Kirby Vacuums

**jmur5074** · 01-22-09, 09:55 PM

Anyone ever dealt with Kirby Vacuum sales people?

I got a call tonight from them, offering to do a free carpet cleaning (2 rooms) at my house, and if I could pick a time that worked into their schedule, they'd do a free deep clean whatever you call it on a piece of furniture. So, I signed up for tomorrow.

Then I looked up their vacuums online, because I really honestly do need a new one. HOLY CREDIT CHECK BATMAN. The cheapest vacuum price I found from them was $1,260. I don't think so.

Then I started looking at consumer reports on them. I didn't find ONE positive review on their sales people. I literally found hundreds of complaints about the Kirby sales people during the "free carpet cleaning." Everything from damaging carpet/rugs, damaging furniture, thefts, rudeness, conning the elderly, purporting (and selling) used vacuums as new, etc, etc. Not to mention lots of crafty sales pitches that trick you into buying a $1,200 "Home Cleaning System."

So I called back and said forget it, I'll stick with my Eureka.

Anyone ever dealt with Kirby? Are the stories true all around?

**Jenna** · 01-22-09, 10:01 PM

$1,260 for a vacuum cleaner?

Who would buy that? I wonder how they even stay in business.

**MacLean** · 01-22-09, 10:01 PM

They come around our city now and then, we have a no soliciting ordinance and run them off.

Pushy, nasty, and rude.

**Retdetsgt** · 01-22-09, 10:06 PM

I'm surprised they stay in business. They come around to my house periodically, the conversation is pretty short.

Being a househusband now, I bought a new one a few years ago. After research, I got a Hoover Windtunnel. It's the best I've ever seen. I had a Eureka before and it didn't hold a light to this one.

**Pudge** · 01-22-09, 10:11 PM

I've ran a few off here and there.

Pulled my gun out from behind my leg on one when he tried to push his way in the house while house sitting my mom's a few years ago.

**Retdetsgt** · 01-22-09, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by Pudge113

I've ran a few off here and there.

Pulled my gun out from behind my leg on one when he tried to push his way in the house while house sitting my mom's a few years ago.

That's pretty severe! I've never had one anywhere near that pushy, but I could see it happening. Many years ago, Rainbow Vaccum used to have salesmen like that. My ex wife let one in the house and he refused to leave. I ended up grabbing him by the coat and physically throwing him out the front door. That was before I was a cop. I was just out of the Army and hadn't regain many of my social skills yet.

**Pudge** · 01-22-09, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by Retdetsgt

That's pretty severe! I've never had one anywhere near that pushy, but I could see it happening. Many years ago, Rainbow Vaccum used to have salesmen like that. My ex wife let one in the house and he refused to leave. I ended up grabbing him by the coat and physically throwing him out the front door. That was before I was a cop.

He wouldn't take "I'm not interested" for an answer.

He kept his foot in the door and pressure on the door itself. When the glock came around the back of the leg and pointed down at the ground he was lookin for his ride and a change of pants.

**jmur5074** · 01-22-09, 10:34 PM

I'm glad I told them not to bother.

**Ryan** · 01-22-09, 10:37 PM

A buddy of mine sold them in college. I can say that the vacuums work really well, simply because we tested it without any smoke and mirrors tactics. I don't think they are worth what they cost, and the salespeople are trained to be like that.

Pudge, I would have paid to see the look on that guys face!

**Five-0** · 01-22-09, 11:01 PM

They are everywhere. We run them off all the time here. I think most door to door people now days are just casing house for burglaries. Judging by the info I pull up on most of these turds I'm probably right most of the time. Glad I'm not the only one that answers the door armed Pudge.

**lewisipso** · 01-22-09, 11:11 PM

We have a Rainbow. It is pricey but the wife wanted one. Since we purchased it, it has been sucking up everything in the house we can throw at it. It works very well and we have no complaints except for the price. But after checking with other owners we knew we were told eventually it would pay for itself. The salesperson was not pushy at all and ok to deal with.

**MacLean** · 01-23-09, 12:11 AM

The only vac I have ever seen worth all the sales hype is the Oreck.

I stick with my Kenmore cannister, the newest one I got has a HEPA filter system for allergies.

**sgtbear111** · 01-23-09, 02:04 AM

High turnover in their sales force. I know one guy who worked for Kirby one week. They would not pay the amount of commission they promised, or the sales mgr was doing a "fast pencil job" on the commissions and pocketing the difference. The guy I know was stretching the limits of his ambition working for Kirby, so he wasn't career track material.

Magazine sales door-to-door. "I am trying to get a college scholarship" coming from a dude with a jailhouse tan, needletracks, pinpoint pupils, and jail tattoos. who had woke me up couple hours after grave shift. Huh? Had one put his foot in the door, and my white marked patrol car was backed in the driveway right behind him. My Browning HP was behind the door, and my dog was getting really upset. I kicked his foot and said get the f*** off my porch. He wandered down the street. I called the SO and they had him and several others hooked and booked within the hour for trespass, no peddlers licenses, attempt burglary, possession, warrants or DOC holds.

**HudsonHawk** · 01-23-09, 02:44 AM

I've had them come through the neighborhood a few times. I told them I have hardwood floors and don't need a vacuum. The second time I said that they tried to refer me to a sister company that cleans hardwoods. Very pushy sales people. Luckily it's winter and they haven't come around in a while.

**k-9max** · 01-23-09, 02:51 AM

Haha, i had to laugh when i read this. My wife, and i was just talking about "The Kirby sweeper" the other night.
i can say from experience that the thing did work.
When i married my ex-wife, the house that we built was finished in Sept of 2000. We had only lived in the house for about a week or so, i heard the dogs barking. I looked outside, and seen a van at the end of our driveway. half way up the driveway was a very scared black male that was surrounded by the dogs, barking and carrying on.

I met the guy, he introduced himself as a kirby salesman, ect...
New to the married life, and owning my own house, i invited the guy in for a "DEMO".
I will say the carpet had just been laid less than a month prior, and he was going on about how much dirt he will get out of the carpets, new or not.
He did his sales pitch, and started on the carpets. He didnt get the dirt as he said he would, but i still liked the idea, that the sweeper had like a 30 foot cord on it, and i wouldnt have to unplug it every time i turned a corner. He did get me on the matress demo. i felt dirty as hell, when he showed us the screen in the sweeper, he claimed was dead skin, ect.. still i felt like a dirty ass, after seeing that shit on the black paper he put in the can to do the test.
After all the sales bullshit, we decided to help the salesman win a so-called trip to Disney, for being the top salesman. (ok, he casted the pole, and i bit the worm, Yeah, i was a dumbass). Anywho, we bought a $1200 sweeper that night.
They set up monthly payments of like $68.00 a month.
Well, after finding my EX fucking her boyfriend in my house, we divorced

. I took the kirby during the divorce, and finshed paying it off.
i had that damn thing until last summer, and finally threw it out. The handle shorted out, or something, and kirby wanted a arm and leg to have it fixed.
Before i pitched it, i took the long ass hose off, and now it serves as a Cold/Warm hose for my insert in the cruiser for K9 Jasmine.
I attached it to the passenger side vent on the dash, and mounted it down around the passenger side door frame of the cruiser. I mounted the other end to the screen on the cage. In the winter it blows hot air to the Insert, and the summer, it blows cold air.

I basically paid $1200 dollars for a fucking flexible hose to help maintain my K9's environment while we work.

Oh, i also cut the 30 foot cord off, and plan on using it in the garage.

Other than the book that i just wrote, i think overall the sweeper was prettt cool, yeah, i was igorant for paying that much, but i learned a lesson the hard way.
The other night my wife was telling me how stupid i was for paying that kind of money for a sweeeper. i guess thats why i thought this was funny when i seen the thread. We now have a Dyson, and it rocks!

**mavriktu** · 01-23-09, 03:59 AM

Originally Posted by vengeance05

I've had them come through the neighborhood a few times. I told them I have hardwood floors and don't need a vacuum. The second time I said that they tried to refer me to a sister company that cleans hardwoods. Very pushy sales people. Luckily it's winter and they haven't come around in a while.

When I first got out of the Army in 71,I worked for a finance company that financed the things.Had to go out and repo one,when I got there it was an elderly man,living in what could best be described as a shack,wood floors (not fancy hardwood,but 1x4s' nailed next to each other),when I asked him why the hell he bought the thing in the first place,it seems the salesman told him he could put ice cubes in the bag and turn it on,and the exhaust would be like an air conditioner

Hey,ya cant make this shit up .Needless to say that didn't work.We soon ceased doing business with them.

**Cidp24** · 01-23-09, 09:01 AM

I have a serious problem with door-to-door salesmen. I cannot stand them. I love it when one comes to my house because you are required to have a permit here to sell door to door, it's bright yellow with photo of the salesman, and they are hard as hell to get because of the strict ordinance. If I dont see the permit, I will tell them no, call the PD and get a unit headed to me, watch the sales people until the unit gets there, have them picked up, and sign the affidavit myself. Hell, I'll do the report and case myself if the shift is busy.

The Kirby people are some of the most pushy and I particularly detest them. If I want to buy a vaccum cleaner or ANYTHING else, I will go get it at the store.

LEAVE ME ALONE AT MY HOME!!!

(rant off)

**k-9max** · 01-24-09, 04:32 AM

Originally Posted by Cidp24

I have a serious problem with door-to-door salesmen. I cannot stand them. I love it when one comes to my house because you are required to have a permit here to sell door to door, it's bright yellow with photo of the salesman, and they are hard as hell to get because of the strict ordinance. If I dont see the permit, I will tell them no, call the PD and get a unit headed to me, watch the sales people until the unit gets there, have them picked up, and sign the affidavit myself. Hell, I'll do the report and case myself if the shift is busy.

The Kirby people are some of the most pushy and I particularly detest them. If I want to buy a vaccum cleaner or ANYTHING else, I will go get it at the store.

LEAVE ME ALONE AT MY HOME!!!

(rant off)

You feel better now,