ORANGE COUNTY, Fla — An Orange County man wanted to get his air ducts cleaned, but he claims after agreeing to a payment plan, the company he hired tricked him into paying nearly a thousand dollars all at once.
That customer who asked to just use his first name, Bill, told Action 9 he found the company using a Google search and said, “Like, they just wanted to take the money and run.”
Action 9 also found the company he hired claims to have an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau, but that isn’t true.
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In fact, the BBB didn’t have much information on the company at all. The air duct company has been registered with the state less than a year. It’s never been rated A+ with the BBB and Bill said after getting his money, no one from the company will return his calls.
Bill said he had some air conditioning issues and wanted to get his air ducts cleaned.
“It hadn’t been cleaned in many, many years,” he told Action 9 Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal.
He said the ad he responded to was from a company called Air Duct Express, but when the workers showed up, they used the name Air Duct Experts. They hooked up a machine to his vents, but didn’t do everything they promised and even though he claims they told him they could do a payment plan of around $27 a month, as soon as he signed electronically, he got charged the entire amount of $988.
According to Bill, the worker told him, “I’ll call the bank for you, because I can get it reversed.”
But that reversal didn’t happen and calls to the company were fruitless. He said the person on the phone promised a manager would call him.
The phone number linked back to a website labeled with the name Air Duct Experts LLC. It shows the company serves Orlando and the surrounding area.
In state records, there is a fictitious business filing for Air Duct Experts that’s owned by a company called Air Duct Express LLC.
Under Florida law, a business is supposed to list it’s principal office address at physical location, but Air Duct Express LLC lists its principal office address at a P.O. Box in Altamonte Springs. The company’s registered agent lists his address at a home on Willow Oak Lane in Orlando. When Action 9’s Jeff Deal went to that address, the man who answered said he’s never heard of that person and that no one running an air duct business is connected to the home.
When Action 9 reached out the BBB about the claim on the website that the business is A+ rated, CEO Holly Salmons said, “The last thing we want is for consumers to end up being misled.”
She said the business is not accredited with the Better Business Bureau. It’s also not A+ rated.
Salmons went on to say, “We have taken the necessary actions to make them aware of that, and also to open a logo violation case.”
When Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal called the company, a woman named Christina said she couldn’t answer any questions about the A+ rating on the company website.
Deal said, “The Better Business Bureau says that you guys don’t have a rating at all and that’s false advertising on your website.”
Christina responded, “Again, with those information, I can relay to the management.”
Jeff Deal also asked about Bill’s consumer complaint and got no answers and he was promised a call back just like Bill. So far, Deal has not received a call back.
Bill said, “And I haven’t heard from them.” Deal responded, “Yeah, it seems like that they’re just giving you the run around?” Bill said, “Exactly.”
Bill has challenged the charge with his bank.
For air duct work, the Better Business Bureau recommends using an air conditioning company you already trust. Don’t be lured in by big discounts, social media ads or coupons from random companies and make sure you research any company before hiring them.
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