Help Me Hank: Help Me Hank! Vanishing vacuum

The vacuum is Erin's best friend. With 3 little ones, Mary, Lily, and Dale, and the dog, Dino, a day in Erin's life means not only messy faces and sticky fingers, but crumbs, dust, and endless dog hair. Not a day goes by without vacuuming again and again.

Erin Shadbegian, mother
"My house is always a wreck."

Then the sad day when Erin's vac went on the fritz, it just stopped working. With the vacuum silent, crumbs from the kids were spreading all over, the dog doing his own kind of clean up, and it was a real mess.

Erin Shadbegian, mother
"It's a problem."

So Erin found a vac repairman, authorized by the manufacturer, and he came to take the machine away.

Erin Shadbegian, mother
"I expected a week to two weeks, to three weeks maximum."

But after a month Erin was still trying to clean up with no vacuum. More worrisome that repairman was missing too.

Erin Shadbegian, mother
"I was just so frustrated."

Lunchtime, playtime, but no vacuum time. Erin called and called, but nothing.

Erin Shadbegian, mother
"That was the point where I was like I'm never going to see my vacuum again."

She knew that missing repairman had a manufacturer's franchise so she called his corporate headquarters. But they said sorry, he's no longer a part of our company, we can't help.

Erin Shadbegian, mother
"I just felt like they owed me something."

Then after two months and Dino as the resident vacuum, Erin made another move.

Erin Shadbegian, mother
"My grandmother mentioned Help Me Hank."

That repairman was nowhere to be found, so we called the manufacturer's HQ to get the dirt.

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"This is Hank Phillippi Ryan."

They revealed Erin's complaint wasn't the first. In fact they said there were so many missing vacs corporate had taken the repairman to court and cut off his rights to use the company name.

Hank Phillippi Ryan, Investigative Reporter
"Do you have any idea how this happened?"

We explained Erin's machine was only two years old, under warranty, and she'd been duped. They understood and agreed to replace the stolen machine.

Now, Erin's back in the vac biz, she's zooming through the crumbs, and even with the kids and Dino, getting her house back in spotless condition.

Erin Shadbegian, mother
"It was fantastic."

(Copyright 2008 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)