How to Vacuum Cleaner Companies Benefit From Trade-Ins?

[kevin]

Just curious ...

Besides the obvious spare parts--how do vacuum cleaner companies benefit from trade-in cleaners? So many seem to have warehouses or storage rooms of them that just collect dust. Are trade-ins just a gimmick to make customers think they are getting a deal on a lower price (than the original over-priced amount)? Are they a tactic that leaves homeowners without an alternative if they experience buyer's remorse and want to return the new cleaner ("Sorry, ma'am, we've already recycled your old cleaner")? Are they to prevent customers from selling them at garage sales or donating them which would theoretically make for less potential customers? Do they ever refurbish and resell them in large quantities?

I once shadowed a vac salesperson who practically begged for "any old vacuum" cleaner to give the woman a discount. He didn't care what vacuum cleaner she gave him (even if she got it from someone else), so I know it wasn't because he wanted a certain machine. Besides, he showed no interest at all in collecting vacuum cleaners. Furthermore, another salesperson, who is a collector, told me that his boss is very protective of trade-ins and doesn't let him have them or even their parts very often. So what's the deal?

I can't imagine that they'd make that much money off recycling (that is, if someone pays them for the metal or other recyclable components).

Any information that can shed light on the subject will be appreciated.

 

[kevin]

I should also include "stores" with "companies", which most likely receive the greater benefit if any.

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

I can't speak for others, but we take them and refurbish the not total crap vacuums and donate them to the local women's and children's shelters so folks just starting out to rebuild their lives have at least a good working vacuum... and my boss is a hoarder of the best vacuums. Every blue moon he'll give me one that fills a hole in my collection.


 


The total crap vacuums get sent to a local recycling charity that strips them down and recycles the individual components.

 

[kevin]

That's great, Tom. I hope that's the rule and not the exception. I applaud your boss for refurbishing what he can and donating them. If I were more knowledgeable and had the resources to do so, I'd enjoy doing that, too.

One thing I would try to do, though, is ask the charity to set up a time when I could meet each family and show them how to use and care for their cleaner. I would also provide service to them--either at nominal fees or free of charge to ensure that their cleaners were kept in good working order. I have recently had the opportunity to purchase two Model B-8 Carpet Beautifiers & Buffers. In both cases I was given extra shampoo--for steam cleaning carpets. Yes, it is the owner's responsibility for reading the manual and learning how to operate his/her machine; but I can't shake the feeling that the sales persons did not take time to demonstrate and fully explain how the cleaner works and what type of shampoo to purchase and why. It may seem obvious to floor machine fans, but it may not be common knowledge for the average user. Anyway, I would hope that the machines that are donated to charity are used and maintained appropriately.

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

Kevin,


 


Even when it's explained, sometimes many times, people don't always pay that much attention. Especially when they think they already know the answer - carpet shampoo is one of those things... it's all the same right?


 


We do include a contact card and sticker on each refurbed machine with contact information and a coupon for a free service at 1 year, as well as copies of manuals etc. It's not really practical to meet and instruct each recipient... there may be 1 a month and then 15 in one day, you just never know.


 


Tom

 

[bikerray]

Kevin

If you have steam cleaner shampoo do NOT use it with the B8, the shampoo for the B8 as well as Kirbys creats a foam that dries and encapsulates the dirt so you can vacuum it up.

Steam cleaner shampoo is made for extraction, it gets sucked up into a recovery tank while wet along with the dirt.

And yes we have had people use their Kirbys with extraction shampoo then try to suck up the water into their Kirby. (NOT a pretty sight)

Then again I've seen some units that you wonder did they use shampoo or real poo?

 

[anthony]

back in

the early 70s i would regularly go to our local COOP deparment store to repair returned guarantee cleaners at the time hoover were doing a trade in deal [any old machine in part ex for a new one i do not exaggerate when i say there was a mountain of them in the basement some of them would have been quite old even then and would be classics now .I asked the manager if i could take one he said take as many as you like i am sick of looking at them .One day i went and the whole lot had gone to the tip of course within a week or two there was a new pile developing

 

[kevin]

Thanks, Tom, Ray, and Anthony.

Tom - Points well taken. Sounds like you're doing what you can to help individuals and families take good care of their home environments and their cleaners. Way to go.

Ray - No worries about me using steam cleaner formula with my Model B-8s. I'll just bet, though, that if two different people gave me their extra steam cleaning formulas with theirs probably quite a few were not fully taught how their machines were made to function and how to use them. I just hope that it's not a case of making sales and not caring about customers using their equipment properly. If I sold someone a shampooer/buffer, I would provide either free labor with a service check or free labor in shampooing one room of carpeting with every purchase of a container of shampoo--whatever I could do to encourage them to use their machines WITH the correct product. To me, that would also be an effective way to spread the word about the company and its products. I don't think salespeople--at least some--think about the big picture of helping persons and families maintain a healthy home environment and being satisfied with what you've sold them--so much so that they tell their family members and friends. To them it's just a bunch of arm twisting to make sales.

Btw, I've been meaning to ask if you're Rifleman Ray on Youtube?

Anthony - It's great that your boss was generous with what you could take from the trade-in pile. Sounds like an extensive program you had going there.

 

[tig21er]

Electrolux

Burial grounds for trade ins. Good Electrolux unit sold after rebuild for years.

 

[kevin]

Wow, John. Looks like a collector's paradise!

 

[marks_here]

That trade-in-burial ground

Looks so tragic & sad. All those vacs that could have been saved. Such a shame!

 

[super-sweeper]

SOMEBODY!

FIND THAT PILE!

 


Offer Electrolux some insane amount of $$$$$,the dump site has to be around here somewhere!


 


Say, vice president of sales Don Taylor was there, that's our first lead!

 

[tolivac]

Very sadly that pile has been bulldozed and covered long ago.Almost looks like a landfill site of sorts.That is an INCREDIBLE waste of fine machines that could have found new caring homes like COLLECTORS or folks that can't afford to buy that shiny new "Lux.If Lux really did this--WON'T buy a machine from them!!Many trade ins are resold later to other folks,donated to charity-unrepairable machines were recycled.And I have run into dealers that DON'T want trade ins.The one here in Greenville that I go to only takes trade ins from the higher end brands like Kirby,Rainbow,FQ,Tacanoy,Meile,Sebo and such.One Kirby place that I knew of didn't take trade ins at all.He said-"can't get anything for them-and they clutter my place"He would say that he would give discounts to folks that have Kirbys and let them keep their old machine.

 

[super-sweeper]

Tolivac!

Are you saying you know where that legendary pile is?


I'm going out to buy a shovel if so!

 

[tolivac]

No,wished I did too-but if it was bulldozed-the vacuums would be crushed and smashed beyond recognition.Or the machines would be to badly corroded to be worth the effort.They would be well on their way going back to nature.We can only hope the picture could have been staged somehow-this is such a horrible end to fine vacuums!

 

[tig21er]

Something

like 18 train car loads were dumped in the ocean off of Conn. in the 1960s as a newspaper read. There are that many vacuums going to the dump and not traded in as many collectors can verify. Don't be mad at a manufacturer for doing what Electrolux did.

 

[tig21er]

The

picture shown of Electrolux is just like an earlier picture that was done by Hoover back in about 1949 that was shown to me by my Dad and a Hoover repairman. This is when Hoover sold Door to Door.

 

[rugsucker]

"tragic and sad"--!?

I just did the same here with over 300 vacs this week at the scrap yard to continue emptying my warehouse due to lack of interest.More going today and every day until empty!!!MUCH STILL LEFT if any interest does develop.NO TIME TO SHIP.Pick up only at this point.May add more at supermarket.May have pics Sun.

 

[super-sweeper]

thankfully,

Connecticut isn't that big of a state! Dawn your scuba attire, gentlemen! It's time for a vacuum search-and-rescue mission!