Hey - I see a lot of people in here discussing vacuums, and because I've sold them, and been an owner of one for 8 years, I felt compelled to respond. I know this is an old thread, and probably no one is interested anymore, but alas, here I am.
I went to work for them one summer because they were the only job I could find that would hire me for three months. When I found out it was door to door sales, I was bummed, to say the least. However, I did learn a lot about the disgusting crap that is in your carpets and your beds. And let me tell you - nothing out there is better than a Kirby. Working for them, I've seen them compared to all kinds of vacuums, Dysons, Rainbows, Electroluxes, etc. - and done the comparisons myself - and there is NOTHING out there that will clean your house like it does.
If you have a pet, this thing is the best thing ever for getting pet hair off of furniture - just use the Zip brush, and it's gone off of your furniture like magic, and anywhere else it accumulates. It's been a godsend for me with a long haired cat. The shampooer is awesome too - a great clean for your carpet without soaking the rug and letting mildew and mold grow in the bottom due to taking so long to dry. When you consider that you get two types of vacuums (canister & upright) - and air compressor - and a shampooer all in the same piece of equipment, it really is a bargain. Especially when you realize how much it conserves your carpets and hardwoods from ruination from kids and dogs for longer than a regular vacuum cleaner.
That being said, although the retail may be high - it's just like a car sale - it's negotiable. You can trade stuff in, get them to lower the price, etc. The bottom line is, they want a sale, and their salary is more or less commission. So it's up to you to decide how hard you think he's worked. Also, you ALWAYS have 3 days to cancel the sale, regardless of what he tells you, and regardless of what the contract says (which I think they all have to say the same thing, since they come from Kirby I believe). It doesn't matter how you pay.
I know the OP probably already returned his - but I would think twice the next time you are presented with the opportunity to buy them. They come with a warranty that lasts over your lifetime, and you can get the engine rebuilt for a fraction of what you paid for it should it ever die. I've had my newer Kirby for over 5 years now, and it's never broken. It might be a little heavy, but isn't cleaning hard work anyway? Besides, if a little heaviness is the tradeoff for a clean floor and no bed bugs, I'm in.