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.

Savanah of Goldsboro, NC June 11, 2006
I was employed at Hills & Associates, a Kirby distributor in Goldsboro, NC.  I answered the ad in the newspaper that sounded pretty good, with all the vacations they take and 300 a week guaranteed, plus commission.

But they didn't explain in order to get the 300 a week you have to do at least 12 demos per week or you basically won't have a check. And to get the vacations you have to sell at least 15 Kirbys a month, and that the commission you get from the deals is awful.  I sold a Kirby to a woman for 1000 and got 25 commission.  Then I sold another one for a little over 1000 and had 10 deducted because the lady had bad credit so it wasn't an "instant".

Then my supervisor had the nerve to tell me I wasn't dedicated enough for the job but yet I worked every day except Sunday, went in at 9:30 and didn't get home until 10 or 10:30 pm, walk around in the pouring down rain, or the hot sun for hours.  If that's not dedication, then I don't know what is.

Karen of Refugio, TX May 24, 2006
I purchased a kirby vacuum with all of the attachments for a cost of about 2000.00. made a down payment and payed 112.00 a month for 2 years and they took my old vac without my knowledge. it is a piece of junk!  I just bought another cheaper vac and you can't believe what it picked up that the kirby does not.

Mary of La Verne, CA March 21, 2006

Two people from Kirby said they would clean my carpets in one room. Afterward he left I found diry footprints on the wet carpet and had to scrub that part of the carpet.  Then he emptied the water from carpet cleaner into sink (instead of toilet ) and plugged up the bathroom sink.  He took the wash cloth from my expensive, brand new towel set with him to use as a rag.

They didn't leave a card and we did not buy a machine, so I had no one to contact.  I would NEVER buy a Kirby after that experience.

Joyce of Jacksonville, FL March 11, 2006
I answered the door to a Kirby salesman wanting to sell a vacuum cleaner. I told him I was not interested, that I could not afford a new vacuum cleaner. He told me that was fine - that all he would like for me to do in to vacuum the one room in my house that I would like to have shampooed and that he would be back in 20 minutes to shampoo that room. He and his young boss came back and into my house and right away tried to start selling me the vacuum cleaner. I told him numerous times I could not buy a new vacuum cleaner; that I had a year old vacuum cleaner that will serve my purpose until I die. He kept insisting on why I would want to keep my vacuum cleaner when the Kirby was so much better. He would not take no for an answer.

After one hour and 45 minutes I got up and went to the other part of the house and my husband had to get very upfront with him and told him to get his junk and get out of the house.

Bonita of Oxford, WI March 8, 2006
Eric B came to our home to demonstrate Kirby Vacuum Cleaner. We bought one for 1000. We were told if we paid it off early we didn't have to pay all the interest charges. I called the finance company to see what the pay off would be. Our numbers didn't match, I asked what was the amount of the loan and they said it was 1000. We paid down 55. I looked at the papers that were left with us. The loan should have been for 945. The financed amount on the paper is 1000, and with finance charges it came to 1389.96, then the 55 dollars was added to the amount and the total was 1444.96.

I tried to call Mr. B but the number has been disconnected. There is nothing we can do about this. I just wanted to register a complaint about this. Mr. B also said this was a new machine, it had never been used. After he left I was examining all the parts, the shampoo equipment had carpet fibers and string in the brushes, it had been used somewhere.

Cindy of Dothan, AL February 27, 2006

A 21 yr. old jerk (saleman for Kirby Vacs) came into our home with his boss and insulted our entire family. They told us our marriage would break up because my husband was forcing me and the kids to sleep in filth. I asked him not to go in our room because we had wet paint, but he forced himself in and got paint on his pants and the Kirby cord. He said he would bill us for his cheap looking pants.

He and his boss said we were pigs and on the way out, they told us good luck with all of our dirt.

They were charming at first, but ended up being the rudest couple of deadbeats we had ever met. We are still so upset they were in our home. Never again, and we will spread the word indeed. In fact, I am going to purchase a no soliciting sign tomorrow, and share the story with all I know.

Baxter of Austin, TN February 23, 2006

Two people came to my door a few minutes ago saying that they just wanted my opinion to use as "word of mouth" advertising on carpet cleaning.

I explained I had a professional service, but they insisted saying they got credit just for cleaning an area. I was very upfront that I would not be purchasing a 'cleaning service' as I didn't need it. I had no idea that after 3 additional people came into my home, and they upacked a Kirby vacuum box, that they were going to try and sell me a vacuum.

I was honest and said I was unemployed and would absolutely not be purchasing anything from them and did not want to waste their time. They said, "Can't you afford 40 a month?" At that point I asked them to leave, and the main person called his boss in front of me, saying what I had said.

It was humiliating and unbelievably creepy to have these people in my home. I couldn't wait for them to leave and told them I would be contacting the Kirby company because they got into my home on false pretenses. He continued to belittle me and I asked him to not speak anymore. I was literally on the verge of calling the police. It was horrible. They have secured my "word of mouth" warnings to anyone I know about this deceitful practice.

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