My eighty-nine year old mother responded to a mail flyer from American Clear Air. The flyer advertised a $48 air duct cleaning service. Mr. Mathew Galila of American Clear Air visited my mother's home. Following a very high pressured sales pitch, Mr. Galila gained control of my mother's credit card and charged it a whopping $920. The bill of sale Mr. Galila left at my mother's home actually stipulated an $1490.83 worth of 'work' to be performed on my mother's air ducts. The only work Mr. Galila and his cohort performed on my mother's duct work during the visit was the installation of a ultra violet lamp, supposedly to kill mold. This task took less than ten minutes.
Notwithstanding the astronomical fee charged by Mr. Galila's receipt is problematic for other reasons. It stipulates five 'free' air duct cleanings over five years, but Mr. Galila actually charged my mother $500 for that 'free' service. There is also an 'other' unelaborated fee for $114.
A 'merchants' copy of the credit card, with a space for my mother's signature, was left behind at my her house. It was unsigned.in fact, my mother did not sign the credit card receipt nor contract for any services to be performed by American Clear Air.
The following morning I telephoned Mr. Galila on behalf of my mother (being her legal guardian) and stated that she wished to cancel her verbal agreement with American Clear Air and requested a full refund of the money charged to my mother's credit card. One hour later, my mother also telephoned Mr. Galila and made the same request. Mr. Galila hung up on her.
Texas law stipulates the right of a full refund, if the request is in writing, and within three days. I've emailed American Clear Air four requests for a full refund. I've also faxed American Clear Air a request for a full refund. Unfortunately, the fax number on the Mr. Galila's business card is bogus. There is a fax number on American Clear Air's website and it appears to be legitimate. I've also mailed a certified letter/return receipt to the address listed on American Clear Air's website. There was no street address on Mr. Galila's business card, only the street name.
Mr. Galila claims to be from Israel. He is very tall and has a thick foreign accent. His sidekick appears to be Latino and appears to speak little or no English.
0 comments