For a year, I drooled and hoped to one day get the whole house vent cleaning shop. I applied many times and this month I finally got it!
For $99.99 (or up to $180 reimbursement) the company was suppose to clean all the HVAC vents and ductwork. The crew showed up and one technician looked at my furnace (gas forced air and central air), then he told me it was too dirty. He refused to clean the vents. He said that for an additional charge, my furnace and coil could be cleaned and then proceed with the vent cleaning.
I asked how much for the extra service. As soon as he said, "It can get very expensive," I knew this was a scam. The tech went out to the truck and returned a moment later with the cleaning cost - $700 extra dollars!??!?! The estimate was about $350 for each unit (heat and cooling). I know how much a real furnace cleaning cost (about $100, not including the ductwork).
So, of course I could not get the cleaning done and I only received $20 as the report pay. Today, a co-worker told me he had the same company pull this shady scenario a few years ago (not related to a mystery shop).
This bait-and-switch routine must be common place. My question is: Has anyone actually had a vent cleaning for the advertised price?