Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Just got back from browsing Costco.  The Shark's Navigator is there and priced at $150 which is just 5 bucks more than the store is asking for the rechargeable Hoover Platinum stick vac.  The Oreck combo -- upright and its portable vac -- is marked for $250.  The Dyson DC14, which hasn't been on the shelves for a while, is back and tagged at $400.

Venson

Hello venson:

If the $400 pricetag doesn't come down to $300, these old and discontinued DC14 models will merely collect dust and never sell.  In large part, the reason these dyson dinosaurs are still around new and for sale.

Carmine D.

Hi Carmine,

You know, I sort of stood there in Costco counting backwards on my fingers -- DC28, and so on and so on -- and got to thinking, why hasn't this model been turned over to Overstock.com even though they have plenty already.  There is such a thing as moving on.  From a consumer's perspective, these oldies almost negate the worth of the later Ball models I'm expected to be impressed by.  Again, business-wise, it seems oddly another "shoot yourself in the foot" example.

Is it up to Costco or Dyson to do the right thing by getting discontinued models off store shelves?

Venson

Hi Venson:

It's up to dyson but the problem is that these dysons came to light in the end of year inventory conducted by COSTCO.  They were warehoused and forgotten due to a conspicuous lack of sales in COSTCO stores and replaced with better vacuum movers.  Now, COSTCO has to do something with them to move them out.  Forget dyson MAP.  Doesn't apply to them.  If these dysons don't sell at $400, and we know they won't, they will continually get reduced in price until they do.  Does two for one sound enticing?  Just to take a page from toyota's latest sales strategy.

Carmine D.

With the recent recalls from Honda and Nissan they may be offering super incentives to purchase also. 

Competition is a wonderful thing for a buyers' market be it vacuums or other products.

Carmine D.

Here is the Vax V-045 Widetrack sold in the UK from 2003. I had one and it was lousy. Horrible noise and hose that you had to attach permanently to the back of the handle and a mesh covered over a paper pleated cone filter. Years later I was shocked when I discovered a tarted up model that Euro Shark sell called the Infinity NV. Now of course several years after that the next one up in the line up uses a slightly different body and guess what, the TTi inspired "no loss of suction filters." Ive a feeling that Euro-Shark are using TTi but don't quote me, for their ranges.

Add another like-a-like in the $120 price range from EUREKA-lux.  One in purple.  One is yellow.  Hope the new Chief Designer doesn't get wind of this and decide to sue for color copying.   

Carmine D.

The $70 Eureka-lux Maxima more resembles the VAX with the much longer hose which is a nuisance for some users.

Carmine D.