EcoQuest Scam
EcoQuest Are the manufactures of an air filtering machine that claims to relieve such breathing ailments as asthma, respiratory illnesses, and other various health problems.
It’s parent company, Alpine Industries, is a multi-level marketing company. The company’s president and chief executive officer is William J. Converse.
The best selling product of Alpine Industries and EcoQuest is the XL-15, “Fresh Air” machine which sells for approximately $599 per unit.
On April 18, 2000, The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice filed a motion to hold EcoQuest and its’ parent company Alpine Industries in civil contempt of a Court order issued in January 2000.
Earlier that year, a federal judge ordered EcoQuest to stop claiming that its machines provide relief from any medical condition or, that they effectively remove or reduce a wide variety of air pollutants from indoor environments.
As a result EcoQuest placed the following warning on the side of their machines, “Field results may vary based on environmental conditions. This testing is not final or conclusive; therefore, the results do not constitute reliable scientific substantiation.”
However, they did not stop making claims that the Fresh air machine relieves asthma and respiratory ailments.
EcoQuest retaliated by suing the Federal Trade Commission, claiming it was “harassing” the company. As a result The Federal Trade Commission, sued EcoQuest and the company was fined $1.49 million on the health claims charges.
Since then there have been many allegations that the EcoQuest “Fresh-Air” machine releases gasses harmful to children and people with breathing problems.
Some have claimed that the machine emits a toxic gas called Ozone. This gas is a major component in Smog. Ozone has been shown to damage the cells that line the nasal passages and lungs, making it difficult to breathe. It has also been shown to aggravate asthma symptoms.
These claims became so well known that The California Environmental Protection Agency issued a warning in January 2005. The warning advised consumers of the dangers involved with EcoQuest’s popular “Air Purifying” machine.
A quote taken from the warning states that, “If a family were to leave these machines on constantly, it would be as though the family lived in a 24 hour/seven day week stage-one smog alert.”
