Sweating over FreezAir portable “AC” air cooler

“Extremely quiet fan“

“Fan is noisy and sounds like it is dragging something“

The FreezAir website is so defective that I can’t find the name of the seller or much else. But it will take your money.

Suspicious Address: TRUE (-1):

Brand: FreezAir
Company: ?
Address: ?
Email: contact@shopgearpro.com
Phone: ?
Website: FreezAir

I can’t find the company’s address. The domain for the email address above is for sale, so that email address is probably tits-up.

Ridiculous claims: TRUE (-1):

“The FreezAir Cooler was designed by two Swiss engineers who were fed up suffering in the hot summers in their winter homes,” says iTrust News. “FreezAir Pro has been engineered by a German engineering team of cooling system experts,” says the Snoqualmie Valley Record. Let’s make that a Chinese engineering team; it’s on sale at Alibaba.

Lying and deception: False (+1):

To their credit, FreezAir never once calls this device an air conditioner, if you overlook the “AC” in the description.

Chicanery: TRUE (-1):

• Bulletins about other people snapping up the last coolers.
• Careful with that order form; it’s pre-filled for a quantity of two coolers.

Overpriced: TRUE (-1):

Seller	item	Rated	price
?	FreezAir air cooler		$90
Amazon	Foam Roller Products air cooler (identical)	**	$25

Crummy product: TRUE (-1):

• From Amazon: “When the order arived, the box was damaged, it was not in a shipping box but just the product box with a label slapped on it. Upon opening the product, the wall plug adapter was not in the package, the cord you could plug into your computer was there but does not plug all the way into the product leaving a good amount of meta showing. When turned on the “silent” fan is noisy and sounds like it is dragging something. The product is also an Artic Air, which does have bad reviews however this dicetive [deceptive] vendor does not tell you Artic Air is what they are sending. Amazon really needs to start cracking down on these diceptive vendors! This is going back!“
• “this product does cool if placed close to bed and aimed at bed – it is NOISY on high and not very easy on low speed – the biggest complaint I have is that it came with a USB connector cord, but not the USB charger part that plugs into the outlet to let it work – and it is NOT rechargeable – needs to be plugged in all the time.“
• “Like I say it keeps you cool but the unit needs to be close to you could be a little more powerful for the price not bad.”
• “You’re better off just buying a regular fan or an actual air conditioner.”

Phony reviews: TRUE (-1):

Paid reviewers include Snoqualmie Valley Record, iTrust News, Island Sounder

Ads, spam, robocalls: Undetermined (0):

The link to the Privacy Policy is broken.

Onerous terms: Undetermined (0):

The link to the Terms of Service is broken. Here’s what I found in the main FreezAir ad:

guarantee days	guarantee starts when?	ok to open the package?	ok to try the product?	ok to use the product?	restocking fee
60	?	?	?	?	?

Bad service: False (0):

I found no complaints.

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Total score: -4

Unauthorized charges: I found no complaints about this.

Advice: Avoid.

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Scoring: There may be nothing illegal or wrong with the above business practices.  But they suggest to me that the seller is not to be trusted. I’m using my Trustworthy scoring system; -1 means true (bad), +1 means false (good), and 0 means undetermined.  The practice scores total to a Trustworthy Score between +10 and -10. I consider the seller responsible for paid reviewers’ statements.

Swamped by Chillwell “AC” air cooler

“ChillWell uses Hydro-Chill Technology™ that helps turn hot air into cold, moist air.”

“… it’s a wet sponge with the fan blowing on it.“

This gadget is not an air conditioner. Air conditioners use vapor-compression refrigeration. The Chillwell blows air over a tray of ice or water; it’s really a swamp cooler. A small one.

Suspicious Address: False (+1):

Brand: Chillwell
Company: Ontel Products Corporation
Address: 21 Law Drive, Fairfield, NJ 07004
Email: hillwell@rephelpdesk.com
Phone: 888-998-6324
Website: Chillwell

A dedicated facility within the US; acceptable.

Ridiculous claims: TRUE (-1):

• “For The Past Few Years, The Air Conditioner Industry Had Just 3 Big Companies That Could Set Any Prices They Wanted And Kept Ripping Off Customers,” according to Tech Lifestyle. A durable piece of boilerplate that I often see in web offers. “For the past few years, the heating industry had just 3 big companies that could set any prices they wanted and kept ripping off customers,” bellows Top Heaters. Which is ludicrous in Ontel’s case because they sell same gadget on Amazon for $30. Here, as “Chillwell,” they want $90. Clearly, Ontel thinks they ccan set any price they want and keep ripping off customers.
• “Did you know big brands spend BILLIONS on advertising, physical stores, and boss bonuses? Can you guess who’s paying for that? Yep, us the customers…” Boilerplate again.

Lying and deception: False (+1):

None found, unless you count calling this gadget an air conditioner.

Chicanery: TRUE (-1):

• Bulletins about other people snapping up the last coolers.
• Careful with that order form; it’s preset for a quantity of three coolers.
• Terms are 10 pages long, 4,385 words. The return policy is, of course, at the end.

Overpriced: TRUE (-1):

Seller	item	Rated	price
Chillwell	Chillwell evaporative cooler		$90
Amazon	Ontel evaporative cooler (identical)	***	$30

Chillwell and Ontel are the same company. See the disclaimers at the bottom of the order form.

Crummy product: TRUE (-1):

• From Amazon: “… this air conditioner is really a play toy for Barbie’s Dreamhouse.”
• “The first time I used it I wet the filter put cold water and ice in it like suggested, didn’t get a chance to freeze the filter. It did not go for 10 hrs like it said it would with a full tank, still doesn’t. The next day I went to use it, all the water/ice leaked d[t]o the bottom of the tray and was leaking.”
• “I received this product yesterday 6/8/21 and was only on for 10 minutes! Even on low it’s so loud, on high sounds like a jet getting ready to take off! I’m extremely disappointed, I only bought for use on my night stand and there’s NO WAY I would’ve got any rest.. also it really didn’t get that cool & I put the filter under running water and into the freezer AND I put ice cubes in with the water in tiny tank,,, IMO it’s a total waste of $40!! And NO option to turn the LED lights off & the machine itself is so tiny… Epic fail!!!!”
• “We’re approaching 120 degree heat already so I thought,”Why not”, and ordered this lil diddy honestly because it was well priced. Amen to my instincts because I love it! I put the filter in the freezer, throw in some ice cubes, and pop it on my nightstand and am good to go.”
• “… the filter drawer sticks. You literally have to pull from the top to get it open. The unit at it’s lowest setting is very loud and the worse is that the water leaks out everywhere.”

Phony reviews: TRUE (-1):

Paid reviewers include Tech Lifestyle, Science Times, Village Voice

Ads, spam, robocalls: TRUE (-1):

“do not track” setting	email ads	robo-calls	“do not call” registry	text ads	junk mail	share your data
	yes	yes	ignored	yes		yes

You can opt out.

• If they sell their company, your personal data is part of the deal.

Onerous terms: TRUE (-1):

guarantee days	guarantee starts when?	ok to open the package?	ok to try the product?	ok to use the product?	restocking fee
60	delivery	no	no	no	$10 or more

Bad service: TRUE (-1):

If you’re having trouble contacting Chillwell / Ontel, try posting a complaint at the Better Business Bureau. Ontel has replied to many complaints there.

• From Amazon: “Waste of time. Intel answered my question and said it comes with usb power cord. It doesn’t. They’ve given me the runaround all week. I bought another brand for less money with usb and ac cord.”
• From Better Business Bureau; “I originally ordered three battery vaults as Christmas gifts on 12/15/2021. The items never arrived. I contacted customer service on 12/27/21 (two times) and cancelled the order. The first agent could not locate my order but the second was able to find it and cancelled the order. On February 7, 2022, I received an email thanking me for my order and my bank account was charged ******. I received the package on 02/06/22. I did not authorize the charge or place this order. I am returning the package and am waiting for a refund.”
• “Ordered product 6/30/21. Emailed them immediately to cancel. E-mail did not go through – box full. Attempted for a week to call and waited over an hour and was cut off.” <Futile struggle for a refund truncated.>
• “Contacted Ontel by email and was told I could return for a refund. Shipped the units back to their ********* address in August via post office with tracking number. Postal tracking shows units were delivered to Ontel but I am still waiting for a refund on September 21. No communication from Ontel to advise status.”

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Total score: -6

Unauthorized charges: I found one complaint about this.

• From Better Business Bureau: “I feel I am being given the run around in getting my refund. My card PayPal account was charged before I even completed the [order form] ********* called immediately to cancel the order. I was charged $248.88 instead of $62.85 as advertised. So far, I have spoken to 3 representatives and would like an explanation on why after THREE EXPEDITED REQUESTS made by your representatives my refund still has not been processed?“

Advice: If you must try this kind of gadget, avoid Chillwell and any other brand associated with Ontel.

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Scoring: There may be nothing illegal or wrong with the above business practices.  But they suggest to me that the seller is not to be trusted. I’m using my Trustworthy scoring system; -1 means true (bad), +1 means false (good), and 0 means undetermined.  The practice scores total to a Trustworthy Score between +10 and -10. I consider the seller responsible for paid reviewers’ statements.

Frosted by Blast Auxiliary desktop “AC”

“Portable AC … that can refrigerate any room in under 5-minutes“

“This provides a little bit of cooling if you’re no more than several inches away from it.“

What do you think AC means? Lots of things. Alice Cooper. Atlantic City. Alternating Current. Oh, did you think it meant air conditioner?

The second quote is from an Amazon customer review. How to get hold of Blast Auxiliary:

Address: Customer Service Team, Quality Performance Limited, 377 Valley Rd #1123, Clifton, NJ 07013*
Email: Not disclosed!
Phone: 866 335 1618

*: Dubious address; see “Suspicious Location” below.

Similar: Blast

April 17, 2021: There may be nothing illegal or wrong with the following business practices. But they suggest to me that the seller is not to be trusted. I’m using my Trustworthy scoring system; -1 means true (bad), +1 means false (good), and 0 means undetermined. I penalize the seller for statements made by shills.

Ridiculous claims:  TRUE (-1):

• “Energy companies … pay developers to not make more efficient AC units.”
• “He’s already received threats from big energy companies, and we don’t know how long until they try to sue him out of business.”

Suspicious location: TRUE (-1):

Blast Auxiliary is a particularly elusive company. T&Cs cite the governing laws of British Columbia, Canada. I found the address of their “Data Protection Officer.” If this is them, it’s a mailbox. If it isn’t, they have no physical location. Either way, how disappointing.

Onerous terms: TRUE (-1):

• You have 30 days from date of receipt to return your unused, untried gadget still sealed in its original package.

Ads, spam, robocalls:  TRUE (-1):

• They’ll spam, robocall and text you, ignoring “Do not call” registries; you can opt out.
• They’ll share your personal data with other companies that will do the same.

Lying and deception:  TRUE (-1):

• “The founder of Blast was fed up with getting ripped off, so he created the most groundbreaking AC unit ever.” Looks like he “created” it by ordering it from Alibaba.
• What “AC” means: On page 1 we get a clue; “It weights less than 2 pounds unfilled.” On page 2 we find the remark that the gadget is an air cooler. On page 3 it turns out to also be an air cleaner. Blast Auxiliary never said it was an air conditioner. From Alibaba; “Put the ice cubes into the fan ice storage tank in order to enjoy the cold wind.”
• “Some Important Facts: … Blast is made in America.”
• Shill Intrado didn’t get the memo about the forbidden words. “Blast Auxiliary AC (also called Blast Portable AC) is a newly introduced portable air conditioner that includes a powerful cooling system enclosed in a compact body so that users can easily carry it around with them.”
• Advertised: “NO-HASSLE RETURNS.  If you are not satisfied with your Blast Auxiliary Classic Desktop AC, you can return it within 30 days of purchase for a full refund. 30 DAY GUARANTEE: If you are not completely thrilled with your Blast Auxiliary Classic Desktop AC.” But the T&Cs say you can’t even open the box if you want to be able to return it.

Chicanery:  TRUE (-1):

• “As of today it’s still in stock, but if you miss out it won’t be back in stock until after Summer.”
• “There is limited availability and this 50% OFF REGULAR PRICE OFFER may be taken down at any moment!”
• Bulletins about other people snapping up the last gadgets.
• Your trip to the order form page is enhanced by the suspense of a slow bar graph display; “Checking if you qualify for special offers.”
• Careful with that order form; the choice of three gadgets is pre-checked.
• Privacy Policy is excessive at 3,497 words long, 8 pages. T&Cs, where the real return policy is buried, are 4,412 words long. That’s 10 exhausting pages.

Phony reviews: TRUE (-1):

• Websites with more than 3 testimonials fail this test, regardless of whether they are authentic. Blast Auxiliary has 7.
• Products with “friendly” reviews that have prominent links to the seller fail this test. Shills include Intrado, MetroTimes, Yahoo!Finance, etc.

Crummy product:. Undetermined (0).

• Amazon buyers of the identical Smart Devil gadget gave it 2.5 / 5 stars.
• “If you have no other cooling devices, this provides a little bit of cooling if you’re no more than several inches away from it. Also, while it’s convenient to come with 2 ice trays, they do melt pretty quickly, so you may find you’ll need to switch them out every 15 to 20 minutes.”
• “Fan socks.”

Overpriced: TRUE (-1):

Blast Auxiliary prices its gadget at $90 after the customary 50% discount. On Amazon I see the identical gadget, branded Smart Devil, priced at $26.

Bad service: False (+1):

I found no complaints.

Total score: -7

Unauthorized charges: I found no evidence of this.

Conclusion: An air cooler would save electricity and give some comfort. But I think you’ll want a larger one.

Bloopers:

• “BLAST AUXILIARY CLASSIC DESKTOP AC HAS 3 COOLING TECHNOLOGIES IN ONE SMALL“
• “Blast Loves It’s Customers.“