Lately we’ve been hearing more and more complaints about “whole house specials” and reading about them on the internet too. Whole house specials are advertised in the Toronto area for anywhere from $99.00 to $120.00 or $130.00. It just depends where you look.

Bait and Switch is a common rip-off tactic that has been around for many years and it is also being used by some duct cleaners in our area as well. They lead you to believe that you are going to get the ducts in your entire home professionally cleaned for only $120.00, but of course, once they are in your home they hit you with all kinds of stories, extras and price increases. That $120 can easily turn into a bill of over $500.

These are the same people who quite often refer to themselves on the internet as “industry leaders”, and clearly misrepresent themselves by saying they have been in business for X number of years when that is not true. Anyone can say what they want on their website to make themselves sound better than they really are, and we’ve been noticing an increase in that type of behaviour recently. It’s almost criminal really, and there should be a way for the legitimate companies in their respective industries to report such deliberate misinformation when they see it. The internet is a good thing, but unfortunately it is also another way for some people to lie to you without doing it right to your face.

Here is an example of an advertised “whole house special” that was being used in the U.S. The owner was eventually forced to stop using this truly misleading advertising, because no one ever did get their ducts cleaned for the low price he was advertising.

Any company who really thought of themselves as being an industry leader would not use such tactics because what they are doing is hurting the industry not helping it.

There are, unfortunately, some scam duct cleaning companies in the Toronto Area, but there are also many honest people too. If you are considering having your air ducts cleaned, there are some ways that you can protect yourself:

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