Duct cleaning ads found to deceive consumers

Duct cleaning services, frequently advertised by direct mail, are often tools to deceive consumers, a yearlong investigation by the Better Business Bureau found.

The services frequently are advertised well below $100 -- an unrealistic price for the type of work that is supposed to be done. The ads often suggest how dirty ducts can make you sick and that the service being offered will resolve the situation.

"It is our opinion that thorough and effective cleaning can take several hours to complete at a cost of $300-$500," Barry Goggin, president of the BBB serving northeast California, said in a statement.

The group shopped with six different companies and reviewed more than two dozen complaints lodged by consumers against the companies.