“This is 100% a scam”: Fargo man warns of alleged unlicensed duct cleaning business

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – A Fargo homeowner is looking to warn the community after he says he was scammed by a duct cleaning business.

Justin Hertel hired “Duct Cleaning & HVAC Services” on December 13, 2024 to clean his home’s heating system. He shared photos of what his filters looked like immediately after the cleaning company left:

“I’ve had to go through my entire house, every spot, every counter, everything was covered in dust,” he said.

Covered in dust, Hertel says he’s gone through seven or eight furnance filters since that December 13 date. Just days after the company serviced his home, Hertel’s heater completely gave out.

He found “Duct Cleaning & HVAC Services” on the Nextdoor neighborhood app, who promised a full service at just $298 dollars. To his surprise, that wasn’t the case. His invoice shows a grand-total of $399 dollars, including tax.

“I could’ve gone to a bigger, well-known company… but I was trying to give a smaller business the opportunity to advance,” the homeowner added.

He alleges the business created so much debris, it made him sick for a few days. He also mentioned the company even terrorized his cat. “My cat was sitting on top of the steps and they came up with the air hose and totally sprayed her with it to get out of the way,” he said.

With a laundry list of complaints, Hertel said he’s now unable to get ahold of the business. He told Valley News Live he’s spoken with the Attorney General’s Office, who can’t get ahold of them, either.

“According to the North Dakota/Minnesota Secretary of State and Attorney Generals, nobody has heard of them,” he said.

In a phone conversation between Hertel and the Attorney General, they allege Duct Cleaning & HVAC Services is not a licensed business.

They don’t have a website, and when googled, the only thing that comes up is a pop-up blocker that reads, “Attackers might be trying to steal your information.” If you proceed to the ‘advanced’ website, a cleaning service in Illinois comes up.

Valley News Live called their number listed on Hertel’s invoice, who provided a few statements.

A man with a heavy accent, who did not provide his name, gave his side of the story and said, “He clearly explained to him (Hertel) that he needed a…. deeper cleaning because otherwise there’s no way they’d be able to remove all of the debris from the chambers.”

VNL asked if they had a business license to which the man replied, “…We are a licensed business…we do the cleaning.”

We’ve asked for an emailed copy of their business license, but have yet to hear back.

Google reviews explain similar situations, claiming the company is a scam and ghosts clients.

As for Hertel, the damages caused by the company have exceeded the cost of the original cleaning. He said at this time, it isn’t even about the money anymore.

He’s a business owner himself and wants to warn other community members. He explains, “I just want to give a warning to everybody now to watch out for them. Make sure they have good credentials. Maybe, don’t even allow them inside of your house.”

Hertel is looking to take “Duct Cleaning & HVAC Services” to court, but can’t do so until he has a full name and an address confirmed.

“This is 100% a scam,” he added.

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