I have read many of Tom's replies, and he seems well-versed in Aerus products as an Aerus associate. His replies have also shown a concern for the customers to whom he sells--not just the profit he makes from his sales. As a result, I would trust his judgment.
When I have dealt with salespersons--whether vacuum cleaners, footwear, cars, etc.--I typically ask what they personally own of the product. Most of the time you can tell if they're lying because of the look on their faces and whether you catch them off guard. So, if you have an Aerus franchise near you you could ask the associates point blank if they own a Laundry Pro and what problems they have had with it (another red flag would be if they tell you it has no problems--insinuating that it was made in heaven--haha). I will say that one franchise owner, who is a slick salesman (sold his first vacuum cleaner by signing his "friend's" signature on the contract while the "friend" nursed a hang-over--or he wouldn't stop vacuuming), side-stepped my question of "Do most of your family members own Aerus vacuum cleaners?" with the reply "What do you think?" Dumb me--I answered "Yes", and all the liar did was smile his crooked smile. So if you ask "yes" or "no" questions make sure you follow them up with others that require specific information. If I had it to do over I would have followed up with which vacuum cleaners his family members owned and what issues they had with them. I was considering working for him, but after that episode and his way of talking out of both corners of his mouth he really turned me off from selling Aerus products (I figured that's how many of the salespersons were). I've also not had the best experiences when dealing with the corporate office staff that fields email queries. I do think that salespersons should own and use the products they sell, so they can give personal testimonies about the products they are trying to sell as well as showing that they believe in the products' claims. I also hold that salespersons who have been selling their product for a while should be able to sell to their family members and friends (with considerations for gender-specific ones) by convincing them of the effectiveness and quality of the product--not by twisting their arms or manipulating them.
I digress, but the point is that Tom doesn't present himself like that dishonest franchise owner which is why I would believe him along with the fact that he is familiar with Aerus products. And, in this situation, Tom has mentioned that he plans to purchase the Laundry Pro. He wouldn't do so if he had qualms about potential negative affects to his health or the quality of the product. I also appreciate the fact that he mentioned some of the limitations of the Laundry Pro.
