A Calgary homeowner is warning others after letting two strangers into her home, thinking they were someone else.
April Swyers told Global News she was looking for a furnace and duct cleaning company when she came across one on a community Facebook page. It had great reviews, so she contacted the company and said she was told it was Breathe Clean Alberta.
She then booked an appointment and waited for the technicians to arrive.
“When they showed up, their truck was not logoed. They were not wearing uniforms. And they weren’t very professional,” she said. “They couldn’t pronounce the name of the company they said they were with.”
“I got a little uneasy right away.”
Swyers did let them in, but a few moments later, the doubts came creeping back.
“Every time I came in a room where they were, they just kind of looked over their shoulder at me — like I caught them doing something,” she told Global News.
Swyers then decided to put her fears at ease. She called Breathe Clean Alberta herself to confirm that it had her service request on file and that the company had sent the technicians. It did not.
“I just knew they weren’t who they said they were,” she added.
“I had two strange men in my house — who weren’t who they said they were. And they weren’t with the company they said they were with.”
Riz Bhanji, president and owner of Breathe Clean Alberta, took Swyers’ call. He then immediately took action.
“I told them to get out of the *bleep* house,” he told Global News. “I told them I’d called the police and they were coming right now. I was also on my way.”
“I know it’s not criminal what they did, but to me, it’s the same as break and enter. They lied about who they are. They’re in her house and she was freaked out. It’s not OK. They’re doing this to people, they’re doing this to seniors — just for a few bucks.”
Cheaper is not always better
Bhanji said it’s not the first time his company has been impersonated. He added fake ads from fake furnace and duct cleaning companies posted on social media are rampant. They often offer a “steal of a deal” but in the end, end up costing the customer much more.
“When you’re seeing these specials of $150 — it’s not,” he said. “That’s usually just for furnace and 10 vents. The average home has 20 to 25 vents. Then you’re going to pay for all of those extra vents. The dryer is an extra cost. Bathroom vents — that’s an extra cost. Sanitizing — that’s an extra cost.”
Bhanji added it doesn’t only add up for customers, it also costs legitimate companies business and their reputation.
“They’re not doing good jobs, they’re making dust all over the place, then they’re collecting money and getting out of there. And then we have customers saying, ‘Wow, this company was just horrible, but that’s not the case.”
Do your research
Not all furnace and duct cleaning companies that advertise this way are fake or just out to make money, Bhanji said. But he added there are ways to weed out the bad actors.
“Google the company. Call the number on the website. Make sure you look at their vans to see if they have logos and if the staff are all wearing uniforms. Snoop without snooping.”
“In hindsight when I looked back at the communication — there were flags,” Swyers admitted.
“All of our communication was through Facebook. I think that’s a red flag right there. I did start to see all of the broken English, the improper spelling.”
Swyers was able to get the imposters out of her home but said they were not happy to leave. She also didn’t have to pay them.
Breathe Clean Alberta has now cleaned her furnace and vents at no charge but while she’s not out any money, she said she’s certainly lost some of her trust. She’s contacted the original ad poster but never heard back.
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