- Report: #781017
Complaint Review: AMERICAN CLEAR AIR INC - Internet
Reported By:
anonymous -
, Texas, United States of America
Submitted:
Updated:
-
Author Not Confirmed
Why?
AMERICAN CLEAR AIR INC
18819 BROOKWOOD FOREST 78258 Internet, United States of America
Phone:
210-479-1700
Web:
www.americanclearair.com
Categories:
Business Rating:
(0)
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AMERICAN CLEAR AIR, INC MATHEW GALILA RIPPED OFF AN ELDERLY WOMAN Internet
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.
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.
2 Updates & Rebuttals
anonymous
New Braunfels,Texas,
United States of America
Update: American Clear Air
#2Author of original report
Tue, December 20, 2011
On September 23, 2011, I mailed American Clear Air a certified letter/return receipt requesting a full refund and the removal of the the Ultra Violet light from my mother's home. On December 16, 2011, the USPS returned the letter to me as unclaimed. This is demonstrative of the problems my mother has experience with American Clear Air. Texas law stipulates a full refund for unfinished work, if the request is made in writing, and within three days.
In addition, American Clear Air neglected to have my mother sign a 'right to cancel' agreement before the work was performed, as required by Texas law.
I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, on behalf of my mother, concerning ACA's unscrupulous business practices. According to the BBB, Mathew Galila, owner of ACA, claimed that my mother signed a work order/invoice for the work to be performed, but declined to provide that document, with signature, to the BBB.
My mother filed a complaint with her credit card company. Galila's account was debited the amount my mother had paid him, and the money was returned to my mother. Galila again claimed that my mother had signed a agreement for the work to be perform, but again, as with the BBB, he declined to provide that document, with my mother's signature, to the credit card investigators.
Galila will never be able to provide that signature, because it simply does not exist.
In addition, American Clear Air, claims an endorsement from the 'Maine Technology Institute' on it's mailed flyer advertisements. I provided ACA's flyer to Maine Technology Institute. That organization has never heard of Mathew Galila or American Clear Air.
anonymous
New Braunfels,Texas,
United States of America
Update: American Clear Air, Inc. , Mathew Galila
#3Author of original report
Tue, October 18, 2011
I filed a complaint on behalf of my mother with the Better Business Bureau, regarding American Clear Air Inc. unscrupulous business practices.
In his rebuttal, owner/operator Mathew Galila claims that my mother signed an 'contract invoice' for his services. He also claims that this invoice was emailed to my mother. This is untrue on both accounts. The invoice was actually emailed to me. My mother did not see it until I downloaded and provided her a copy. I provided the BBB Dispute Resolution Specialist with a copy of it. There is no signature on it.
Galila also claims that American Clear Air inspected my mother's air conditioner, air ducts and vents. This is untrue. He claims that American Clear Air sprayed chemicals into the duct system. This is untrue as well. His assistant sprayed deodorizer into one vent. This 'service' is free according to American Clear Air's mailed flyer, advertising its $49 air duct cleaning service, which is all my mother desired.
Galila also claims that the unsigned merchants copy of my mother's credit card receipt for $920 fell off of his clipboard, and that I somehow took control of it. This is untrue. I found the receipt on a table in my mother's home after Galila and his assistant departed. The ACA address on the receipt was incorrect, indicating ACA's previous address in Capistrano Beach, California, and not its current location in San Antonio, Texas.
American Clear Air's flyer claims an 'A+' rating from the BBB. The BBB in the Seattle area actually gave American Clear Air, when it was located there, an 'F' rating. American Clear Air, Inc. is unaccredited by the BBB in Texas. Galila assistant was wearing a t-shirt advertising American Clear Air' s Seattle-area business. When I asked Galila if there was a ACA franchise in Seattle as well. He replied in the affirmative,but claimed that he only visited Seattle once, for a few days. This is untrue. Actually Galila appears to have been the sole owner/operator of American Clear Air Inc. when it was located in Kirkland, Washington, Lynnwood, Washington, Capistrano Beach, California, Austin, Texas and two locations in San Antonio, Texas.
The American Clear Air, Inc. flyer claims an endorsement from Maine Technology Institute. I contacted MTI to affirm its endorsement. MTI denies that it endorsed American Clear Air, and requested that I provide it with a copy of the flyer. In addition, American Clear Air claims the the Environmental Protection Agency endorses the company. The ACA flyer even includes the EPA logo. Federal agencies generally do not endorse private companies.
