A National City woman is sharing her story after a nearly $4,000 door-to-door water filter purchase led to a dispute — and a refund — with help from NBC 7 and Telemundo 20 Responds.

Olegaria Herrera said a salesperson knocked on her door and described a water filtration system that immediately caught her interest.

“Truth is, I never saw the product,” Herrera said in Spanish. “He described it and how it would work, and it interested me.”

Still, Herrera said the almost $4,000 price tag was too much to commit to without seeing the product first. She said the sales representative offered what sounded like a risk-free option.

“ ‘It’s all good,’ he said. ‘You only have to give a $250 deposit.’ Which he said I would get back in case I didn’t like it,” Herrera said. “He said, ‘But you have 30 days. Make sure that before those 30 days, if you don’t like it, you call me and we’ll do the work’.”

After the system was delivered and installed, Herrera said the water did not taste much different from tap water. She also said the setup was not what she expected.

“It was a little hose. I thought the product would be hooked to the faucet, and the clean water would come out of there,” Herrera said. “But it was more like a miniature faucet on the side, a small tube.”

About a week later, Herrera said she called the company to return the filter. That’s when she says she was told the installation voided the guarantee.

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Olegaria Herrera contacted NBC 7 and Telemundo 20 Responds after running into trouble getting a refund for a water filter.

Consumer advocates say there are steps buyers can take to avoid similar situations. Get everything in writing, no matter how convincing the sales pitch may be. Herrera said she never received — or asked for — documentation outlining the company’s return policy.

It’s also critical to obtain and keep a copy of the contract. Herrera said she electronically signed the agreement but never downloaded a digital copy for her records.

Experts also recommend taking time before agreeing to a pricey purchase — especially one offered at your door. Sleeping on the decision and asking for contact numbers in case something goes wrong can help prevent headaches later.

Herrera said she struggled to get someone on the phone. When she finally did, she said she was given only one option.

“You can return it, but you have to exchange it for another product of equal value,” Herrera said.

That’s when she reached out to NBC 7 and Telemundo 20 Responds.

Herrera was eventually able to return the water filter following the company’s instructions. She later received her $250 deposit back, and the rest of the $4,000 transaction was canceled.

She now hopes others will be cautious when dealing with door-to-door salespeople and make sure they fully understand the terms before signing anything.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication.