TropicAir Heater - what’s up with that?
by rd @ 7:40 pm 14 comments »
We previously posted on the Heat Surge space heater, a product marketed in a strikingly similar manner to the TropicAir Heater. Created by an “engineering genius on the Chinese coast” (Taiwan) this 4,094 BTU (1,200 watt) space heater with humidifier presents the same marketing red flags as Heat Surge.
Respond to an ad within 24 hours, and get the opportunity to be in on their ‘buy one get one free’ (plus shipping on both) offer. The newspaper advertisement says the heater can run on “as little as” 9¢’s in electricity an hour — key phrase “as little as.” We advise you to do your own research and don’t be motivated by the ‘rush to call now’ special offer. If this is anything like Heat Surge, this offer will be appearing in newspapers nationwide for quite some time. Feel free to comment if you’ve purchased one of these heaters.
Consumer Reports overview on space heaters
A similar product (1,500 watts) without wheels and fake fire image goes for $67.88 @ walmart.com
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When I looked on the Frequently Asked Questions page of their web site (www.tropicairheater.com/faqs.cfm) I was amazed to read in answer to question #4 that: “The TropicAir blasts out warm air, but only uses the same electricity as a 60 Watt Light Bulb”. The same claimed electricity use is stated in answer to question #10. I called their toll-free Customer service number of 1-800-924-7964 and they also said the heater used 60 watts.
This is a silly error, but I am very concerned that some members of the public may be completely misled by this incorrect claim.
I think that the 60 watt figure was taken incorrectly from the Frequently Asked Questions web page information for another product also from Universal Techtronics, LLC, the CoolSurge air cooler: http://www.coolsurge.com/faqs.cfm. Under question #4 it says that the CoolSurge uses 60 watts. Under question #5 on that page it says that the Coolsurge “only costs about a penny per hour to operate”. Under question #5 on the TropicAir page it says that it “only costs about 9 cents per hour to operate”. If both products actually used 60 watts, then the operating cost should be exactly the same.
No comment,only a question.Please what is the price of the heaters in newspaper. Thanks LYNN
I think they are charging $298.
my grandma wants to buy this cause she got an add in the paper. i have read their website information and don’t like how nonspecific their answers are to questions. their address has quite at least eight oddly named businesses at the same address.
if you ask me i think this is a scam, most of the information seems fake. please respond about what you think about this company, and if you have bought it and actually like the product.
yes i think it’s a publishing scam..check this guy out he makes alot of sense..
dont buy this product
http://blogs.courant.com/george_gombossy/2008/10/tropicair-heater-claims-questi.html
i work for the tropic air company and this is not a scam. although i do not agrr with the prices. the product is great. thheatsurge is connected to the company
THESE HEATERS BY BOTH ARE A SCAM…. LITERALLY AND NO ONE SHOULD BUY. I WORK FOR THE COMPANY ALSO AND THEY TRAIN US HOW TO TALK PEOPLE INTO PURCHASING THESE PIECE OF CRAP, CHEAP, UGLY THINGS ….. TAKE MY WORD FOR IT …. SCAM…
I would like to know when the next ad will come out. I have been looking for the last two weeks and nothing. Will you email me and let me know. when
thanks
We don’t have any relationship with the TropicAir product. Your guess is as good as mine when they will run a new ad. Try contacting the company directly. Sometimes they will give you the same deal as the ad if you call them directly. The whole ‘code’ thing is just to get you revved-up about the ‘special’ offer. One little trick is to click on Terms and Conditions on the bottom of their web page and it will take you to a page where you can buy the item.
http://www.tropicairheater.com/
So my husband read the ad, got excited, and purchased 2 (buy one get one free**). Total bill after shipping $396, and I’m not overly impressed. For starters - there are no manuals (I’d called - found out I needed to be authorized on the account - then they ship them separately)(however a real U.S. customer service reps answers after going through the menu - I was shocked)(then again I can access his credit card easier then getting a manual). The remote - it’s extra ($10 + shipping). My husband even ordered the extras and they haven’t come. As for energy consumption, I’ve compared it to my old oscillating space heater (which consumers 1.36 KWH/hr on high). The TropicAir unit definitely has more bells and whistles (which impressed him, but nto me). While my little heater unit is old, after 15 minutes I can bake myself in my office (~15×15 sq ft). If I remember the initial purchase correctly, it was on clearance at Lowe’s for about $20. The TropicAir Heater used 1.28 KWH/hr (tested with the same meter on Hi speed 1200 W (which registered slightly over)). However - I’m not very warm (this is even after the other heater was tested). My conclusion is that I would need to run it the full hour before I baked myself like the small heater. It’s also three times the size and needs to be refilled with water. If there is a way (and my husband agrees), I’ll let you know who the return process goes.
Please don’t buy this - just go to Lowe’s or better yet, your local family hardware store.
In the section of FAQ on the website http://www.tropicairheater.com, the question (#8)asks,
“How many settings does the Tropic Air have ?”
The answer is (the first bullet point) :
” The Tropic Air has 3 cooling levels” (low,med,high)not sure about this asnwer. I am assuming that this is a heater. Do they mean that the heater is cooling itself or is this some sort of typo? I think that most of these words were borrowed from coolsurge’s FAQ, also and that this is a scam. Glad I did’nt buy and checked first.
I would like to give some accurate information to this forum so everyone can make an informed decision. 1. yes heat surge is a connected company/product. The marketing thus is similar.
2. the claim code really is a claim code good for 48 hours, while it is possible a new code could be published in a future paper there is not a guarantee.
3. this is not a scam, look at better business bureau…heat surge I know has had a lot of complaints but few in comparison to how many they sell…and all were settled to customer satisfaction.
4. I own a heat surge heater and amish mantle…they work great…the fire is not just a picture…it is a special lighting affect giving it the look of a real fireplace.
5. Tropicair is rebutable and for someone to say they work for the company and it is a scam…obviously that’s not true…if you work there than one of two things, it’s either a legitimate job selling them or you would not be telling people not to buy because you would be loosing out on the sales.
Please don’t listen to these foolish posting but take this information and do your self a favor, look into it…do your homework…and when your ready to know more call the company. Don’t base your purchases on people who have nothing better to do than tear up our economy by making false claims against companies.
How can I track my order?
TropicAir will have to give you a UPS tracking number.
customer service:
1 800-924-7964