Consumer warning issued for air conditioner
The Better Business Bureau issued a strong warning to Utahns looking to beat the heat this summer. At issue is questionable advertising about a home air cooling system. Customers are heated-up over this cooler in an ABC 4 Consumer Alert.
A full page advertisement ran in several Utah papers on Monday with a 48-hour offer for 50-dollars in free gas with the purchase of a new eco-friendly air cooler that uses the same energy as a 60 watt light bulb.
The Better Business Bureau says the ad is misleading and that the company, Universal TechTronics, has a history of complaints.
Jane Driggs, President and CEO of The Better Business Bureau of Utah explains the ad makes the product Cool Surge look like an air conditioner, but it's not, it's an air cooler. The unit uses a fan to blow air over two ice packs and water to produce cold air. But as stated in the ad, the product can only drop the temperature by up to 10 degrees. Driggs says the company markets the Cool Surge as an alternative to the high price of central air conditioning.
The Cool Surge sells for 228-dollars plus shipping and handling, but similar air coolers are priced at 100-dollars. Even with the 50-dollar gas incentive, buying locally would save the customer over 100-dollars.
“The advertising is bad; it lures customers to them and gives them a false sense of what the product actually is. Also the complaint that customers have been filing on different products from this company say they can't get a hold of them, they can't get a refund, the product is a piece of junk,” states Driggs.
In the past nine months, the Better Business Bureau has received nearly 200 complaints about Universal TechTronics’ business practices. So far there have been no complaints about the Cool Surge from Utah customers. The Better Business Bureau is asking the company to modify its ads or pull them altogether.
Friday, July 11, 2008
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1 comment:
We stand behind the quality of our product.
Our advertisement does not say the Cool Surge is an air conditioner; it simply talks about the savings associated with using the product versus an air conditioner.
The portability of the Cool Surge allows for one to use it for zone cooling in various rooms of a house.
The Cool Surge is intended for use indoors to help lower temperatures in a room by up to ten degrees.
Even on a day where outdoor temperatures are over 100 degrees, temperatures are naturally cooler indoors and our product will help cool the room further to the customer’s satisfaction. And in addition, our product will result in lower energy costs than utilizing an air conditioning unit.
From its eco-friendly design that doesn’t use windows, vents or Freon, to its extra cooling power, multi-levels and shutoff function, we believe that customers will receive a great value in the quality of our product.
Our gas card offer is directly comparable with other companies this summer who have taken steps to help relieve high gas prices for consumers.
And our one-year money back guarantee gives customers the peace of mind they deserve by assuring we supply a quality product that we will stand behind in the event of a problem.
We’ve found that the low end of other advertised air coolers starts at $100 and we feel that the quality and value of the Cool Surge adequately justifies our pricing.
To answer complaints cited by the Better Business Bureau for another product line, we’ve taken significant steps to upgrade our customer service. These solutions have included increased customer service, extended hours and improved product handling methods. These have resulted in all of the complaints being addressed to the satisfaction of the consumer.
Sincerely,
Chris Pugh
Communications Specialist
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