I called United Duct Cleaning to clean the air ducts in my home, based on an ad received by mail. UDC provided a minimal, substandard service that cannot be described as duct cleaning.

The team arrived in an unmarked vehicle. After removing 30% of the vent registers in my home, seemingly choosing them at random, they used a standard vacuum to remove superficial debris under the registers. A loud large machine, which they said created "negative pressure" created the impression of a fuller service. As they did not connect this machine properly to the ductwork, it can only have been for show. After failing to provide the service I ordered, the team used aggressive sales techniques to attempt to get consent for further services -- that is, the full duct cleaning which I had ordered. The price they were asking was ten times the advertized price. They never provided the dryer vent cleaning that was supposed to be included in the package.

The team were an invasive presence in my home. They roamed without permission into every room, at one point even violating the privacy of a child using the toilet. They failed to replace the vent registers they had removed, claiming it was too difficult, and neglected to replace some of the furnishings they had moved to get access to the vent registers. When I became uncomfortable and suspicious, I paid the advertized price and asked the team to leave. Only after I demanded three times that they go, threatening to call the police, did they leave my property.

According to the Better Business Bureau, a consumer fraud lawsuit was filed against this company under the name American Pure Air and the finding was against them. However, in my experience they are continuing to operate in the same ways alleged in the lawsuit, but under a different name.