Kirby vacuum cleaner scam

smcaul

I didn't even get past the job interview with them about 15 years ago!!!! After spending an hour in a little office with someone who would have passed as a very good Jabba the Hutt lookalike (and had very similar manners!) with him basically telling me that "the best way to sell the hoovers was to sell to friends and family first as they would pay the full price without even trying for any discount". I had had enough and walked out of the interview telling him to find some other mug to con people, I was not about to!

dreamypuma

I can't believe people fall for these high pressure techniques.

I remember when I was about 9 or 10,the Kirby man visited our house. Only me my mum and my sister present. I thought the vac was brilliant creating a whirlwind for dusting and all that dirt he found in our carpet on a tissue.

Anyway, my mum let slip that I had asthma. The salesman immediately jumped on this and asked if my mum would be happy for me to live amongst all the dirt.

I burst out laughing along with my sister two years younger than me. Even we could see through his crap. He soon left the house.

tandraig

I actually had to threaten the kirby salesman with the police - he wouldnt leave!!! he was here 3 hours and although we told him repeatedly we couldnt afford the nearly 900 pounds for the cleaner he wouldnt go!! he phoned his manager (on our phone !who tried his hardest to get us to sign) in the end - I set my dog on him! little did he know that she wouldnt have bitten him the signal i gave meant she could jump all over him! but, she was a staffordshire bull terrier and LOOKED fierce!
oh and his language wasnt very nice as he left - apparently we had 'done' him out of his commission!

dinglebert

There was a TV programme a few years ago about Kirby. It is generally felt that they are very good cleaners, but if you really want one go on ebay, its full of them.

The programme did point out that the first port of call for most of the new sales people were the immediate family after which lots of them left. Its a no brainer really for Kirby. Take on someone on commisson, get them to sell to their family if they stay after that when they get all the rejections then great, if they leave then get the next poor sod in who is unemployed.

Gavin83

smcaul wrote: »

"the best way to sell the hoovers was to sell to friends and family first as they would pay the full price without even trying for any discount".

Thats pretty much when I left. One of our training tasks was to get 10 friends and family to sell to. I really wasn't prepared to sell to my family like that.

They also told us that if we didn't do a certain number of visits in a month, 50 I think, then we didn't get paid. I was well aware this would have been illegal, but I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of taking legal action should I have got into this position.

susieq42_2

Just thought I would post a message on this subject as my 81 year old mother-in-law has unfortunately had dealings with this bunch of crooks. They approached her telling her she had been entered for a prize draw to win a Micra (that should have put her off straight away!). She took a card and gave them her phone number.Low and behold, phone call next day offering carpet cleaning service and 2 men arrived the next day. 4 hours later they had finally brow beaten her into parting with £1295 for a new Kirby that she couldn't even lift! Sounds mad but she was so terrified and confused she felt the better option was to pay them. She didn't even tell us what she had done. A neighbour was there when they returned the next day for a demonstration (1 hour earlier than planned - surprise surprise!) and he dumped the hoover on the doorstep and told the guy in no uncertain terms what to do with it! The cheeky so and so had the nerve to knock on her door to ask her to give him the 'right to cancel' notice - again the neighbour told him to go as it was being posted - recorded! Be aware and warn relatives - especially vunerable people!

geordieracer

Tia_Maria06 wrote: »

Cos he was a bit of a persistent bully to be honest. We were so worn down and we kept asking him to leave, but I was a very weak person then... not anymore though;) He'd have been run out of the house straight after I got my carpet cleaned now :T

So if i persistently hassled you for money on here wouldl you give me it?

You invited them into your home and you can most certainly show them the door again..

marleyboy

I used to know a friend who worked as a salesman for kirby, ironically he put me down for a demo, I assumed just so he would get paid for the time, with a beer and a laugh. He turned up with this ugly looking monstrosity, a steam roller with a bag. I told him to just shove it in the corner and not bother shampooing my carpet, as there was not a cats chance in hell I wanted one.

But he insisted in doing this demo, he even did samples of my bed sheets, giving it the health warnings, (although he never did shampoo my carpet) still as he was a mate, I bluntly said "Mike, I really dont give a bleep, you know it, I know it, so whats the point?". He never gave up, to the point of him phoning his boss, and managing to get £600 knocked off, the usual spiel that even HE knew I could see right through.

After I guess 4 hours he gave up, it was obvious, even his boss on the phone, wasn't going to get me to budge on it. I dont know how long that job lasted for him, nor what he is doing with himself now.

This competition prize gimmick for kirbies is a new one on me, although it doesnt surprise me with these type of companies, lets face it, if they had a shop in the City selling them at THAT price tag on it, even the clearance sales wouldnt look tempting.

MaximRecoil

My older sister bought a Kirby vacuum cleaner in the mid '90s, about a thousand dollars (close to $2000 once interest is figured in on a payment plan).

My sister thought she was being clever; her plan was to let the Kirby guy come along and do his demonstration; getting her carpet cleaned for free; and then not buy the vacuum cleaner. She didn't count on the salesman being slick, but slick he was.

shammyjack

I love Kirby's ! Used to buy every one I could find at Police auctions and never failed to at least double what I paid . Probably made twice as much on each than a salesman would in commission .


shammy