My wife just let a Kirby vaccuum salesman in the house

**usedcarguy** · 03-22-2010, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by jsb

During the mid-80's farm crisis, our neighbor was laid off from John Deere's and started selling Electrolux vacuum cleaners. His wife and my mom were friends and he needed a person to practice on, so my mom agreed to do it. It turns out that he ended up putting the hard sell on my parents during this 'practice' session. My parents farmed and had no money either, but this guy was in worse shape and they ended up spending a ton of money on this vacuum. It was a good vacuum though---probably lasted 15 years with 5 kids and lots of pets.

My mom has BOTH an Electrolux and a Kirby, and both are 25-30 years old. The Kirby is too heavy to lug up and down stairs so she keeps one on each level of her house.

I remember when she got the Kirby - it was like she won the lottery. Dad really didn't care because he wasn't the one running it. Like they say, A happy wife is a happy life.........

**usedcarguy** · 03-22-2010, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by heyguy85

I'm more excited to get on here later when some guy posts:

I went to this house tonight to sell a vaccuum, and this lady was totally hitting on me. I'm convinced she bought a vaccuum from me just to make her husband mad.

Originally Posted by cycloneML

those guys are not above banging their clients after the initial purchase. It has happened before.

Dear Penthouse,

I'm a Kirby vacuum salesman in central Iowa, and I had this appointment..............

**jdoggivjc** · 03-22-2010, 10:57 PM

Directly out of college and needing money, I was almost talked into selling vacuum cleaners. Might have fallen for it too if I hadn't answered an interview for an "advertising" job from found in the Chicago Tribune want-ads that ended up being nothing more than a Ponzi scheme. What's worse is these clowns were pretending to be affiliated with DARE, had the nametags and everything (they were selling coupon sheets to well-to-do families off of Algonquin Road in the northwest suburbs, and it was obvious that they were phonies if you read the fine print - DARE was only getting 10-25% of the money collected). I tagged along with this guy who went up and down every street in several neighborhoods selling these coupons. Of course, they had me look at the boss' Lexus coupe before we left, and kept reminding me of that the entire day (little did they know that was hardly a motivating factor for me). The final straw was the power play they put me on when it was late, I had sore feet, and was very tired - "You can either go back to Iowa (making it sound as shameful as possible), or you can come upstairs and get signed up." Needless to say I for all purposes peeled out of their parking lot as I couldn't get away from there fast enough. One of the worst experiences of my life.

Now, while Kirby is a legit product, I wasn't going to get suckered into something similar, as it also is for all purposes a Ponzi scheme, just centered around a legitimate product.

**TheGovernator** · 03-22-2010, 11:18 PM

A few summers ago we were in my buddy's garage putting away some cold ones before we headed out for the night and we had some Valley or Dowling kids running door to door selling these things. They said the student who sold the most got some sort of scholarship or whatever. We basically told the kids that there wasn't a chance in hell we were going to buy one right off the bat. So one of them asks if they could at least give a demonstration to show they were trying. So we agreed to let them vacuum out my buddy's old junker that he takes his dog around in.

After that, we gave them a beer, and just as they were finishing it up, their "chaperon" pulls up, gets out of the car in a huff because they are drinking. We offer her a beer, and of course she takes it, stays a few hours BS'ing with us before they call it a night.

Best approach: Tell them up front that there's no f'ing way it's going to happen, throw them a few beers, let em clean up a room or whatever, and send them on their way.

P.S. This probably only worked since they were high school kids with absolutely no selling experience, but just an option to consider.

**ianoconnor** · 03-22-2010, 11:45 PM

lol... so you are saying that the best method to get rid of high school salespeople is to give the kids beer and hang out with them for a few hours?

**TheGovernator** · 03-23-2010, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by ianoconnor

lol... so you are saying that the best method to get rid of high school salespeople is to give the kids beer and hang out with them for a few hours?

Should have added in the P.S. to only do if the chaperon was single and attractice

Otherwise no, I would not suggest providing minors with alcohol in a snooty neighborhood

**Sterling4Cy** · 03-23-2010, 07:29 AM

I know the product is good. We use to have some ancient ones at my fraternity house. I just have problems with some jobber trying to get in my house to sell me something. Makes me wonder if their is an alterior motive. Are they scoping the place out to rob later?

**jdoggivjc** · 03-23-2010, 07:43 AM

Originally Posted by Sterling4Cy

I know the product is good. We use to have some ancient ones at my fraternity house. I just have problems with some jobber trying to get in my house to sell me something. Makes me wonder if their is an alterior motive. Are they scoping the place out to rob later?

There's no ulterior motive that I'm aware of - regional managers have their salespeople ultra-motivated trying to achieve awards for sales levels that for the most part are unachievable. It's very much like a hitched horse going after a carrot.

**tazclone** · 03-23-2010, 07:48 AM

Originally Posted by CYKID

Honestly my wife bought one and I didn't speak to her for a week. 10 years later and that thing still runs like a champ. We used to buy a new vacuum every couple of years too. You can't beat the power of a kirby. They ARE worth the money.

My grandparents buy one for every grandkid when they get married. We have had ours for 16 years and have replaced a $20 wheel and a $20 chord. My parents lasted 25+ years.

**rdubbs** · 03-23-2010, 07:57 AM

This thread could have been so much better

**oldman** · 03-23-2010, 08:20 AM

I'm not so sure I'd be "teaching (my wife) a lesson." They tend to get back at you, and a lot of times, you don't even know it.

**aauummm** · 03-23-2010, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by oldman

I'm not so sure I'd be "teaching (my wife) a lesson." They tend to get back at you, and a lot of times, you don't even know it.

Now those are words of wisdom!

**Cyclonepride** · 03-23-2010, 08:23 AM

Shall we send out a search party for The Architect? I'm beginning to worry.

**Cydkar** · 03-23-2010, 08:23 AM

If you actually want the vacuum go ahead and agree to buy it. You get a period of time to change your mind. Before that time expires tell them that you've changed your mind and they will offer to sell it WAY below the previous price. I did it but still decided to back out but I could have gotten it pretty cheap.

They'll give you the sob story "We just need to sell one more vacuum to get our bonus" or something cheesy like that.

**balken** · 03-23-2010, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by TheGovernator

A few summers ago we were in my buddy's garage putting away some cold ones before we headed out for the night and we had some Valley or Dowling kids running door to door selling these things. They said the student who sold the most got some sort of scholarship or whatever. We basically told the kids that there wasn't a chance in hell we were going to buy one right off the bat. So one of them asks if they could at least give a demonstration to show they were trying. So we agreed to let them vacuum out my buddy's old junker that he takes his dog around in.

After that, we gave them a beer, and just as they were finishing it up, their "chaperon" pulls up, gets out of the car in a huff because they are drinking. We offer her a beer, and of course she takes it, stays a few hours BS'ing with us before they call it a night.

Best approach: Tell them up front that there's no f'ing way it's going to happen, throw them a few beers, let em clean up a room or whatever, and send them on their way.

P.S. This probably only worked since they were high school kids with absolutely no selling experience, but just an option to consider.

Nothing says funny like 'Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.' Any stories of sexual exploitation with someone selling magazines?