The weirdest thing happened last night. I was watching the Desperate Housewives finale, and I get a knock at the front door around 8:45. I thought who could that be? It was a lady with a sales flyer saying a new store is coming to town and would I be interested in a free floor cleaning to promote the business? I thought sure why not, if it wasn’t convenient for me I could later turn it down. So she say the guys will be here in a few minutes. Hmm. I was like tonight? (first mistake I should have turned it down then)
Literally in 5 minutes 2 Kirby Salesmen show up and my door to demo the Kirby vacuum and clean my carpet. What? ( I didn’t want a demo just a free cleaning) Then the manager leaves, and 1 guy is left to demo the cleaner. (I was oh crap how long is this going to take I don’t want to miss the finale) So the guy starts unloading the vacuum cleaner, starts telling me about how they want to win a trip etc and then DT calls. I tell him that a guy is here to clean our floors and he immediately is like, “WHAT? 9pm on a Sunday night?” Tell him to leave, I was like “oh no”. So he said, “let me talk to him”. I hand the phone to the salesman and DT tells the guy he is going to be home in 2 minutes and would like for him to not be at our house. So the guy packs up and waits to be picked up on the road, mind you it is pitch black now outside.
Then DT calls the police, and they come and tell the guys to leave by this time the manager had showed up to get him.
I’ll admit it was stupid of me to agree to a free carpet cleaning. I mean he could have been anybody luckily he was just a pushy salesman with a deceiving sales tactics.
Now the really weird part comes. This morning DT is home and gets a knock on his door, from a different lady and the same manager from the night before, saying that I agreed to buy a $2,600 dollar Kirby vacuum. Now if anyone knows me, I am not one to buy a $200 dollar vacuum let alone a $2,600 dollar one. So DT immediately told him that no I am not buying anything and to please leave. Then the guy says it was uncalled for, for him to call the police the night before and try to get rude with DT. WTF, seriously! So DT told him to leave that he would call the police again. And DT slammed the door, luckily they left but DT did call the police. I am just shocked that sales people would go to the extremes of harassing people like this at their home, with these kinds of pushy sales tactics. Did he seriously think that someone would buy a vacuum after being treated like that???
I definitely learned my lesson from all of this and as my advice to you and I am sure most of you already now. DO not agree to an in home demonstration or free carpet cleaning from KIRBY!!!
I know I will never live this down, How stupid could I be? Why did I fall for this, ugh!!!
Apparently I am not the only one who has complained about the pushy salesmen at Kirby.
Yeah, that pretty much passed the line into creepy. Don’t kick yourself though – you’re just friendly and trusting and assume that others are friendly and trustworthy.
Luckily you apparently live with a bodyguard!
Love your blog by the way…..Anyway, I have had these people show up multiple times. Always at the start of summer. I never even let them finish their sales pitch, just the word “carpet” has me send them on their way. What a slimey way to do business.
I didn’t know vaccum sales people still came around. I never open the door for anyone unless I know them. I have a glass front door and I just say no through the glass or I peek around the corner and just ignore the bell if it isn’t someone I know or a FAB delivery of course!
We all make mistakes I did the same thing with ordering a trial on line and then was being charged monthly on my credit card – how stupid to not understand the fine print. We just live and learn. Hope you didn’t miss your show!
Oh my goodness! That is just crazy! I have learned not to open the door for anyone these days. Nothing is ever “free.”
That is SO weird. The last time I was in my hometown visiting, my grandmother was telling me a similar story about her neighbor. They had actually told her they had just finished up at my granparents and thats the only reason she let them in (she is an older lady and lives alone). But they had NEVER been to my grandparents. This too happened on a Sunday night and they were there until after midnite. They gave her some $3000 spill and then said but if you pay cash tonight well give it to you for $1300. I tild my grandmother and her neighbor to NEVER let anyone, especially that late and on a Sunday, into their house for anything! You never know about people, they could be using this as a way to scope out your belongings and living situation!! Girl you are lucky and DT did the right thing by calling the police! You have to be careful these days!!
You are such a HOOT! 1. I can’t believe sales people actually show up on a doorstep at that hour! 2. Did you get to watch the DH finale?
We have watched every single episode of Housewives and we won’t even answer the phone during “our show”.
So creepy those guys came back with the nerve saying you wanted to purchase their vacuum.
P.S, I laughed right out loud when you corrected me on the “Star Wars” Star Trek movie. Thanks, I went back and changed it.
Blessings – Debbie
Don’t feel bad! We had them come to my door on my due date for my oldest daughter. I was 20 years old and scared out of my mind and bought one of the damned things. It was a good vacuum cleaner but it took me forever to pay that thing off:-)
Yeah, that’s definitely creepy!!! I can’t believe the nerve of the salesman…I mean, who does a demo like that at 9:00 on a Sunday night??!! That’s just wierd.
Sometimes I tend to be too nice, as well, and my husband reads me the riot act. So now I just never open the door unless he’s home or if it’s someone I know.
Pretty much the same thing happened when I was visiting my grandmother a few months ago. It was like 7 o clock at night and she agreed to let 2 big guys come into the house (where it was just her, me and the baby) and clean our carpet. The demo took FOREVER and the guy kept trying to get her to buy a vacuum even though she told him we just did not have the money. He kept saying, but doesn’t this beautiful baby deserve to be crawling around on clean floors? He freaked me out. Later I asked her why she even let him in and she was like, well I probably wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t been here. Like I could have protected her from this dude that looked like a pro football player!
Oh I just read a previous person’s comment, and that is what the guy told my grandmother too, that he had just finished cleaning our neighbor’s carpet and she had recommended him to us but it turned out that that never happened!
MIndee- Ha, yes I do live with a body guard.
Kristi- I so agree, slimy!
Fifi flowers- that’s smart and I totally going to do this now.
Venus- I think my hubby got into one of those deals before, that is so frustrating.
Sam- that is so smart, nothing is ever “free”
leAnna- how scary they stayed until midnight, ugh. They tried telling me they were across the street at my neighbors house also, such a scam. That was my hubby main concern that they were trying to scope out our house and living situation. i really think they were just trying to sell vacuums, but have an aggressive deceitful sales tactics.
Debbie- I know I can’t believe they came back! But yes all in all I missed about 30 minutes of Desperate Housewives.
Susieshomemade- really you bought one, were they aggressive and deceitful with you?
Helene- I am going to do the same thing, I was just too nice also. I keep thinking, what the hell was I thinking?
Cassie- Yes when they found out I have children and pets, it was like fuel to their sales fire, ugh. Even though I told them our carpet is brand new.
Definitely weird. But don’t feel embarrassed at all! Thanks for sharing, so we’ll know not to agree to a demo.
The same thing happened to me last week. Fortunately, I had about 15 minutes between the guy asking if I wanted the free cleaning and the arrival of the equipment. I locked all the doors, closed the blinds and told my kids not to make a peep. I swear, the guy rang my doorbell for 10 minutes while knocking and calling my name. It was kind of scary! My 11 year old stepped up and grabbed his nerf dart gun and trained it on the door in case the guy broke in. I was laughing so hard, I’m sure the kirby dude heard me!
Thanks for stopping by my blog last week on my SITS day! This is really good to be aware of. Thanks for posting!
oh! and I meant to let you know that I might be interested in your meet the newlyweds feature. 🙂 nicolekennington@gmail.com Sorry I’m just now checking in. Still digging myself out of comment love! 🙂
WOW. Definitely creepy/scary. Brian would have done exactly what DT did. Protective the way a husband should be, imho. 🙂
Glad you are safe!!
Oooooh, yes. I’ve heard of this. Note to self: do not agree to free carpet cleaning. That is just a tempting offer to turn down.
Wow, you’re right, that is weird. I’m glad it turned out okay…