According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a careless or
inadequately trained service provider can damage your ducts or heating and
cooling system, possibly increasing your heating and air conditioning costs or
forcing you to undertake difficult and costly repairs or replacements.
"Most of us aren't experts when it comes to maintaining the mechanical
components of our house, and we have to rely on the opinion of the technician,"
said Bonnie Bakin, president and CEO of the BBB that serves central Illinois.
"Unfortunately, some companies are taking advantage of that trust by misleading
customers and doing substandard work, if any."
Customers are baited with low advertised prices, generally through mass mail
or local newspapers, for duct cleaning services. These ads typically offer a
whole-house cleaning package for a very low price, but once service providers
arrive at the home, the consumer is quoted a much higher price.
When looking for a professional to clean out air ducts, the BBB advises
consumers to:
Before
scheduling a visit, check the company out with your Better Business Bureau
first. Pay close attention to the name of the business you're researching
because unscrupulous outfits often choose a name that is similar to an
existing business that has a solid reputation. To check out a report on a
company's reliability or to locate a BBB-accredited duct cleaner, visit
www.heartofillinois.bbb.org
or call 309-688-5124.
[to top of second column] |
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For 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping
consumers find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In
2012, consumers turned to BBB more than 100 million times for
reviews on more than 4 million companies and reports on 11,000
charities, all available for free at
www.bbb.org. The Council of Better Business Bureaus is the
umbrella organization for 114 local, independent BBBs across the
United States and Canada, as well as home to its national programs
on dispute resolution and industry self-regulation.
[Text from file received from the
Better Business Bureau of
Central Illinois] |