14x18x1 (Actual Size) Accumulair Diamond Filter

This filter smells weird, like off-gassing polyurethane.

In fact, this filter media is made of polyurethane.

When you put it on a whole house furnace, you probably won't notice. But, if you put the filter in a small room with a box fan blowing air through it, and if you enter that room after a few hours, you'll smell a strange odor.

You can also walk with the filter in front of your nose. You'll smell a strange odor.

"If the Accumulair Air Filter does not meet your complete satisfaction, return the product for a full refund."

Anybody that tells you that that smell is the smell of cleaned air is full of it. An air filter should be odor-less. This polyurethane media actually produces an odor, and even if it's not noticeable in a whole house, you're still exposed to a constant low dose of.

I've contacted Accumulair, and they claim that they've never heard of the odor, and they would not honor their Satisfaction Guarantee. The packaging states:

"Satisfaction Guaranteed"

"If the Accumulair Air Filter does not meet your complete satisfaction, return the product for a full refund."

Instead, Accumulair said:

(1) Because I've *used* the product, it's in used condition and I can only get a partial refund

(2) Because they've never heard of someone complaining about an odor, they will deem that I've "changed my mind" and therefore I have to pay for the return shipping

So much for "If the Accumulair Air Filter does not meet your complete satisfaction, return the product for a full refund."

After a long phone call and many emails back and forth, they would NOT allow me to speak with their engineer. It seems the company doesn't really have full-time engineers, and is instead just a quick manufacturing outfit.

I bought this in Amazon, but this is sold by Accumulair (or filter-now, which is owned by Accumulair), so the return process is subject to Accumulair. Through Amazon's website, I contacted the Amazon liaison at Accumulair, but they gave me the same BS.

So I asked for the contact of the CEO or President of their little company, but they refused.

Finally, after filing a report with the local BBB, the President finally agreed to pre-pay the return and refund me 100%.

What an ordeal! I bought this in January. Finally was able to get a return authorization in March. It took 2 months of emailing back and forth (directly and through Amazon) and a BBB report to get them to take me seriously.

Wow.