Tristar Products review: Rip off / scam 12

I actually got trained as a tri-star sales person myself. I didn't take the job for the fact that theres people like you out there. (Don't be insulted by this.)

Ok, look. The tri-star is a very good "vacuum". It's seriously worth every penny. Its just it costs to much. I know most people think "I'm not paying that much for a vacuum!" but in the long run you'd actually be saving money. It's of very high quality, and the warranty is amazing. But once again it's a lot of money and its to hard to cough up that much coin for it. I don't blame you. I wouldn't buy it either, unless I was well off in my financial status.

As for them being scams. I couldn't agree with you more, I noticed they do a lot of ### to get into your house. Then once you let them in the door, they won't go away. That was another reason why I didn't take the job after I was trained. During my first interview, the guy told me that they don't call people. People call them, and it's all set up by appointment only.

During the training, I caught him sneaking into his office and he called some one to set up and appointment telling him that if he gave them one hour of their time, he'd give them a free digital camera... sounds good? Well until...

A guy shows up in person complaining that he didn't get his digital camera he was promised for buying a tri-star... I started to get pretty fishy about the place after those episodes. Regardless to say, I didn't show up for my first day of actually selling the thing to people.

A few other things are, the tri-star will sell for as low as $1694. Thats the lowest. But they'll try to sell it off for $2894. You get -$400 if you give them your old vacuum. Then you can bargain your way down to $1694. That extra money is so the sales person can make some money. He'll only get 50% of what he sells it for over the $1694.

Either way, I don't like the ploys they use to get there sales people into your home. The Tri-Star is a very good vacuum but the managers are scandalous along with some of the sales people. I say some, because if I took the job. I wouldn't of been like them. I believe in selling a product with out having to force some one into it.

Sounds like Russ drank some of the koolaide. I worked for a Tristar distributor in Northern California about 13 years ago shortly after graduating high school. I was young and foolish, and for a few months I tried to hawk those overpriced vacuum cleaners using similar tactics. A Tristar is not worth any price they offer it at. I'd pay $200 for one though, and I consider that pretty high.

Russ's claims about the price are what they told the salesmen at his particular sales office. The Tristar company works on a multi-level marketing (pyramid scheme) structure, so the price paid for the vacuums by distributors has a large degree of variance. At the office where I worked I recall that at we could drop the price down to $879 for the demo unit. Though, it was the demo unit that we were supposed to always sell. The cost of manufacturing hasn't risen so much in the last 13 years that they need to sell for $1694--that's just a super greedy distributor or a distributor so far down the chain that he has to sell at an incredibly high price so a bunch of other people can get their cut.

Anyway, don't buy a Tristar. Don't buy a Kirby either. Today I received a nice little Black & Decker corded cleaner for my one-room apartment here and it's fantastic. At $60 it's got a HEPA filter and cyclonic action too. Whoopie.

I'm sorry to all those people I scammed into buying stupid Tristar cleaners. I only got about $200 for each one, and I was lucky to sell one a week. It was a horrible return for all the time invested, but I did meet some pretty cools guys also trying to sell the overpriced vacuums and we had some fun times together.

I 100% agree with the original post. I was promised a 3-day/2-night vacation just to see the presentation. The salesman, Randy, went through his dog-and-pony show just as described above. We ended up getting the same $1,800 deal. and that vacation? It was just a stupid voucher that you can get pretty much anywhere. I rescinded immediately after, bringing my Tri-Star to Randy's office. I made sure to give them a copy of my recession (as well as a copy to my father as a witness) and I retained the original. The 1st time I went there, they refused to take the recession or the vacuum (it IS a vacuum,) and said that I had to have Randy come and get it. I looked around the office and there was a big sign saying, "Salesmanship begins when the customer says 'NO!'" What a bunch of creeps. I came back later in the day and Randy happened to be there; I delivered my signed recession, but he still wouldn't take the vacuum. He then made appointments on 7 different occasions to come and pick up the tri-star when we were both home, obviously to try and re-sell us. We completely changed our schedules to be home for EVERY one of these appointments, and Randy flaked on ALL of them. He only ever called and gave notice on 1 of them; he apparently got stuck on a sale 'till 10:00 at night. Every time he called to schedule a succeeding appointment we would confront him about missing the last one and the inconvenience to us (because we BOTH have to be there,) and he always stated that he got sent out on another appointment. Anyway, it's been over 20 days now, and we have performed in full our obligations under the recession, and now the vacuum is ours. It's really funny how right after the 20th day, he suddenly didn't care about both of us being there and just wanted to pick it up - we gave him a chance and he STILL flaked! Normally, I'd still give him the option of picking it up, but everything about him and his company and the people in his office was slimy. I'm really glad that I kept a log of the missed appointments and that I kept the recession and had witnesses to it; he's already trying to work it out with his manager to find some failure to perform on our part. Do not do business with Clean air Systems! You can buy Tri-Stars at a zillion different websites and on E-bay and save yourself having to shower to get the ooze off of you.

The sells guys have to sell it for 800$ what ever they sell for more they keep.

I bought a Tri-Star vacuum cleaner and was really happy with my vacuum. However I was not happy with the company I bought mine from tearing up my original contract and raising my payments and not giving me a copy of the Contract at all, because they forged mine and my husbands name on the contract. Please be careful if you buy from Louisville, KY.

a buddy of mine started working for a company that sells tri-stars and pure-stars. During the interview the workers were promised $2000 a month base pay + commission. At the beginning of his training, there were 7 people, by the time he was done with training, it was just him. The trainer/owner told them that everything from promo and what-not was done from a different crew and the salesmen would only show the tri/pure stars. Well within a week of him working there he had done 4 days for fliers on doors and when he asked about how he was to be paid for the time spent the manager said "you will be paid when call backs come and you sell some". He also found out his second week working there that you ONLY get your $2000 base pay if you do 53 demos a month. Mind you, they set up the demos for you, and make sure you NEVER get the 53. When asked how he would survive on nothing his manager told him "if you do 40 + demos Ill throw you a bone" Shouldnt you be paid per demo? shouldnt the demos be broken up to amont to the 53 = $2000? NOPE! On his third week there he was sent out to a city about 35 miles away, with no money being made, and had quit his other job, he had no money afford gas to get to these far places and back. Also was promised gas wages, so when he asked his manager for gas money to get there and back, he gave him $5. 5 dollars? He drives a 1990 v6 that gets maybe 22 city and gas here is $2.60 a gallon. What a a**hole. Long story short, he sold one at $2100 and made $100 in 4 weeks. THATS SLAVE WAGES! stay away from this company or parish!

HAHAH THIS IS TO FUNNY. I JUST QUIT TRISTAR AND I WAS THERE FOR FOUR DAY. THEY PROMISED 2400 EVEN IF WE DIDNT SELL ANY, BUT THE CATCH WE HAD TO SEE 60 CLIENTS BUT WAIT THE AVERAGE PERSON SEES MAYBE 12 A WEEK THE NUMBERS DONT ADD UP, ITS ALL ON COMMISSION BASE AS WELL, THAN THEY TRIED MAKING US SELL IT TO OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, WHEN I CAME INTO WORK THEY ASKED HOW IT WENT I LAUGHED AND SAID I AINT SCAMMING MY FAMILY TO BUY A 2500 DOLLAR VACUUM OPPS DID I SAY VACUUM ITS A HOME CLEANING TOOL HAHAHA.. ITS FUNNY HOW EVERY TRI-STAR STORY IS THE SAME, THAN THEY SHOWED US THERE UGLY RINGS AND HOW GREAT THEY ARE, IT WAS BLACK AND BROWN.. THAN THEY WERE TELLING US HOW TO GET INTO PPLS HOUSES, AND THEY WERE LIKE CRY IF YOU HAVE TO.. OHH WAIT THEN THE GIRL WORKING THERE SAID SHE SELLS 20 UNITS A MONTH MAKING SO MUCH CASH AND IS BALLING, THAN I TOOK A LOOK AT HER CAR AND SHE HAD A 95 PONTIAC.. THEY ARE SHEEP IN WOLFS CLOTHING, IM A SCAMMER MYSELF BUT YOU CANT SCAM A SCAMMER... HEY TRI-STAR [censor] YOU..

I disagree with all these complaints. There is nothing wrong with the tri-star home cleaning system. Most people are just to blind to see that the TRI-STAR HOME CLEANING SYSTEM and the PURE-STAR TRUE HEPA filters will keep a superiorly more Healthy Home than any vacuum ever can. This saves money over the life of ownership( which is 25 years or more) by protecting home, furnishings, and health. You pay for high quality materials, AMERICAN MANUFACTURING LABOR WAGES, distribution costs and of course the professional sales person . YES THE SALES PERSON DESERVES TO MAKE $$, TOO. If the salesman or saleswoman are rude or not properly trained, then that reflects on that person and the distributor they work for. NOT THE PRODUCT. If you feel like you are being scammed and you opened up your wallet to buy, then look in the mirror- YOU'LL SEE THE PROBLEM STARING BACK! YOU are probably such a SHEEP that you read one of these blogs and changed your mind because of another idiot. You can't force anyone to buy anything.
Furthermore, people don't want to work hard. It takes money to make money. So if new representatives quit in training, its because they are the type of people that should only be flipping burgers, digging holes, or possible bagging groceries. Any sales takes a hard working, dedicated and most especially a respectful person . Rude sales people fail at their professions.
As for people who say the machine doesn't have suction, thats BS. They probable don't wash out their filter bag, as required for proper operating use. After all it is a filter and if not maintained eventually is will start to clog- just like ordinary vacuums. The difference is ordinary vacuums lose power in minutes, NOT MONTHS LIKE A IMPROPERLY MAINTAINED TRI-STAR. After all they built a GREAT machine, NOT A MIRACLE machine.
HONESTLY people are scammed by marketers in TV ads, print Ads, infomercials. TRI-STAR has one of the few AMERICAN PRODUCTS available. These distributors can't afford TV ads, and lets face it a machine like this and their other products are HOME CARE products! If you care about your home and family then the best place to see the TRI-STAR is in your home~ NOT ON A RETAIL SHELF IN A BOX. It is worth seeing it in action in the home.
Everyone has opinion, but most unfavorable comment about tri-star are simply cry baby former employees that could hack it or owners that don't know how to care for the machine. Buy CHINESE if you want inferior product and support their country, if thats what you want!
I hope anyone reading this and has not seen a TRI-STAR home cleaning system, have an open mind, you don't have to buy it. IF the sales person is rude kick them out and report that to the company.
I love my TRI-STAR, it keeps me and my family HEALTHIER and my home HEALTHY.

i worked for a tristar distributor for about a little over a month and a half. i can honestly say it was not a total waist of time. I sold 8 or 9 units 2 of which got returned. so i was one of the lucky ones who actually made some money. all in all i made about 3300 which i thought wasn't to bad. that being said there were a few others in that office that got screwed. i will say the product was great, i actually have one my self ( i got for free as a bonus lol), and i could sell it, but closing on the price was the hard part. i don't believe it was worth that much, at the time they were selling for 3377 but on sale for 2777 and a additional 500 for trading in your vacuum. i felt it was worth maybe 400 or so. the way my commission was paid anything i sold over 800 i got to keep. anyways back to my point here, tri star wasn't a total waist of time, it was how i got into my career in sales. maybe this office was a bit different, the owners weren't AS slimy as the ones i read about, and i learnt a lot about sales. on the other hand i didn't agree on how the whole operation was run, you worked 6 days a week, 11am to last demo at 830pm which means 10 or so after the demo. you would spend the first 4 hours a day dropping off "scratch and wins" all winners of course, and all seemed to be the same prize, as i am sure all of you know. the travel voucher. which were basically useless. every office is virtually the same process. get into the house, call your "manager" from the clients phone. start your demo, close etc etc. if they refused than you would have to call your manager again from their phone, and he would than try and hard close them for at least 15 minutes, which is a very long time as most people are aggravated and want you to leave by this point. I don't recommend doing this job, unless you want to get some harsh real life sales experience. most others in my office didn't make very much, so don't think because i happened to make money, you will too.

i bought mine July 7/1995. i am looking at the papers as i type. turbo serial no. 1659771.
i was scammed when i called the no. after receiving a scratch ticket saying i won something. (surprise.. it was a cellular phone to be delivered the Mon. July 10/1995.
lolololol . it didn't take long for me to realize i was scammed to believe the vacuum was worth 2597.oo(sale price!LOLOLOL)extended warr.(free)...trade(597.oo)..2000.oosub total and total without gst. or pst. LOLOLOL.
i gave 1100.oo(cash down) and a post dated cheque for 900.oo.LOLOLOL.
i never received my cellular phone...i kept getting a different excuse each time i called and asked where it was...?LOLOLOL.
in the end the excuse was...that i had bad credit or something so i didn't qualify for the phone from Bell Mobility.
the vacuum still has good sucktion as of today...but every part i have boughten doesn't fit properly and keeps coming off or apart...LOLOLOLOLOLOL. and the price of some parts to replace is just rediculous.

I am sO sorry that so many people had bad experiences with the Tri-Star salespeople. I guess I was just lucky because we (my husband and I) had a gOd experience. We have owned our Tri-Star (I call it a vacuum cleaner) for 19 years. I did have to buy a few parts, but they were not as expensive as a new (not as gOd) vacuum would have cost.
I have an allergy to dust and was not able to vacuum with my Kirby. When the salesman did his demonstration I realized I was not having a breathing problem. We paid about $1600.00 and it was well worth it.
While all you whiners are whining about not getting the little prize you were supposed to get I have been getting a very clean, fresh house to live in because I own a Tri-Star. And by the way we did get the "gas card" we were promised. Thank you Tri-Star.

66 hours a week for a month and a half. You like working cheap and the commenter above lol LoL you must be a supplier/Liar LMAO. You can get one off ebay for less then 300 bucks if you look.1600 for a vacume the ###er better run and clean on its own like Rosie from the Jetsons. You Got It Mr. J