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.

Jenny of Spencer, IN September 7, 2009

My sister is a breast cancer patient. She just had surgery and was released from the hospital the day before. I stopped in after work to check on her and fix supper. When I came in the house there stood a Kirby salesman with equipment and filter discs spread throughout the house. Here stood my sister, off work due to the surgery, supposed to be resting. She had a fever. Here she was standing while this young man took over her house. I thought he was just ignorant and let him know she'd just gotten out of the hospital and needed to be resting. He just smiled and shrugged it off, saying she'd been resting.

I thought he would take some hints, but that was not the case. I was in disbelief as he would not leave and continued to pressure my sister to purchase the vacuum. Then when he had the nerve to ask to use her bathroom I questioned my sister about his being there. He had already been there two hours before I arrived! He got in the door by offering a free gift and saying they just needed a few minutes to show her something.

They didn't reveal who they were and they left the equipment hidden in the van. They ran and got the equipment and after getting it into the house, the van full of other sales people drove off, leaving this person in the house with my sister. She tried to get him to leave many times, but he just ignored her and continued with the gimics of 'getting credit' for showing her everything, making multiple phone calls to a manager to secure a 'better deal' for her, trying to convince my sister that her purchase was needed for him to meet his quota and get to go on a trip...it went on and on. Telling him my sister just had surgery the day before didn't phase him. He wasn't ignorant, he just didn't care.

I heard my sister tell him more than once that this needed to come to an end. He just persisted. He made no move to clean up the mess and get out of the house. To top it off, he supposedly couldn't leave until his 'manager' returned and inspected his work, to make sure he got credit for it. I started to attempt supper but he invaded the kitchen, using her sink to clean out all his equipment. It was unbelievable.

It was now about seven in the evening. He had been there 3 hours. When a van pulled up outside and the 'manager' stepped out and approached I went up to her and told her he needed to leave. I told her my sister just got out of the hospital after having surgery and that this guy wouldn't leave. I told her this was ridiculous and that they needed to leave. The woman seemed to understand they weren't going to make a sale, and after she followed me into the house, she suddenly turned around, opened the front door and called to the person jumping into the driver seat of the van, and told them a couple times not to go yet.

Apparently the plan had been to now drop her off and leave her there for an undisclosed amount of time. She did seem to understand they needed to leave and she quickly started collecting all the equipment and things scattered all over the floor. The young man came in and seemed confused at why she was packing up. I guess he expected her to finish pressuring my sister and get the sale for him. She simply said 'we need to go'. I give her credit for that.

This salesman and the techniques of the company were so unthinkable that I stood in disbelief. Then I found out they'd been at my mother's house, just down the street, earlier in the day and that she was very upset. I went to her house to check on her. I would like to note that my parents are in their seventies. They both have had cancer in the last two years. My dad has a rare and usually deadly cancer and it has resurfaced in the last few months. With the economy they are struggling and hoping to be able to keep their home and pay their utilities this winter.

When I visited them, I found a similar experience had happened to them. But mom was home alone when they invaded (and yes it is like a home invasion when someone is asked to leave, and it's made clear they are not welcome, not going to make a sale, and they still refuse to leave). During that time she tried to get them to leave when it was lunchtime and she said she needed to fix lunch. The guy told her she could go ahead and have lunch, but he didn't leave. She later said she needed to get errands run before the post office closed, etc. He responded by saying he just needed to show her 'one more thing' and stayed on and on.

He asked to use mom's phone, even though he had his own cell phone with him, to make a call to his 'manager'. But it was a long distance call, and mom doesn't have long distance service on her phone. He said "You don't have long distance?" and reluctantly stepped out on the front porch to use his own cell phone to make the call. I would like to make it clear that mom actually did ask him to leave and let him know very clearly that she would not buy anything. Because of his persistence, she finally told him flat out that she and dad are both cancer patients, that dad's is on the rise again, they have no money, and if they did have extra money they would use it to put a new roof on the house, not buy a vacuum cleaner. Their roof needs replaced, but they can't afford to replace it. His response? He just went right on with his agenda. Unbelievable.

By the time dad got home mom was in tears and very stressed. I asked if they have any identifying information of who these people were, or which Kirby location they came from. They left nothing identifying, such as a business card, that would tell me a name or where they came from. She did say they were from the Indianapolis area. We live in a rural area about an hour from there. I found out it was the same salesman who had visited my sister that day. How can anyone operate with such a lack of concience? I can't find an appropriate word - unbelievable what they did.

Jason of Hastings, NY August 26, 2009

I saw an add on craigslist saying Rug Shampooers needed! The pay was 1850 a month plus bonuses. Sounded like great money to me. I go to the interview and 15 mins later I am hired. They didnt even ask for id or do a background check. I was a bit put off, but I was working at a gas station and I was not making squat, so it sounded like a better offer.

How wrong I was. I found out (TA-DA!) that I would be selling kirby vacuums! Well after the 3 days of unpaid training ( I wont do there on how stupid it was), the whole sales pitch sounded easy. HAHAHA. I must have been the world's bigget fool. We would come in at 10 am, sit there and do nothing for an hour, sing stupid songs, Then drive an hour and a half to 2 hours to where ever we would be selling.

They said we could have people setting appointments for us. Not. We had to walk around neighborhoods knocking on doors all day trying to practically push our way into houses. You hvae to skip lunch half of the time, and you get to walk around in freezing weather knocking on doors.

The Management is a joke. They are allowed to talk to you however you want and sont have a problem with telling you that you are worthless. A manager and I almost got into a fistfight because he thought he could sit there and insult me just because I didnt get into a house. Everyone is the office is either a felon, druggie, or both. The majority of the people you work with are sleeping with each other.

I worked for these for a month and a half and I never even saw the 1850 I was promised. The owner will do whatever he can to make sure he does not have to pay you. I posted an ad on craigslist, and [the owner] was texting my cellphone saying he was going to put me in jail for slander. I told him to stop and he continued to harass me. I am still trying to catch up on all the bills I have because of these scam artists. If you see any add like that on craigslist, avoid it. IF you got to a job interview and they tell you it has ANYTHING to do with Kirby, run out the door like your pants are on fire. IF you are in liverpool, this is the Address for Lamaan Hill's scam of a company: 900 Old Liverpool Rd # 3 Liverpool, NY 13088-8538 (315) 451-6300 GO there and tell him what a scam artist he is. Get him out of our city!

Rich of Sparta, MI August 25, 2009

I was eating dinner with my wife and about 6:45pm a van pulled up a gentlemen asked about using certain products, then another gentleman walked up with a bottle of Arm and Hammer Laundry detergent and went into their explanation about the Kirby Vacum - I told them we already had a rainbow vacum and then they said we'll take that free gift back and give it to a neighbor of yours.

I gave it back but the more I thought about it, the more upset I got. I would like some explanation about this incident - is this how [they] do business? I'm ready to tell all my neighbors and friends about this incident. Ticked me off, and took a bottle of Arm and Hammer Laundry Detergent back, a free gift. I'm sure in the vacum business, bad publicity wouldn't do much good. I'm sure the BBB wuld like to know about this type of activity in our city.

Teresa of Pittsburgh, PA August 25, 2009

It is sooo sad that there are people like these kirby sales people!! they came to my home, two days later i called and told them i do not want this vaccum cleaner, and have got the complete run around!!! i don't care if this goes against my credit, I WILL NOT PAY FOR THIS PIECE OF JUNK

Scott of New Haven, CT August 12, 2009

Back on July 24th my wife and I had a visit from a couple of salesmen selling Kirby vacuums. They asked to give us a home demonstration which I asked how long it would be and they said about 30 minutes. They arrived at 7:00 p.m. and did not leave for 3 hours! So finally at 11:00 we came to an agreement to purchase the vacuum.

Before agreeing however, my wife said to the salesman that we had just purchased a new car and we did not know if we could afford it until we make our first payment in mid-August and asked what the return policy was. He said that was plenty of time and said we had 30 days (which I take as a verbal contract). He also verbally agreed with me on approximately 80 per month for 18 months.

The next morning (when I was now more awake after working all day & my wife who is 9 months pregnant was more aware) upon looking at the contract it was for approximately 66 per month for 36 months and the return policy said 3 days! Seeing this I immediately signed the form which said to do so on July 25th and mailed back the form. After not hearing anything for about 10 days I then placed another copy of the form in an envelope and personally drove down there and put it in their mail box.

During this process I also began emailing the actual Kirby company who then contacted the distributing company. At that point is when I get a call back from the distributing company (SZ Enterprises located in Orange, CT) stating they have gotten a fax from Kirby to call me. I told him the situation and said they never received my requests to cancel the order. After arguing with them my wife finally had heard enough and took the phone from me and argued with them herself.

During their arguement the man on the phone placed her on hold and said he went to the mail box and apparently just got our return. Since it was almost 2 weeks later now they said they would not take the vacuum back. I told them I sent in the form the day after. Then I told him how the salesmen gave me the 30 verbal contract and he said that the salesman should not have said that and "its not his problem."

My wife then asked to speak to someone higher up and the guy on the phone gave the name of the owner who never returned our call. We finally got a hold of him today and he pretty much kept saying the same thing that it wasn't his problem and told my wife we haven't been trying to call them. When my wife told him we were and have our cell phone records to prove it he hung up on her!

My wife and I are in the process of consolodating our debt and have a company negotiating a settlement with our Visa and Mastercards and we cannot afford this vacuum. We did not ask the company for our deposit back or for our old vacuum back, which the salesmen took and also verbally told us that they were going to use it as a trade in and then on the written contract they never wrote anything down about a trade in.

All my wife and I wanted was out of this contract and now this company is causing myself and my 9 month pregnant wife very serious emotional distress. If there is anything that can be done or any advice you can give it would be greatly appreciated.

Claudia of Colorado Springs, CO August 11, 2009

We had a Kirby sales team yesterday night in our house. My boyfriend let them in the house, he thought it wouldn t hurt if someone would clean for free a room that it need it really badly. It almost took 4 hours out of out time, and after about 1 hour of this guy talking and spreading the "samples" of dirt , I was getting irritated , he was talking and I could see thru all the !#% , I was into sales myself years ago! I have experience in marketing and consultancy , so to me, the way they "market" their product was way to odd !

Anyway, I feel bad for the kid who did the job, I guess just another desperate fellow trying to earn his bread, but the whole this is a BIG SCAM ! My carpet is still dirty, NO spots were removed ! whatever shampoo he used, it was useless. What it did, it vacuumed the dirt, and stirred up a bad smell in the air, thats all ! who in the right mind will spend thousands of dollars on a vacuum ? We are polite people and we let them do their game, but they were rude, pushy and their selling tactics are just nasty ! also into their presentation , just to give you an image of how prpfesional they are, they used the shampo that was in a Mountain Dew plastic bottle ??? it made us joke about it, but I was telling to myself, REALLY?? IS THAT FOR REAL? how do I know what was in that bottle ?

I made a comment saying that I know cleaning, and that I like Dyson a lot better, and the guy started to laugh and ridiculise me for my prefference...NOT a smart thing to do ! If anyone is reading this, DO NOT fall for this scam! Do your homeworks before buying anything ! Actually, while the guy was cleaning the carpet and talked his head off to my boyfriend, I went and googled the product and opened several pages to see what people have to say. Thats how I found this site..And I told the guy I found not so pleasent things about the product and the way they sale it, but that didn t stop him and his supervizor for taking me as a fool ! I think they prey on people , and someone should shut them down .

Tom of medford, MA August 5, 2009

Let me just start by saying that if I wasn't home my wife would have gotten sucked into this Kirby salesman pitch. I got home from a long miserable day of work when my wife told me that Kirby salesman came by and offered to clean the carpet for "free". These days nothing is for free! Anyway she said they would be back around 6:00. OHH great 6:00 I said so they will be here until atleast 7:30 through dinner. I said when they come i'm just telling them we are not interested she said please just let them clean the carpet. Ok they show up at 6:15 I then started the time clock thet have till 6:45 and there done.

Sure enough after there song and dance my wife comes out to me at about 7:00 and said I really want to buy this thing it's great, I said how much? She said 1400 I obviously said forget it, and we are done now tell them to leave. Now we are approaching 7:30 and my wife comes out again and said they will take 200 off. At this point my kids were screaming, We had not eaten dinner, I needed to shower, and my wife was gonna be late for work. I said you guys have 2 minutes to get the hell out of my house or i'm calling the cops.

She again comes out with ANOTHER deal. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????? I was one step away from physically throwing them the hell out. After they knew I wasn't cracking and wanted nothing to do with it or them they finally left, but not before some apparent verbal jabs at my wife being very rude on the way out. Well they left the house at 7:45 only to sit outside my house until 8:15 until the "van" picked them up.My wife was late for work, the kid's went to bed hungry, and I was Fuming!! Thanks for ruining my night!!PLEASE NEVER LET ANYONE INTO YOUR HOUSE FOR ANY "FREE CLEANING" FROM KIRBY...EVER!!!

D of Troy, OH August 4, 2009

My son got a job from this company selling Kirby Vacs. He started in January 2009 and has yet to receive a check from them. When he went to the interview he was guaranteed a 500.00 sign on bonus and 400.00 per week. He has never received the bonus nor has he received 400.00 even once. He was mislead by advertising and the interview as he was NOT told he wouldn't get paid unless he had a certain number of appointment. He was 19 years old at the time and is now 20.

My son won't quit until he finds another job but until then he needs an income that was promised. The hours he works are horrible. He goes to work at 7 am and most of the time doesn't get home until 11 pm. Needless to say he is physically drained.

Rebecca of Mexico, MO July 30, 2009

A salesman came into our home to demonstrate the Kirby Sentria. We love Kirby vacuums and with a granddaughter with asthma and to avoid steroids, we decided to purchase the vacuum. The problems ensued when the salesman called another man to come over and the two of them lied their way through the financing. We should not have gotten it and they lied about our employment, income, etc. to make it happen. They PROMISED us that the payments would be taken out of my account promptly. It was 3 months before the first payment came out and it went to someone else who had purchased our contract. They also promised us a trade-in on our new "old" vacuum. We got none. We felt very uncomfortable with this purchase and the way they do business.

Marilyn of Mercer, PA July 30, 2009

On 3/18/2009 a Kirby sweeper (serial number 1081003121) was purchased from Kirby-Ray Murphy. A floor care system was also included in the purchase price but as of 7/30/2009 has yet to be delivered. The phone # listed above has been contacted on three occassions and the floor care system was to be sent out.

A complaint was filed with the BBB and again the floor care system was to be sent out. A 79 year old widowed woman should not have to go through all this to recieve what has been paid for. Want the floor care system delivered as agreed. Perhaps they need more proding as they don't appear to care about their reputation.

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