When Does a Persuasive Pitch Go Over the Line?

April 4 -- Some door-to-door salesmen will go to great lengths to make a sale.

Charles Robinson, for example, says that when he was an independent distributor and salesman for Kirby carpet-cleaning vacuums, he sold units to people who didn't have carpet — and even to one customer who didn't have electricity.

An estimated $1 billion worth of Kirbys are sold every year. They are sold exclusively through independent distributors who buy vacuums from the company and then sell them to the public in their homes. Across the nation, Primetime uncovered more than 1,000 consumer complaints about Kirby vacuum cleaner salespeople. ABCNEWS' Chris Wallace conducted a hidden-camera investigation to find out how far some salespeople will go to convince homeowners to purchase a vacuum and its accessories — which can cost upwards of $2,000.

Feeling Pressured

Karen Muesch, 44, says a Kirby salesman quoted her a price of $2,700 after giving her a demonstration of the vacuum.

"I said, 'There is no way I can spend $2,700 on a vacuum cleaner,'" remembers Muesch, who owns her own business and was home alone when the salesman came to the door.

At that point, she says, the salesman's manager showed up, and the two of them ganged up on her.

"I just felt so trapped by them and pressured," says Muesch. "It was unbelievable."

Muesch says she finally gave in and bought the vacuum after a five-hour sales pitch: "I had a headache and I did sign the contract. I had myself a Kirby machine for $1,100."

Some Kirby salespeople have been accused of deceiving people to get into their home by saying they've won a free carpet cleaning, of making sales calls that last up to six hours, and of targeting the elderly.

Footage from a 1994 meeting made by former independent distributors captured salespeople making fun of how old and sick their customers were. The Kirby company said it did not endorse the tape and no longer does business with the distributor who made it.