BBB Scam Alert: BBB Reports Air Duct Cleaning Scams Targeting Western Virginia Area
ROANOKE — The Better Business Bureau Serving Western Virginia has issued an alert involving an air duct scam.
An HVAC company is targeting homeowners with low-price offers and lying about serious mold problems. Once paid, the contractor then disappears without completing any work.
Two victims reported a duct cleaning service and mold removal scam. The HVAC cleaning company is allegedly advertising under variations of the business name J & P Duct Cleaning based out of the Front Royal area.
One victim contacted the company after viewing a posting of its services on a local Facebook yard sale group.
The company lures victims with sales tactics like “first five people to comment on the Facebook post gets a discount off the square footage price. Just leave your square footage in the Facebook post comment section below.”
Upon inspection, the deceptive duct cleaning salesman tells victims they have mold and need to spray their ducts.
The company charges $400 upfront and states that the process takes three to four weeks. Later, the business calls to schedule a follow-up appointment, making it seem like they tried to book a date but then never show up.
When the customer calls asking about the no-show, the scammer tells the victim it’s their fault he cannot coordinate a day and time to come back.
Other victims have reported similar situations with the same gentleman from Virginia Beach and the Baltimore areas. Victims were given two options for payment, by check or a mobile payment service called CashApp.
“Don’t believe every advertisement you see online and don’t accept the first inspection you receive as fact,” says Julie Wheeler, President and CEO of BBB Serving Western Virginia. “Unfortunately, you can’t judge a book by its cover and some companies are taking advantage of consumers’ trust with deceptive advertising and inspections. It’s important to check out a company with BBB before you contact them.”
BBB offers tips to avoid air duct cleaning scams:
— Watch out for deals that seem “too good to be true.” If the quoted price seems very low, chances are the quality of the work will be low as well.
— Ask for identification and license/permit. A company should provide you with information including name, address, and company association on a business card and proof of solicitation permit, if required for your area. If a door-to-door solicitor is claiming to be affiliated with your utility company or someone you do business with, it’s always best to follow up directly using verifiable contact information before providing additional information to the solicitor.
— Get a second opinion. If the duct cleaner discovers that you have a mold problem, get a second opinion. Mold remediation can cost thousands of dollars, so you’ll want expert advice on how to take care of it.
— Research companies and contractors before you hire. Start with BBB.org. If the contractor has multiple negative reviews and complaints, don’t hire them. Often, a simple internet search will reveal companies or individuals that have been involved in fraudulent activities or provided unsatisfactory work to previous clients.
— Look for the fine print. Ads and contracts may contain fine print which the business might think will absolve them from honoring their advertised price. Always ask plenty of questions and get to the bottom line of what it’s going to cost you, before you sign on the dotted line.
— Get everything in writing. Ask for an estimate in writing before payment is even discussed. Don’t let a contractor start working on a project until you have a written, signed contract that outlines start and complete dates, a detailed description of the work to be provided, material costs, payment arrangements, and warranty information.
— Stagger your payments. Most contractors will require you to pay a percentage of the total price upfront, but you should never pay the full price before the work has begun. Instead, agree to stagger payments, so you can inspect work at various stages of the project.
— Use safe payment methods. Paying with a credit card is the best practice since the credit card company will likely offer some recourse if the company is fraudulent. Checks are also a safe way to pay, but make sure to write them out to a company, not an individual. Paying cash or using an electronic wallet app is risky since there is no way to stop the payment or get your cash back if anything goes wrong.
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