About one month ago, I had to vacuum our largely white, shaggy rug in our family room using a Dirt Devil. I quickly noticed that regardless of the settings, it was physically challenging to move it back and forth over the rug fibers. In addition, I finally realized that this machine is especially heavy for a machine that merely collects and captures hair, dust, and crumbs. If you also factor in the machine's inability to cooperate with a shag piece we rest our feet on, this particular vacuum is no longer an asset, and closer to an adversary.
A few weeks later, I asked our monthly cleaning person, Maria, if she had issues with this particular machine. She coyly admitted that it was not one of her favorite machines on your cleaning schedule but didn't feel it was her place to mention it. I promised her that I'd shop for a new one shortly. By this promise, I may be able to fool myself and procrastinate but by that commitment to Maria, it had to be done, and soon.
I'm the last person who knows all the intricacies and features of a vacuum. To that end, I visited Mr. Google to determine what I don't know and need to know before making this purchase. After some research, I was now able to focus on my vacuum cleaner needs: a quieter machine, cordless, and fairly light so most able body individuals could maneuver this new machine without issue.
My online search involved Costco, Consumer Reports, and Amazon, as well as a few other sites to help purchase a suitable product. My research pointed me to the Dyson brand, as many of their models were rated well. Plus, Costco had been carrying this product for years which generally means certain Dyson models were considered good quality and value. Two of these models struck my interest, the V8 Absolute or the Cyclone V10. The Absolute is regularly priced between $450.00 and $500; the Cyclone is priced around $600. The V8 Absolute was unavailable at Costco, they had another version which I had not researched and was less inclined to purchase. As I finished my online vacuum research, I took a break from online research and news and went outside for a walk.
Later that day and while reviewing the MSN News, I noticed an ad for Dyson vacuum cleaners at Dyson.com. It was interesting but not surprising to see an ad for Dyson machines as I had never visited their website before.
Full disclosure, I typically skip over 90% of all ads and commercials but this one captured my attention for two reasons. One, I learned that Dyson has a website and sells direct, two; they advertised the Dyson V8 Absolute for $299.99, a savings of $150.00. I compared my notes to ensure we were comparing apples to apples so as a consumer; I clicked on the ad to learn more. My first thought was if something is too good to be true, there may be a catch but because it was being sold by Dyson directly, my mind was put at ease. The only color available was yellow and I had no preference about the color, I might even try a pink vacuum as long as it does what Dyson says it's going to do.
I went ahead and purchased this vacuum, delivery is forthcoming and I hope I have no regrets about doing so. The bad news is that the ad was generated by all my online vacuum research which sometimes creeps me out. The good news, I saved $150 on this cordless and very light vacuum which weighs less than 6 pounds, is cordless, and automatically adjusts between floors and carpet. The top piece becomes detached so the portable unit works as a mini-vacuum for car mats or other smaller jobs. I've never paid too much attention in the past to dust and dirt cleaners but with its attractive features, who know, I may enjoy vacuuming again.
As mentioned earlier, seldom do I pay much attention to online and TV ads. For my psychological health, I do what I can to mitigate the constant barrage of commercialism. However, in this situation, the Dyson ad caught my attention as the model I was targeting was on sale. There are so many commercials on podcasts, TV, online, and in other venues that I just move beyond as at this point, I seldom have many needs or wants. If companies try to sell you car insurance or a trendy alcoholic beverage but as a consumer, you are happy with your car insurer and current beverage, it's like water off a duck's back – you just let that ad roll on by (better luck next time). Call me a hypocrite as I ignore most ads although, in this scenario, I appreciated the ad that appeared while reading the online news. Was finding such a good deal on the Dyson website a coincidence or just serendipity? Ultimately, it doesn't matter as long as this new product does the job well.