I just saw this thing called Auto Cool on TV. I believe it cost $15 plus shipping and handling. It's one of those "as seen on TV" thing so I am dubious. I think what you do is place it on top of your window and then close it. On one side it has a solar panel, on the other side it has a fan. Supposedly it helps keep your car cool while it sits parked. Has anyone purchased this and does it work? Or can you recommend something similar.
Thanks, Anna from Phoenix, AZ
I discussed this with my daughter, and we decided not to get it. You have to fool around with those strips and pull the fan out when you park because otherwise it would be easier for someone to steal your car. You'd have batteries to buy. What happens when it rains? Also, that little fan doesn't look like it would do as much good as simply opening the rear windows for the first few minutes of driving to suck out the hot air.
By SusannL
I live in the South and the summers are brutal. I also own a black car. So when I saw the AutoCool, I was ready to try it. Well it sucks. My car isn't any cooler. The solar powered fan does spin when in sunlight but it simply isn'y enough to keep any vehicle cooler. My advice: save your hard earned $$$.
By msj2u
Don't waste your hard earned money on this junk. My husband bought one of the same sort of thing several years ago for $12.95 and used it exactly one day before throwing it in the trash. It simply doesn't even make a dent in the amount of heat buildup in the car, like trying to drain the bathtub with an eye dropper.
By Susan M.
I wouldn't waste my money on it. You can by reflective shields cheaper and the fan isn't going to do anything, just open both windows/doors for a moment to let the hot air out instead. We manage to keep our black car cool by using a reflective windshield visor and foldable reflective shields for the side windows. They can be found cheaply at dollar stores or Walmart. It takes a minute to unfold them and put them in the windows, but the car is so much more comfortable and we don't have to worry about the baby seat or my toddler's buckle being hot. Also, crack the windows slightly to let the hot air out on days when it's not going to rain.
If it's just the heat of the seats that bothers you, you can also just drape an old light coloured (preferaby white) towel/sheet over your seat.
By Trix
Save your money. I purchased one at Walmart, same thing for just under $20.00. HAHAHAHAHA! What a joke, it doesn't work. I returned it and got my money back.
See http://www.infomercialratings.com/product/auto_cool_reviews. It does not sound good.
It doesn't work. See this news article: http://cbs13.com/seenon/local_story_175014927.html
By Sara
I got sucked in. Looked like a cool gadget, however, it doesn't work at all. The little fan spins like gang busters if the solar panel in in the direct sunlight but it doesn't move enough air to do any good. And to have to remove the rubber strips everytime you want to drive anywhere is a real pain in the rear. I'm going to return them and ask for my money back, especially since I bought two. We'll see how they handle that.
By Todd W
Wish I had read reviews on Auto Cool before purchasing, this product really sucks, but it's making somebody rich.
By Joseph Mc Atee
Want to know what is so funny to me? The infomercial itself. Haha, first this woman gets in touches the steering wheel without flinching and then wipes her forehead to let us viewers know it is hot inside the car, then touches the steering wheel again and instantly jumps back as if in pain. The acting is terrible to boot! LOL It cracks me up everytime I see it. hahahahaha!
By Consumer
Yes, Consumer, that is a riot! Funny, as soon as I posted my negative remark about how lousy it is and doesn't work at all, I got a spam from the company (I am not on their mailing list) offering the "Auto Cool" like it was the greatest invention of all time. HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Yes, I bought TWO of these THINGS. Neither worked, there was absolutely no difference in car temperature. They promised if I would return them they would refund the purchase price BUT not the excessive shipping and handling, or the extra fee for speedy delivery (which it wasn't). They only refunded $24.98, not full price of $29.98. These things are such pieces of trash that I think they depend on the shipping and handling fees to make their profit. I doubt if I'll ever buy anything else from a TV ad!
By Gail Judy
No, it doesn't work at all. I'm going to ask for a refund. Hope I get it.
By Lynn
I bought two and neither made the cars cooler. They promise a full money back guarantee, but they lie. You have to pay for shipping and processing fees both ways. You only get reimbursed for the price of the piece of junk! Don't buy them. They are a total scam!
By blessedmomx3
I just saw a spot on our local news for the auto cool, the car temp inside reached 120 degress while they had it in for hours, I'm not going to buy it.
By Jackie
My question is: Why cannot the government shut these people down? This is a true example of fraud - getting rich of innocent people who must pay "shipping and handling" when they return these worthless pieces of garbage.
I knew that it is impossible to cool a closed up vehcile that is sitting in the sun with a fan that small running on no more than 6 volts from solar. You would need a fan as big as the entire window to make some kind of difference. I saw the commercial and thought how stupid do they think people are to believe that this product would make anything cooler.
I live near New Orleans and the summers here are unbearable. The humidity is always near 100% with the temp in the upper 90s. I would have to stick a window air conditioner unit running on 110 volts to make my car somewhat comfortable to get in.
How stupid do the people who make junk like this think we are? I feel sorry for those who actually thought that this would work at all.
By gfanguy
Saw a review on a website. Says they got 2 identical cars and put an Auto Cool on one of them. After 3 hours in the sun, both were 118 degrees inside.
By
Hi, I just purchased a similar one from Walmart called Solar Power Car Fan after I saw the TV one. Boy, was I stupid to believe from 107 degree to 75 degree can be done. I guess I just had to get my curiosity shot. I am going back to Walmart to return this piece of junk. Sorry to hear about the S&H, that's how they usually get us. If you don't believe it, buy one from Walmart and test it. You'll see!
By Petekhan
Don't waste your time or money. This product does not work.
By kfmissyb
Thank god I only purchased one to try it, they sure try to sucker you in to getting a better deal if you buy more. They don't send enough rubber seal for the top of your window to start with, and even then they don't work. My car was just as hot as before. I live in Central Florida where it is very hot. Believe me, save your money, they're junk!
By stella
Well, I bought it, received it and was very excited. It does not do anything. It spins, I tried it on the driver side window yesterday and didn't feel any difference. I thought it might have possibly (tiny glimps of hope) cuz the sun would be shining on another side after 12. So I put it on the passengers side today. Just as hot. Pointless. My car is cooler if I leave windows opened for the day than with this stupid thing. Will try to get my money back tomorrow.
By casey
This is really a waste of money. They should be charged with fraud. Don't be fooled by the ad.
By Steve
Ok, it sucks out the hot inside air to be replaced by what, hot outside air. Where would the cooling take place? You gotta be really stupid to fall for this one.
By Amos
I heard about the autocool thinking it is a great thing. Although the thing that does not stay on is the rubber lining, when I try putting it on my window, it keeps popping off. When the auto cool is on, you can't even feel any air coming out of it. Yes I do notice a slight difference of only about a degree or two, if that. So dont buy this piece of junk. Also when I sent this piece of crap back, they wanted it in the same box, and with the proof of purchase that I ripped apart a while back. They sent a refurbished one back to me! and they charged me the full purchase price to my credit card. It took me a while to get it figured out. So through this whole transaction, I threw out about $25.00 on this. So don't buy it!
By Joe
So they claim the fan will cool the car, if the fan is INSIDE the car, as indicated on the commercial, WHERE DOES THE HOT AIR GO?? IT STAYS IN THE CAR!! Isn't it amazing that people are so gullible to think that a $15 "air conditioner" will cool off their car, not to mention the dopes who think their car will be cooler when they leave it unattended, so they think it's safe to leave a pet or child in the car with this piece of junk. Oh, I can only imagine the lawsuits coming up.
By Michael
I got it off QVC.com and no it does not work, the fan spins in the sun, but does not cool off the car, not even a little.
The point is to ventilate the car and keep the heat from building up. If you can do that, then the car will not get any cooler than the outside temp. With the car sealed, it gets much hotter than ambient temp. The little solar fan is supposed to ventilate the car to stop heat buildup - but cracking the windows 1/2" on both sides works better because the air has someplace to go. The fan can't force air out of the car unless there is a way for more air to come in. Otherwise it just spins.
I actually have an older version of this device that I got free. I've found that cracking the windows on both sides of the car will prevent heat buildup - with or without the device.
By David
I was watching my local news in Texas and they always test the new products and the AutoCool was the product of the day. They put 2 cars in the sun, one WITH the Auto Cool and one Without and put thermometers in each of them. THey came back hours later and checked the thermometers and the one WITHOUT the AutoCool was 126 degrees. Then they checked the one that DID have the AutoCool, and it was at 130 degrees! Even hotter than the one without it!
By Jennifer V
It has not received good reviews - I was going to buy one and checked out some different websites, none showed anyone who thought it was a good idea. (07/26/2006)
By Christie
So it doesn't work, but it seems like it could make a really fun toy! A solar powered fan? It's got to have other fun uses.
This product DOES NOT WORK, in fact it makes the car hotter. Do not buy this! Go to this website and you can see the test results for yourself.
http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=39765
By a10cowgirl
I tried to cancel my order today. I placed the order online Wednesday and today is Saturday. They gave me the blowoff and said the order is not in their system yet. I want to cancel this order before it is shipped and they are preventing me from doing so.
(b)Editor's Note:(/b) Put a stop on the credit card order telling the credit card company that you have been trying to cancel but have been unable to do so. That way if you are charged, you can do a charge back. If you used a debit card, there may be a way to stop the payment also.
By Anonymous
If you can crack your windows and leave the car window defrost on while it's parked, the defrost vents are open and will let your car insides breath a little.
By Jamey
A TV station here in Dallas did a test on the Auto Cool and needless to say, it does not work.
http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/... (07/31/2006)
By Aaron
Recently I purchased the Auto Cool product and I can tell you that it does not cool my car or lower the temperature in any way. I don't even feel the fan as it turns. This product is another major ripoff.
By Jean
We've had one of these (a different brand) for years, and it does keep the vehicle considerably cooler. We paid about $40 for this one. I think they work.
By Kathy H
I spent more than $400 on my air conditioner this summer and it still does not work. When I saw the commercial, I felt it was my last resort to try auto cool. I ordered the product and waited two weeks for it's arrival and nothing came. I called the company and they told me that it was on back order and would be available in 2 to 3 weeks! I cancelled the order on the spot. I am so glad I did because after reading these reviews, I realize that I would have been furious with the results!
By Carla
One thing that does help is a "Windshield Sun Shade"; that ' . . . helps reduce interior temperature and protect the interior from damaging sun rays that penetrate the front windshield". It's still hot in the car but this blocks direct sun. You need to park facing the sun. Most simply, cut to shape a cardboard box although folding it is a bit tricky. That being said, I've seen them for less than $5.00 on the web ". . . made from superior reflective material with a foam insulating backing"
By DElliot
This product does not work. Fan is way too small to produce any kind of circulating air that will cool down a car. The concept is fine but it needs to be redesigned to be useful. I don't recommend this product.
By JCH - Guest
Oh, I know first hand it does not work but I just saw the commercial aired. How can the FCC allow this? Also, TV stations all over the country have "tested" them and all have reported they do not work.
(b)Editor's Note:(/b) Complaining to the FCC and your State's Attorney General might get their commercials off the air. (08/06/2006)
I have a new theory. They are really not back ordered. They know the product doesn't work by now, and so they are waiting until summer is over, and when they get the maximum number of orders, then they ship them to make the biggest profit. Should they ship them right away, 90% will be returned.
By Scott Adams
Rip-off! gadget, PLEASE! beware. this product cannot work as touted, simply because it's greatly under powered for it's intended task. even with direct sunlight constantly focused on the solar cells 12 hours a day, it's not gonna work. i even modified it to run powered by my car battery via cigarette lighter which gave it at least 2 to 3 times more power. it doesn't work as advertised even if significantly enhanced. save your money.
By tinkerman
If anyone thinks a solar powered fan of this size could do anything to cool their car they are sadly mistaken. When you move air it is measured in C.F.M. {that's cubic feet per minute} and it has to be displaced or exchanged with cooler air. If you move hot air and it has no place to go so it's still hot air. If you are pulling in hot air of the same degree and not cooling it, it's still hot air.! You should have paid a little more attention in school science classes. Don't think for one minute this thing isn't a rip off. Try to get your money back on top of that & you'll see a classic case of false advertising. How do they get away with it ?
By cliff f
As a Tucsonan I've gotten good at keeping my car cool but am always trying to find the latest, greatest way. So I purchased 2 of these Auto Cool fans off the TV. First mistake is buying anything off the TV. After 6 weeks and 4 days I finally got my two fans. I put one up in my car that evening and couldn't wait until the next day to see how it worked. When I got in my car that afternoon I could have sworn it was actually hotter than if I had just left my windows up. Then I also noticed it wasn't working. As it turns out, the solar panel is so sensitive that it has to be pointing directly at the sun at all times in order to function. Not very handy once the sun has passed over to the other side of my car by the end of the day. So I tried putting my wife's on the other window supporting both sides of my car. The next day I checked on them periodically and they were spinning this time but definitely NOT keeping my car any cooler. Again if felt like it was actually worse. So heed this warning and just use the good old fashioned method. Crack your windows a couple of inches and put up a sun shade in your windshield. Sure beats 50 bucks for these worthless devices.
By Drew
I asked Joelle to purchase one of these so called auto coolers for me and it is worthless. The little fan spins if you happen to have it pointed into the sun. However, it does nothing, as far as I can tell, to keep your car cool. Consumers should demand their money back from this company.
By Gary
I purchased the Auto Cool back in May or June, online, and when I clicked on the order button it didn't do anything so I proceeded to click again and again thinking my PC wasn't processing. I then called a phone number, 1-800-372-4729, that I found, and called it. When I finally got someone and told them the problem, they said to call the next day. So I did and couldn't get anyone to talk to this time. I didn't think about it anymore until now because there was an odd charge against my account. I called the institution to find out where the charge came from, but they didn't have the complete details. Only [Merchandise DI] showed up on the screen. I remembered Auto Cool and decided to check into them and sure enough it was they who made the charge. When I talked to the rep, he told me the order was sent yesterday and I couldn't get the charge removed. I will have to wait and send the merchandise back first and then wait for a credit to take place. Then I said that I'll probably have to wait another six months before I do get a credit.
The cancellation should have taken place the first time I had called to cancel the order. I only wanted one in the first place to try it out. I think they have their web site set up to purposely cause people to order more than they really want. The company is shady,in my opinion, and should be shut down permanently, along with a lot of others on TV infomercials. I couldn't believe the 100% negative reviews that I read here. I too, wish I had read the reviews before I bought the product.
By Thomas
Thomas, this is a quote from the List Mom (Mod)
"Editor's Note: Complaining to the FCC and your State's Attorney General might get their commercials off the air."
I complained, we all should and I agree, these people need to be shut down.
I purchased the auto cool on Aug. 6th. By Sept. 6th I was wondering where it was. I called the number (1-800-372-4729) and waited for a rep to come on. As I was waiting, I looked up the horrible reviews this product received. I decided to tell the rep that I no longer wanted it and to cancel my order. He was giving me a real hard time so I just said a friend already bought me one. He took it off. Thank God this takes so long to come. At least I had time to cancel this hunk of junk!
By Melissa
I just called the 1-800-372-4729, which, of course, is not the number on the Auto Cool website, and selected "2 to speak to a representative". The recorded message was "closed today due to a company function". I can't help but wonder what day "today" is? Maybe every day!
By Susan
I stupidly believed this product might work. I have dogs and wanted something that would keep the car cooler although I would never leave dogs in the car unless the product proved itself to work. Do not buy this! I got ripped off. I ordered 2. Opened 1 to try it and it does not work at all. The fan moves and leads you to believe it might. I tested the temps and it remained extremely hot with very little change. The cup organizer is free cause it's already packaged within, but you are charged for the shipping + handling fee. The total came to a whopping $55.78. All I'm told I could get back is $19.99. What a gigantic ripoff. Don't you buy this awful product.
By Dianne
After reading all the reviews, I just cancelled my order, which, by the way, has been over 5 weeks since I ordered!! This is the ONE time that I'm glad it has taken so long to ship, because I was able to cancel without any hassle! The person who said they were giving grief for trying to cancel, should have reported that person! It is your RIGHT to cancel, especially if it hasn't even been shipped yet!
So glad I read the reviews! Those darn infomercials! Every last one of them are phoney! They should pulled OFF the air! They're all ripoffs!!
By Lynn
I was dumb enough to call the number, but before completing the order, I hung up. 6 weeks later there was a charge on my CC. I googled the 800# and saw all your complaints (thank you). Here is a hint for those who haven't received it: the 800# you're calling is a shipping company, they don't even know what Autocool is. They said if you do not accept the package and return to sender, your card will be credited. I think you have to sign for the package; because I live in an apt, the leasing office may sign. However, I won't open and will return to sender. I've already disputed charges with my CC company. It is an easy process I suggest everyone does. I had no idea the dirt bags on these infomercials were as slimey as Internet scams, but they seem worse - stealth like if the FCC allows it.
By Jon
I think it works very well because we live Tucson, Arizona and it gets very hot and I know you guys don't think it works but it does it really pulls out the air, a good buy!
I think guest post can't tell the difference between 150 and 149 degrees. hahahaha
If this works for you, please phone your TV station so they can film and retract their proof that it is no good.
I purchased Auto Cool and it's really a piece of junk! The airflow is next to nothing and the unit doesn't work unless the solar panel is directly facing the sun. No battery to charge. Save your money and buy a Slurpee to cool off.
It took forever to get here. It's the fall season now, and it sucks.
By jen
Have you considered also the idea that if it takes SO long to get the Order to you, let's say 6 weeks, and then you return it. They have had your money in an interest bearing account in the bank. What do you reckon, 100,000 customers or 1 million dollars, nice little money maker for some snake oil isn't it?
By Moondyne Joe
That said, the absolute best way to cool down your car is as follows:
By Mike C.
Ouch ! I just purchased one from Walmart and surprise, surprise, in the "Please note" section at the bottom of the instructions, it says this:
"The Auto Cool Air Vent does not work on dark tinted windows."
Hmm, how come that crucial piece of information is not advertised on TV when they show it or anywhere on the box?
I put it in my truck and ran it for like an hour and I don't see any change in the temperature, in fact, it actually made the truck feel a little hotter and stuffier than usual. I am going to bring it back and return it. Don't buy it!
(b)Editor's Note:(/b) From what we've heard, they don't work on clear windows either : ) I can't believe they are still selling these things.
By Lester
Waste of Money. I think it actually made my car hotter. BS of a product.
By Travis
I bought this as a joke, and what do you know, it is a joke. This thing does nothing, the fan spins but does nothing else. If anyone buys this thinking that it actually works, shame on you. I can't believe they are allowed to show this product on TV.
By zo
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