Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Looking back over the past year, one thing conspicuously absent from this forum is a rabid Rainbow enthusiast.  Perhaps it is difficult to justify the outrageous price of these door to door wonders.   To some extent, a Rainbow owner has to believe in the Rainbow sales pitch and doesn't want to be confronted with any negative information about the Rainbow.    I also noticed that overstock.com is no longer selling the refurbished Rainbow SE's with the Wesselwerks small power nozzles.    Given the economy, it's got to be tough selling $2000+ vacuums - even if they can purify one's home. 

If Rainbow goes the route of others before who couldn't withstand the economic downturn, it will be a sad day and time. 

According to the latest WSJ news:

U.S. gross domestic product rose at a 2.2% annual rate from July through September, according to the government's third and final reading. It was the second time third-quarter GDP was revised lower. The government initially reported third-quarter GDP growth of 3.5%, then lowered it to 2.8%. In the second quarter, GDP contracted 0.7%. The latest figure was below Wall Street forecasts of 2.7% growth.

BTW, Gross Domestic Product [GDP] is represented/driven 2/3 by American spending.  For those who thought the 2007/2008 economic malaise was a temporary blip, we are now at the end of 2009 and things are worse not better.  Still no light at the end of the tunnel, regardless of what the politicos may say otherwise.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
It's Rainbow's responsibility to adapt to the times.  I would advise Rainbow to (1) fix the power nozzle, (2) be more generous with the carpet cleaner attachment, (3) be more generous with the "sidekick" attachment, (4) a price drop and/or free or low cost financing would be a plus..  The carpet cleaners in particular are a sore point with many consumers.   Requiring them to provide names of people who will accept a Rainbow demo within a short period of time is a nuisance.   There have been a lot of complaints by consumers who say they've provided names but never received the promised carpet cleaner.  Or the salesman doesn't call the people within the time period, so they don't count. 

Severus wrote:

Hello SEVERUS:

I was never a fan of Rexair/Rainbow in part since I always favored uprights.  But especially since I knew them when they tauted their canns as especially made for asthma and allergy users.  Didn't mention that after these repiratory sufferers had vacuumed, then they had to deal with the mud clean up rather than the dust.  Rexair conveniently left that part out. 

Carmine D.

Severus wrote:

Hi Severus,

Again, I have to agree.  It would be wonderful if Rainbow adapted a gentler frame of mind when it comes to pricing but as none of its other door-to-door or niche brand competitors are reducing their prices it's not likely that Rainbow will.

My last encounter with Rainbow itself was when I wanted to purchase its optional 16-inch bare floor tool.  I contacted a rep and told him what I wanted and also immediately informed him that I was not about to pay him the approximate one hundred bucks it listed for.  We agreed on $65.00 (shipping included and no sales tax as it was to come in from out of state) and I still payed two times what the thing's actually worth.

This happens not with Rainbow alone.  It costs over sixty bucks to buy a replacement floor and rug tool from Aerus. 

Rainbows mini electric nozzle should be included as part of the basic system.  For years while the big kids were puting a dollar value on every screw, nut and bolt, lowly Kenmore has been throwing electric mini nozzles in the attachment sets selling with most of their canisters sold with PNs.  And we're talking cleaners that sell from only $250 to $400.  I think Miele should be doing the same but it just won't.

What's the price on Rainbow's rug cleaner and the comparison to what you'd pay for getting one of the Hoover or Bissell machines specifically made for that purpose on the market?

As for the "tell a friend deals", they're simply useless as Rainbow is an acquired taste and you'll be a long time looking for two more people, forget ten or so, who are even remotely interested.  The tell a friend thing is mostly a ploy to cinch deals with possible buyers by leading to believe that they may have an actual chance to defray the cost of an expensive purchase.

If I wanted a Rainbow today, I'd wait for a good deal to turn up on eBay and also consider swapping out the PN for another.  Simple as that.  Far less money and far better value.  Anyway . . .

Hope Santa's marvelously generous to you and that your new year's a bright one.

Best,

Venson

Venson wrote:
Venson,

Merry Christmas to you too.  I hope Santa was most generous to you too.   

To the Rainbow users,

Do you add fragrance to the water?  If so, what do you use?   My mother in law has a 20 year old Rainbow, and I was thinking that some kind of fragrance might make a nice Christmas/birthday/Mother's day gift.  Do you have any recommendations?  Where's the best deals?

I have never been a fan of Rainbow,  remember my house is a Kirby home.  I do, however, have a D2 from 1974 that I still play with a few time a year.

Last year my Niece went to work for Rainbow for a very short time.  Talk about high pressure.   Not only did they pressure her to do everything, including lie to the customer.  She had to stop during different steps of her demonstration to call her supervisor who would then high pressure the customer even more. 

It was very put-offing, especially for a machine that they would not discount in any way shape or form.    Kirby the only other true DTD that I have dealt with are also pushy and high pressure, but they will actually deal off retail. 

Just wrote:
I also dislike the Rainbow sales pitch.  When the SOB came to do the demo, he couldn't give us our "free gifts" until we explained to his boss why we were not buying a  $2200 Rainbow.  Given that our carpeting was clean without the benefit of a Rainbow, I felt no need to buy one.  He also seemed annoyed when I said that no, I would not run the Rainbow 24 hours a day as an air cleaner - if I had one.  Others have pointed out that It is possible to buy brand new discounted Rainbows with all of the bells and whistles on ebay.   

I suspect Rainbow sales are pretty bad right now. 

Severus wrote:

SEVERUS:

I suspect you are 100 percent correct.  To my knowledge the only d-t-d brand holding their own in the current economy is Aerus.  I believe the sales people and store network to a large part make the Aerus sales difference.

Carmine D.

Just wrote:
Thank you Just!

Those wet/vacs and the way they are pushed is scary. 

I used to think ol’ Warren Buffett was a good guy, until I learned he owned Kirby and/or does nothing to change the practices of these con men.  What does good ol’ Warren make off a sale to a senior who’s been pressured and bamboozled?  The old man loves money just like the young sharks.

Carmine, don’t even try to cover this man’s [wrinkly] butt.

Dyson Invents Big