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Ecoquest

Josh of Salisbury, MD December 10, 2008

Josh of Salisbury MD (12/10/08)
I just started with EcoQuest about a week ago. I haven't started into this, so take this from a fresh mind who has had experience with the products, but has not been tainted by any bias of the business itself. I currently have an EcoQuest Fresh Air to-go unit in my car, and a Fresh Air in my living room. My parents and grand parents both have a units in their houses and the largest bar in our town has three of them. None of us have experienced any problems, and we have owned these for over 4 months. I'm not sure what model number the people in these complaints were using, if they were with Alpine, or what was going on. However, I can say from experience that the new products have almost no ozone output.

I would also suggest that a good deal of the complaints about the newer EcoQuest products have been made by people that either bought their products on-line and didn't have a dealer to help them set it up properly, didn't pay attention to the dealer, or didn't read the directions. Not putting any blame on the users that did this, I'm sure all of us don't read directions or miss some information here and there, however, there are two crucial instructions that every dealer is supposed to tell the buyers and that are in the instruction books.

1) NEVER set the machine on away mode while you are in the house!! I have seen numerous complaints here and on other sites where the symptoms they described were the results of heavy ozone exposure. The away mode is intended purely as a quick fix for odors and bacteria. It is a quick fix because it is pumping out extreme of ozone! This setting is DANGEROUS for humans to be exposed to longer than is needed to turn the machine to normal mode and let the house air out some more. This danger is no different than any other product with a warning in it's instructions and EcoQuest does have a warning against this!

2) Another trend I am seeing is that many users that complain notice that the smell is too strong. This may not be caused by it being on away mode, but it can be caused by the purifier setting! The recommended setting is to keep it on normal, however, you can manually adjust the purifier levels if it is too strong for you. If you ever feel that it smells too crisp or you don't notice a difference, then you should increase/decrease the levels until you notice a difference. The dealers should tell you this. There are a few other complications that could have risen from the lack of a dealer to step the user through this product.

The fact is that most people don't read directions, and EcoQuest doesn't expect their users to behave any differently. When the EcoQuest products are being sold on-line through places like eBay, where no support is given and there isn't even a users manual sometimes, than that is where problems start occurring the most. The link at the bottom of this site said to give experiences good or bad, so I wanted to give a first hand look. I don't know what has happened with the company in the past, or any predecessor companies, but I do know that these products aren't harmful if used correctly, but can be if used in a manner they weren't intended for by disregarding the instructions of either the dealers or the manual. This is no different from every single product out there today, including children toys.

Debbie of Clarksville, TN December 2, 2008

Debbie of Clarksville TN (12/02/08)
The product is very good. My problem was that my husband got into this business and AFTER he got in and paid, THEN he found out that he had to pay for leads. We had no choice. We are now in debt to American Express for leads that he had to get in order to do business. What a rip-off. They never told us this! Now, nothing can be done and NO ONE gives a hoot about us. They have our money. My husband put in his heart and soul for this business.

It is Christmas and we owe American Express BIG TIME. We have always kept our depts payable but cannot this one. We feel deceived, cheated, and abondanded by this company. My husband worked night and day for them.

Ingrid of Littleton, CO November 25, 2008

Ingrid of Littleton CO (11/25/08)
I am sorry to see these complaints about the EcoQuest air machines. I have owned 2 Fresh Air's since 2003 and have been very happy with them and their customer service. My daughter was a baby and she is 5 now with no health problems, just has gotten the usual colds etc. like other kids.

I have used it every time I've painted walls in my house and people say they cannot even smell the yucky paint fumes; the machine totally breaks down the chemicals and noxious fumes. Most people say they love the fresh smell in my house as I do. My boyfriend has severe asthma and does very well in my house, with the machine/s on.

I sincerely hope there is no link to any of these health risks I have read here.

It sounds like there are some irresponsible dealers out there and that is unfortunate and perhaps these individua;s have not actually educated the buyer properly of how to use the unit. You never put it on full blast while being in the house, even for pets; it's too harsh. I sanitize only when I am not at home.

Jennifer of Bettendorf, IA November 13, 2008

Jennifer of Bettendorf IA (11/13/08)
I purchased a Fresh Air machine on September 24, 2008. I was told the machine would help remove pet odors from my house. I was also told it MIGHT help improve my son's migraines. Soon after I began using the machine I started waking up with a headache nearly every morining. We used the machine for 6 weeks, and in that time my whole family was getting more frequent headaches. (I can handle my son not getting fewer migraines, but MORE is unacceptable).

Additionally, the pet odor isn't any different. I was told to use it on the ozone setting to help with odors, yet there are many warnings about using the ozone when there are pets. When I tried to return the unit less than 2 months after purchase, the dealer told me she has a 2 week return policy. I don't believe 2 weeks is long enough to know if a device will be effective. I called the company and they will do nothing about it. They said the dealers set their own return policies.

The only consequence is that I'm stuck with a 750 machine I won't use because we are tired of getting headaches.

Ashley of Forest City, NC October 30, 2008

Ashley of Forest City NC (10/30/08)
I met the vendors of Ecoquest products at a health fair. They asked if anyone would be interested in doing in home demonstrations. Since my husband smokes and we have pets, I was interested in their product to purify the air in our home. When they came to set the products up they brought a folder of literature that stated how effective the Fresh Air model was at removing mold, dust, smoke, allergins, and odors from the air. They also made claims that it relieved the symptoms of asthma and other respiratory problems. The vendors then went on to say that their technology was used at NASA and on the space station to clean the air. They did not at any time mention the health risks associated with this product.

After they left I researched consumer reports and Better Business Bureau reports on this product. What I found in consumer reports was shocking. The products by far exceeded the FDA's limit on ozone in the air produced by medical devices, which is 50 ppb(parts per billion). The purifiers were ineffective at removing dust, although they do remove VISIBLE smoke. And ozone is actually an irritant at ground level.

When Brenda came to pick the products up she wanted a testimony and referrals. I refused to make any referrals. I did not want to give a testimony, but I wrote short paragraph about the product making my house smell fresher, which is true. I confronted Brenda about my concerns and she said that the EPA approved this device and that is why there is an EPA stamp on the back of it. I then went to the EPA website and showed her that the markings on the back of the machine DO NOT mean the EPA approves this product it is only a way for the EPA to track products that produce ozone (as well as many other products and byproducts). She said that the FDA flat out lied about how much ozone the machines produce, and that the information I found was not true because she and her husband had researched it before deciding to sell the products. I feel mislead and very angry about the selling tactics of these people. I am 4 months pregnant and thought I was doing something good for my family's health, because that is what these people were pushing. I never would have allowed this product in my home had I been told the truth about it.

During the course of the trial, my husband and I both experienced respiratory congestion. I experienced chest tightness and some shortness of breath. I had 2 moderate to severe nosebleeds and I will be seeing my doctor this week to determine if this chemical had any effect on my unborn child.

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