL December 12, 2007
On 12/6/07 we had the typical "let us shampoo your rugs for free" sales pitch. I was very impressed with the machine and purchased one for 900.
They took my less than 4 month old Kenmore in trade for this new product. I told the rep of my hesitations on simply discarding something that is almost brand new and not cheap. He assured me that I would have 5 days to try the new Kirby and if I didn't like it I could always have the previous vacuum back.
I called the manager at 8AM the next morning, left a message. The manager assured me that he understood my concern and that he would have that vacuum returned to me as long as I could give him something in trade. I still had a previous machine in the basement so I agreed. I have reached out to this manager at least 5 times today- NO ONE has been to my house. He stalled me past the 3 day right-to-cancel.
Knowing that this is the service that goes along with the Kirby name I KNOW this machine was a mistake. Its twice as expensive as the 4 month old vacuum that I can't get back. Stacie of Fallbrook, CA December 3, 2007
My husband is in the Marine Corp and was away for training in Yuma, Arizona and my mother was staying with me because I have a 4 month old baby. On 10/17/2007, a Kirby sales associate came to my door and asked if they could do a demo and shampoo my carpet in my living room for free because they were doing a work competition for points to win a trip and said that they needed a certain amount more of demos to gain the points. I said sure, and let them in and told them that I wasn't going to buy the product because I couldn't afford it and even if I could I would have to ask my husband first and i couldn't call him because he was training and I had to wait for him to call which wasn't until the next day. The representative told me that I could say "NO" no matter what he said, so I did and he showed me the product and I told him that I loved it but I can't afford it, but he kept pushing. I kept saying no and finally he told me that I could have a three business day trial period and then on Monday I could call the number listed and tell them that my husband said, "No". I was going to do that, but on Monday morning, the 22nd of October at 7am, I got evacuated because of the wildfires and because I have a small infant I was not allowed to come back until the smoke cleared up which was two weeks later. That is when my husband also arrived back from training and when we came back that is when we called Kirby to return the vacuum.
The first three times we called no one answered so my husband left them 2 messages and no one ever returned our calls. Finally, on the fourth try, we got through and spoke to someone and asked if we could speak to Hunter Levell who sold me the vaccum but they would not let us speak to him. The person we spoke to said it was to late to return it and they didn't care that we got evacuated and weren't able to call. Even if we would have been able to call, no one could have come and gotten it anyways because it was a mandatory evacuation for Fallbrook, California. Now the main Kirby company is telling me that I am liable for this vacuum because I didn't call in time or mail in the cancellation form at the bottom of the contract. I was never told about the form because I was told to call the listed number if I wanted to cancel and that is what I would have done if I wasn't evacuated.
Because I did not have any control over the wildfires, I should not have to pay for this vacuum, which I would have returned if mother nature didn't interrupt my plans. I do not want this vacuum. Also, I live in a apartment complex, which is a no soliciting apartment complex. I did not know at the time because I am new here, but my apartment manager said the she has never given Kirby associates or anyone at Kirby permission to enter the property. So not only did I get scammed by Kirby but they were also tresspassing.Something should be done about this and someone should be sent to pick the vacuum up because I haven't used it and I don't want it and I am not going to pay for something that is a big scam.
Kirby sales associates were on this property without permission and now they want me to pay for something that I don't want, something that should have been returned but couldn't be because California was burning. Mary of Radcliff, KY November 22, 2007
We purchased a Kirby vacuum system and it has not lived up to the promises the sales ladies made. It does not do half of the things properly that they stated it would do such as cleaning upholstery, wood floors, etc. It left the couch soaked and it took days to dry with the carpet cleaner.
When our Kirby quit running I called the Customer Service, which is a joke, and they told me I would have to take it to a repair shop and pay all the fees. I asked about the 100% guarantee and I was told that there is no such thing, even though I have the papers that state otherwise. Oscar of Porterville, CA November 17, 2007
I asked several times if the Kirby vacuum was warranted for life, and each time they answered "Yes." That is what sold me on the Kirby.
I later looked on the warranty card, and it reads that the Kirby is only warranted for 3 years and not the lifetime. I tried to cancel after three days, and they told me "No.". They lied to me to make the sale.
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