So I won a prize, but... - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Crazy Flamer · 08-26-2006, 06:51 PM

So I get home from the gym today and there is a scratch and win Bingo card on my front step. I scratch all the numbers, match them up and guess what? I'm a winner! Thinking this is for some kind of promotion, I expected as much.

On the back of the card, there is a phone number you need to call to claim your prize. I call the number and ask what this is all about. They want to send a vacuum saleman to my house to promote some hypo allergenic product. They say it will take a maximum of one hour.

Now everyone here has heard horror stories about vacuum salesmen that won't leave your house. But is it really that bad. I work in sales, so I know all the little sales tricks and am more than capable of handling the pressure a salesperson throws at me.

I'm just wondering if anyone out there has been brave enough to go through one of these presentations. Is it really the nightmare its made out to be? Your stories, both good and bad, are appriciated.

RogerWilco · 08-26-2006, 06:56 PM

One question, were you about to buy a vacuum anyway and if you were not do you need one? If not why even bother?

Crazy Flamer · 08-26-2006, 07:04 PM

No I was not about to buy a vacuum. Why bother? I dunno, just want the free prize I guess. So I'm trying to decide just how much torture I will have to put up with in order to get it.

KootenayFlamesFan · 08-26-2006, 07:13 PM

Did they tell you what the prize is?

If it was me, I wouldn't even scratch the card......I hate the door salesmen crap.

Mango · 08-26-2006, 08:00 PM

It would depend mostly on what the prize actually is...

Vulcan · 08-26-2006, 08:13 PM

I'm with you Crazy, everybody should have this experience once in their life. Give us a report when it's over.

Jake · 08-26-2006, 08:15 PM

I know a friend who worked for probaby the same guys. The entire company is a scam so I'd stay away from it. They didn't pay him his commission and lied in their news paper add.

RedMan12 · 08-26-2006, 08:20 PM

Umm, I tried getting a job with these scammers. They are from Edmonton, too. They promised $2,000 a month and all you did was go around to people's houses and install air filters.

I get hired and we come in for 3 days of non paid training. The first day we learn about the company and the air filters we are going to set up in people's houses. We learn how to use the air filter and work on how to demo the product.

The 2nd day we learn we are not actualling installing the filters but we are going around to people's houses and trying to sell them. The air filter is just a intro product and we find out the real product is a 4,000 dollar vacuum and the air filter is 400. We do not get paid 2,000 a month we get paid 400 for each vacuum we sell.

At first the trainer said we do not have to find people to sell to. They find everyone for us. At the end of 2nd day of training we find out we have find our own people to sell too. We also had to take a vacuum home for the weekend and demo the product to 10 people and have them sign a paper with their name and number so the company can people to call and harrass.

They are extremely pushy and will keep haggling with you until you buy the vaccum. If yuo hold out long enough they drop the price from 4,000 to 2,000 or something. Do a google search for "filter queen" and you can read all the horror stories on this product.

I quit at the end of the second day and they kept calling my house asking me if I want a free product and we have to do is watch a demo for an air filter and a vaccum cleaner. Biggest scam artists ever.

Scam Artists
Filter Queen Reviews

@theCBE · 08-26-2006, 08:47 PM

I would probably tough it out if the prize was worth it.

Vulcan · 08-26-2006, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by @theCBE

I would probably tough it out if the prize was worth it.

I did this once, years ago. Didn't buy of course but my prize was a rug shampoo. Still waitng.

Eastern Girl · 08-26-2006, 09:02 PM

My parents were told they had won a home entertainment system and to collect they just had to listen to the salesmans pitch for some household goods. They did and they got their prize. But the home entertainment system was actually a little tiny handheld radio. It didn't even come with the batteries needed to operate it. So, unless you know exactly what the prize is, it probably isn't worth it.

ken0042 · 08-26-2006, 10:06 PM

They will try to sell you a $2400 vacuum. They will eventually go down to $1800. It is a good vacuum; probably worth around $500 though.

They won't tell you the prize ahead of time is my guess, and when you do get it you won't be impressed.

I have a story similar to Elle's- I went to a timeshare thing because they promised a digital camera. When they gave it to me I discovered it was a toy digital camera. Thinking my niece would like it I was about to send it off, but thought I should try it out- otherwise I'm on the hook for a digital camera if it doesn't work. I took a picture of my car, and my house. You could almost tell that it was a car; but no way could you tell what type. The house picture was even worse.

I wouldn't bother.

Edit- found the old thread where people told their stories.
http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthr...ghlight=vacuum

Jayems · 08-27-2006, 12:11 AM

Stay Away.

Daradon · 08-27-2006, 05:18 AM

Lol yeah Crazy Flamer what the heck was the prize that got you intrigued?

One of those vacations right?

I'd probably have him over just for the challenge.

Well, when I used to have time.

snappyk · 08-27-2006, 09:42 AM

We had those vacum sales men at my place, I threw them out of my house and the guy refused to leave, I told him that he had 2 choices, he could leave on his own or I would physically remove him. He started to call his boss with the whole, I know I don't get paid if I don't do the demo, I know, blah blah blah. After the guy got the hint when I pushed him the ******* dumped all his sand all over my front steps. Our free prize that we never got was some lousy knife.

Superflyer · 08-27-2006, 10:27 AM

These things are all a scam.
I had the exact same scenerio as RedMan except it was for Kirby vacuums, but EXCATLY the same. I lasted one day and it sucked so much.
This also sounds like the promotion at the dome for free tickets. I stupidly filled out the forms and have won the 2nd prize 3 times

. I get a digital camera and a trip to Banff all I have to do is listen to a one hour presentation. Have never gone.

JBR · 08-27-2006, 10:43 AM

Sounds like a waste of time. If the prizes were that good, they wouldn't drop the cards in 100,000 mail-boxes.

Bobblehead · 08-27-2006, 11:12 AM

I sold Kirby of a (misguided) month when I needed a summer job. It is a scam, the prize won't be woth it.

Crazy Flamer · 08-27-2006, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daradon

Lol yeah Crazy Flamer what the heck was the prize that got you intrigued?

One of those vacations right?

I'd probably have him over just for the challenge.

Well, when I used to have time.

Well, there are five prizes. The biggesty one is a 42' plasma tv. The smallest one is a portable mp3 player worth about $100. And you're right. I guess its more for the challenge. But from the sounds of it, it may not be worth my time. I might end up physically removing the salesman from my house.

Neeper · 08-27-2006, 06:55 PM

Yup, that old thread there was mine. What an unreal sales tactic they use. It is utterly ridiculous. I really don't think you should waste your time.