BBB warns consumers of duct-cleaning company

AUSTIN (KXAN) - With allergy season in full swing here in Central Texas, many people will hire someone to clean the air ducts in their homes.  But the Better Business Bureau has issued a warning about an Austin-based company leaving a trail of unhappy customers.

The company is Austin City Air Ducts, also known as ANS Air Ducts, and/or AOS Air Ducts.  The Better Business Bureau says the company has changed names several times and consumers have had a hard time getting a hold of the after doing business with them.  KXAN first reported about the company in 2011.

Complaints have come-in from across the state, not just here in Austin, but San Antonio, Dallas and Fort Worth.  The complaints allege the company advertises with coupons in Val Pak or on websites like Living Social and once they get into your home, customers say they were aggressively upsold. 

Customers also say the expensive add-on services were often not completed.  In some cases the Better Business Bureau says the company's services actually resulted in further damage to the heating and air conditioning systems.

“They're doing business under several different names which can be difficult to track but the biggest issue is, of the dozens of complaints that the BBB has received from consumers, the company is refusing to respond,” says Erin Duefner with the Austin Better Business Bureau. 

Click here to see the Better Business Bureau’s consumer alert and for some helpful information for those considering getting their air conditioning ducts cleaned.