Filter Queen Vacuum in home sales Carlton Minnesota

I was ripped off $3853.00 from Filter Queen, AKA Minnesota Health Systems, repersentitive Brandon Sell.

On August, 16 2011 Brandon Sell came to my door to sell me a useless Majestic Filter Queen Vacuum along with an even more useless machine they call the Defender air purifier. Brandon was invited to my home after I received a deceitful phone call from his company. I say it was deceitful because that is their intent. They want to be invited into your home under false pretenses, making you believe they are there to help you with your health not to sell you a product. It's a way for them to get you to have your guard down. Note the AKA Minnesota Health Systems, not calling themselves Filter Queen. In my pursuit to find some sort of justice I have learned that they go by many different names.

Brandon used great tact in getting me to let my guard down. He started by asking questions such as, do I feel we need to worry about the quality of our air we breathe. As a nutritionist I had great concerns and started to tell him about them. He listened to me about my business as a Nutritionist and went as far as to take information and an application to help me in my 'campaign for a better tomorrow'. He listened inventively about my quest to help people and showed me what I thought was genuine excitement about helping others. Well I fell for his BS hook line and sinker. I truly believed he wanted to help people. Wanted to help me reach more people with my own quest. This of course made me more susceptible to his claims on this "wonderful" vacuum.

It wasn't an easy sale as he was in my home for over 3 hours. At least half of that time was spent on my campaign idea's. How we could reach people in his area as well to educate them on clean air and the benefits of biodegradable cleaning products. I was truly excited. As the tables continued to turn back to his Filter Queen products I began to get this feeling of you scratch my back I will scratch yours. Almost a different type of business transaction was taking place. He continued with talking about all the people he knew in his business that would love to work with me as well. Naming off 5 from the top of his head that could help my business.

Maybe it's my age. I was 73 I was really trusting and believing in this young man. He was going to give me the best deal he could possibly do and he was going to make that deal that much better by helping me. Still the sale was not easy for him. That much money for a vacuum there was no way I could afford or justify spending that kind of money. In fact I did not even have it to spend. I was trusting in one other man, my ex-husband in which took me for all of my savings and then some. I spoke with Brandon about this. Told him how even though from his demo I thought the vacuum was nice, but with my financial situation it just was not something I could do right now. This put him into selling mode and before I knew it I was approved for special financing with 0% interest. Payments under $100.00 per month and he was going to go as far as to make the first months payment for me. Stating that my business would be doing so well within that first month from all the people he was going to get on board with me. I would have no need to worry about such a small payment. To add insult to injury I was in a time pinch. I needed to get to the bank before it closed, I really needed him to be on his way.

The next thing I know I am signing the paper. All on promises he has told me. There is nothing in print. Nothing about the 0% interest, nothing about the payment amount, nothing about him making the first payment. All there was, was talk about this "great deal" I was getting. He was giving me a discount on the vacuum, he was throwing in the Defender air purifier for free. He was taking my old vacuum and giving me $500 in trade. Oh the unbelievable deal he was giving me. The best part was that he was taking over $35 worth of my business information along with an application and he was going to help me. He was going to make me money. Sounds good doesn't it? I signed this small piece of paper that said and meant nothing but that I was in a legal binding contract with whatever terms he later would detail. He did let me know that I had time to change my mind, I remember that. I know he said 30 days, but later to find out I only had 3. (Don't you have longer than that to decide you didn't like a $5 T-shirt and return it to the store? Just does not seem right.) He was out the door and so was I on a mad dash to make it to the bank before closing.

On my way home from the bank I started to feel the panic. What have I done? The feeling was rather overwhelming but I let it pass as quickly as it came on assuring myself that he was a trusting young man. That assurance did not last long. In fact it lasted less than a day. Brandon was suppose to be calling me about getting me his application and getting his wife on board with him. He was going to get back to me ASAP. Now I am looking at this vacuum in which is far to heavy for me to lug up and down the stairs, it's even kind of heavy just to get out of the storage closet. Then I have to remove the top pick it up to empty it and then replace the filters. I know I am not going to be able to do this on my own. The mess and the dust created by emptying this vacuum is awful to say the least, I don't know what genius came up with this plan but it defeats the purpose of not letting dust in the air. I had also plugged in the Defender air purify, it did nothing. That icky feeling of making a big mistake was  now shouting at me.

My mind was racing. What have I done and how did this young man get me to do this, I know I don't have the money for it, who has the money for a vacuum that is that expensive? I remember telling him I didn't have the money for it. Why did I sign that paper? I got to find that paper, where is it. I couldn't find it. I called Brandon's office just to be told to call back because he was out. I told them I couldn't find the papers and they had me look in the filter bag. There it was a small piece of yellow paper that only listed the amount of money for me to pay. It told me nothing on financing or interest. I looked at the math for this great deal and realized I didn't get any deal. Things were taken off and added back on. In fact I had just given him my Orbeck vacuum I had paid $500 for and loved. I tried his cell phone number he had given me, left a message but no reply.

The following day I called Brandon's office again, he was in Las Vegas for a Filter Queen convention. I remember him talking to me about going. I didn't realize it was that soon. Okay maybe I shouldn't panic. But I did, I called his cell again. I called back to the office I spoke with his boss. I explained wanting them to take back the vacuum. I explained my mistake. I was told it was too late. The vacuum was mine but they would have Brandon come back to my home and explain everything to me again. He came. I begged him to take the vacuum back. He said, sorry I can't. Of course he never did sign up to help with my business. Although, he did send me a check for $98 to cover my first payment.

I later received a bill from Re-novate the company in which had my "great" financing. Only to see that my payment was well over $100 and that my 0% interest was not that at all but 28.99%. I contacted them, told them how I was taken, they put my account on hold and contacted Minnesota Health Systems, I received a call that they could give me a 0% interest rating for 12 months but in order to pay it off I would have to more than double my payment each month. Of course I could not afford to do that.

I contacted the BBB & the MN Attorney General for assistance. From there I spoke with nice people, got some advice but never really accomplished anything. A lady with the Attorney General office suggest taking them to small claims court. I did that. I lost. The judge never really listened to anything I had to say. All he said is I signed the paper so now I had to pay it. I am paying it. I transferred it to one of my lower interest credit cards and will continue to pay it off because if I don't it will ruin my credit. I have no warranty on the vacuum, I don't even know how to go about getting new filters. I have to have my daughter use it for me because it is so heavy. To top that off it already does not work like it did in his demo. I am not even positive it was a new vacuum it didn't come in a box it was the same one he demoed with.

About two weeks ago I got a phone call from my 83 year old brother.  He was taken by Filter Queen as well. He didn't know they were selling vacuums either he was promised a big prize. He swears he must of been hypnotized because he does not even remember signing the papers. He only remembers bits and pieces of what took place, but he is also stuck with this struggle to try and get out of owing an outrageous amount of money for a vacuum he will never use.

I am getting the feeling that they prey on the elderly and our trusting nature. It is so unfair that our hands are tied and we cannot return a product we do not want. How is a written letter dated within three days of a contract a fair term? This is the only way out of the contract. If anyone has any ideas on how I can get my money back and return this unwanted vacuum I would be happy to hear them. I don't know if I can legally do anything more than I have done. Never do business with Filter Queen, if you really want one of their vacuums go on Ebay and buy one from some other poor soul that paid way too much for it and selling it for cheap.

Being ripped off hurts.