Editorial: Who'd be sucked into $3000 vacuum?

Door to door sales is tough. I've tried it, I'm writing this, so obviously I was no good at it.

It was the most educating and humiliating experience wrapped in one.

So when we learn, as highlighted on Saturday's front page, about slightly dubious sales tactics aimed at the elderly, I tend to reflect on the company and its owners rather than the sellers.

The sellers are often simply looking for an opportunity to make money - if you sell door to door you are willing to try anything legal to make money for yourself and your family.

And generally, you will have been trained and indoctrinated in techniques sanctioned by the company you are working for.

The vacuum cleaners being offered to Northlanders at the moment cost around $3000. The people being targeted are not always in a position to pay that money immediately but there are probably very convenient payment options.

It is a fair question to ask "who needs a $3000 vacuum cleaner?"

Not that long ago, $3000 was all I was prepared to pay for a car.

It's an overseas trip, it's a considerable portion of the cost of a funeral, it's a lot of things ... but a vacuum cleaner?

There is nothing illegal about selling $3000 vacuum cleaners door to door.

The sellers will learn all sorts of lessons trying to sell this product. They and the company owners or franchise holders will also learn that sometimes the old sales adage of "no, no, no means yes" is wrong. Sometimes, "no, no, no" actually means "no".