GLENDALE, Ariz. - The American Indoor Air Quality Council (IAQ Council) is welcoming assistance in its fight against consumer fraud from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Local BBBs around the country are contacting the IAQ Council office to verify claims of certification found on company Websites. In cases where the claims are inaccurate, some BBBs are giving companies as little as 14 days to correct the errors or risk an unfavorable rating. The IAQ Council has responded by encouraging its certificants to make sure that their Websites are accurate and up to date.

“IAQ Council certifications are valuable assets,” said Charlie Wiles, IAQ Council executive director. “It is very important to represent them properly.”

Details that often trigger a BBB investigation include claiming certifications that have expired; claiming that a company is IAQ Council certified; claiming certification by the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) or the Indoor Environmental Standards Organization (IESO); or failing to identify the certifying body that sponsors a certification program. In reality, the IAQ Council only offers two-year certification, after which it expires, and it only certifies individuals, not companies. As for the other associations, both IAQA and IESO turned their certifications programs over to the IAQ Council in 2006. The IAQ Council also reminded that its certifications should be named and listed as such. The IAQ Council’s Website features an updated list of current certificate holders and their companies.

For more information, visit www.iaqcouncil.org.

Publication date: 07/07/2008