I refuse to pay $2500 for a vacuum cleaner, no matter how good it is. The Kirby salesman stayed for 3 1/2 hours even though my girlfriend was sick.
I arrived home from work during the first hour of the sales pitch. We spent the remaining time telling them there was no way we could pay that amount. He and his manager tried to pit my girlfriend and I against each other saying things like, “She wanted to buy it before you got home.”
The salesman was not prepared, he had to borrow a pen to make a deal, a towel to clean the vacuum cleaner, helped himself to the bathroom, and finished off our milk.
Kirby “In-Home” sales team: I do not own a Kirby, but my encounter with the Kirby “In-Home” sales team needs to be shared. At about 3:00 in the afternoon, a cute young lady rang our doorbell and proceeded to give me a free bottle of Dawn dishwashing liquid in exchange for allowing her co-worker to come in and do a vacuum product demonstration.
She was very lax and let me know that “we didn’t have to buy anything”, it was just something they had to do for their job. (After this, we never saw her again.) Two gentlemen came into our home (one supposedly a trainee, and the other a team leader). After the presentation began, the team leader left.
I’ll skip to the end: Ultimately, the trainee was at our house for FOUR HOURS. I specifically remember that around this time my auto insurance policy was coming up for renewal and I was shopping online for a lower rate. He asked me more than once to stop what I was doing and come participate in the demonstration.
Long after he did every demo he could, he attempted to contact his team leader (who also had the vehicle) and was never able to reach him by phone. He finally showed up at our house (the team leader) and proceeded to be the most unprofessional and pushy sales closer I’ve ever seen.
He ‘offered’ us a payment plan that was obviously going to be about three times the cost of the vacuum and when we quickly refused, he called his ‘supervisor’ and stood in front of us and griped about us not budging.
At about 7pm, they finally left. Bottom line: I could not make this stuff up.
Carpet Cleaning Service? A woman caller (phone) told me she owns a carpet cleaning business that used dry chems and would we like her employee to clean a room in our home free of charge and no one would try to get us to call again for carpet cleaning.
My husband spoke w/ her and received the same info. She informed us that the Cleaner person was in our neighborhood and could come over in a few minutes. 2 hrs. later a young man with highly polished shoes and a white dress shirt showed up at our door. That was our first clue.
He went for his carpet cleaning equipment which was in his car, but he didn’t park in our driveway/down the street. A few minutes later, he arrived w/ a new Kirby in a box/newer than new. Our 2nd clue.
That’s when we should have escorted him out, but decided to give him a chance. He asked if this was a senior condo area and we replied No. He said that seniors are is best customers. He said that we could buy this vacuum that also shampoos but wouldn’t say how much. He still didn’t show any signs of shampooing.
He vacuumed the carpet and showed us how much dirt and lint came up but still didn’t show any signs of shampooing. I couldn’t take any longer and told him I would like his business card and phone No. and his name (He replied “How stupid do you think I am – I know what you would like w/this information for.) Well the cards were on the table at that point and both my husband and myself asked him to leave.
After we had a brief conversation about what a mistake we were making and my comment that the company and he had totally misrepresented themselves/he left (It took him quite a while to put everything back in the box). He had to have one last crack at us and said “May God Bless You.” I forced myself to hold back. We locked our outside gate immediately!!
Oh, He addressed himself as Danny w/Best Company – and may God bless y0u Danny boy.
Kirby sales presentation experience: About a year ago I had a Kirby salesman come into my home to do a demo. I told him I wasn’t really interested but he got credit for doing a demo, so I let him. After the demo and again telling him I wasn’t interested in purchasing the Kirby vacuum, he continued to push the sale. It got so bad that I actually picked up the phone and threatened to call the police if he didn’t leave.
As a child, we had a Kirby at home and as an adult, I had one in my home until after several years it quit working. While I am in the market for a new vacuum, after that experience with the Kirby salesman, I’m not sure I’d want to go through another Kirby sales presentation.
Wasted My Money: Unfortunately, I am one of the fools that fell for the pressure sale đ Same story of pushy salesperson that finally made me agree to buy the darn thing.
If you want to be a slave to your vacuum cleaner, BUY this one! Everything is an attachment that you have to change in order to clean what you need to clean (and they are not that easy to change). Vacuuming my entire master bedroom, which I used to do in 15 minutes with my old vacuum cleaner, now takes up to 35 minutes with all the attachments you have to change to get the job done. My tile floor is not cleaner with this thing than it was with my other vacuum but this one has definitely put scratches and marks on the tiles, something that my old vacuum never did.
You supposedly wonât have to buy any other vacuum for the rest of your life so you âsave that moneyâ, but what about those expensive bags and shampoo for the carpet cleaner??? The only thing that actually I like using is the carpet shampooer because instead of having my carpets cleaned every 4 months by a professional now I get away with doing it once a year. BUT IT DOESNâT MAKE SENSE when you still spend your money in the BAGS!
Don’t Let Them In! Similar to the other comments… my demonstrator continued to tell me she was a “millionaire” and does not need the sale. Said she has more money than she knows what to do with. (Then why is she selling vacuums?) Very pushy. Talked bad about her boss until she texted someone and all of a sudden her boss was standing in my living room (uninvited). It was actually pretty scary. She was there for so long. I was about to call the police when she finally packed up (rolling her eyes at me the entire time). What a job for a so-called millionaire!
Great Product – Bad Sales Tactics: Don’t let the sales tactics of the sales force for Kirby sway your judgement on the actual product.
Kirby Dealerships are independently owned and unfortunately they do use some very pushy sales tactics. Unfortunately for Kirby this has given them a rather bad reputation but does not give proper due credit to the units.
I wish they would have started their business in another way…rather than basically franchising out the sales force to independents then teaching poor and dishonest tactics.
The machines themselves are great and they sell themselves often, without the need for lies or forcing yourself into a home for hours on end.
Quite a shame. While not the most user friendly, Kirby is still one of the strongest cleaners on the market when used properly, and is one of the few products still made in America.
My new Kirby lasted 10 years of vacuum & cleaning my carpet. I worked as a garbage truck driver in Bullhead City, AZ. I’ve seen every type of vacuum cleaners in the trash that wal-mart sold. Bessel was cleaner. The no.1 worst vacuum. Never saw a Kirby in the trash, because they last a long time. My other kirby upright is still going strong after 15 years.
Sheriff removes salesman: I will never buy a kirby vacuum even if they are given away. I went to visit my neighbor who (out of pity) had let one of these shy locks in. After 1 hour of a 10 min presentation he was asked to leave. 15 min later I suggested he leave. 15 min later he was told to “get the hell out on the porch to wait” for his ride. I went to get my gun to make sure he understood (since he did not seem to listen), she called the sheriff. He was escorted out. NEVER LET ONE OF THESE SCUZ BUCKETS INTO YOUR HOUSE!!!
Great Kirby: I bought the Kirby because I wanted one. The salesman was dressed professional. Polite. I told him he didn’t need to do a presentation, & go ahead & write the paperwork up. Even though he offered to shampoo my carpet, I didn’t think it was necessary. A+++++
What to do?? I too am considered a victim of the Kirby representatives…
Being home for only a few days after a very bad accident, I was approached by a salesman, invited him in for a preview of how this vacuum works beyond any other, promising a room to clean to demonstrate…. He was there over an hour and half, pressured me into buying, telling them over and over I could not buy because of bad credit… They assured me that I would be approved, which I was after only 5 minutes… I finally agreed after getting irritated signed an agreement for the payment to be withdrawn from my account monthly… After a year of struggling to pay, I couldn’t any longer, I was getting behind on my other obligations, so I stopped payment, and started paying what I could afford, they harassed me day and night 7 days a week, I wrote several letters stating I tried to tell them I wasn’t able to pay for it. Now I am being sued …. I am a 66 year old disabled lady on a low fixed income. What can I do about this? ..Oh BTW They took a brand new Oreck as down payment very quickly………….Troubled in Tx….
Sad: The vacuum itself is great but I never should have opened the door. Unlike others I don’t get intimidated by salespeople so I didn’t buy it. No vacuum is worth $2600. Best to leave the door closed!
Paid $1,500: Paid $1,500 for my new Kirby
ebay has any vac for $250.00!! Look up your Tristar, kirby, etc vac that the salesman wants to sell you for $4000.00,,, You can buy them on e-bay, new, for $250 to $450!!!!! Check, and you will see it’s true!
Very Pushy: A salesman and (learner) came to our door. Very pushy. They were told to leave, said we’ll just clean a little place. Were told politely to leave several times. Kept saying they would just clean a little place.
Finally had to get loud to get them to leave. NO MORE!!!!!!!!
Do Not answer the door!They leave someone behind in your home and it takes them forever to be picked up,freaked me out!
Okay, so i few years back ago. I was meeting a friend…. at her house for thanks giving. With her, family… Anyways her family were 3 hours late. And, it was 9:00 PM. Apparently, her family “were laid back, and apparently at the store buying all the last minute stuff for thanks giving” Okay, this isn’t about them. Anyways, at 9:30 pm someone was knocking at her door. She, suggested me to not open it and she will, sense it’s guest honor (Don’t know how but ok) When, she answered 1, guy with a blue shirt ( Navy had kirby on it ) was standing next too anther guy with a pink ( kirby shirt ) and the blue guy ( I don’t know hes name ) said “Hello, miss. can you lets us in we will show you OUR awesome vacuum.” My friend, said “Sorry, sir. We cannot do that. And, also we have a vacuum ourselves” He said, “Look, let us in! That vacuum is nothing towards the kirby.” I stand up and, said “Look, sir… i know this scam your gonna trick us into buying this vacuum and, you’ll get money. I’m, not falling for this trick okay?” He said “This, is no scam! This, is something you two would like. Nothings wrong here. Just 2 business men offering you a life time vacuum”. He randomly came in my friends home. And, said “Okay, thanks for letting us in! Time, too show this is not a scam” i said “Look, your basically a scam cause 1. You came in HER house with permission. Even, though we asked 3 times we are not interested 2. If, someone says NO they usably leave. 3. Again we asked you 3 times before WE ARE NOT interested”
As, the scammer was about too say “No! We-” my friends husband and her family came. Walked in and her dad was a police and said “Sir, whats going on here” i coughed and said “This “Scammer” is selling us a kirby when we said no 2 times. and he came in”