Raleigh homeowner: Chimney sweep left house covered in soot

“As soon as he starts, instantly the house starts filling in with a black cloud and smoke,” she said. “I asked him if this was supposed to happen. He said ‘no’ and that opening the door will fix the problem."

Kim said the man finished cleaning the chimney in 30 minutes. After he left, she realized how big the problem was. Soot covered everything. She could see the difference in color when she used a wipe on her leather couch.

Kim took out her air filters, which were also coated in soot, and became worried about her 3-year-old son breathing in the air and playing with toys that had been contaminated.

Kim called the company right away and emailed pictures of the mess. She says she was told a manager was figuring out what to do. Despite repeated phone calls, she never heard back, so she contacted 5 On Your Side for help.

An employee at duct N dryer who identified himself only as “Ben” said the company “is not responsible for any damages.” He pointed to a line in the contract that releases them from “any and all liability.” He then said, “Sorry, they’ll have to clean it up,” and hung up.

Healthy Air Duct Cleaning Services has an F rating with the Better Business Bureau. As for Kim, she says she’s stunned by the company’s lack of response.

“I feel like a victim in my own home,” she said. “We're dumbfounded. I can't believe they won't even return my phone calls to find an answer for this.”

Amazon Local refunded the $49 Kim paid for the voucher. She had to clean up the mess to make the house livable. She contacted an attorney and still wants the company to get the house professionally cleaned.