Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  01/29/2025

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  After viewing a ******** video advertising duct work cleaning for $199, I called and explained I had 2 furnaces with 15 total openings. The business owner said the complete and total price would be $199 for everything. An appointment was scheduled and 2 men from the business arrived at my home on 1/28/25. But instead of cleaning my duct work, they blasted compressed air into all my vents that merely broke the dust loose causing it to pollute all the air in my home with airborne dust particles blowing out the 14 other vents. The 2 men then went into my basement. I followed a few minutes later at which time I saw they were dismantling one of my furnaces (which I had NOT authorized). As I approached they said my furnace needed to be cleaned and sanitized and that they would do it for an additional $900. When I declined, they said my refusal could result in an $8000 repair. Believing I was being scammed, I again declined, so they reassembled my furnace, gathered their tools and prepared an invoice, which demanded $440 and not the agreed upon $199. Not only was the amount more than double the agreed upon price, but the job was NOT COMPLETE. They had not vacuumed the duct work and left a pile of dust on a used furnace filter. So, I refused to pay at which time they began making threats until I decided to call police at which time they left, but not before MAPPING OUT THE INTERIOR OF MY HOME with their cell phones. In the aftermath I discovered they had sabotaged my furnace, as it no longer functions. When I took a closer look, I discovered an improperly fitted panel and loose screws with nothing behind them to s**** into. Consequently, half my home is now without heat, dust is settling all over my furniture, and everyone in the house is itching, scratching and sneezing. To resolve this issue, I will not settle for anything less than: (1.) a locally licensed HVAC repairman repairing my furnace, and; (2.) a local duct cleaning service to properly clean my duct work.

  

  Business response

  01/31/2025

  We appreciate you reaching out and want to clarify the situation regarding your service.
  The $199 pricing applies to a single furnace. Since you have two furnaces, the total cost was correctly adjusted. This was discussed over the phone before your appointment, and we also sent you the pricing details via email. Additionally, when our technicians arrived, they reviewed the pricing with you before starting the job.
  Regarding the blower cleaning recommendation, we always inspect the system and inform homeowners of any issues that could lead to future damage. It is completely up to the customer whether to proceed with additional services.
  As for the job itself, our technicians completed approximately 90% of the work. However, when payment was refused, they had no choice but to stop the service. We take our work seriously and ensure that all procedures are conducted professionally and transparently.
  We also want to address the safety concerns. Our technicians reported feeling threatened during the visit, as they were told they would be harmed. We take both customer satisfaction and employee safety very seriously and do not tolerate threats of any kind.
  If you would like to resolve this matter amicably, we are happy to discuss a fair solution. Please feel free to reach out.
  Best regards,
  MDF Air Duct Cleaning Team

  Customer response

  02/09/2025

   
  Complaint: 22873540
  
  I reject your response because it was nothing more than a concocted performance to appease the BBB with an illusion to appear you are making a genuine attempt to resolve a consumer complaint. But the truth is you are running an interstate criminal organization while hiding behind multiple Illinois corporate entities that deliberately SCAMS unsuspecting homeowners via the internet, wire fraud, and interstate travel (ALL FEDERAL CRIMES) and I, a senior citizen, was one of your targeted victims (ELDER EXPLOITATION, ANOTHER FEDERAL CRIME). 
  
  Although MDF Air Duct Clean[ing] may conduct legitimate business in the ******* area, you are also using your corporate business as A FRONT to establish credibility for the purpose of gaining access to homes of unsuspecting (out of state) homeowners, and then SCAM them for all you can ****** addition to defrauding homeowners, I observed one of your crew members making a video recording of my entire home and its contents. So, why would you or your crew need detailed information outlining the layout of my residence and its contents? Are you planning to burglarize my home too; or perhaps something worse?
  
  I would NEVER grant anyone direct access to my furnaces other than a LICENSED HVAC TECHNICIAN, and Im quite sure your crew was not licensed as HVAC technicians. Also, I dont know of a single reputable ductwork cleaning service that accesses the inner workings of the furnaces in homes.  I know ******* Steamer doesnt and has never heard of that happening either, because I asked.
  
  Before I describe what took place in my residence on January 28th, Im first going to address your written response.
  
  Your response specifically states: [when our technicians arrived, they reviewed the pricing with you before starting the job] Well, if that was true, isnt that typically when your agent would present the homeowner with a written estimate requiring a signature authorizing the work? If not,what would be the point of discussing prices when at most it only creates a questionable agreement? That would be unprofessional that is unless you dont want to create a paper trail regarding an out-of-state transaction, especially if it involves interstate criminal activity.
  
  You also specifically stated: [Since you have two furnaces,the total cost was correctly adjusted. This was discussed over the phone before your appointment, and we also sent you the pricing details via email.] That brings up more questions. If that statement was true, why didnt you forward a copy of the original (time-stamped and dated) email to the BBB in your response?That would have supported your claim. In fact, you could do that right now. But of course you wont because no such email exists; right? and about this phrase [the total cost was correctly adjusted]. When was that cost correctly adjusted? Was it before the alleged email was sent, which would seem to have been AFTER an agreed upon price had been established, or was it after your crew arrived at my home?
  
  If it was after your crew arrived at my home; that would mean the price had not yet been adjusted. If the price had not yet been adjusted, why would you send a service vehicle with a 2-man crew on at least a 2 - 4 hour round trip journey of over 150 miles from ******** to ********* to do what should be about a 2 or 3-hour job (potentially 7 hours for 2 men and a truck) for the trivial amount of just $199?  That doesnt make good business sense because that wouldnt be profitable. What does make sense is sending your crew on a mission that is going to net a considerable amount more than $199, which would mean they would have known in advance they would be collecting much more than $199. But how could they possibly have known that unless they had a premeditated scheme to defraud me?
  
  On the other hand, if you had sent me pricing details via email, adjusted or not, wouldnt that require some sort of a responding email from me acknowledging acceptance of an adjusted price before sending out a crew t my home? Why would you risk having any sort of dispute by not having indisputable documentation of a binding contract? Either way, what smart business owner would send a 2-man crew from ******* to ********* without anything in writing other than assertions of documentation allegedly sent via email, which you have yet to produce?
  
  And there is the matter of the correctly adjusted price for the extra furnace. Although it may sound plausible and convincing to the untrained ear, professional duct cleaning service providers DO NOT charge fees based on the number of furnaces you have. Their fees are assessed based on the number of furnaces THEY HOOKUP TO IN ORDER TO CREATE NEGATIVE AIR PRESSURE (vacuum) because each HOOKUP has a setup and breakdown fee;and MDF Air Duct Cleaning DID NOT HOOKUP TO ANY FURNACES in my home. PROFESSIONAL DUCT CLEANING CANNOT BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT NEGATIVE AIR PRESSURE, and AT NO TIME DID YOUR CREW ESTABLISH THAT.
  
  You also specifically stated: [As for the job itself, our technicians completed approximately 90% of the work. However, when payment was refused, they had no choice but to stop the service.]
  
  I find that statement not only misleading, but also confusing. Are you saying your crew attempted to collect payment before the job was complete? Does that mean you stopped service because I refused payment before having had an opportunity to inspect the work? How does any of that make sense?
  
  I submitted a photo in my Complaint of a furnace filter with about a pound or so of dust and debris packed in it. Where was that furnace filter located when your men sought the payment I allegedly refused to pay? Was it stashed away and hidden somewhere in my basement, like maybe under a table,so I wouldnt know it was there? How could you even expect to get paid knowing your work was not ready for a final inspection by me, the homeowner?
  
  You also specifically stated: [We also want to address the safety concerns. Our technicians reported feeling threatened during the visit,as they were told they would be harmed. We take both customer satisfaction and employee safety very seriously and do not tolerate threats of any kind.]
  
  That vague statement brings up a couple questions. Other than my daughter and her 10-year-old son being present, Im a frail old man in my 70s with a wheelchair and a ****** while your crew consisted of 2 strapping young men. Exactly, what did I say that caused them to believe I was going to harm them? Also, what did they do in response to believing they were about to be harmed by me? Even more puzzling, what would motivate me to threaten your crew? Explain in detail the circumstances and events that came to pass before I allegedly threatened your crew but of course, you wont be able to do that because it never happened.
  
  Yes, there were threats made, but they were NOT made by me.They were made by YOU PERSONALLY towards ME in a phone call when I refused to pay anything more than the $199 agreed upon price. In response to YOUR threatening phone call, I promptly phoned the ***** ************** asking for a squad to be dispatched to my home, which caused your crew to hop in their truck and hightail it down the road. In other words, your crew ran away to avoid an encounter with the police. Why is that, particularly if they were supposedly engaged in legitimate business? Could it be because they were participating in a SCAM and did not want to be confronted by law enforcement? I dont know, you tell me. Oh, and by the way, the ***** ************** Department WILL IN FACT have a complete and verbally accurate audio recording (time stamped and dated) of my phone call letting them know I was being threatened and wanted a police response; and they will also have a police report on file.
  
  So, lets get down to what happened in my home on January 28, 2025. First of all, your crew came to my home wearing black masks over their faces the entire time they were here. It became clear they had absolutely no intention whatsoever of cleaning my ductwork. Their goal was to force dust,dirt and debris into my furnaces with compressed air delivered by high pressure air hoses (WITHOUT NEGATIVE AIR PRESSURE) so they could in turn assess a fee of $900 (each furnace) to clean out and remove that same dust, dirt and debris,which based on their pricing would have cost me $199 + $900 + $199 + $900 +$100 for the dryer vent they insisted on cleaning plus 10% sales tax totaling $2,528.00, and NOT the agreed amount of $199. [Incidentally, it is illegal to assess sales tax on non-taxable services, and you should know that. How much sales tax have you collected and how much of that have you paid to the State of ******** or *********?]  Based on my experience with you, Im guessing you pocketed ALL of it.
  
  With my daughter and 10-year-old grandson present, we detected the smell of something burning within a minute or so of the compressed air being blasted into my living room vent. So I asked, Whats that burning smell? and the response was, Thats dust being burned up in the furnace,but dont worry because we are going to clean the furnace too. I replied, Okay,but why isnt there a vacuum hooked up to **** all that stuff into a hazmat bag? and the reply to that was We have a better way of collecting all that by doing it from the bottom.
  
  NOTE: You indicated you were going to clean my furnace without mentioning there would be a separate charge before you even gained access to my furnace. That tells me you had already determined there would be additional charges before you had even gone into my basement, which indicates premeditation.  
  
  Your crew quickly blasted compressed air through attachments that had agitating whips into all the vents throughout my house, which only forced dust, debris and allergens out my homes ventilation system polluting all the air in every room, as NEGATIVE PRESSURE HAD NOT BEEN CONNECTED TO THE SYSTEM. Your crew then went into my basement and I followed a few minutes later to discover they had dismantled a furnace.
  
  Your crew never identified themselves as licensed and/or qualified HVAC repair or service men nor did I request having my furnace inspected, cleaned, repaired or serviced.
  
  I was then told the furnace needed to be cleaned and sanitized, which would be a charge of $900. Otherwise I could face a possible $8000 repair. I was also told my dryer vent needed to be cleaned or I could face a possible house fire, which would be an additional $100 charge. I declined both at which time I was pressured with questions like how much can you payfollowed by several alternative options, which I adamantly declined all.
  
  Once it became clear I was NOT going to authorize additional services, your crew immediately stopped working and demanded a payment of $440.
  
  I immediately stated I was not going to pay anything above the agreed upon amount of $199 at which time I was told FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME that I was being charged for 2 furnaces at the rate of $199 each plus sales tax. [and of course, duct cleaning services are NOT taxable.]
  
  I stated I was not going to pay a cent over $199 at which time I was told to answer my phone. I answered my phone and it was YOU (personally) telling me the agreement was for $440. I asked if you could listen to the phone recording of our initial conversation, which would indicate the agreement was for 2 furnaces and 15 openings for a grand total of $199. You said you would listen to the recording and hung up the phone. A few minutes later you called back and told me to check my email, which contained an estimate that had just been sent for $440, which had just been prepared (AFTER THE WORK HAD BEEN DONE).
  
  I argued I was NOT going to pay a cent over $199 at which time you got huffy with demands and threats that I better pay the $440 or you were going to take me to court and sue me. I was willing to pay the $199, but at that point I responded, If youre going to sue me, then Im not going to pay anything until I see you in court. Meanwhile your crew was pressuring me to pay $440. So, having been threatened by you while being under pressure and duress from your crew in the presence of my family, I decided I needed to phone the police and request their presence.
  
  The moment I got on the phone to call the police, your crew told me they had to rush out to another job. But before they exited my home, one of your crew said I need to do a quick walkthrough to make sure we didnt leave anything behind. As he went from my back door in and out of each room with a cell phone in his right hand, I noticed as he exited my family room when heading into my living room (then facing me) that he was making a video recording of the interior of my home and all its content, thus documenting a complete layout of my house (THE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED AS WELL AS THE *** DUE TO THE INTERSTATE ELEMENT).
  
  Your crew then hopped into their truck and pulled out of my driveway onto the street. Once on the street, one of your guys ran back and up to my back door saying Just give me the $199 so I dont get fired from my job. I responded Im not paying you anything until a police officer is present. He then stuck his foot in the door so I couldnt close it and insisted I give him $199.  I stated, If you want any money, stay here until the police arrive because Im not giving you a cent until they are present. He gave up, ran back to the truck and they departed.
  
  Afterwards, I went into my basement and discovered they did a slipshod job of putting my furnace back together and then saw the furnace filter halfway hidden under a table packed with dust, debris and allergens.After heading back upstairs, I noticed a considerable amount of dust had settled on all my furniture with large clumps on my walls. That evening I discovered the furnace that had been disassembled was no longer functioning (BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN SABOTAGED).
  
  It has been nearly 2 weeks since your crew was here and my eyes have been burning daily since and I have also been sneezing. Additionally,there is an atrocious odor throughout my home that I cannot identify. As such,I contacted ******* Steamer (A REPUTABLE COMPANY) and obtained a written estimate in the amount of $800 to clean up the disaster you and your crew left me with (ATTACHED HERETO).
  
  For a fair and reasonable solution, I expect FULL REIMBURSEMENT FROM YOU of having my ductwork cleaned the proper way.
  
  As for the $199 I would have paid if you properly completed the job, I will apply that to offset any costs of having my furnace repaired by a licensed HVAC technician. If the repair is less than $199, I will promptly forward the difference to you. If furnace repair is over $199, I will eat the difference as long as you have complied with my demands, which are fair and reasonable.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ******

  

  Business response

  02/14/2025

  There was Noting Paid. we would require a payment for the job done .

  Customer response

  02/21/2025

   
  Complaint: 22873540
  
  I am rejecting your response to my response of 02/09/2025.
  
  Based on your response, you clearly seem to be under the false impression that you have some sort of right to dictate terms and conditions to cure damages caused to me and my home by your **************** conspirators.
  
  No, you absolutely dont have that right whatsoever, as YOU are the PERPETRATOR and I am the VICTIM. So, please dispense with your stall tactics and deceptive efforts to bamboozle the BBB into believing you are making a sincere effort to resolve this matter when you are not.
  
  Your lame-hearted failure to dispute the very serious assertions made in my last response can only be construed as an admission of guilt, particularly as you have implied a willingness to pay if I meet your terms and conditions.But we both know you have no intention of paying anything because you are nothing more than a liar and a cheat; right?
  
  Nevertheless, I will waste my time and give you one more chance to cure this matter.
  
  Ill give you one week (7 days) from todays date to mail me the $800 required to cover ******* Steamers proposed service. Alternatively,you can provide me with your insurance agents contact information in which case I will expect your insurance provider to cover the total cost assessed by ******* Steamer as well as all costs to repair the furnace your crew damaged.
  
  I will not consider this matter resolved until either your check in the amount of $800 clears my bank, or, if in the alternative, your insurance provider covers ALL costs in full and the work is complete.
  
  That is totally fair and reasonable.
  
  Incidentally, your advertisements indicate you have multiple locations, but I was only able to find one location (photo attached), which was based on the address your business operates under. Where are all those multiple locations?:
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  01/25/2025

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I paid in full plus added tip for air duck cleaning that after going over the work that should have been completed with another company witness that this company did half the work that was included In my service . No vacuum was used , 4 vents were not taking off and only air was blowed in with the whip attachment thats all that was done .

  

  Business response

  01/27/2025

  Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concerns. We want to assure you that we thoroughly cleaned every single vent in your home, as shown in the before-and-after pictures provided.
  If you see any dirt or debris remaining in the vents, we stand by our work with a complete guarantee. Wed be happy to revisit your property, inspect the vents, and clean anything that may have been missed.
  Your satisfaction is our priority, and were committed to ensuring the highest quality of service. Please let us know how we can assist further.
  Best regards,
  MDF Air Duct Cleaning Team

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩