Welcome to this Kirby Review!
The name of the company is Kirby but, for some weird reason, they disguise the opportunity as a Vacuum Salesperson job position.
I hadn’t heard about Kirby until I got the following email some days ago…
Hello Amedu,
First of all, I would like to thank you for the work you do on your website. I can’t imagine it’s easy but I’m positive you have saved a lot of people from fake opportunities.
I was hoping you could tell me something about the company, Kirby. I was offered a job at the company that guaranteed $2000 but when I went for the “interview”, I learned the position was commission-based and it’s not an actual job.
Something about this just wasn’t right so I took the time to read detailed reviews. The reviews I read had unconfirmed and conflicting information and I would like to get your view on the company.
My first thought after reading this was “this is definitely a scam”. But because I wanted to be somewhat diplomatic, I replied with this:
If the company had to resort to deceitful techniques to get you there, they are not worth joining in my opinion.
Of course, this is just my initial view of the company and I will try to write a comprehensive review as soon as possible.
Even after doing some research on the company, my initial view still remains unchanged.
Kirby is an MLM. The “position” is the opportunity to become a Kirby salesperson. It is certainly not a job. Their conscious decision to promote their opportunity as a job is enough reason for me not to recommend the opportunity.
The truth is the MLM industry is extremely controversial – largely due to the shady practices of many MLM companies. Add to that the unfortunate reality that over 90% of participants do not make any money.
Because of how controversial the industry already is, it is imperative that MLMs try to prove their legitimacy from the get go. Masking an opportunity as a job is not the way to prove you are not a scam in a pre-dominantly sketchy industry.
In the email I received, the sender says most review have “unconfirmed and conflicting” information and I’m not surprised by that at all. Kirby barely gives out any information on the opportunity on their website.
I’m afraid this review is hardly going to be any different. A lot of things in this Kirby review will be based on what I think happens at the company. I’ll leave it to any current or former Kirby Vacuum salespeople/distributors to make their arguments in the comments section below.
I think this is the longest introduction I have written and if you’re tired already, I would like you to please stick around for a minute to read a summary of the company from my own point of view:
- Kirby is a real company that sells vacuum cleaners exclusively through their distributors
- The opportunity operates an MLM business model
- Even though it is sometimes advertised as one, it is certainly NOT a job!
- The company claims there is no sign-up fee required to become a salesperson but frankly, I have my doubts about this
- As a salesperson, you will primarily be doing door-to-door selling and word of mouth promotions
- It’s hard to say how much you can earn since there isn’t a fixed commission structure. You are supposed to earn a commission per sale but the amount is at the discretion of your distributor
- The company barely provides any information on this opportunity
- The secrecy and deceptive nature of the company is one reason I cannot recommend this business opportunity
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What is Kirby?
Founded in 1914, the Kirby Company is a direct selling company that has been producing and selling vacuum cleaners. Direct selling implies the use of distributors or salespeople to reach customers but most direct-selling companies use an MLM business model. This is the case with Kirby.
The Products
To be honest, I think their products are good. They look good and I found raving reviews about the quality of Kirby vacuum cleaners.
Typically, the company produces one vacuum cleaner model at a time. At this moment, the latest is the ‘Avalir’ system.
I think everything is perfect with the product except….the price!
The company does not give an official price for the vacuum cleaner. At least, they do not make the price public. However, used ones on Amazon go for $1000 and that would count as a risky investment because it doesn’t come with any form of guarantee.
If I had to guess, I’d say distributors would push a brand new one for about $2000. That’s insane money for a vacuum cleaner, no matter how good. To me, that’s 4 times the amount anyone should have to pay for a quality vacuum cleaner.
Ridiculous product prices are never a good thing for a salesperson, trust me. It drastically reduces your chances of making a sale and that’s always a bad thing, regardless of how much you might make per sale.
The Business Opportunity
We have established that their product is great but the price is ridiculous. Now how about we talk about what this opportunity means to a prospective salesperson?
The email I shared above is from one person that was sucked in by the deceptive tactics of Kirby, pretending it was a job. Even though it might not necessarily have been the company itself but a distributor, I strongly feel companies have a responsibility to try and control the promoting behaviour of their distributors.
If many of their distributors are doing the same false method of promoting and the company isn’t doing anything about it, they need to take responsibility for it.
The way the Kirby opportunity works is there is a distributor. The distributor aims to make as many sales as possible to make the highest possible amount of money. In order to reach as many people as possible, they hire salespeople. The “position” you are applying for is to become a salesperson for a distributor.
The distributor really has nothing to lose by hiring salespeople. When salespeople make sales, they earn a commission from the sale. If they do not make sales, they do not earn anything.
How much salespeople make from each sale is totally up to the distributor. Typically, they should let you know their rules before you sign up. Stuff like how much you get paid per sale, their sales requirements to keep you as a salesperson are some of the things I’d expect them to tell salespeople. Some might even offer incentives to motivate their salespeople to make more sales.
My feeling is the distributor buys the products at wholesale pricing from Kirby and sells it to customers at whatever price they choose to set. They keep all the profits from the sale.
As a salesperson, expect to go knocking from door to door. Kirby has a lot of positive reviews about their product but there are many negative reviews about the aggressive sales tactics of their pushy salespeople.
Like I said before, a lot of the things I’m saying in this review is assumption and pure speculation. But could you really blame me? I was asked to write a review and the company has decided to keep their info under lock and key.
What I Like
Despite everything I have said about this company, there are a few things I like about the company:
The Products
The products are high-quality and that’s always a good thing for a salesperson and a customer.
Another thing I like is the uniqueness of the niche. I have reviewed a lot of MLMs but this is the first one that sells vacuum cleaners. It’s nice to review something different.
It’s free to join
The company claims it’s free to become a salesperson and I haven’t seen any proof that shows otherwise. The skeptical part of me is still suspicious but if it’s really free, then that’s a good thing.
The Company’s age
It’s admirable for a company to last over 100 years. No matter how I feel about the company or its practices, they must be doing something right to last over 100 years.
What I Didn’t Like
The Secrecy
Listen, I don’t head into any MLM company with optimism. Maybe it’s because of what I do, maybe it’s because it’s how it should be. I don’t know but it’s just how it is for me.
When I head over to an MLM company’s website and I see they are not open with the details of their opportunity, they all but seal their fate in my eyes.
In Kirby’s case, it’s even worse. Not only is the company not open with the details of their opportunity, but the distributors are luring salespeople in by tricking them that they’re coming in for a job.
The Product Price
Some might argue that high prices would mean higher commissions per sale for salespeople and they’re probably right.
My counterargument would be that with this kind of high price, you would be lucky to make a sale at all. Of course, you might make regular sales if you’re a natural salesperson. However, I don’t think there’s any chance on God’s green earth that anyone would persuade me or hard-sell me a vacuum cleaner for $2000.
I know for sure the product is overpriced. I’ve seen numerous comments from customers saying the salespeople drastically brought down the price when they refused to buy and asked them leave. If the vacuum was really worth $2000, why would they bring it down to as low as $800?
Complaints
There are some complaints about the deceptive tactics to get salespeople but the largest proportion of complaints is about the aggressive sales tactics of Kirby salespeople.
Here are some complaints from the Consumer Affairs website:
Now here’s a paragraph from Wikipedia:
I’m not saying all the salespeople are aggressive but they seem to have a reputation.
Is Kirby a Scam?
Kirby is certainly not a scam, but there are many areas of this company you should be careful of. The secrecy of the company, the deceptive promotions by the distributors and the aggressive selling nature of a lot of their salespeople.
The company is not a scam. However, I do not recommend them at all.
My Final Thoughts
I’ve said a lot about the Kirby business opportunity in this review but one thing I haven’t said is you can actually make money as a Kirby salesperson. It’s possible but it’s going to be difficult, especially if you’re not a natural salesperson.
I cannot recommend you join this opportunity for reasons I already mentioned within the review. There’s too much dishonesty and secrecy all across the board. If you’re hell bent on joining an MLM, look across this site and find a better one. Kirby is a no-no from me!
My real recommendation is that you stay away from MLMs all together. There’s a whole lot of baggage that comes with MLMs and distributors would never tell you about them before you join. Build your own online business and promote whatever the heck you want.
When I say your own business, I literally mean your own business. It’s free to get started, you work at your own pace, you promote whatever you want and you do not recruit anybody. If this sounds appealing to you, check out the program that taught me.
I hope you found something useful in this Kirby Review!
If you have any questions or would like to add or correct something, please feel free to leave them in the comments below.
Kirby Vacuum Job Review
Company Name: Kirby
Advertised Price: Free
Founder: James Kirby
Overall Ranking: 30/100
Just sat through a demo to get you to sell Kirby vacuums. Was looking for work and
when I applied initially had no idea I was selling vacuums door to door. Job posting
did not mention vacuums at all. I was polite but had misgivings from the start and
walked…. I like to be able to sleep at night 8)
Price I was told…over $2,800 but $2,400 will be offered soon to get more sales.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
Vacuume is $3,500 . In Australia
For the 3 year warranty . You can but 10x vacumes and have your house bond cleaned for 3 years for that price.
Lol thank you for sharing.
I Had an experience this past Saturday. First…my mother just passed away and I had fallen asleep exhausted. Long to short…3 hours of demo and craziness. I wind up signing for a vacuum with Lucas D. Tomasso. Gave him $200.00 cash down(i never do this) sign agreement. Decide next day to cancel and did email credit company. Now Lucas D Tomasso is ignoring my texts after he admitted receiving cash from me. Texted him I’m calling police…writing complaints to consumer affairs…banking commission…kirby Corp. Etc. These independent salespeople have no integrity and Kirby should be concerned.
I’m really sad to hear that, Joanne. I hope it all works out for you in the end and you get your money back.
Thanks for sharing.
Went for the interview yesterday. The ad I responded to was for customer service and appointment setter. When I talked to the man he made it sound like it was some kind of shop that does home type repairs. It wasn’t til orientation started that I found out it was selling Kirby vacuums. According to him I would make $1000 biweekly whether or not I made any sales. When it started to get fishy was when the subject of commission came up. You would only make commission if you made more than base salary, and, at that point, you would only make commission, not salary plus commission. And the vacuum, although very impressive, is selling (in Rhode Island) for $2699.
This is the kind of real life scenario readers need to read about before joining Kirby. Thanks for sharing this with us, Robin.
There were so many layers of dishonesty in your case. From the ad itself to when you talked to the man, and then orientation. I want to take about the compensation you were told about. I’m not sure how much you’d make per sale but let’s assume it’s $500. In order to make more than $1000 every 2 weeks, you’ll need to make 3 sales. Think about the time and effort you’ll spend going from house to house to make those 3 sales and wonder if you shouldn’t just sign up, do nothing and make $1000 bi-weekly regardless.
It’s a weird one.
I worked at one of these places for a couple of weeks one summer when I couldn’t find anything else. In addition to Clifford’s comment about pay structure (which was true in my experience as well), I was also told I got no pay unless I did a minimum of 30 shows in two weeks. Given that I had trouble doing even one show in a day because people were so sick of being inundated by vacuum cleaner salespeople, that essentially meant I wouldn’t get paid.
Couple that with instructions to “heavily use” people’s vacuum cleaners and being left in houses where I felt unsafe despite telling my supervisor that I didn’t want to go in, the whole thing is sketchy.
I know this article has been around a while but I just found it while doing some searching after the Kirby sales people visited my home and demonstrated the Avalir 2 system. I wanted to provide my experience and some pricing info. I had never heard of Kirby before this visit. The cost varried from about $1,200 for the basic vacuum up to $2,300 for the “complete cleaning sysytem” with vaccum, carpet cleaner with all the attachments and accessories. They offer a credit program oe you can buy with cash or credit card. The system worked great but I wasn’t prepared to spend that much for a vacuum. With several refusals, the price for the complete system dropped gradually to $1,400. I again declined and they packed up and left. The demonstartion took about 3 hours! They were freindly and not overly pushy.
Was working in the garage when a gentleman came up to me asking if he could show me the Kirby system. I was actually interested so I said it’s fine, go ahead. Long story short is the younger guy ended up cleaning the carpet stairs in our place, vacuumed my truck seats and cleaned up well. His supervisor came over and we did negotiate the price (went from $2,500 to $1,190 cash). Although we decided not to buy one now I will say; the machine worked really really well, the younger guy was extremely nice the whole time and his supervisor wasn’t pushy one bit. I’d never heard of Kirby before this but I may buy one just based on those facts. I was actually really impressed with the machine and the sales guys.
I’ve had a number of Kirby vacuum appointment setters come by my house over the years, but never sat through the demonstration. The first time, it was a man who said he worked for a new carpet cleaning business and the company was doing a promotion for 1 room of free cleaning and if I was satisfied, I could pay to have the rest of my house cleaned. I declined, but he had his foot inside my door so I couldn’t close it. He also asked to come inside to use my restroom. He wasn’t overly pushy, but seemed nervous so I looked up the company name (Paradigm Innovations) only to find out that it was a Kirby distributor. It turns out that the appointment for carpet cleaning is a bait and switch that turns into a high pressure sales pitch/demonstration for their carpet cleaning system.
Fast forward a year or two and a woman came by with the same carpet cleaning offer through a “new” company called Exquisite Solutions. When I told her that I wasn’t interested in a Kirby demo she was surprised that I knew what it was and begged me to just set the appointment so she could get paid and said I could call and cancel the appointment later. She said she’d been working for hours and hadn’t made any appointments and would not get paid. It sounded like she didn’t make a base salary, only for the number of appointments she set, but her pay wasn’t dependent on an actual sale.
In the following years the same offer has been presented to me by Golden West Solutions and Go Distributing. Other than the first person, the rest have been young women and have said things to garner sympathy rather than use tactics like foot in the door. When I asked how long she’d been working, one said a week and a half but when she applied for the appointment setter job, she thought it was more of a receptionist job indoors and on the phone.
I have no desire to sit through a demonstration knowing I will not buy one, but I also feel bad for the appointment setters. The bait and switch isn’t just for the customers, it’s also for the contract workers.
Though this article is a few years old now, it came up in the first page of Google results when I was trying to figure out what kind of scam the salesperson who visited my house today was trying to pull.
Today a fast-talking young woman knocked on our door and claimed she was “setting up a new cleaning business in town” and was offering free whole-house floor cleanings as a promotion.
When I tried to politely decline, she got very pushy, and my husband came out. He asked why she was pushing so hard to do work for free, and she started to act dodgy and said, “The idea is you’ll like our service and call us back.” When my husband said outright that legitimate companies don’t clean whole houses for free, she blurted out, “Have you heard of Kirby vacuums?”
There was no “new cleaning company in town.” There was no “promotion.” These desperate Kirby people are now lying through their teeth to wiggle their way into people’s homes and trap them into high-pressure sales pitches. The saddest thing is this young lady seemed to truly believe she was a savvy salesperson who would one day own her own vacuum-selling business, and Kirby is a great company because “they’ve been promoting this way since 1914!” (Yes, she memorized the year.)
The next time one of these MLM people come to the door, I’m going to tell them whoever lured them into doing this is not their friend, and they need to (a) get out of this “job” and (b) get off my property.