Regarding the operation, it works fine on the "strong" setting, but when set to "middle," the suction power may temporarily weaken, possibly due to a motor issue. This can be resolved by restarting the power. Also, a claw near the moving part of the dust cup is broken, but this does not affect normal use. The filter and dust cup will be cleaned before shipping. This item comes from a non-smoking, pet-free environment. Turbine head type vacuum cleaner EC-CT12-C (beige) Brand: SHARP Release date: 2011/06/10