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Kirby Vacuum Cleaners

A Defense -- And Rebuttal

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

Jeremy of Huntington Beach, CA (9/10/07): Its clear what you people are up to: You try to pass yourselves off as a non-profit, consumer advocate. Buried in the FAQ is the fact that you are not. For example: trying to suggest that Kirby salsesman are all slime while you advertise second hand kirby vacuums, while conveniently forgetting to mention that they are second hand. For all the bad Kirby salesman, to suggest that Kirbys are "poor quality is a blatant lie, period. I dare you to suggest to me a vacuum that cleans better and lasts longer than Kirby, with fewer repairs, and go ahead and point me to the tests that have been published to say so You are consciously deceiving people by your tactics, suggesting that you are a non-profit organization.

Your "rebuttals" are clearly selected with bias, also. For you to suggest by omission or otherwise that one should buy a Kirby vacuum by some other means, while knowing that Kirby Co, does not sell them other than direct, is also a lie. This is like suggesting that so! meone should buy a Toyota from someone other than Toyota. Kirby does not sell them except through in-home demonstrations, and you know it. And anyone who is wondering can call the Kirby Company direct at 1-800-494-8586 or www.kirby.com, or are you afraid of competition?

Why don't you tell people that Kirby Company only sells direct? Oh, thats right, because then the people who advertise used Kirbys through you (while ommiting to admit that they are second hand) would not sell their "poor quality" machines. If you are so impartial, why not tell people these facts? I dare you to suggest to me a vacuum that cleans better and lasts longer than Kirby, with fewer repairs, and go ahead and point me to the tests that have been published to say so...I'm waiting...

Jeremy needs to work on his reading skills. We do not "suggest" we are non-profit and our lengthy explanation in the FAQ is linked to from every page on our site. That's not what is normally considered "hidden." The rest of Jeremy's rant speaks for itself.

Michael of San Jose CA (11/9/03):
I am a dealer rep from Kirby Company. All of you idiotic homeowners disgust me. You make un-intellectual remarks like we frightened your children or we used up your phone bill. You people make me sick and if i was there now i'd put my kirby in upright position, attach the leaf blower and cram it so far up your ****** ***** and blow out the few brain cells you people have.

Kirby has been rated #1 for over 90 years for its performance, reliability and quality. Maybe not for its price but please ask yourself why you should get a cheap price on a vacuum with multiple uses and that is also much more health improving. Once again we will continue to enforce these demos in your home and if you don't buy it, then that is totally fine with me. There is no obligation. But just like a car salesman, he brings you to a car and says there is no obligation to buy. But then he sits you down and runs his never ending sales pitch to intice you to buy.

That's our job. So f*** all you dumb consumers who want to trash Kirby or anyone of the people who are hard-working Americans striving to make an honest living.

Jacob of Las Vegas (12/22/03):
I am a salesman for the Kirby Co. I have been doing it for 9 years now. People shouldn't blame the Kirby Co. but should blame the person who was dishonest. I've sold a lot of Kirbys and did not have to lie to any of them. They bought them knowing that over time the machine will make a difference in the carpet and furniture.

We are independent contractors but if you call the Kirby factory and tell them why you're dissatisfied, they can make a difference and have the distributor take care of your problem. Don't blame Kirby - it's a great company and they make the best home care system on the market today. That's why we're sold in over 25 different countries and the best part is it's 100% American-made.

Gabe of Ann Arbor MI (12/12/03):
I am an employee of Kirby Vacuumes (sic), and I have been reading through your site. Upon seeing the reports of individuals here about the product and company I represent, I felt a need to respond. after looking arround I realized that there is no adequate way for those who feel wrongly accused to deffend themselves. First I would like to apologize to those who feel they have been wronged, and indeed some of these stories are indeed disturbing.

In defense of Kirby, I would like to state that many of these anecdotes are representative of individual mistakes, errors in judgement, and lack of charachter. I can attest to the fact that none of the practices listed below are sanctioned, trained, or encouraged by Kirby. That is not to say that they don't happen, but that these sad situations are isolated incidents, not representative of the way the Kirby buisness is meant to be, and most often is run. Any large company will always have problems with individuals working there, and I can assure you that the types of people described by members of this site will not survive very long in a business whose sole source of advertising is word of mouth.

The purpose of this post is not to promote my chosen profession, or defend the actions of a delinquent minority, but I would like ask one simple question and let the public answer it for themselves: Kirby will be celebrating its 90th year in business in 2004. If the expierences described on this site are representative of anything more than a small minority, how could Kirby have survived this long?

Samuel of Lafayette IN (12/12/03):
I called a phone number in the newspaper saying now hiring and 400 dollars a week. I went for the interview and was told I will start 2 days later and I was going to sell Kirby vacuums. Also was told when I sell my first vacuum I would earn $100 dollars. I sold my first vacuum and never received my money.

"O" of Euclid OH (12/11/03):
I am a ex-employee of Kirby and I too think they are very rude sales people at times. For one thing today I got fired because my urban was getting a bad feeling from me because I was trying to get 15 appointments so I could make $400 this week. You see if you get 15 appointsments in one week you make $400, if you get 14 you get $0. It's all a bunch of b-s.

All of this irritates Adam, who doesn't say what he does for a living, but we'd bet it has something to do with selling a certain product. In March 2001, Adam wrote:

The complaints on the Kirby vaccum are very irratating (sic) to me. It is absolutley (sic) the best vaccum as well as versitlie (sic) machine that money could possibly buy. To everyone trying to give Kirby a bad name why don't you put your vaccum up against it and we see how the results turn out? I'll put my kirby to any test you have and I will return amazing results that not one other vaccum (sic) in the world could possibly replicate.

On the other hand, Adam irritates Rich of Pearland, TX, who writes:
I wanted to respond to Adam's comments regarding his feelings regarding the Kirby vacuum cleaners. First of all, the Kirby might be the an excellant vacuum, however the sales methods and finance methods are quite questionable.

Approximately 30 minutes ago, I had a salesperson attempt to sell my wife this product. She was impressed with the product, however, the sales individuals in question and their phone sales tactics are quite questionable. I suggest that all Kirby sales indivudals should have one basic understanding -- "NO".

I had to repeat "NO" three separate times in varying tones before this was understood. Adam's comments regarding the performance might be true, however the sales methods gives Kirby the bad name. You can be assured this household will NEVER buy a Kirby vacuum cleaner. By the way, this is the first time I have ever complained in writing regarding on any product or service of this nature.

Jady of Milledgeville GA has this to add:
As for Adam I bet he is a very lonely man except for his Kirby. Me and my husband were at my parents house for dinner one night andwe were about to leave because it was aproaching 9:00 p.m. and my parents go to bed somewhat early.

Two Kirby salesmen showed up to demonstrate their product days after they told my mom they would be there earlier in the day. She agreed to let them show her a demonstration on her carpet. We were amazed with the model G5. It was improved because it has a foot switch which allows you to go to a self-propelled setting. It really amazed us at how different and easier it was to use with this feature on. we were also amazed at how it could also sweep your bare floors, and for $200.00 extra you could get the carpet shampooer with it, which we thought was a good idea seeing the demonstrater looked like a puppy that had to go really bad and didn't know where the door was. He was jumping around and acting so smooth.

Well I ended up purchasing one because my aunt has one and she swore by it (so I thought). I told the guy I would take it and he borrowed my mother's phone to call to get me approved. I was not told of this 3-day trial period, unfortunately.

He sold me a demonstration model first of all, and charged me full price. I know all about that finance company thing too, they tell you it's 0% financing but it is really like a 28% fee with that company. What they should tell you it will not cost you anything for them to call their little special number. This number is like the special number at auto dealers. They call the number, give the person on the other end of the phone your life history, and that person shoots it out over the internet to basically find someone who will finance a $2000.00 vaccum cleaner.

That's right folks, $2000.00! Well I had to call to tell the people first off they charged me full price for a demonstration model, this person had been vaccuming in other people's houses. Second, remember the carpet shampooer I stated I didn't want, it was also charged to me, and instead of $200.00, it was more like $500.00. I'm very disappointed in my Kirby. I would also like to say to anyone reading this thinking of purchasing it, DON'T, RUN. You wil get the same result if not better with a $50.00 Eureka from Wal-Mart or some other discount retailer.

Well the consequences are I'm stuck with this sorry vacuum. After one full year of arguing with these people I gave up. I was placed on a nerve medication because I let these people get to me.

Liz of Cookesville TN writes:
I am a Kirby salesperson, and I would like to first apologize to those who were not satisfied with Kirby products or employees. There is no reason someone should upset you in your own home, and I am ashamed of those shady salespeople that apparently have given us all a bad name. Still, I urge you to give the product a chance, because it truly is wonderful, although all salespeople are not.

I find it unfair to denounce the entire product for the actions of a few rude salespeople- there are corrupt and dishonest people in every company. I am sure that no one stops going to a doctor because a few are crooked. No one blames the police for the few of them that accept bribes. Surely no one has denounced their Catholicism because of a few men of the cloth who have taken advantage of alter (sic) boys.

My point is, every person is different, and I can tell you that I have never lied to any of my customers, nor would I do anything to make them unhappy. I keep relations with them months later, in fact, to make sure they are still enjoying their machine, as they will for the following twenty years. As one of the salespeople of integrity, I do not appreciate a slanted consumer-advocacy group giving a false impression of the wonderful company I have the privelidge (sic) of working for.

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