Air-duct firm applies the pressure in sales pitch
Residents say ads, coupons only told part of the story

By Alex Morrell of the Journal Sentinel
July 21, 2010

The company advertises air-duct cleaning for $75. But they may not leave your home without trying to get you to spend hundreds.

That's what Daniel Stewart of Milwaukee found out when he hired International Duct Cleaning to service his ventilation system. He said he responded to an IDC ad in a mailed packet of coupons that promised to clean his entire vent system for $75.

After a crew arrived, they told him $75 only covered the supply vent - where dust and debris originate - and that cleaning the return vent, where most of the dirt in the system ends up, would cost extra, Stewart said.

International Duct Cleaning, a business out of Skokie, Ill., that serves the Milwaukee area, has an F rating from the Better Business Bureau, which cites poor service, deceptive tactics and unresponsiveness to complaints.

According to the Chicago BBB, of the 172 companies that provide air-duct service it tracks, three companies - including IDC - account for 25% of complaints.

Ran Hoth, president of the Milwaukee BBB, said area customers should be wary of companies advertising prices that seem too good to be true.

"This idea of a $75 to even a $150 duct cleaning job that actually helps you is basically worthless," Hoth said, adding a legitimate, thorough cleaning can cost more than $400. "Is it illegal? No. Is it unethical not to demonstrate a value for a service? Yes."

Stewart's bill, after he consented to the return-vent cleaning, came to $350, but the service was not as thorough as it could have been. When he had a second company look at his air ducts, he said he learned through video evidence that IDC had barely cleaned the vents.

"Just an unreal amount of dust was missed," he said.

Rico Sharv, an IDC supervisor, defended his company's ads and practices and denied any knowledge of high-pressure selling.

"We have an advertisement for basic cleaning," he said. "If someone needs additional, we offer that.  . . .  You can't offer on the coupon a $200 to $300 job if we don't even know the customer needs it. "

Sharv acknowledged the company gets complaints about its advertising, but he said that is part of the business.

"We got complaints from people - 'The coupons say that, but the price is that' - but that's the way it works. I can't give someone the price over the phone for $300 when other people are advertising $79 or $50 air-duct cleaning service."

Another complaint

John Harnicker of West Allis had an experience similar to Stewart's with IDC: The $75 coupon in the mail. The hard sell on additional services. A bill double what he thought he would owe. He said workers reneged on a 10% veteran's discount that representatives had guaranteed him on the phone.

He said he asked workers to leave when he realized they were going to try to charge him hundreds for a full cleaning. He wrote them a check for the $150 in work they said already was completed but put a stop payment on the check.

"I've had my vents cleaned before, and it was nothing like these guys do," Harnicker said.

Frank Porter, who has been in the business for a decade running Air Ducts Environmental in Waukesha, said it can be common for companies to use questionable tactics and low-quality equipment.

"They use carpet cleaning equipment or Shop-Vacs or things like that that don't do an adequate job of duct cleaning  . . .  It's like nothing happened in the duct system," said Porter, whose company has a clean BBB record.

Sharv said the coupon - Public Investigator saw versions with prices between $55 and $99 - was accurate because it only offers to clean the vent network under "negative pressure." That is a standard they fulfill, he said. .

What is "negative pressure"?

It's is an industry term that simply means the creation of the pressure of a vacuum, according to Porter. Air is moving out of the ducts rather than standing still or blowing in. By itself, the description doesn't cover how much pressure, the equipment creating the pressure or how that pressure is employed.

Porter said IDC's notion of negative pressure is misleading. He likened the type of process questionable companies use to putting a vacuum in the middle of a basement floor and expecting all the dust to come sweeping toward it.

Aggressive actions

Veronica De Ridder of Milwaukee's north side contacted IDC after seeing the coupon - which warns of health hazards of dirty ducts and shows dramatic before and after pictures.

De Ridder said upfront she would not pay more than the coupon when the workers pitched other services - and was met with pushy resistance.

De Ridder said she and her boyfriend, a U.S. Marshal, tried to get the workers to leave for 45 minutes after initially growing wary of their hard sell. At one point, an IDC employee opened up the dryer vent and pulled out balls of dust and cat hair, only to put them back in the dryer vent when De Ridder refused to authorize more work, according to De Ridder.

Sharv said he didn't know about that happening.

De Ridder said she called IDC supervisors, repeatedly asked the workers to leave and even logged on to the BBB in front of the employees, but the workers were adamant. "A hard sell is one thing, but to talk back to me, to argue with me, to continue to interrupt me  . . . I was almost in tears," De Ridder said. "I don't even want the $55 back - I just wanted him out."

***

How to protect yourself:

Here are some tips from the Milwaukee Better Business Bureau President Ran Hoth for those who may be seeking air-duct cleaning services.

• Check out the company. The business should be either BBB accredited or have a high grade. Pay close attention to the name of the business, as some unreliable companies choose a name similar to an existing business with a solid reputation. Visit www.bbb.org or call (414) 847-6000

• Read the fine print. Ads and contracts may contain fine print that the business might think absolves it from honoring their advertised price. Always ask questions to find out exactly how much it will cost you. A legitimate, thorough cleaning can cost more than $400.

• Ask for visual evidence. Many reputable companies will use cameras to show what the cleaning is doing to your ducts. "If you want to stop someone in their tracks, ask for a camera system," Hoth said.

• Get a second opinion. If the duct cleaner discovers you have a mold problem, get a second opinion. Some companies will try to scare you into buying services you don't need. Mold remediation can cost thousands of dollars, so you'll want expert advice on how to take care of it.

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