I am not a customer but I worked for Kirby for three weeks. When I got the job, they stated they pay for training. They don't. They also said their appointments are all pre-arranged. Not! You get dropped in a neighborhood and work it from noon until 9PM. Watching my boss work, she would go into a house and not even ask to enter a bedroom even when the door was closed. Without asking, she would pull the sheets off a mattress and vacuum. I was also told to knock on doors that said "No solicitations", which I feel is a lack of courtesy. Finally, my team lead who was at best 21 would drive on the freeway in Pacifica doing 80mph and texting. That was when I decided this was not for me.
Consumer Complaints & Reviews
First off, the lady that knocked on the door had holes in her jeans and smelled stale bread. She told me that she would like to demo a scotch guard treatment to my carpet. "Okay, fine," I said. Well, she sends in this young kid dressed in all black and he stunk so bad that my pregnant wife had to leave the house because she was getting nauseated. So, he lays out this Kirby box, has all these parts out and can't figure out how to put any of it together. Meanwhile, he keeps talking and rambling on about a vacuum he knows nothing about.
The lady who brought him in the house has left at this point so I have this kid in my house. He is trying to figure out how to operate this vacuum, which, at this point (20 minutes into this deal) is now a complete joke. He finally gets the vacuum running and he is starting and stopping the stupid thing every 5 seconds to show me that it's working and collecting dirt. It's taking him like 40 minutes to vacuum my hallway.
Then, I finally tell him to pack up his ** and leave because I have to go to work. I then said, "Where is the scotch guard that I let you in for in the first place?" He reaches in his back pack and pulls out a water bottle that, I guess, had the guard in it. I started laughing. Then, I said, "How much is that ** vacuum anyway?" "$3,295," he says. I started laughing again. "Get out," I said. He said that his ride isn't here yet. I said, "Call them and have them come get you." So, I gave him my phone to use.
He asked if I could fill up his water bottle while he waited out by the street, which I did. What a joke. He finally got his vacuum put back in the box and I sent him out the door. He must have sat by the street for 30 minutes waiting for someone to come get him. At one point, he pulled a sandwich out of his back pack and eat it while he was waiting for his ride. For the price of this vacuum, you would think that these people could afford a shower and soap. For the poor presentation, I expect a product more like Eureka, Dirt Devil, or even a Shark.
I recently bought a used Kirby system with all the trimmings. However, there were no manuals to help understand what I had and how to use it. I searched online as I do with all the used products I buy to find manuals and all necessary documents for the product. I now understand Kirby controls distribution of all such information and will not let it be published on the Internet.
I was trying to see if all the accessories worked, in doing so I moved a switch like plastic tab in the direction of an arrow while the internal brush was spinning from vacuum generated from the Kirby. A ring came off as well as a brush, and then the spinning wheel jumped out and cut off a path removing approximately 1 square inch of skin from my forearm as well as a 6-square inch bruise.
This is why I get the documents for the items I could get sawed for!
I feel Kirby is a failing company in as much as trying to control even the bags and belts seems like losers to me. You can't even buy a belt or a bag at Walmart much less the shampoo solution or anything else.
Customer comfort is nonexistent.
I answered the door to a woman who was wearing a 4-inch heels. Upon opening the door, she tells me that she is a Kirby salesperson and that she would like to clean an area for free to show me how well Kirby works. I said, "How much will it be?" She said, "Nothing, this is what we do to drum up business." I agreed and she proceeded to enter my house. She took off her heels and started showing me the vacuum. At this time, I told her that I can't buy a vacuum and I won't buy one, especially for $2,000 a pop. I also told her that my husband wasn't there and I had family coming into town, who where supposed to arrive at any moment.
After I said that "I liked the product, but I can't see myself having payments for a vacuum," she kept hounding me about how much is affordable and how much would I be willing to settle for payments. Well, after I had stupidly said, "You are lucky that my husband wasn't here since he would not have been able to hold out against you," she decided to stay until he got home.
From here, she started asking me very personal questions and discussed the fact that she is worried that she has an STD that she is sleeping with her boss. She told me that she likes black guys only, loves to do **, and is okay with **. At this point, I was pretty shocked and I didn't know how to handle the situation. My husband's family came to the door by now and I was hoping that she would pack up and leave. Well, she didn't. She stayed right there and decided that she did not need to continue with any semblance of professionalism.
My husband arrived home and she proceeded to start showing him and flirting with him in front of me. I just watched, thinking that I must be in a twilight zone. My husband agreed to buy the vacuum after the price came down from $2,000 to $1,080. By this time, I was exhausted (as it was 11:00 p.m. and she got there at 7:00 p.m.) and wanted her gone. She continued to be repulsive and flirt with my family members, asking inappropriate things about their **. Well, after asking to use my phone, she packed up her stuff. She said that she will have to deliver the buffer set since the other one was used and it still hasn't arrived.
Needless to say, it was a miserable, long experience and I wish that I had never answered the door. The machine is fine, but Delilah ** out of Houston was the most foul-mouth ghetto woman that I have ever had the misfortune to meet.
I bought a Kirby vacuum from Kris and she then asked me for some referrals, as obviously hers is a referral business. I gave her 10 names of friends and family. Since that time I have heard nothing but complaints about her behavior and rudeness to these people. I am frustrated because I don't know who to complain to (i.e. her superior) since she is an independent dealer.
The saleswoman/manager (not the demonstrator) that we dealt with during my Kirby purchase LIED to us. She said that if we paid off our Kirby before 24 months, that we would get reimbursed for all the finance charges that we paid. She said, "They will send you a check".
That was the only reason we purchased the Kirby (otherwise we couldn't afford it).
I called last week to check the amount of the payoff and also ask about our finance reimbursement and was told they couldn't send us a check and that we should talk to the saleswoman we dealt with.
Damages: We are stuck paying for something we can't afford, not to mention that we would never have paid that much money for a vacuum cleaner.
Kirby saleswoman came into our home saying that she would shampoo a full carpet in one of our rooms for free just to demonstrate her Kirby vacuum. We were very impressed with the unit and decided to buy. Since they are very expensive we used their financing.
She suggested that we keep the vacuum she used for our demonstration, to avoid waiting for one to be shipped. She assured us that it was a brand new unit and only used in our home. We found out that this was not the case when we tried out the different parts and I found wear and tear stains on the inside of the bag cover (upright unit).
Damages: We ended up paying $1,400 for a USED Kirby and she apparently got my new one as a replacement! I'm now having mechanical problems with the unit and it will have to be sent in for repair.
In the past week I have had 3 different Kirby sales people come to my door, knowing my name and telling me I have won a free carpet cleaning. The first young man was dissheveled and sloppy, the second was a young woman after dark and the third was another disshelved young man and he gave me a bottle of liquid Tide. I have turned them all away but someone else comes to my door. There is usually a car waiting in front of the house for them.
I contacted the Bixby Police and they said soliciters must have a permit from the city and only during daylight hours. They are using the excuse that they are not soliciting but giving a free carpet cleaning. The only consequence thus far is the annoyance of them coming to the door to solicit. I will contact the police the next time they ring my door bell.
I have never ever let a salesman into our home. I had three people show up at our back door wanting to sell a Kirby vacuum cleaner. I have always wanted a Kirby so I thought it was legit and allowed them in to my home - two men and a girl who were very interested in a few items that where in my garage, a motorcycle that was my boy's and a couple of remote controll helicopters. They soon found out that we were going out of state and guess what came up missing when we got home.
Yes we contacted the sheriff and there is a case number but I never got their address or phone number. So if you ever have a salesman show up at your door make them provide their drvers license and get their license number from the vehicle they drive. My homeowners covered half of it plus a 500.00 deductible so I will never cover my loss.
It is unbelievable to read all of the stories regarding Kirby Vacuum cleaner sales scum! I am sooooo glad that we turned around and walked out! My husband and I were on a quest to find a new vacuum cleaner. We decided to check out a neighborhood Kirby store (not knowing anything about the place) to see what they had to offer. As soon as we walked in the store, we were surrounded by sales people. The woman behind the desk shoved a card for a $1000 drawing into my husband's hand. I am assuming that this is to get our names, address and phone number. We were then told that she would find someone who could give us some more information.
We asked them where all of the vacuums were because the only ones that were out were a complete disaster! I was shown a vacuum that was so heavy I could not lift it, and shown the price tag of $1069! We tried to say that we were not interested, but like the others were promised a free carpet shampoo if they could just come to the house. They kept asking if we were going home now? I told them that it was none of their business, and walked out. As I was walking out, they kept calling out ma'am, ma'am...now how obnoxious is that? It was the most horrible experience that I have ever had to buy something as simple as a vacuum cleaner! I haven't even met car salesman who are that bad!
Mr. Lamonica entered my home, on the day before Thanksgiving, to demonstate the new generation Kirby vacuum cleaner. After I made the purchase, and he departed, my husband arrived home and realized that his personal phone book and a few important business cards were missing. After searching high and low, evidence appeared indicating that someone had intentionally taken the phonebook (and therefore, the business cards as well).
That night, Mr. Cummings (the boss) was informed of the incident. He was advised that if the items are not return, then the sale will be cancelled. Mr. Lamonica was contacted by his cell phone, and he was advised as well. Within 30 minutes of the second phone call, Mr. Lamonica was at my door returning my husband personal phonebook that he had taken. However, he failed to return the important business cards (obviously stating that he did not take them). A police report has been filed of the events.
I came home this evening to find a lady demonstrating a Kirby vacuum to my wife. She demonstrated how it extracted all the "bacterial dust" from the carpet and gave us the canned health sales pitch, and when it came to price I heard six payments of $30. Sounded good, but I decided to turn it down because I have more things going on I need to focus my income on. Shortly her partner showed up, I didn't catch his name, and he started his pitch on how great it is and was trying to continually sell it, I couldn't get them out of my home.
They stated Kirby doesn't deal over the web, or phone, they are door to door and they come by once a year, so I told them to come back next time and I might be interested then. He asks me how February is, I thought it was once a year?! Then I find out the price of the vacuum cleaner is $1795! I thought I was told 6 payments of $30! That's $180! A big difference! I start to decline and the guy wouldn't take no after I flat out told him. THEN he offers the vacuum to me for $1300, I say no. The he says how about $500, would you take it for $500? By now I'm thinking this is a big scam, or this vacuum is stolen because he just dropped his price by over $1000.
The girl stated earlier she needs to make a certain number of sales to be eligible to get a trip to Hawaii. She asked my wife to note on a piece of paper that this girl had given her presentation, and she signed it against my will.
