$49 for Air Duct Cleaning? Too good to be true? Probably.

December 21, 2011 | Valerie on 12/21/2011 08:25:00 AM |

We've had several dust storms here in the Phoenix metro area this year, so I thought it might be a good idea to get our air ducts cleaned.  I'd been saving a few coupons I'd received through Valpak - I had no less than three different companies that offered an "air duct cleaning special" for only $49.  It included unlimited vents up to a single unit.

I am not going to name the company I contacted, because I don't want to call it a "scam" until I find out if what they told me was actually true or not.  But, I thought you might want to hear about my experience.

First of all, the guys were early, which was great.  They were both extremely friendly and personable.  However, after going into my attic, they told me that I had some issues and that they would write me a new estimate for the service they said needed to be done.  Well, that turned out to be HUNDREDS of dollars more than the $49 on the coupon. 

This particular company has an "A" rating with the BBB, which is why I decided to go with them.  However, after looking a little more closely at the report, they did have some complaints.

I immediately called a second family-owned business that had been in the Valley for over 20 years for a second opinion.  He told me that this is one of the biggest scams you'll see.  Basically, if a company has a coupon that looks too good to be true, it probably is.  They will pretty much always try to upsell you when they arrive at your house. The second quote I got over the phone was nearly $300 less than the original company (provided that there are no additional problems). 

This second company also told me that a lot of these "scam" companies will change their name every few years if they get too many complaints through the BBB.  Now, I don't know for sure if this is true, but it is certainly possible.

So...please be cautious when you see these coupons arrive through Valpak.  Do as much research as you can - not only BBB, but also use Google, Yelp, whatever.  There are a lot of places where you can find reviews on a company.  Oh, and if you find only one nasty comment - keep an open mind.  Most people will post negative reviews but not bother with positive ones.  However, if you see a lot of negative comments with a lot of the same complaints (i.e,. scheduling issues, poor installation, advertising issues, etc.), stay away!