Door to Door Salespeople Kirby wackjobs

Ok sorry if anyone sells this product or has but cannot believe this still happens in year 2011!
Yesterday I'm outside in yard & mystery blue van comes down my street which is a small private one w/ only 3 houses. There is a turnaround in front of my house. No biggie I think. The street looks like a driveway so not many who do not belong ever turn around.
Well I was Wrong!
Out comes this woman missing teeth, lots of arm ink dressed in black carrying a what looked like a gift basket covered in celophane with cheez its.
Not that there is anything wrong with arm ink, missing teeth or dressing black....
She is talking a mile a minute. There are 3 other people in this dirty Ford van w/ faded dmv paper plates. Simon is going balistic in the house.
She & her "team" wants to come in & show me this tool that is going to do everything.
Anyway, I was getting nervous for my neighbors were not home & most of the houses around me are vacant for getting sold to the airport. It is screwed up.
My garage was open so all my stuff was in plain site, kayaks etc. Not to profile but it wigged me out.
I asked her for a business card saying I am not interested many times, sticking to the same story. It was messed up.
Finally got her to leave & called the cops!
The cops were great & went looking for them!
Now I hope they do not come back it makes me uneasy when shady un-annouced people I do not know come to my house!
Also told my neighbors to BOLO.
I never did "see" a Kirby vaccuum only creepy people who scribbled a number on a kirby sweepstates card. And understand they might be legit & working I guess...better than not working right?
Maybe I am just paranoid....why do they still sell these overpriced vaccuums?
I need a bigger dog!

 

tell them you have a Dyson and you work for Kirby and they are junk!!!!

 

I don't think you were being paranoid, you were being aware of the situation. Sounds like you did the right thing. Hope that is the last you see of them.

 

Had an ice cream truck drive through my sub-division as I was out walking my dog a couple weeks ago and I had my eye on this guy. This guy looked suspicious to say the least. The van was like a 1970 something Chevy and was sooooo filthy and the driver looked like he lived on the streets in downtown Atlanta, ragged looking clothing, looked to be missing teeth and as if he hadn't showered. Maybe he was trying to make an honest buck but there is no way I would have let my kids go buy anything from him.

 

Sounds like you did the right thing Judy. The Kirby slugs around here set up appointments before they show up.

 

Those door to door people are creeps. It should be outlawed just like the do not call phone list.

 

I freaking hate solicitors.

 

Funny, I had the same type of thing, but it was a guy and I was talking to him thru the screen door... Kept telling him no. Tattoos, missing teeth, wrinkled "dress shirt"... Again, nothing wrong with tats, but his total image was less than desirable. He grabbed the screen door to come in and I told him to let the door handle go or he'd have a Kirby up his ass.

 

The same thing happened to me a few weeks ago I was in the backyard working and I heard the dogs barking a lot. I walked around the side of the house towards the front, as I'm walking I see a "Cattle Exchange" truck parked in the street (An old beat up s10 with a freezer in the bed and two trashy looking rednecks that try to sell you overpriced steaks door to door). Well I walk around the corner and dude is in my garage. I have thousands of dollars worth of tools and toys in my garage along with my landscape trailer with thousands of dollars worth of equipment on it. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was knocking on the door going into my house...however my front door is on the porch right next to the garage, knock on the front door. Regardless I was kinda pissed and uncomfortable. He didn't take anything or at least I don't know what he took yet. Then he tried to sell me overpriced steaks and meats. I usually make them take all of their stuff out and show me, haggle with them a bit, then I tell them I'm not interested.

 

Ask to see their city or county business license

 

Thanks for the replies & other experiences so now do not feel so paranoid that means a lot.

I had thought it weird they did not even try the other houses on my street. My neighbors had cars in the driveways but knew their second cars/trucks were gone.
We look out for each other which is nice.
And yes Vacountry Boy there was no way I was going in my house unassisted. Luckily they went on their merry way.
And Cheez its? Weird.

 

They were probably going to dump the cheez-its on the floor, stomp them into the carpet, then vacuum them up with the kirby.

 

Considering the area you described that you live in, you may need an additional dog/dogs, or think of learning the fine art of shotgunnery.

 

Judy, you were 100% correct to be suspicious of these people, real sales professionals (are there any left?) dress in business casual and cover their tats. You did the right thing and those people are lucky you didn't shoot them.

 

Agreed. Here in SA, many home invasions have started out this way (not necessarily Kirby salesman tho').

 

You definetley did the right thing!

About 8 years ago when I first bought my house I had almost every door to door salesman coming to my house selling Dish TV, water purifier's, knife sets, cleaning products, lawn fertilizer, vacuum cleaners, etc...I made the mistake one day of letting one of the water purifier reps come into my house...To make a long story short I had to threaten to call the police so the dude would leave. This was after 2 hours of seeing his damn demo! I LEARNED MY LESSON THAT DAY!

A little OT but has anybody been hasseled by the Direct TV reps when visiting Best Buy stores? This happens almost everytime I set foot in the store which is getting really annoying. I actually complained to the store manager yesterday letting him know that I visit Best Buy to buy electronics not get hasseled by "Dish TV" salesman. He was actually apologetic about it but said it's not his choice to have them in stores, it's a contract set up with Direct TV.

 

I agree. If I need something,ill go buy it myself. I don't need people bothering me at my house with crap

 

I simply tell them in a firm, but polite voice that I have very limited time and a long list of things to get done; and that there's no chance that today or any other day they are going to make that list. When they respond, and they always do, I say "there's nothing confusing about what I just told you. It's time for us to part company now. Have a good day."

Always works for me. If I ever found someone in my effin garage, I'd use far stronger language and a call to 911.

 

Judy,

You definitely did the right thing. I had one of those magazine sales people come by and refuse to leave my porch when I told them I was not interested. This 20 something year old guy looked like he just got out of the slammer. He tried to follow me into my house, I told him If he didn't back up I was calling an ambulance. He said "Don't you mean the cops?" I said "No, the ambulance, because you're 3 seconds away from meeting Mr. Glock 40" He ran down the street and didn't hit one more house out.