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It seems that once a company (this one being Fridge Electric) gets a “Don’t Buy!” rating from Consumer Reports (for their Cool Surge evaporative cooler) they just figure they have to wait a summer and release it under a new name: Mira-Cool. The Consumer Reports article on the air cooling unit opens with:
The Cool Surge might sound appealing when you consider the roughly 500 watts needed to run even a small air conditioner. Ohio-based Fridge Electric LLC, which markets the Cool Surge, has even offered a two-for-one deal in full-page ads in The New York Times and other newspapers. But our tests show that when it comes to cooling a room, the Cool Surge is likely to disappoint you at any price.
I first started researching the Mira-Cool product when I saw their full-page ad in USA Today. I guess they decided to change the name of the unit after Consumer Reports suggested that nobody buy it. From what I can tell, there is no difference between the Cool Surge and the Mira-Cool. Their ad in USA Today starts off incredibly misleading with the title, “Public set to get free air cooling units” and goes on to say, “A new miracle air cooler is actually being given away free to the first 11,337 readers..” Well, after further reading I discovered that it was really a buy 1 (at $298) get 1 free, but you still had to pay for shipping on both units! But why who cares if you get both of them free if they don’t work as advertised?
Any company that says this in their FAQ has to be joking:
Q: Can I leave it on when I’m not home?
A: It’s recommended that you don’t because when you get home, the MIRA-COOL can quickly blast out ice cooled air.
Unfortunately I don’t think Mira-Cool and Fridge Electric is kidding even though their claims are a joke. Whenever you read something that seems too good to be true…it probably is. There are hundreds of companies out there trying to take advantage of the public’s ignorance on energy issues. Keep reading Mapawatt Blog (and keep your eyes peeled for other energy scams) and don’t get taken advantage of!
P.S. : If you want to see the Mira-Cool product for yourself (and at your own risk) go to www.mira-cool.com and enter claim code MC1008.
I called and they told me the total would be $398 for 2 units. When I told them I’d call them back, they said they could offer me one unit for $150 plus shipping ($50) and I was like, “So, one unit is $200 or two units is $398 at the buy one get one free price?”
Don’t do it you will be sorry.Mira cool has a do not buy from consumer reports. check it out for yourself.
In addition to Mira-Cool/Cool Surge, the company phone number also leads the search engine I’m using to ComtTek Laptops and SafeMate Phones. I looked at the ‘customer service’ web pages for these products, and by the look of it, they seem to market to vulnerable older people looking to save money and buy a miracle.
A week or so ago we ordered a pair of the Mira-Cools, then not ten minutes later we read what consumers were saying about the company. We tried to cancel the order, but they did not return out call until today, a week or so later. I think my spouse left a cancellation message on the voice mail. At any rate, we kept calling, and finally they called today and they said they would cancel the order and accept the return of the two remote control units, which they said they’ve mailed already, and will credit us the $36 for the two remotes.
I asked for email confirmation of all this, and they said they’d have it out tonight. If they don’t, my first stop will be the office of the best consumer affairs law firm I can find in Ohio; then to the office of the Attorney General of the state where I live (Illinois) and also the AG of Ohio. And then on to the national level, the Federal Trade Commission.
Actually, the fact that so much information is accessible on Rodney and company may be a good sign for consumers who want their money back.
The Better Business Bureau website says this company is not BBB Accredited. They note 20 complaints lodged against this company. They also list the phone numbers of one Rodney Napier, the owner. You can go to http://www.bbb.org/canton/business-reviews/air-conditioning-equipment-room-units/fridge-electric-llc-in-canton-oh-92001017/ for the BBB report.
I just searched Rodney’s phone number 330-966-3033, and it is also the number of Arthur Middleton Capital Holdings at 3939 Everhard, Canton, Ohio – the address of Mira-Cool et al. Rodney gets around.
The Parent Company is Based in Canton , Ohio , SCI is a 40 year old, diversified marketing company.
Resource Partners Enterprises, LLC is division that created the Private labeling of the unit and launched the Nationwide Marketing Ad. To see the product.
http://www.rppurchase.com/p-295-air-cooler-plus.aspx
All of the inbound order calls are taking in the inhouse call center and the product is shipped fro there warehouse. http://www.rppurchase.com/t-AboutUs.aspx
They shield the Suarez corp and Resource Partners Enterprises, LLC from the Attorney General bad press the BBB and other lawsuits by setting up Shell companies (marketing fronts) like Arthur Middleton Capital Holdings at 3939 Everhard, Canton, Ohio – the address of Mira-Cool et al. Rodney is one of the main players at Resource Partners and can be reached at 330-354-3823
I may have been duped. I ordered the 2 for 1 Mira Cool units on 7/13. I still haven’t received them. I’ve made several calls and can never speak with anyone. I have a UPS tracking # but UPS notes says that even though there is a “shipping billing date/shipping date” that it doesn’t mean that they’ve received the units for shipment. It’s not like they are shipping the units from China, so where are my units??? I’m very nervous and decided to search “BBB, Mira Cool” in my search engine. I hope that it’s not fraud…. Lori
I just purchased two of them over the phone without looking at the reviews. The ad was printed in a way that is definitely misleading!!! I thought it was an official announcement from the city but apparently I was all wrong. This is in fact a scam and I can’t believe I had fallen for it – spending $400 on two fan-like machines that should cost no more than $50. I am calling them to cancel the order tomorrow and if they don’t process a refund, I’ll file a complaint against them. Thinking about it makes me furious.
I hope this comment can save some of you from being ripped off.
I cannnot agree with you more. I can’t believe I fell for it either but the advertisement is definitely misleading. I also paid 400 for 2 units but I am getting a refund. What have I gained? Nothing except I know what fraud the company is just taking advantage of people. I really wouldn’t mind paying money if it worked but it’s just like a fan and they claim it’s powerful enough to cool down a room…WRONG! I’ve tried it myself and it does not cool down a room. Everyone reading this, save yourself time and don’t order it, I promise it will be a disappointment. They took forever getting the units delivered, I’ve waited on the phone for a long time to get in touch with them and the representatives are not knowledgeable about the products whatsoever. FRAUDS! CHEATS!
I too bought the two for one Mira-Cool product. Ordered it by phone on 7/1/10, took until 7/14 before UPS received billing information, UPS didn’t receive the units for shipment until 7/19. I received the units on 7/22. I did call customer service twice during that time letting them know how unhappy I was with their service as far as timeliness was concerned in getting the units out. I always got a live rep too. I am very pleased with the units, I got them for my one car garage (I live in NC) and they work wonderful, but needed both units to do the job. They don’t mention that these units have built in heaters which means I can use them year round, and they came with the remotes I did not order (or pay for). So other than how long it took to get them (3 weeks), I am very satisfied with this product. I have looked at many other air coolers, none use the ice, or have heaters and remotes, or have all the features of the Mira-Cool and are running in the $150 to $200 price range, so I consider the Mira-Cool at $150 each a good buy.
I order and received the 2 units with remotes. I am now attempting to return them. They seem very busy and if you leave your name and # they will call you back. However, I was initially told that they would mail a return label to UPS and that they would come by and pick up the units in 3 to 5 business days. I called to confirm the information I was given and was told they would mail the labels to me directly so I could arrange a pick-up. This contradicted what I was originally told, and I also noted that my account had not been noted/updated. So, now I’ll wait hopefully the labels will arrive within the week and I can return them, otherwise, I’ll have to start a letter writing campaign myself. I regret I did not use American Express – they are like rabid dogs going after a a piece of meat! Oh, and they attempted to sell me an air conditioner – telling me it is different than an “Air cooler” unit
(REALLY)
Same thing happened to me, the ads are misleading. The humidity is very high here and the cooler does nothing, my fan cools better. I’m trying to return them, but you can’t get anyone on the line. They initially call you back then they refer to someone else.
I will do whatever it takes to get my money back
My husband called and ordered one this morning, got one free of course, both units totaled out to @ $600. I was furious because he didn’t research before he bought… the add says only 6000 would be free when buying one so he hopped right on it. After researching the unit I told him I wanted to cancel his order, he agreed and now I can’t get anyone to undo the order because it takes 24 hrs. to process an order, all I can do at this point is to remove the charge from my credit card. What a mess!!!
Arthur Middleton Capital Holdings is the parent company of Fridge Electric, the maker of Mira-Cool, and is not affiliated in any way with Suarez Corporation, SCI or Resource Partners Enterprises, LLC. All of the Arthur Middleton companies are properly organized under Ohio Law, and all appropriate documents are filed with the Secretary of State’s Office. To learn more about Arthur Middleton Capital Holdings, visit http://www.amch.com.
I had read the misleading ad in the virginia pilot newspaper. I called the number thinking that I would get a free unit,”thought maybe I would have to pay shipping”. The sales person really tried quickly to sell me these things for 400$ for two units. Once I said that I wanted to do some research on it and would call her back she said that they would probably be gone, and that the special was only running for 48 hours. I could not spend that much money without research, I just hung up the phone. After reading all the bad press I’m glad i did. Thanks everyone.
After finding out that this Mira-Cool A/C could possibly be a hoax (scam), I finally got through to customer service to cancel the order I placed earlier this morning, and after being on hold for more than 50 minutes, after speaking with a customer service rep, I was connected to the Rentention Dept. and got my order cancelled. It took forever, but I “got it done”, after a total time of 70 minutes of having my phone glued to my ear. If you’re not sure about something like this, then make damn sure you don’t order anything like this without checking it out/researching it prior to placing an order. There’s too many loop holes to have to jump through to make it right later…..I know for sure! WHEW!!! Thanks for reading this comment.
were you successful in getting your money returned to you once you cancelled the order?
For those of you that are getting refunds, what number are you calling? My son ordered 2 of these on July 21st or 22nd and got charged $486 on 8/3. I told him it was a scam, but what do mother’s know?
well my parenst were duped adn had originally waited since july 15th to recieve this equipment..finally we decided to cancel the order..i have been trying to cancel the order since 8/3/10 and to this day it has not and i have not seen a refund in my parents account..then after being irrate and creaming at them one rep tell me oh yes i see you cancelled on the 2nd but unfortuntely this was shipped on the 3rd. WTF?!!!! Why ship out something i cancelled..so i get directed to someother rep who tries to esplain to me that the previous rep lied and that nothing has bee shipped out! so many lies so mnay hours, yes hours on the phone and nothing!! So they give me the number to a Tara lady who is supposed to be some head person and that she would call me today in the morn. well guess what?! no call nothing and when i call her i get her voicemail; what a damn coincidence…so i ask you all, those that have recieved a refund or have successfully cancelled your order, what did you do that i am not doing? i have waitied for a week and i have yet to see anyresults! how hard is it to cancel a darn ups order… more importantly why continue to have an irrate person call you over and over?! why not give them what they are asking for; to longer associate themselves with the miracool product or the people representing it!
Yes I fell for this too. I have crank out windows and can not use those other portable air conditioners. I did receive my units and I have been using them…my biggest complaint is the very small freeze packs. The idea is just like your AC at home…blowing air over a frozen coil…this blows air over cold water…the freezer packs don’t last the 4 hours like they say. I have also tried to freeze water in a container to have one big solid piece of ice…I found that works the best. I only need to my bed room for sleeping. I do have AC in my house but the bedrooms are the warmest in the house. Right now I have 3 fans in my room. When I use the mira-cool I can turn off 2 of the 3 fans…but remember I do have the AC running…I don’t think it would work if the room was hot, the ice would melt too fast. They don’t work like they say they would but they did work just a little better than just a plain fan. It did cool down my bedroom enough for me to sleep…But just barely…If you can return it, do…if you can’t try using a block of ice in stead of those ice packs they send you.
Everyone keep say “I called the number to cancel” but no one lists the number. If you guys really want to help other people, THEN LIST THE NUMBER YOU CALLED THAT GOT YOU RESULTS!
allen if u dont get no response from the mira cool1800 504 8105 then email the bbb and you will hear from them.
you get what you pay for , good work ain’t cheap and cheap work ain’t good, you don’t get Mercedes Benz at vw prices. should I go on . Buy American buy local and for the love of god by Union. Wake up people , thats all I got to say.
i finally got fed up and made a complaint with the bbb in the ohio area…everyone, i suggest you do the same. i dont know if this will give the results i seek but its defnitely a step closer..just go to the BBB website and click on the file a complaint link..they will ask for info on the company…this is the info
Business ID # 02820092001017
Fridge Electric LLC
3939 Everhard Rd NW
Canton OH 44708
the bbb will then show you the matching result and you go from there..i barely filed my complaint so i cant say if it worked or not but i have hopes that it will..pls take action and file a complaint! good luck!
Just goe to show how know one safe from being ripped offed. I ordered two units on July 23rd and still have not received them as of yet. You can bet your bottom dollar these will be cancled and my money refunded. to thoes having troubles here is the customer service phone number 1-800-504-8105. Thank you guys for the info on Mirra Cool.
Order #7074420
I recently purchased 2 Mira-Cool units of which don’t fit my needs. I was informed you now have an A/C unit similar to the Mira-Cool. I was informed that I can tradeout the 2 Mira-Cools for one A/C unit. Pleases email me all technical info.
Thank you, Don
Don, You know we are criticizing Mira-Cool right? We aren’t Mira-Cool…
lol Chris. I’m not sure what Don was thinking.
I ordered this product before doing any research and am sorry I didn’t do my due diligence. I checked my bank account today and they have processed the payments TWICE, once under Mira Cool and again under Fridge Electric. I tried to call them but I am on the Western time zone and they are already closed. Both transactions are still pending so I cannot cancel them with my bank, I just tried. The bank told me they may not both go through, possible “error” on their part but I doubt it. It seems that once they get your account access they take liberties to take more money than authorized. I am not sure at this point but I am not a happy camper, not only do I want to cancel this order I am going to be disputing multiple (and unauthorized) charges from my bank, thus tying up my available money for a length of time. I canceled my card they are using (debit) for fear more charges will be put through. They put through charges for the same amounts on different days. I am pretty unhappy and haven’t even received product. I hope this works out but I doubt it after reading about these companies – err the same company but putting through transactions on both for one order.
I saw the MIRA-COOL ad in the sunday Parade magazine. I called them to be one of the first 11,337 readers to order before the deadline. The guy on the phone sounded like a telemarketer, RED FLAG #1. Then I found out I have to buy one at $398 plus $50 shipping to get the second one free for $50 shipping. Not what the ad read at first glance. But I did find it in the fine print. RED FLAG #2. I declined, saying that mas more money than I can spend. Then he offered me a refurbished unit for $150 plus $50 shipping. By this time I wan’t listening, so I hung up. They even called me back a week later and tried to sell me again. I said no. I got online and did a search, thinking someone on Ebay is selling a used unit, and WALA! I got this website and was able to find the real truth. Sorry to hear all the horror stories but I sure took a lesson from it. I hope you all paid with credit cards so you could have the charges cancelled, or at least from now on. I will contact Parade Magazine and say Shame On You! PS: the phone number they advertised is 877-372-7711.
Hey all!! Well As I posted before i procvessed a complaint with the BBB yesterday at 2am in the morn and guess what! Today at 8am my bank had my refund!!! It took 2 wks of ranting and raving and only one day, yes one day, to get results after contacting the BBB..again pls get the info off my previous post and send in a complaint..it will get you steps closer for sure… good luck!
I purchased the two Mira-cool units in July, and they arrived just over a week later. I researched them while waiting for delivery…not the most intelligent thing to do : ). However I’ve been using them both daily/nightly since, and have been very satisfied. As someone else had noted, I was having difficulty with one which would shut off from “cooler” mode after a minute. After some ‘investigating’, it appeared to have a sensor that would shut off the cooler it anything was above the “Max” fill line. The fix was making sure both ice packs were flat, not sticking up. No problems since, and the air is quite cool from the iced water. Another bonus, my skin does not appear as dry. Especially the elbows. I live in the Las Vegas, NV area, so maybe the climate is the main component as to whether or not the units are of any benefit.
Carl,
The Mira-cool units “work” off of the principle of evaporative cooling. From wikipedia on Evaporative cooling:
So, you may be right in saying that these are a good fit in hot, dry climates. But is it worth $298? Couldnt you just achieve the same things with a block of ice from the freezer sitting under a desk fan?
may be a miracool employee for sure..found the exact same comment word for word on another miracool scam site..i know i visited both sites as well but all my commenst differed..who rememebrs word for word what they post? either carl used cut and paste or is here to stop the defamation of his company’s work
Hi again Jwlz. I won’t cut and paste from the other site, since you know where it is. Chris, you’re probably right, but at the time I purchased them the cost seemed reasonable. I had looked at a few (evaporative coolers) at the local Home Depot and Lowes and from the prices I thought it was an ok deal.
Jwlz – What happens in regards to returning the units through the BBB?
well, they told a few lies but my money was returned within 2 days!!
i have two units and they work well for me as i stated once before i am checking them out as i see it they will do fine for my aplcation i live just outside of dallas area texas that is we just broke the avrege high temp recorded the recored was 91.somthing this year we avreged 101.5 for the month of augest so you know what my electric bill looks like my house is 75x39w/sloped celings from 7.6f to 9f i use the units in my tv room and office two of the smalest rooms about 14×22 the units give me a brake irun the centrel on 85degrees fin the daytime im home all day 7 days a week i have 40plus fish tanks in my shop area w a8000btu unit running at77d /f my energy bills runjust over 359month in summer
I read all these reviews and freaked out. I too ordered the buy one get one free unit. The article really seemed legit. It read as if the paper endorsed the product because it appeared as if it was an interview. I called and cancelled after payment posted on my credit card. I also called my bank who stated they (MIRA _COOL) have no idea of whom they are dealing with. I felt relieved that my bank would handle them. Mira- cool stated it had not yet been shipped , so I told them to cancel everthing and refund all monies. I was desperate for cool air in El PAso, Tx, and thought if I could find fair reviews I might keep the product. Don’t really want to go through the hassle, so I cancelled. All reviews are poor!!!
I HAVE BEEN ON THE PHONE ALL DAY TRYING TO GET THIS COMPANY TO GET A NEW LABEL TO UPS TO PICK UP MY COOLERS BUT THEY KEEP TELLING ME THAT I HAVE TO DO NOTHING, AND UPS BRINGS OUT A NEW LABEL WHEN THEY PICK THEM UP. BUT UPS TELLS ME THAT THEY HAVE TO ORDER A NEW LABEL AND A PICK UP FOR THEM / THE COMPANY HAS TO) AND I CANNOT GET THEM TOO TO THIS . WILL YOU PLEASE GET ME SOME HELP SOMEWHERE, MY PHONE NUMBER IS 870 966 4599 AND EACH TIME I CALL THE COMPANY I HAVE TO WAIT 45 MINETES AND I HAVE A TIME ON MY PHONE AND THAT IS THE TRUTH, AND THEN THEY TELL ME THE SAME THING. I HAVE BEEN A CUSTOMER FOR SOME TIME FOR THE HEATERS,, BUT THIS IS SORRY BUSINESS I HAVE GOT THIS TIME
Funny, I bought two, my units look nothing like the ones I see advertised, and I dont have any ‘packs’ to put in or water to fill…what I have is a vent hose and window hook up gizmo. Company tells me I have the ‘Air Conditioner’, not the Cooler. Honestly? For now it works fine, I sent one back due to loud noise, and they returned me a new one which is working..I will send the other back due to a defective crack where water leaks from the unit.
Wow I’m glad I looked this up. Like other people have been saying the article looks like an official article. A whole two page spread think the news paler should be held accountable for something like. What are you guys opinions.
I ordered the buy “one get one free” scam plus remote for $414 last Sunday. Then I read about the scam and immediately called the company 20 minutes later to cancel. They said they couldn’t until the following day. I called at 5:30 a.m. my time the next day(they said they open at 8:30 a.m. EST). Instead of canceling the order, they put in a pending PAYMENT from my credit card for ANOTHER $414!!! The first $414 already went through even though I cancelled it…and now another pending payment/no credit. It has been pending for 5 days! Has anyone else had that happen? How do you cancel a pending payment when the company doesn’t respond to your phone calls?