The world is a mixture of good and bad. Sometimes, you even feel that majority is that of the bad stuff, especially when something bad goes wrong in your own house. Try these questions out and see if you have either experienced them or might know of someone that has. How many times have you heard of people being tricked into getting certain household appliances and furniture that do not actually work or last that long? Have you ever bought an electric iron that doesn’t work, stoves that don’t even light up, or laptops that couldn’t even connect to the internet? Well, these are just examples of scams can be perpetrated through the ‘miracle’ appliances that often live up to the moniker ‘too-good-to-be-true.’
With that said, one famous scam is the Kirby Vacuum Scam. For those who have not heard of this yet, this scam involves a salesman calling about the amazing Kirby Vacuum, and then coming over for a demonstration. The call concerns about giving you a free demonstration of the product, in this case a vacuum cleaner, with absolutely no obligated demands to be made upon the demonstration. To avoid you from having doubts, especially with regard to time constraints, you will be informed that the demonstration may or may not exceed an hour. Once you take the bait, you’re in for a couple of hours of vacuum cleaner demonstration with the focus on hooking you up for a sale. Some households complain of demonstrations reaching up to 3 and 4 hours. Just imagine those agonizing hours of being persuaded, impressed, and tricked. What’s worse is that the demonstration takes on a head-on attack with the goal of making a sale.
You are usually quoted a price of between $2,000 to $2,300. However, with continued efforts of saying no to the salesperson, amazingly, the price could reach as low as $800 to $1,000. For some, the thought of getting the upper hand upon pulling the price this low is common. However, you just entered one big fault line. Saying no until the end is actually not the best solution. These salesmen are actually counting on you losing your patience and agreeing to purchase this product just to get them to leave. Some household owners even reach the point of threatening to call the police just to make them vacate their homes. Unfortunately, there are those who surrender to the point of purchasing the ‘wonder’ product.
Although theoretically all is not lost since there is a quoted three-day window for returning the equipment if ever you are not satisfied with its performance, this never seems to actually work out for the purchaser; unfortunately the difficulty of having the salesperson leave during the Kirby vacuum scam is multiplied in your attempts to reach the salesperson via the given phone number in order to return said equipment. But the trouble does not end there. For some household owners who own or have an old vacuum cleaner, the salesperson would give the purchased product in exchange for the old vacuum cleaner and a deposited amount. However, if ever the equipment is decided to be returned, some people complained that they either do not get their old cleaner or deposit back, or don’t get both back at all.
Now the question is would you like to go through an experience like this? Then, how do you avoid it?
Awareness and preparedness are the simple solutions for scams like the Kirby vacuum rip-off. Here are a few tips that could prevent you from being prey to the Kirby vacuum salesman scam.
– Start off by being aware that a scam like the Kirby vacuum scam does exist. Awareness in any matter or situation is always the best key in starting your way through. Any unaware victim can be caught by surprise. You would not want to be taken off guard within the very walls of your own house, would you?
– Next, inform other members of the household regarding this kind of scam, and the rip-off that the Kirby vacuum salesmen perpetrate. You may be fully aware regarding this matter, but you are not sure that that phone call happens during times when you are around. It is best to have awareness for everyone in the house.
– Have a firm mind. It is best to be certain about decisions even those as simple as saying yes or no. For example, if you say no, then there is no need for this word to be repeated a couple of times in order for the persuader to understand or comprehend the meaning of the word “no.” A “no” means no further talk, a period. Do not allow salesmen like those in the Kirby vacuum scam to get the upper hand with you; say no and hang up the phone or close the door.
– Stick to the plan. If ever you accepted the offered demonstration such as in the Kirby vacuum scam, make sure to stick to the appointment details discussed in the phone call. Upon arrival of the salesperson, make sure to establish expectations before he starts his demonstration. Make sure to emphasize to him or her that if any of these expectations are not met, then the demonstration has to be put to a halt, and you will have to ask him or her to leave. The key is perception management. Show the salesperson that you are in command of the situation in each and every inch of the scenario. If you show any inconsistencies of living up to the earlier set expectations, these salesmen will be able to have an opening to grab an opportunity to alter or reverse the situation.
– If ever you have the intentions of buying the product, then have a thorough decision time. Know what you want, why you want it, and if things don’t turn out right, how to have it refunded or fixed. Being given a phone number in case you change your mind or have further questions is never enough for a smart consumer. It is best to have the company’s full name, address, and business contact number; the salesperson’s superiors or supervisor’s full name and contact number; and the salesperson’s employee number, personal and business contact number, and an alternate number if possible. Lastly, do not forget to ask for a receipt. If any legality gets involved, it is best to have something accepted by law in hand.
Those are a few tips in getting you through each and every day without the need to worry anymore about the Kirby Vacuum Scam. You just need to know your rights and how to reassert them when they are violated.