Air Duct Cleaning Bait and Switch Scams

This winter’s weather has been unusually harsh across most of the country – meaning that people are spending more time indoors. That leads many people to evaluate the indoor air quality of their homes and consider services such as air duct cleaning.

Despite the claims of many companies that perform duct cleaning, it has never been proven to have any substantial health benefits. But that doesn’t slow the flood of advertisements that show magnified pictures of dust mites, mold or dirty debris and promise pricing as low as $49.95.

Unfortunately, many air duct cleaning companies use these ads as bait to lure homeowners in, and then switch them to higher priced services that were not clearly explained. The Better Business Bureau states that these “bait and switch” air duct cleaning scams involve dozens of connected companies who have been systematically ripping off homeowners for more than a decade -- to the tune of millions of dollars.

According to NBC’s Dateline: “Over the years, hundreds of homeowners have logged complaints with the BBB, all sounding similar: Once inside a customer's home, technicians routinely mislead them into paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for additional work. Many were told they had dangerous mold. Others had their homes unnecessarily flooded with noxious chemicals. Some said they were afraid of the workmen. All said they were duped into paying hundreds more than the promised $49.99 advertised price.”

That led NBC’s Dateline to conduct an investigation using hidden cameras and senior citizen volunteers. You can check out the video here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/vp/41303490#41303490

NBC’s Dateline found that “many of the businesses opened up shop only to disappear within a matter of months, but would then appear again under a different name. Sometimes, it was even hard to determine exactly who owned many of them. The paper trail left behind was limited and sometimes inaccurate. One business was registered using the name of the real owner's dead stepbrother. Another was registered in the name of an owner's bodyguard. Several to convicted felons, one a killer. But our reporting led us to one revealing fact: dozens of the rogue businesses all across the country were run by a rotating list of the same individuals who kept popping up over and over again.”

There are situations where air duct cleaning is necessary or beneficial, and there are many reputable companies that provide fair estimates and do quality work. If you are planning to have the air ducts in your home cleaned, here are some tips from the Environmental Protection Agency on selecting a contractor:

• Do not hire duct cleaners who make sweeping claims about the health benefits of duct cleaning – such claims are unsubstantiated. Do not hire duct cleaners who recommend duct cleaning as a routine part of your heating and cooling system maintenance. You should also be wary of duct cleaners who claim to be certified by the EPA. EPA neither establishes duct cleaning standards, nor certifies, endorses, or approves duct cleaning companies.
• Do not allow the use of chemical biocides or chemical treatments unless you fully understand the pros and the cons of the products being used.
  Check references to be sure other customers were satisfied and did not experience any problems with their heating and cooling systems after cleaning.
• Contact your county or city office of consumer affairs or local Better Business Bureau to determine if complaints have been lodged against any of the companies you are considering.
• Interview potential service providers to ensure that they are experienced in duct cleaning and have worked on systems like yours; they will use procedures to protect you, your pets, and your home from contamination; and they comply with the National Air Duct Cleaning Association's air duct cleaning standards.
• Ask the service provider whether they hold any relevant state licenses. The following states require air duct cleaners to hold special licenses: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Texas. Other states may soon require them as well.
• If the service provider charges by the hour, request an estimate of the number of hours or days the job will take, and find out whether there will be interruptions in the work. Make sure the duct cleaner you choose will provide a written agreement outlining the total cost and scope of the job before work begins.
  
  Air Matters LLC has performed mold testing services in the Raleigh NC area since 2002. The owner, Renee D. Ward, has over 25 years of safety and environmental experience and holds both her Bachelors and Masters degrees in engineering. Renee is also a member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the Indoor Air Quality Association. You may contact Air Matters at (919) 961-2221 or info@AirMattersMoldTesting.com.