This is, unfortunately, another Kirby vacuum story. On October 25 I was out of town on business. My wife called to tell me that a Kirby salesman was at the house and she was impressed with the vacuum. I was immediately concerned because I have heard much about their shady sales tactics. Sure enough, he was giving her a great deal. Claiming that this Kirby Sentria carried a retail price of over $2100.00 but he was going to make her a special deal of $1599.00. I quickly got online and let her know that $1599 was actually the suggested retail price. He then made the famous call to his boss and came back with another and then another offer... Finally getting the price down to $1,000.00. She finally put him on the phone with me and I told him that if she really wanted the unit, we would pay $800.00. He told me that he would just pack it up and take it back to the shop to which I replied "fine". A few minutes later my wife called me again to tell me that he had come down to my $800.00 plus tax. I told her to do whatever she wanted.
Now, my wife was going out of town the next morning for a few days visit with family. When I got home later the next day though, I found that she had signed the "Notice of Cancellation" form. Soon after, I got a call from her telling me that after she had thought about it, she decided that she didn't need a $800.00 Kirby and asked me to contact URBCO inc to let them know. I called URBCO and was told by a lady who answered the phone that she would have her boss call me back and that it would be no longer than 5 minutes.
After not getting a call back for more than an hour, I called back and the lady told me that she had not been able to find her boss. I was immediately concerned so went straight to the post office and mailed the "Notice of Cancellation" forms with next day delivery. The following day, I was notified by the post office that the letter had been delivered. I waited until the next day, the 28th, and called again. This time I spoke to a man who told me that they had received the form but that they knew that my wife was going out of town and so I had to have forged her name. I explained to them that she had signed the form before going out of town and he basically called me a liar and that I would need to have my wife call them when she got back.
I called my wife and had her call them. They were rude but told her that they would return the sweepers that she traded in and bring us a refund. They told her that they had 6 weeks to do so.
I again called URBCO and they denied that they told her 6 weeks but said that they DID have 20 days. I told them to read the cancellation contract which states, and this is according to Ohio law, that they had 10 days to return our trade ins and money. At that point, I was told "well then... We still have 9 days and you are harassing us".
It is distributors like this that will eventually bring an end to the Kirby company as it now exists. I am lucky in that we did not need their financing and paid with a check. I immediately called the bank and put a stop payment on the check so I have no doubt that they will indeed show up with our trade ins. Ohio law is very clear on these matters. If our trades are not returned in the same condition they were in when taken, the consumer can keep the new product until the issue is resolved.
My main reason for writing this is as a warning to others. Be sure that you know your rights and your states laws. I think that in most states, as in Ohio, a telephone call is not sufficient to cancel such a contract. You MUST get it to them in writing and it must be postmarked prior to the time that the 3 days is up.
It's a shame that Kirby allows their products to be represented in this manner. I think that they probably have a very good product but we will now NEVER own anything that they manufacture and we will spread our story to as many people as possible. URBCO and Kirby has lost more than just one sale.
Don
Oberlin, Ohio
U.S.A.
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