Eco Clean

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 10790650, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.You state I did not say in my letter how long the filter was in place. Please review my letter. That information is clearly stated . . It was approx 2 weeks.Yes, SAFECO does have a website.  However,  I was not told about that website, nor was I given any information at the time that I should consult the website, nor was I given any time to consult a website while Gerard was at my home . Instead, Gerard, came to my home and offered me a choice of 2 filters. Once again , I  was told affirmitively by Gerard that this filter would work with my system without problem and that this was the best filter for my needs. To reiteratte, Gerard presented me with the filter, with no other information, verbal or written, with no other precautions or admonitions, and when I ASKED whether this is appropriate for my AC unit I was told "NO PROBLEM" which means YES. Your letter addresses the wrong problem.  It is not whether or not the filter was installed correctly as you suggested. The issue is this filter should not have been recommended or intstalled at all.You are quite clearly skirting around the basic issue here, which is that Gerard was negligent in telling me that this filter was suitable.   I was grossly misinformed by Gerard.. who misrepresented this product as being appropriate for my AC. Your reply is unacceptable and shirks any real responsibility for the damages that ensued Your good faith offer of $50 is an insult considering the amount of my damages.[redacted]
Regards,[redacted]

We are sorry that the SafeHome filter did not work for the customer. We reviewed the situation with the manufacturer and believe we provided appropriate information, consistent with industry practices, on how to assess whether a given filter willmeet the needs of a given situation. This...

information is also available to the public, online, at our safehomefilters.com website. (Please see, for example, www.safehomefilters.com/index.php/pressure-drop-html.html ) It clearly describes what to consider when choosing a filter and specifically addresses the question of air resistance. In the case you mention, we have no way of knowing whether the filter was installed correctly. This type of filter MUST be installed inthe proper direction (according to the label) so that air flow is maximum. These directions are clearly written on the packaging.Your letter did not indicate how long the unit ran with the filter in it, or how old the HVAC unit is. In addition to the information provided on our website and packaging, it is commonly known that filters should be installed in the properdirection and one should not install a filter with a greater air resistance than theirHVAC can handle. Based on the above analysis and discussions with the manufacturer, it is appropriate to conclude that we are not responsible for the repair costs for yourair conditioning unit. However, as a show of good faith, we are willing to reimburse you for the price you paid for our filter plus $50.00.

We went to Mrs [redacted] and she asked us to install the filter. We installed it as a courtesy, we never installed filters and did not charge her for it.We  sold her an adequate filter matching the opening of the return. We were not told then that there was anything out of the ordinary about this. The filter she purchased is a MERV 8 rating. Merv 8 is the average rating on filters in the US. A new home in Phoenix comes with a MERV 8 filter installed. I understand that the AC repairman looked at the filter and told Mrs [redacted] that the filter is too restrictive just by looking at it . The MERV rating of the filter is 8, same as any other filter he would have installed. I do not know if the repairman made a mistake and is trying to blame it on the filter! I am told now that the way the system is designed it warrants a special filter.. nothing was mentioned to us then. If the AC serviceman who claims that the filter is the source of the problem could provide us with some specifics on why the filter is the culprit of this problem, I would like to get that information in writing so I can have AC experts go over it and get us a expert point of view. Until then, I believe the air conditioning technician is looking to blame someone else for a problem that was not ours or to make excuses about an older unit that broke.Sincerely, Gerard W[redacted]

They are amazing! They have been cleaning our carpeting for more than 14 years. Not only do they do a great job, the people are very nice and responsive. We are moving out of state and it pains me to think that no other carpet cleaners will ever live up to the job they do.

Review: [redacted] v EcoCleanIn end of May, 2015 I bought an air purifier from ECOCLEAN. It was delivered by Gerard the owner who also brought 2 air filters for my AC intake which he recommended to replace my normal filter. He advised the one from SAFEHOME DUO as the best. I looked at it, & it seemed quite thick. There was no information on the package about using the filter. so I asked if he was certain it was safe to use or if it could obstruct the air flow or injure my air conditioner in any way. He assured me it would be "no problem" He removed the old filter , at which time he had a first hand view of the ductwork involved, and installed the new Safehome filter. AC was not used much for the next 2 weeks . We noticed that our house was not cooling down & the AC unit began shutting itself on & off .The air flow was weak, & the air wasn't very cold. We removed the new filter. The air flow returned back to normal but the air temp, although better, was not getting as cold as before.. The next day we had the AC inspected . The inspection showed the fan motor was compromised and overheating due to strain from the thick filter . It needed replacement. The repair cost $775. Documentation is available The AC man told me that this filter should NOT have been used on my AC system since mine only has a 12" ductwork opening, and is older. He said there would never be enough air going through the filter to prevent overheating and damage to the AC. He said the person who sold me this filter should have known this information and advised me.On June 18, I sent a letter to ECOCLEAN requesting reimbursement for this repair and was refused. He stated "they use these in new homes all the time" . I pointed out that since my home is not a new home and has an older AC this does not apply I got a letter from the SAFEHOME filter company. In the letter they acknowledge that there are problems with this filter under certain conditions, and gave a website that details this info. (Note There is no infomation, warnings, or websites on the packaging of the filter itself. and therefore one must rely on the vendor). SAFEHOME stated in their letter that " ...one should not install a filter with a greater air resistance than their HVAC can handle." & also that they planned to"stress to their resellers to make sure to go over the information provided with their customers when deciding which filter is appropriate for each installation" .Clearly, even the company agrees that their vendors are responsible for providing information to the customer. This is what Gerard should have done and failed to do in my case. They also clearly state that this filter is not appropriate for every installation.I specificly asked Gerard about the safety of this filter & was told there would be "no problem." Absent any information on the packaging, I relied on and trusted Gerard to provide me with accurate information about this product, or at least to direct me to do further research if that was required. Instead, I was given a blanket assurance, after he looked directly at the AC himself, that this would be safe. I relied on the respresentations made by Gerard but he clearly was untrained and uninformed about the product he sold me . He should be responsible for the damage that it caused. He misrepresented the product as safe to use in all situations, when clearly it was not.Desired Settlement: Refund for damage to AC unit. plus refund for filter. $815

Business

Response:

We are sorry that the SafeHome filter did not work for the customer. We reviewed the situation with the manufacturer and believe we provided appropriate information, consistent with industry practices, on how to assess whether a given filter willmeet the needs of a given situation. This information is also available to the public, online, at our safehomefilters.com website. (Please see, for example, www.safehomefilters.com/index.php/pressure-drop-html.html ) It clearly describes what to consider when choosing a filter and specifically addresses the question of air resistance. In the case you mention, we have no way of knowing whether the filter was installed correctly. This type of filter MUST be installed inthe proper direction (according to the label) so that air flow is maximum. These directions are clearly written on the packaging.Your letter did not indicate how long the unit ran with the filter in it, or how old the HVAC unit is. In addition to the information provided on our website and packaging, it is commonly known that filters should be installed in the properdirection and one should not install a filter with a greater air resistance than theirHVAC can handle. Based on the above analysis and discussions with the manufacturer, it is appropriate to conclude that we are not responsible for the repair costs for yourair conditioning unit. However, as a show of good faith, we are willing to reimburse you for the price you paid for our filter plus $50.00.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 10790650, and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.You state I did not say in my letter how long the filter was in place. Please review my letter. That information is clearly stated . . It was approx 2 weeks.Yes, SAFECO does have a website. However, I was not told about that website, nor was I given any information at the time that I should consult the website, nor was I given any time to consult a website while Gerard was at my home . Instead, Gerard, came to my home and offered me a choice of 2 filters. Once again , I was told affirmitively by Gerard that this filter would work with my system without problem and that this was the best filter for my needs. To reiteratte, Gerard presented me with the filter, with no other information, verbal or written, with no other precautions or admonitions, and when I ASKED whether this is appropriate for my AC unit I was told "NO PROBLEM" which means YES. Your letter addresses the wrong problem. It is not whether or not the filter was installed correctly as you suggested. The issue is this filter should not have been recommended or intstalled at all.You are quite clearly skirting around the basic issue here, which is that Gerard was negligent in telling me that this filter was suitable. I was grossly misinformed by Gerard.. who misrepresented this product as being appropriate for my AC. Your reply is unacceptable and shirks any real responsibility for the damages that ensued Your good faith offer of $50 is an insult considering the amount of my damages.[redacted]