Air Duct Cleaning Scam Warning: 7 Signs to Look For

How to Find a Reliable, Honest Air Duct Cleaning Company

WARNING!!! Beware of scammers. Unlike many of our competitors, MN Duct Pros is proud to be honest and upfront with our customers, truly striving for high quality results and exceptional customer service. Unfortunately, not everyone in the industry is like us. We know there are some companies who will do anything just to get in the door. They often surprise the customer with hidden fees and additional charges. Sadly, half the time they don’t even do a thorough job. We recently did a free inspection for a home owner who had their ducts cleaned by a well-known company the week before. Sadly, the results of the inspection were horrible. The ducts and vents were still dirty, there were no access holes cut for an adequate negative air machine or vacuum, and the home owner told us that the one man crew was there for an hour and a half and their tech used a shop vac to clean the system. These people were clearly scammed by a decently large and reputable company. We recommend all consumers do their due diligence when searching for a reliable, responsible air duct cleaning company. Here are some RED FLAGS to look out for when shopping.

1. Business license and insurance: We are a registered LLC out of Eden Prairie, MN. We are licensed to do business in the state of Minnesota. We are also insured to protect ourselves and home owners from anything that may go wrong. Lastly, we are Better Business Bureau accredited.
Red Flags:

• Lack of business name
• Lack of business license
• Lack of business insurance
• Lack of BBB accreditation​

2. Communication: We strive for excellent and open lines of communication. We want our customers to know exactly how much they are paying, what they will be receiving for their hard earned money, and what processes we use for cleaning. We are happy to answer any and all questions to make the customer feel as comfortable as possible. 
Red Flags:

• Unable or unwilling to answer questions about the process
• Cannot give a rough estimate over the phone
• Slow to reply or return calls
• Call center services

3. Reputation: Reviews can be make or break in any industry. We are proud to have all 5 star reviews. If a customer has an issue or question, even if it is outside our profession, MN Duct Pros goes above and beyond to help resolve and problems. We also recommend checking with the BBB for complaints.
Red Flags:

• Poor reviews
• Lack of reviews
• Cross posted reviews
• BBB complaints

4. Equipment and Specialty: At MN Duct Pros, we use the top of the line equipment and cleaning process. Air duct and dryer vent cleaning is our specialty, our sole profession. Our negative air machine pulls close to 7,000 cubic feet of air per minute with the filters in place. We combine this with 175-200 psi of compressed air down each of your air ducts using a variety of contact air whips (micro line, single, triple, octo whips) and air nozzles for air duct cleaning. This variety of tools helps us complete the job regardless of what issues may arise.
Red Flags:

• Under-powered equipment
• Secondary service (carpet cleaning company doing air duct cleaning)
• Equipment designed for a different industry
• Inferior cleaning methods
• Different levels of cleaning (there is only one way: the right way)
• Time it takes to complete the cleaning (Average 3-5 hours per home with a two man crew)

5. Pricing: MN Duct Pros believe in upfront and honest pricing. We want our customers to know exactly what they are paying. We don’t believe in hidden fees or charges. Upon arrival we count all vents and trunk lines and do a brief dryer vent inspection to give the customer an exact price before we get started.
Red Flags:

• “Too good to be true” pricing
• Unable to discuss pricing over the phone
• Inability to give rough estimate based on square footage
• Extreme discounts

6. Photos: MN Duct Pros feels their customers deserve to see our work, not someone else’s. We send before and after photos from each home we complete, along with a brief service summary.
Red Flags:

• No before and after photos included
• Using stock images on social media
• Using images from other companies

7. Cleanliness: MN Duct Pros is very attentive to detail. This includes cleanliness. Our goal is to leave every home cleaner than it was upon arrival, inside and outside of your HVAC system. The first thing we do upon entry is remove our shoes. We brush vacuum each vent/register individually after cleaning the air ducts. We also vacuum around any vents where dust may have settled before cleaning. Lastly, we vacuum the furnace surfaces and floor in the furnace room.
Red Flags:

• Lack of shoe covers or shoe removal
• Doesn’t vacuum vent/registers
• Doesn’t vacuum furnace surfaces and floor in furnace room
• Doesn’t seal each vent off to prevent contamination

Articles on Air Duct Cleaning scams:
https://www.angieslist.com/articles/3-air-duct-cleaning-scams-to-watch-out-for.htm
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/investigations/customers-left-with-1000-bills-after-responding-to-air-duct-cleaning-ad/283-2f8d7767-46ae-43f1-a6c2-413242ec4853?fbclid=IwAR3ZzcsLm1nUMW74khQvimnhQHrM4p1CusobA36YId-y5sPCNQqj71EhR9o
https://www.edenprairie.org/Home/Components/News/News/8405/283?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
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