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.

Len of Olympia, WA May 8, 2009

My son, just out of the military, needed a job and went to work for Kirby Vacuum Cleaners. He worked all late nights, did not see his daughter for a month (the resaon he was released from the Army). They promised him 1800 a month and commision from his sales. The commision would be deducted from the monthly salary every month. He made one sale and that was from us, his parents. He went to get his pay check today and it was a grand total of 100.00 dollars after a full months work. I would like to return the vacuum and not pay the loan that I had to take out to get him a sale. They rip people off along with the employees that work so hard to make a living. He understood that it would be hard but he is a hard worker. What can he do? What can we do? we have had the vacuum for less than a month and have not made a payment for it yet. They take advantage of young people and high pressure people into buying an over priced piece of junk.

Robert of Lawndale, CA May 6, 2009

Tried to sell vaccum. I did not purchase but the poured the debri down by batheroom sink before I could stop he. . . essentially clogging to drain requiring a plumber and significant inconvience to family of four two being under the age of 4yr old. cost of plumbing. . . toxic hazzard for 1yr old and 3yr old. Inconvience to family.

Chris of Wayland, MI May 3, 2009

Last Tuesday, a Kirby salesman knocked on our door. My husband who was watching a movie, answered the door and was handed a bottle of detergent which started an all out onslaught of a high pressured presentation that lasted almost 90 minutes!

We asked the pair to leave and that we were not interested. But to them their presence in our home was not to be interrupted. They asked us if we wanted the shampoo demonstration and were emphatic in telling them no. Much to our dismay, the shampoo aparatus was started and now my new carpet has been damaged. I have call ed the local distributor with the complaint only to be met with avoidance of my requests for the identity of who we feel were liars and scam artists. The sad thing is that the Kirby Company is allowing this to happen all over the country.

Krystal of Page, AZ May 1, 2009

Today I was sitting on my porch and this guy came up to my gate with a bottle of an orange cleaner. He said he was going around the neighborhood giving away this free product, and also cleaning carpets. He asked if I had any carpets that needed cleaning and I said, "Sure do! I have kids!" He then said he was trying to get money for college, and for every carpet cleaned he got 25 and points to go on a Vegas vacation. He asked if I had 30 minutes to spare, so I said sure why not. No pressure to buy anything, he said.

Well, I'm not a fool, I knew he was selling something, but I figured at least he'd get some college money and points, and I'd get a carpet cleaned, so I let him do it. He quickly ran back to his bosses SUV and got out this big box and bag, and I was kinda like, "Whoa" but whatever. He came in and I led him back to my son's room, as we've replaced all the carpets in our house except the one's in both my son's rooms.

So he got it out and got to work, showing me all the crap in the carpet. I kinda knew it would be bad already because the carpet is about 20 years old, and I live in a desert, so the demo wasn't much special to me, though it did thrill my two sons (ages 4 and 2) to no end. Anyway... 2 hours later, my kids were getting grumpy from missing their naps, and he was still there. I felt bad for him because he seemed really sweet, so I finally asked him what the machine cost. It took a little poking and prodding, and he finally told me.... 3100.00!!! Yeah, you read that right!!

I pretended not to be absolutley disgusted, but basically told him that he could leave me some info and I'd think about it. Then he told me (he was only halfway through his demo) that he only got paid if he completed it, so I took him to my other son's room to do the bed as he told me his boss would check the pads and know if he'd done a bed or not. I had to close my 2 year old out of his own room so the guy could spray some stuff on the carpet, and so my son wouldn't get into the bazillion little pads he'd left all over the floor.

Anyway, he went back in to shampoo the carpet, and I decided to tell him (it's almost 3:30 by this time) that I have to go to my office and meet a client at 3:45, so he needed to be done with his 30 minute cleaning now. So he did start to pack it up and called his boss. His boss came to pick him up (at 4:00) and started to ask if I was gonna buy it. I told him I'd have to talk to my husband about it, and he started going on about me being able to make my own decisions, and I was like, "Well, not for something that costs 3100! I have more respect for my husband than that. We are a partnership." He tried to tell me that he could give it to me for as little as 2 a day, but still I told him I had to talk to my husband about it. He wanted to know if he could come back when my husband was home, but I told him we'd be out, as we had a dinner with my husband's parents that night. I asked for some information on the machine, and he finally gave me a business card and wrote his number on the back. He said they were leaving town around 8pm, and they'd stop back by. They left, but the boss was muttering something about how the kid couldn't go to Vegas now because he was leaving my house with the vacuum.

Oh, but they did leave me a nice parting gift... the darn little disks all over my son's floor, which he had thrown about, so then I had to get out my vacuum to get all that off the carpet. Luckily for them, they never came back. I told my husband about it, and he was not too pleased. He's training to become a police officer, so he knows the whole drill of that real well. I did really like the kid who did the sales pitch- Angelou. He was really nice and very sweet to my kids. The boss JD was a bit of an ass, but not horrible. There's just no way I'd ever pay that much for a vacuum. I'm surrounded by dirt everyday- I live in a desert, and so are my kids, and we're all just dandy thanks! Like the old saying goes, "God made dirt so dirt don't hurt!"

Lindsay of San Diego, CA April 26, 2009

I was greeted by two sales people, a man (Matthew) and a young woman (I can't remember her name) well they offered me a free cleaning, an advertisement for their business opening up, and so I obliged, they brought another young man into my home (Robert, I believe) to clean my floors.

Well the young woman left leaving me alone (a young mom) with the cleaning guy, he started with his sales pitch and then started talking to me, which I took as trying to get personal so I would feel more obligated to buy the vacuum, well then he started asking personal questions like if I had ever cheated on my husband and told me that if I weren't married and he didn't have a girlfriend he would be hitting on me because I was cute.

Of course adding no offense as if that made it okay. Then my friend came over and he finished his demonstration of the vacuum and my friend left and he mentioned something joking about staying at my home and then I told him I would call security, which was when he left.

Lowell of Galatia, IL April 21, 2009
He came to our home and was pretending to be a kirby salesman. He wanted to come in and clean our carpets. He acted very suspicious. He gave me this card laminated plastic writing on one side and nothing on the other. it was a way to get my finger prints.

Margot of Laguna Hills, CA April 20, 2009
On Thursday, March 19th, I was asked by a young salesman if I wanted a free room cleaned. I asked if there were any strings attached, and he said no. So I scheduled an appointment for Friday, March 20th, in the afternoon. The young salesman, Christian, came in with a Kirby vacuum, which is not what I had expected. I asked how this was going to steam clean my carpets, and he went on to argue that between the vacuum and the shampoo, the carpet would be cleaned. I specifically pointed out a few stains and said that if they did not come out, then I would not want the product.

After 2 1/2 hours and visits by two senior members of the sales team (Mac with a Somonian last name and Ray, the manager), I was told that they would not shampoo the carpets until I agreed to purchase the machine. I agreed to purchase the vacuum provided the stains were removed and did not return. It was late in the evening, so I really could not see how well the vacuum/shampoo had worked. It was a really hard salespitch and I fell for it. Saturday it rained, so not until Sunday could I see that the stains had not been removed at all.

So Monday morning I called and said that I was exercising my right to return the product, as stated on the receipt You, the Buyer, May Cancel This Transaction at any time prior to Midnight of the Third Business Day After the Date of the Transaction. The customer relations woman asked me why, I explained about the stains, and she said she would send my salesperson, Christian, out to pick up the machine. Christian came out not to pick-up the machine but to try again with different products to clean the carpet. I told him I had already made up my mind. He tried for 1 and a half hours to make me keep the machine. I finally said, In how many languages do I have to say NO before you'll get it? He reluctantly packed it up and placed it in his car.

As he was leaving, I asked if I should sign something. He wanted to take my original invoice, and I told him no. He said he'd have to talk to his manager, Ray, about the cancellation paperwork as he had never had a machine returned. Christian then drove off. I called Ray after about an hour. Ray said that Christian should have had me sign a cancellation form. I called Christian and left a message to come back to my house with the form. I wasn't feeling confident that this group was trustworthy, so I contacted by credit union who holds my credit card with which I purchased the vacuum and I told them to immediately dispute the charges.

After 10 phone calls, 8 of which I never got past the receptionist because everyone was in a meeting I found out almost a month later that their office now claims that they do not have the returned vacuum and that the only paperwork they have is my puchase agreement. I told them that I have two eye witnesses who saw me return the vacuum, that I have phone records and have written down everytime that I called and who I spoke to. Natalie, their finance officer, then slightly changed her tune to say that she had no problem refunding me the money but that she'd have to do some more research.

I again called my credit card credit union representative and explained that I wasn't getting anywhere with this refund. I had also written a complaint to the Better Business Bureau with a web complaint. So here's what I have figured out. First, their salespitch is not only agressive but also full of falsehoods. They claim with their demonstration that the vacuum is only working at 50% capacity. This demonstration includes a special fully enclosed unit that attaches to the machine where the vacuum bag would normally attach. According to my colleague, a physics professor, this is false. That the area of the special demonstration piece is obviously different than the area of the vacuum bag and that, because of the volume and essentially suction capacity, the demonstration is at 120% of what it would be with the normal vacuum.

So the demonstration is a farse and is fradulent. Secondly, that while it states a third business day period to return the merchandise, the business will do everything and anything to ensure that you will pay for the machine whether you still have it or not. They will first try the don't take no approach and then make-up excuses for not providing the consumer with the proper returned merchanise paperwork. They will then lose the machine (which probably has already been resold) and continue to charge your account unless you are ready for a court battle. Their employees are incredibly unprofessional.

I can get past the hard salespitch and all the one liners they sling your way, but to call over and over and have your phone call screened by the receptionist, to be promised time and time again that someone will return your call, to waste my time and make me have to fight for my money back, is incomprehensible. I have worked for consumer advocacy groups back in the 1980s. One or all of these groups should be seriously investigating these companies (of which there doesn't seem to be a corporate entity to actually go after). So don't listen to what your grandmother tells you nostagically about Kirby vacuums. It's a scam from beginning to end. BUYER BEWARE!

They first charged my account erronously for 16.38 and then for 1,638.00. Both of these amounts have not been refunded.

Laquacia of Jonesboro, GA April 16, 2009
Well a lady and a man came to my home and she was trying to sell a kirby vacuum and I told to get lost we was about to have dinner and she said ok but came back 30 minutes later and say what about now. My husband told them no and push the door in their face but I felt bad and ask them to come in. My plan was to just watch and she said it will only take few minutes so I was like ok. The man went to get the cleaner and they came in and started to show me all these great things this cleaner doe's and told us it will keep my kids from getting sick and I said I don't think I can pay for it but she said she will take 300 dollars off and she did and I said my credit is bad she said no problem we can it try it with your husband on there and told me I could sign his name.

So I went thru with it because she said I can return it in 3 days and i thought my husband would change his mind in that time frame but he didn't. So I called her to get the vacuum and she came out with another contract saying sign this one to get out the other one and I did. but she didn't take the vacuum she said the guy would pick it up and he didn't and I got a call saying theirs no way out the contract and do I agree with their terms and I said yes and my husband wasn't here so I said yes for him thinking that it was over and someone will be here within the week. they never came.

They called me for a payment and the problem started that day. They treaten to garnish my husband wages so I started to pay them but I couldn't continue do so with this econemy. but they are still harring me and Itold them to come get their vacuum and they still want they just want money. This problem has seperated my husband.

Nichole of Porterville, CA April 16, 2009
i will start off telling you that i worked for kirby for about 7 months or so..why i stayed that long i dont know. they told me all the sales pitch crap, how much you would be making and the hours. Well i thought it sounded good, especially since i had been working in a resturant for the past four years. so i quit my job and started kirby. first pay check was decent 350 but after that it was 60 a week. also i was working six day a week for 12 hours a day.

im not a pushy person so it was really hard for me to work for them. and because i wouldnt puch people, they told me very mean hateful things, and the owners were very racist.quite a bit of illegal activity went on (drinking and driving, having sex in houses,promising products and never delivering, some people would steal) the whole business is based on lies and i felt horrible for the way they screwed some people. the vacumm is good though, i still use mine, but i would never buy another one. By the time i decided to quit, i was pretty much poor, and they didnt care..it took a year to get caught up with all my bills. im sorry.

Xavier of Glendale, AZ April 16, 2009
i dont know what is wrong with the people who work for kirby. actually i do the get mad because they see exactly how much they are worth when they see their pay check. if you only get 250 a week working at kirby then that is how much you are worth. i work at kirby now and i only been working here 2 weeks. they told me i can get 1600 a month with a lower commision plan or just work for full commision with a higher commission and since then i make 1600 a week easily and the are taking me to mexico . those people who say kirby are bad employers are just not hard workers and they want a job where they can sit on their ass and get paid hourly just for being there.

i make 1000+ a week im on my way to becoming a distibutor and i am happier than ever

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