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4.4 838 Reviews

Empire Today Complaints Summary

690 Resolved
147 Unresolved
Our verdict: Expect excellent service from Empire Today. While their resolution rate is high, always verify their service terms. Read customer testimonials, both positive and negative, to gauge their service's reliability and responsiveness. Have all relevant information ready when dealing with their customer service for efficient problem-solving.
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8:10 am EDT
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Empire Today cost of quote

Unfortunately I did not know about this website until after a sales rep came to the house. He basically brought in three samples ran through a couple really quick and then said this is the one you would be interested in. After measuring the house he added up his quote. I was completely set back by the amount they were going to charge. It was more than double the quote from Lowes. When I asked the breakdown, so that maybe we could select a less expensive carpet he stated "we don't give a breakdown in cost". It was amazing to see the difference in his tone after I told him about the Lowes quote. Wish I would have seen this site first - it would have save me the time and trouble.

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Telling on you
Mebane, US
Nov 28, 2011 3:24 pm EST
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They have to give you a target price first which is at 10% commission rate. You would not buy it at that price anyway and they know it. They then have to give you discounts for sign in yard mid week install etc... they then have a 8%, and the a 6% commission rate that even then your not buying . They then have to call the sales manager and give them the info you and sales person talked about. They will drop the price up 50% below the low 6% commission rate for the sales person if you tell them you will buy that day . They think when you see a huge discount you will buy and that's the plan they work with . Stay with a local company because you can bet your getting a good price the first time. Also they want you to do next day install so they have your money and jobs is done and you are not going out to price check it. They also will give the sales person and bad closing rate for not closing the sale and that amounts to the not getting leads.

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1:45 pm EDT
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Empire Today customer service

had an in home visit from one of their sales people and it was great. She was helpful and the price was really good. I scheduled the instalation and was very excited about getting fresh new carpet for my house. The installers came on time. The crew manager was great, he answered all of my questions and was generally very friendly.

He had 2 Hispanic guys working with him. They spoke no English. They finsihed in 3.5 hours and I was so excited. The carpet looked great. I was throughly satisfied. I really thought I would get to go out onto the internet and write a good review of the company. That is, until I started unpacking my stuff that I boxed up to get out of the way.
I unpacked a box and thought that there was some CD's and a DVD missing, but I wasn't sure. That prompted me to check my jewelry box that was in a box under stuff in the bathroom. When I did I was shocked to find 6 rings missing from my jewelry box. One of which was my grandmother's wedding rings (she passed away last Feb and that's all I have left of her). Those rings were on a gold chain. The chain was snapped and the rings gone. I was so upset, I was literally devastated. I immediately called the crew manager that was at my house and told him that I had belongings missing. He was able to stop his crew. One of the men was working with him for the very first day ever. This guy handed over 2 of my rings, but nothing else.
By that time I had contacted the local police and they were at my house. Long story short, what ended up happening was the crew manager and his wife came all the way back here from the warehouse in rush hour traffic to give a statement with me to the police. It was really great of him to do that and he didn't have to do anythig.
If that wasn't bad enough, Empire was notified also and they told me that someone would call me in 24hrs.
They should have made that a priority. The lady called me the next day got information and said she would call back. She took 4 hours to do so. When she called back (after 2 msgs from me)she gave me the B. S. line of "we are going to cooperate with the police". When I asked what the company was going to do for me, she repaeated that line FREAKING PARROT! She wouldn't explain anything.
I spoke with the Instalation Manager here in Atlanta and he basically told me that b/c legal is involved they can't discuss it with me. They aren't doing anything to resolve the fact that I paid $1800 to be robbed!
This could happen to anyone with any company. My point is that EMPIRE has no customer service to speak of. I wish I had gone with someone else even if I had to pay more money. Beware of empire.

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joseph augustino
Deer Park, US
Nov 12, 2013 10:33 am EST
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emand pire carpet is the worst flooring company in the world I have engerid wood in my diningroom and my livingroom that looks terable and thay will not do anything about it

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H. E. R. Wiggs
Char, US
Aug 04, 2009 10:50 am EDT

I consider myself an educated consumer. For years I've seen and heard Empire commercials and considered them to be a reputable company. My experience with Empire has led me to a very different opinion however. There is no set pricing...quotes are literally pulled out of the ### of the salespersons representing Empire. I recently had an in home visit and was advised to get laminate flooring because I have 2 very active dogs. I was convinced the dogs would destroy the hardwood. I was convinced the salesperson had the expertise to make this suggestion and opted for the laminate. I had already priced hardwoods in several locations and had been given installation quotes as well with other companies. Unable to refer to my data and not really attentive to calculations made by the salesperson, I opted to go with Empire since there was a 60% off sale, haul away service and installation the next day. I'm really not happy with the laminate flooring which was probably suggested because it's overstock and in hindsight I feel robbed because of the high cost I've paid. I contacted customer service to request an itemized bill (which I thought would be provided me after installation) to show price per sq. ft., underlayment cost/description, haul away service fees, and any other cost associated with the sale. Was initially told it would take 7 to 10 business days to get this information. I was surprised since it only took about 2 seconds for me to write a check for the initial deposit and about 3 seconds for them to run my credit card on the day of installment. I have been trying to get answers to my questions having spoken on the phone to several different managers. I've requested that the salesman who met for the in home consultation contact me and that hasn't happened. Today, 8/4/2009, I spoke with the Regional Manager, Tim Sherwin, who was no help at all. I take full responsibility for not raising these questions during the in home consultation, however, I don't think it matters when the question is raised there should be a reasonable explanation regardless. It surprises me that they can give me an estimate based on their calculation but they are unable to provide me with an itemized accounting. I simply want to know the sq. footage calculated, price per sq. ft and any other cost figured in. I know I was overcharged and I can't dispute that however, I'd really like to know how much I paid for flooring I'm really not happy with. I would never recommend Empire and I'll never use them again. In fact, I'm filing a complaint with the BBB for the record.

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12:11 pm EDT
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Empire Today don't use empire!!!

Had a guy come out to give us a free estimate. I was warned by my co-workers that Empire Today is expensive but I decided to go with the free estimate to see how much they really cost since their commercials always say they're like 50% off.

So they guy came out gave us a quote of about $2600. He said they couldn't finance the carpet that we had to pay upfront. He also said we wouldn't qualify for financing even if we had exceptional credit. He suggested that if we couldn't pay the total upfront then to just do one room first and that came to about almost $1100. The estimator was really pushy trying to get us to purchase the carpet even after I told him we'd think about it several times. He said that we lived far and he drove 40 miles to come out, etc. He also kept saying how Home Depot give incorrect quotes and they're more expensive.

I was really upset with Empire. I hate people that try to push me to buy something I don't want to.

We then had the Home Depot estimator come out and estimated the same area. It came out to be $1400 ($1100 less than Empire).

In the end we went with Home Depot. I don't recommend Empire to anyone. I should've listened to my co-workers in the first place. I hope you don't have a nasty situation like I did. Boy, was it hard to get rid of the guy. He was turning red and sweating right before he left, which told me he was mad.

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Peaches1379
Atlanta, US
Nov 02, 2011 9:05 pm EDT
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LMAO! Consumer Advocate Team? SERIOUSLY? You are right up their with the non-existent Rebekah Clerk, National Customer Service Manager who DOES NOT EXIST! Hey, about that wonderful Tim Sherwin ... you know the brand ambassador of Empire Today?! I ONLY PRAY THAT THIS COMPANY FAILS MISERABLY. PACK OF CON ARTISTS WHO NEED TO BE IN JAIL.

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Company Response
Northlake, US
Apr 16, 2009 11:51 am EDT

Thank you for bringing your experience to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience, and our team would like to work with you to explore a resolution. Please contact us at webcustomerservice@empiretoday.com so that we may be able to assist. You can also visit our online customer center at http://www.empiretoday.com/Customer-Service.

Sincerely,
Consumer Advocate Team
Empire Today, LLC

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4:52 pm EDT
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Empire Today refund/terrible customer service

Well, it is now 15 days after I cancelled my order with Empire and I still have not received a refund or, for that matter, heard anything from them, even though I've called their customers service department several times. The law in this state says that they must give me my money back within 10 days. Yeah, right. They keep me on hold for up to 10-15 minutes each time I try to call, then someone tells me they processed it, then when they transfer me to the refund dept., they tell me they just got it and it will take another 10 to 15 business days. I have sent emails (thru their website) and left voice mail messages to no avail. They won't give me an email address, physical address of their corporate offices (or any other office), phone number, nothing. They say it's not their policy to give that out. What? What kind of crooked company won't tell you where they're located or give you any way to get ahold of anyone except by their jingle phone number? What a freakin' ripoff these people are!

Read full review of Empire Today and 4 comments
Update by lgarner216
Mar 20, 2009 1:06 pm EDT

Empire Today has the worst customer service department I have ever encountered. A representative came out to my house to measure for window treatments. I gave her a check for $328 as a deposit. She never told me that they would be cashing it, she led me to believe they would hold it until the order was actually placed. Since it was evening, and I called first thing the next morning to cancel (after checking online and discovering that the blinds they were trying to sell me could be found for a third of the cost, including installation, and they were a better quality). A few days later I discovered that they had cashed my check. I called right away and they said that they would be issuing a refund that day. Well, it's almost 2 weeks later and I still don't have my money. I've called the customer service/refund department several times only to be treated very rudely and put on hold for over 15 minutes at times. They also, 3 times, told me that they would have someone call me to discuss the issue and I never received even one phone call. Their customer service representatives were EXTREMELY rude; they just kept repeating the same thing over and over and wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise. I will never, ever do business with them again, and I encourage anyone considering them to think twice. It's not only the money, if they were to apologize or offer something in the way of satisfaction or compensation, that would be a different story. But they were extremely rude and discourteous. This company is a total ripoff. If you do go ahead and go with them, I would also check with their competitors on prices and selection, as they may advertise low prices, but that is mostly because they use their own brands so you can't compare.

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**AB**
junction city, US
Apr 22, 2009 5:06 pm EDT

i happen to work w/ the cancellations dept at empire today and yes they do scam people i do agree to that but also its not our fault about the refund, we wish we could just press a button and you could have your money right then and there but we cant and we have to follow all these damn stupid procedures but anyway the point is that we have to sent the request to cash management, and they are some really lazy ### people and the cash management office is located in north lake, IL at corporate and when you talk to the cancellations dept u speak w/ someone in Kansas... all i can say is i am very sorry about your unpleasant experience and don't recommend the company to anyone which i'm sure u wont anyway...
sorry
a disgruntal empire today employee

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Company Response
Northlake, US
Apr 16, 2009 11:48 am EDT

Thank you for bringing your experience to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience, and our team would like to work with you to explore a resolution. Please contact us at webcustomerservice@empiretoday.com so that we may be able to assist. You can also visit our online customer center at http://www.empiretoday.com/Customer-Service.

Sincerely,
Consumer Advocate Team
Empire Today, LLC

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TIM OCONNOR
Kent, US
Mar 22, 2009 5:03 pm EDT
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empire does have good prices and installers, corporate is with out question copletely wrong regarding their policy towards sales people after they train salespeople, and 60 days after we are in the field 10 people quit every month for the last 2 years, because they pay 4% commission, and we have to pay our own taxes and fuel, for every $100 turned in, after taxes and fuel and 12 hour days i get to keep $2, empire corporate likes it that way, they are very very smart.every month they have on going training and try to recruit at least 10 new people, who, when they realise whats going on will also quit.

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TIM OCONNOR
Kent, US
Mar 22, 2009 4:51 pm EDT
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YOU SHOULD NEVER NEVER WRITE A CHECK AND ASSUME IT WONT BE CASHED, THATS YOUR FIRST COMPLAINT, AND BE HONEST, YOU ARE IN THE WRONG.REGARDING THE REST OF YOUR COMPLAINT I AGREE WITH YOU, I AM A FORMER SALESMAN, NORMALY YOUR PUCHASE PRICE IS ALWAYS LOWER THAN LOWES OR HOME DEPOT YOUR SALESMAN WAS UNETHICAL AND HE WILL SUFFER IN THE NEXT WORLD, IF THATS ANY CONSOLATION.

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3:42 pm EDT
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Empire Today rip off-very bad service

Never ever go to Empire today even if you have to pay a little more at some other place for Carpet Installation. I dont know why I missed reading all the compain report before getting the installation done.
When we fisrt had the associate come for giving us a quote we were very happy since he was very nice and courtious and cool guy. The quote he gave was also couple hundered less than couple of other we had talked to and he bargained a little for us also. On the day of installation the installers were right on time with everything they need and they installed the carpet very nicely. They were very friendly and good natured. We thought we got our moneys worth, but we were wrong. After the guys left when we looked at the carpet more closely the next day we found missing loops every couple of feet in the carpet. We contacted Empire today and told them about the damage. The customer service rep send couple of people to inspect the carpet over next couple of days. They approved the damage and asked us to reinstall the carpet at no cost. We told them that we will keep the damaged carpet if they give us some refund since we have a small kid in the house and we have to make baby sitting arrangement for him at the time they come for installation. They said that they need the damaged carpet to be sent ot the manufacturer for full refund so they have to reinstall. We agreed thinking that mistaked happen sometime. But we were wrong again. The next time they brought the new carpet upstairs (after ripping off the old carpet) it had the same problem - even worse. There were big loops missing every couple of INCHES. We were so mad and furious. We tried to call the customer service to get us a new carpet and everthing but because it was a weekend nobody answered our calls. They also damaged walls of our house while ripping the carpet off. We called them againg on Monday and they said that they will not give us a refund back but reinstall the carpet and upgrade it to a better one. We told them about damaged walls and the stairs and they said that they cannot do anything about it. We told them to give us atleast a partial refund back because it was their mistake not to check the carpet the second time. Also again we have to go through the hassle of moving all the furniture and keeping my son with the baby sitter (hard on a weekend) and all that kind of mental tension. Now they are not replying to our calls at all. We have been keeping messages but no reply. I regret calling empire today for my new carpet so badley.
Now we are at a loss from everywhere - broken walls, damaged carpet, no refund. Please, pleae, think hundred times beofer going to empire today and even better never think about going there.

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Company Response
Northlake, US
Apr 16, 2009 11:20 am EDT

Thank you for bringing your experience to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience, and our team would like to work with you to explore a resolution. Please contact us at webcustomerservice@empiretoday.com so that we may be able to assist. You can also visit our online customer center at http://www.empiretoday.com/Customer-Service.

Sincerely,
Consumer Advocate Team
Empire Today, LLC

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1:15 am EDT
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Empire Today quality and service

Worst company I have ever dealt with! It has been four years and I am still having problems with them and our product. Everytime you call you get a different person in a different state. No one cares in the company! The guy who finally showed up, had no idea what he was doing, they had very little to choose from. When they came to install both our floors and carpet, the installers spoke no english and it made it very frustrating to get things done. They then installed both carpet and floors wrong and thus begun a year of trying to get them to come back out and fix it. They actually left huge staples sticking out of the floor for my daughter to cut her feet on. I cannot figure out for the life of me how these people are still in business. They over charged us also by about 2000.00! To say I hate Empire is an understatement! I am so happy to find this site to pass on this information. If it stops even one person from giving them there business, it is worth it!

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phil borgo
Olympia, US
Jan 09, 2010 2:20 pm EST

They wasted two hours of my time and then wouldn't give me the estimate as my mom was not present ( it was for a rental). I'm 50 years old, the general contractor on the job and quite capable of making the final decision, but nothing.
Then they hooked me into their auto dialer to harass me with recorded messages. When I called to ask to be removed from their system, I was told it would take ten days. Bull.
Never again, and because it's a slow saturday I'm going to find every complaint line I can and suggest good folks go somewhere else.

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PVaj
Coon Rapids, US
May 11, 2009 3:02 pm EDT

This my complaint to you/Manager.

The contract to me was mispresentation, the guy sole the carpet to me two years ago, he failed to disclosure the fact that his business with me was a contracted with credit card service, which it will increase of finance charge, interests and other fees for each month.

Second of all, he failed to tell me that the contract is a credit card, which I will not accept the contract for the first place.

Third of all, I have been making payments in the amount of $50.00 for the last 6 months and if I continue making payments like this I will not able to pay off this debt. I was laid off from my job, which prevented me to pay off the deal and I am struggle...Need Help...

This is a BAD Company...

PV: Milwaukee, WI

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Company Response
Northlake, US
Mar 16, 2009 4:31 pm EDT

Thank you for bringing your experience to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience, and our team would like to work with you to explore a resolution. Please contact us at webcustomerservice@empiretoday.com so that we may be able to assist. You can also visit our online customer center at http://www.empiretoday.com/Customer-Service.

Sincerely,
Consumer Advocate Team
Empire Today, LLC

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diana
Salem, US
Mar 14, 2009 4:13 pm EDT

I experienced the same. Over priced junk carpet and pad. Empire saleperson attempt to compare the junk carpet with big box store of the same.Well its far from the same. I had my pad replaced due to feeling lumps under the carpet. They use cheap recycled pad. It has hard lumps of plastic that are quit noticable when you walk on it bare foot. They replaced the main walk areas. However now every time I vaccum I get a canister full of grey dusty FIBER material obviously from the pad under the carpet.I dont have pets or childeren. Anyone who enters the house takes shoes off ot the entry way.Also they refused to give me a break down of the cost of the carpet, pad, and installation. They told me it was a package deal. I took a peek at an invoice the sales person had. They had everything broke down on the invoice. From removing the furnature to removing a toilet. Yet they denied me a copy of this service. They have little to choose from and used installers that speak little english. When I asked about the great price discount they said I was given the discount.Then attempted to show me the $$$avings. After doing some more reserch I found that I could have had the same product and job done for about 2500.00 less. Buyer beware. ASK FOR SAMPLES of carpet, pad, tile and underlayment products. Take it AND COMPARE. Word of salesperson means nothing. They are the middleman getting the overpayment. An then after they charged me over 8000.00 they had the nerve to call me and tell me there was a mistake in the billing and I owed then an additional 25.00. I told them to come out and pick up the over ordered supplies they said I could keep and subtract it from my bill. Lesson learned. If it sounds too good, keep walking.

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8:08 am EDT
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Empire Today tub liner

BBB Complaint about Empire Today

No, this is not acceptable. Empire has not addressed the complaint made to the BBB. We paid for a professional installation of a custom-fitted bath liner. We got a bath liner installed that has a 1/2" gap that extends 8" to 12" in length along one side of the liner. We have acknowledeged removing the caulk and the new caulk not holding. By removing the molding caulk, we uncovered a mistakenly measured product and/or major installation error made by the Empire Today installer. Empire Today refuses to acknowledge and address the problem of an inaccurate measurement or poor installation of what is supposed to be a bath liner that fits perfectly over my existing tub.

Empire is offering to replace the liner at the discounted price of $938.47.

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Update by Bill
Mar 23, 2009 6:47 am EDT

It was already out of warranty was the calking was removed. A proper installation of tub liner should be no more than a 1/4" gap along all sides. You are just using my do diligence as a home owner doing general maintenence (removing old moldy caulk and replacing with new) as your excuse not to have to admit the initial install was done below standards and just flat out a poor job. I can just sse you guys throwing your hands in the air saying - the home ower removed the the caulk not our problem now. Great way to do business Empire Today.

On March 20, 2009, the business provided the following information:
Thank you for bringing William Klingbeil's concerns to the attention of Empire Today LLC (''Empire''). The liner installed by Empire Today was properly installed. The Klingbeil's only experienced issues with the liner after they attempted to service the liner and removed the caulking. The Klingbeil's actions voided the warranty on the liner. Empire has offered to discount a replacement liner in the interest of customer service.

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Company Response
Northlake, US
Mar 16, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

Thank you for bringing your experience to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience, and our team would like to work with you to explore a resolution. Please contact us at webcustomerservice@empiretoday.com so that we may be able to assist. You can also visit our online customer center at http://www.empiretoday.com/Customer-Service.

Sincerely,
Consumer Advocate Team
Empire Today, LLC

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1:11 pm EST
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Empire Today hardwood floor installation

In December 2008, I purchased engineered hardwood flooring from Empire for the living room and master bedroom of my condo. The installation occurred on January 21, 2009. The installation took two days and was very unprofessional. My problems fell into the following categories:

1. The installers got glue all over the place. They had glue on their hands when they moved my furniture. They got glue all over the living room walls. And, they left glue smudges over 80% of the living room and bedroom flooring. The adhesive used to apply engineered hardwood is very strong and must be cleaned immediately. If allowed to cure more than 24 hours, it is virtually impossible to remove. Consequently, I had to repaint my living room walls and had no means of removing the glue from my furniture. I also had a new floor that looked dull because of all the glue smudges.

2. The installers also did not screen the wood quality. The industry standard states that 5% of the wood in each box may be of lower quality. The installers are supposed to screen each piece of wood to remove the lower quality planks before installing. In the living room alone, they installed over 30 boards with blue stain, which is caused by a fungus that turns the wood a bluish gray. Most of these problems were so obvious that any amount of screening should have omitted that wood. I also question whether there was more than 5% bad wood in my boxes.

3. The wood in the master bedroom also had problems with knot holes beyond what is acceptable for grade A wood. The installers also installed some of the baseboard trim upside down (something I didn't know until another professional pointed it out).

To Empire's credit, when I complained about the problem, they quickly offered to replace the floor and to use another installer. I accepted the offer to replace the living room floor, which was by far the worst of the two rooms. The second installers did a much better job, but of course they knew about my complaints with the first installation. The removal of the first floor, however, was hell. They had to saw across the wood down to the concrete subfloor, pry it off, and chisel off the old glue. This required two days of constant pounding and generated a ton of dust. I am sure my condo neighbors despise me.

Because of the hell of replacing the living room floor, I elected not to replace the bedroom floor too. Instead, I asked Empire for a 15% credit on the entire installation price to cover the lower quality bedroom installation and to compensate me for the damage to my walls and furniture. They initially refused, until I sent them an extensive photo album of all the problems. Empire then agreed to the refund, if I would sign a release of any further claims against them associated with this job. I agreed. However, it took over two weeks of phone calls and constant badgering before Empire actually issued the credit to my credit card. But for this final hassle of getting the credit, I would at least have given Empire high marks for its customer service, despite the poor quality of the product and installation.

The lesson that I have taken from all of this is that the national flooring brands have much less quality control. Whether or not you get a good contractor to install your floor is a crap shoot. I would recommend that anyone considering any kind of floor installation use someone local.

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AfamilyRobbed
Newnan, US
Sep 04, 2014 6:37 am EDT

Back in July of 2014 we had booked to consultation appointments one with Empire and Another with a private contractor. The private contractor came out and quoted us $4600 to take up the carpet in the family room, dining room and he would GLUE down the engineered hard wood floors in the kitchen, breakfast area, family room, foyer, dining room and without the warranty. So now empire salesman comes while the private contractor is still here and we told him he would have a hard time beating the contractor price but we would hear him out (little did we know that this would be bad). He proceeded with sales pitch and went on about there warranty program and then said his price which was $5600. We immediately said nope sorry, he said "Well allow me to beat it", so I told him everything the contractor was doin and for $4600 he made a phone call and said "If I can beat that will you give us your business and keep in mind, mines come with a warranty". He came back and said "$4200 flat and one day installation". We said take it with, joy knowin we was getting a professional and warranty installation. Well they came to install 2 days later. About 4 days later we was having some work done by another Con tractor and he asked "Why do your floors feel like they are giving way and make such a badd noise? This should of been glued down" I said this glued down. He of course said no. We had some house guest and they all complained about the squeaking and annoying noise from the floors. So we can empire and they informed us that our floors weren't glued down and that it would be an eXtra $2350 to do something we thought we were paYing to have done originally. Lady also said that was it. She then transferred me to a manager who was non helpful and had poor customer service. We were lied to, robbed. duped, mislead. I just want to inform the world to stay away from empire.

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patty morris
Pasadena, US
Apr 22, 2009 6:13 pm EDT
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we also had Empire do work in our home installing laninate flooring in our dining room as well as the kitchen also vinyle flooring in our bathroon, we were told the company would call the night before and give us a time, this was not done, the 2 men that showed up came at 3:30 in the afternoon, only one of the installers spoke english, and he was hard to understand, we told them my husband was disabled and that we go to bed at 8 p.m. they told us they would be done by 6 p.m. they were still here at 10:30pm and had broken our stove, the pipe that hooks ito the wall, I had to try and get the 2 men to understand what I wanted, the men came back the next day today, 04-22-2008 and they came at 9:00 am they were still here at 2:30pm I had told them that I was not pleased with the work and pointed out the problems to their boss, who also had a problem with th english language, they had more men with them and they also did not speak english, I Told them I wanted clear caulk around the toilet and walls, but they used white, when I insisted on clear they told me they don;t make clear, I called Lowe"s the company that Empire today had hired and had them tell them they do make clear, caulk, I feel we have been cheated and lied to we were promised quility work from licenced labors, and we did not get what we ordered, I feel we should be given a partial refund for the inconvience we were caused.

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Company Response
Northlake, US
Apr 16, 2009 11:16 am EDT

Thank you for bringing your experience to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience, and our team would like to work with you to explore a resolution. Please contact us at webcustomerservice@empiretoday.com so that we may be able to assist. You can also visit our online customer center at http://www.empiretoday.com/Customer-Service.

Sincerely,
Consumer Advocate Team
Empire Today, LLC

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Empire Today overcharged

January 2007 I had a salesperson come to our home to give us an estimate on laminate flooring for our family room, Hallway and Bathroom. Her name is Marcia.

She started out by Showing me the different style of hardwood and laminate flooring telling me that the price was the same for either. Then she began to tell me that type of product used, the quality and warranty. On the laminate flooring, I was told that it is the top of the line, only sold through Empire, scratch resistant, waterproof and resistant, with a 25 year warranty.'water can stand on them for up to 5 days'. I shouldn't of believed her but wanted to see what the price would be for my living room and hallway. She promised she would give me the bottom line price for our products. She pumped up the company's reputation, their superior quality products and service. She proceeded to tell me that they NEVER used sub-contractors or day laborers and could have the floors in the next day.

I loved the look of this sample she had it was 4in wide planks that looked like they came out of an old library in europe somewhere and even had indents in the top as if they had stood the test of time and had scars to prove it. They were a deep dark warm color I picked for the living room and hallway. For the bathroom I picked a square laminate that was a sandy marble look with a hint of lavender to go in my small 5x5 guest bathroom. I told her my concerns about putting the laminate in the bathroom and if it would really hold up. She said jokingly that unless there was a flood the floors would be fine.

She also assured us that when they started the install, if we were unhappy with the product, to call them and they would make it right. That and the scratch resistant, water resistant qualities of the product. I have cats and two children who does spill things. She assured us it would be fine. That was the assurance I needed to agree to the sale.

She then measured the rooms and gave us our quote. $9000, 00 for the laminate. I was shocked to say the least! The price of the laminate was extremely high, in my opinion. She told me that with labor costs and the carpet removal then they have to move and replace our furniture it is a bit expensive. So I said fine I'll move the furniture and keep the carpet. She said that would bring it down to $6, 700.00. I told her that was out of my price range. However they had the financing options we were looking for, and as my family would be in town next week so them being able to install the product quickly was a benefit. We decided to only go with the laminate for now. We agreed on the pricing, and She checked with the office on the financing.

They came to Install the floor and non of them spoke a word of english and they all spelled bed. But I needed the flooring done ASAP. I had removed all the furniture the night before and even the toilet and sink. All they had to do was install the floors. It was fast and when they were done I inspected the bathroom. The trim wasn't on the wall behind the sink I pointed and asked why. He they don't have, someone will fix. That was the best english I could get out of him. He told me to sign the papers and that someone would come fix. So i signed then they left. I was already upset that I was spending so much money of floors that wouldn't be done when my family got here. Then I would have to find someone with a truck to help me take the carpet that was now taking up my garage space, to the dump.

As my friend and I was putting the furniture back in the couch scratched the floor 4 inches of a scratch. Now I was really pissed the floors weren't even an hour old and they got a scratch how would they hold up to my kids. Well a month later the classic glass of water on the dinner table spilled on the floor. I grabbed a towel and got it up right away but the trim got wet and started to swell looking like a swollen piece of cardbord with a sticker clinging to it. I went around inspecting the other parts of the floor and sure enough the floor in the bathroom was swelling and the trim was ruined even after all my best efforts of keeping it dry and clean. I followed all the instructions in that manual they gave me with the floors.

I called Empire to see if I was correctly quoted the correct price for the product I received. The woman said she didn't know she would have to forward that question to the area representatives that did the service. But she could make the appointment to have the floors fixed. A week later a english speaking guy came out to replace the pieces of the trim and floor then shook his head saying that the other crew never chalked the bathroom to seal it. I got a call from Jackie due to my concern about the pricing. She said that I was quoted the correct price for the floors and got a good deal.

I asked her if she felt good about them charging me $200 a box for cardboard with pictures of a tree glued on it. She said they used 30 boxes. I then asked her where. Then she asked if there was anything else I needed. I asked to speak to her manager. She said he was sitting behind her and wouldn't talk to me that I was quoted the correct price and I would get no refund on the product. Then I asked what about the warrenty? We can send someone out to fix the floors. So I asked Every 6 months? She said no after a year they fall under a different warrenty.

So I told her to make the appointment to come pick up the floors I don't want them and to get them out of my house. She said she could do that but I would get no refund. So I called the # on the tv asking for a number to the district office. Brian said that there isn't one and that if there was a problem with the floors that I would have to talk to the local people that put them in. I told him I wanted to speak to the person above him that I felt I was being lied to and I was riped off about the floors. He said he could not help me.

We all need to get together about this and START a class action Lawsuit about Empire Today. This is crazy that they can charge what ever they want for a crappy product then threaten us to keep it. Email me lets get this taken care of.

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rowdy8888
, US
Aug 11, 2009 5:53 pm EDT

CLAREN... THESE PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE A STORE THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY EMPLOYEES IN THE FIELD THEY ONLY HIRE SUB STANDARD CONTRACTORS...

DID YOU REALLY THINK THE WORKERS SPOKE ENGLISH WHEN YOU SIGNED THE CONTRACT ...? COME ON

WHEN SPENDING YOUR MONEY THEIR ARE NO "OFF LIMIT" QUESTIONS...

JUST A REMINDER IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT MORE THAN LIKELY IS... TOO GOOD

.

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Company Response
Northlake, US
Mar 04, 2009 4:23 pm EST

Thank you for bringing your experience to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience, and our team would like to work with you to explore a resolution. Please contact us at webcustomerservice@empiretoday.com so that we may be able to assist. You can also visit our online customer center at http://www.empiretoday.com/Customer-Service.

Sincerely,
Consumer Advocate Team
Empire Today, LLC

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Empire Today no show for estimate

I contacted Empire Carpet and scheduled an appointment for an estimate on 2-14-09. I was assured at the time that installation could take place on 2-16-09. These dates were set due to the fact that I would need to travel out of state to be at the home where the job would need to take place. The estimate was scheduled for 2-14-09 between
1-3 p.m. At approximately 12:15 p.m. the sales rep called me to confirm my location. At the time he told me that he was about 2-1/2 hrs. away and would need to call me back. At approximately 12:30 p.m. someone else from Empire called me to say that they would not be able to make the appointment and would I like to reschedule. I explained that I had made special arrangements to travel from Pennsylvania to Maryland to be at the home that particular weekend. I was told again that they had nobody in the area to come that day and that they could reschedule "maybe" on
2-16-09. I told her that I did not want to reschedule and that this had caused me an inconvenience. She told me that they would give me a $50 credit toward my purchase. Again, I told her that I did not want to reschedule and they had lost my business.

I called Empire on 2-16-09 and requested to speak to someone in charge so I could make a formal complaint. However, I was told to give them my phone number and someone would get back to me in
1-3 days.

Based on this experience, I would never use this company or recommend them to anyone else.

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Company Response
Northlake, US
Mar 04, 2009 5:02 pm EST

Dear D Hery,

Thank you for bringing your sales experience to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience this situation may have caused for you. Our customer care team is reviewing your concerns, and a team member will follow up with you directly within one business day to work toward a resolution.

Sincerely,
Consumer Advocate Team
Empire Today, LLC

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Empire Today an absolute nightmare

I had an absolutely nightmarish experience with Empire installers in Pittsburgh. I had just spent a great deal of time and effort finishing the basement in my new home, and I ordered a plush blue carpet from Empire. The installers barely spoke English, but seemed to be polite and got straight to work.

A few days after the carpet was installed, my then-boyfriend (now DH) noticed a plastic Coke bottle filled with URINE sitting on the floor in the corner of the laundry room. There's no question that is was urine, and there was nobody else in the house to have done such a thing. It was somewhat concealed between the furnace and a step stool in the corner. I have never been so disgusted or appalled; if they couldn't ask to use our restroom, could they have at least had the decency to leave their pee bottle in their van?

I called the company that day, and was promised a $100 rebate on the carpet installation. I should have demanded that the same set of ###s who installed my carpet should be sent out to remove their own urine from my property. I shouldn't have been forced to dispose of biohazardous, potentially disease-harboring waste in my home!

I told them that I was disgusted by what I found, and then the "customer satisfaction" representative turned everything around on me - I was accused of making the whole story up since I didn't report it for three days after the installation. Sorry, but I don't examine my laundry room floor every day! How could I have even fabricated such a ridiculous story? I never did get that rebate. To this day, I am irate and disgusted that I had to dispose of some stranger's foul bodily fluids in my own home.

Despicable company, despicable people.

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Mrs. M
Glenshaw, US
Oct 09, 2009 11:25 pm EDT

UPDATE:

Thought I'd drop by and see if anyone responded to my post.

Interesting, the comment by Empire. How is the Consumer Advocate Team going to follow up with me, since there's no identifying information in my post? They don't even know who I am!

Perhaps the Consumer Advocate Team should have left some contact information so I can call them .

Oh well.

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somerespectplz
Pittsburgh, US
May 11, 2009 5:38 pm EDT

Thats sick!

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Company Response
Northlake, US
Feb 11, 2009 3:05 pm EST

Thank you for bringing your experience to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience this situation may have caused for you. Our customer care team is reviewing your concerns, and a team member will follow up with you directly within one business day to work toward a resolution.

Sincerely,
Consumer Advocate Team
Empire Today, LLC

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Empire Today overpriced and condescending

EMPIRE IS A JOKE!

I read about all of the negative publicity before I had the Empire salesman come out to our home, but I wanted to see for myself that they were truly a rip-off company. Based on the salesman they sent to our home, they have no interest in keeping a positive image of their company. He was condescending, unfriendly, and to put it simply, he was a used car salesman. At one point he said the cost per square foot would be $14 -- this was for laminate flooring! When we expressed our concern about the high price, he said he needed to run the numbers again. When he "ran the numbers again" he came back with a price of $9/square foot. Again -- USED CAR SALESMAN. $9/square foot is still outrageous.

We ended up hiring local flooring installer who was friendly, experienced, answered all of our questions in a non-condescending manner, and he did a beautiful job of installing the floor. On top of that, he referred us to a specialty flooring store where we could buy quality flooring at a discounted price. For just under 500 square feet we paid $1700 for labor and materials. Empire wanted us to pay $6000 for the same job -- until they lowered their price to a "bargain" cost of $4500.

DO NOT do business with Empire. Empire doesn't care about getting repeat customers -- they are only looking for one-time customers. My advice is to hire locally, as we did. In general, local installers have their reputation on the line. Local installers rely on word of mouth advertising and good references to maintain their business -- NOT commercials with catchy jingles that you see every time you turn on the TV.

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Mystic27
Levi, US
Jun 05, 2010 8:26 pm EDT

I completely agree with your dismay with Empire Today. In 2005, I had just purchased my house and wanted to replace the carpet with laminate floor. The saleslady was unfriendly (never smiled) and, yes, condescending. I was completely taken advantaged of because she knew I was on time constriction due to our moving date. For convenience purpose I agreed to have them installed the laminate floor, stair carpet, and blinds. The stair carpet measurement was all wrong. The laminate floor that this sales rep raved about, (she stated that their product is top quality and better than other dealers like Home Depot!), began developing bubbles in certain spots within a year of installation. The sales rep did not even return my call and I only got to speak to a telephone rep who told me that I would be partly responsible for the repair/replacement job. I demanded that they replace and take care of the matter, which they did, but sent their men to replace the floor with a completely different color from my original choice! At that point I did not have the energy or the patience to argue with Empire anymore that I just went along with the color of their choice. From the sales rep to the phone rep, I can certainly say that the company left a very bad taste in my mouth that I discouraged everyone I speak to or know from going with the company. NEVER AGAIN!

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Company Response
Northlake, US
Feb 11, 2009 3:10 pm EST

Thank you for bringing your sales experience to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience, and our team would like to work with you to explore a resolution. Please contact us at webcustomerservice@empiretoday.com so that we may be able to assist. You can also visit our online customer center at http://www.empiretoday.com/Customer-Service.

Sincerely,
Consumer Advocate Team
Empire Today, LLC

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Empire Today shedding carpet

In February of last year, we had Empire Today install a frieze carpet in our home at twice the cost of what another competitor was offering. We decided to go with Empire because of their promised service and quality. It is now nearly January, almost a year later, and our carpet is still shedding, significantly shedding. We called Empire, and they sent an independent inspector out to review the carpet and take samples. He observed the shedding, even vacuumed a small section of the floor and observed the vacuum completely fill with the fibers from the carpet. After a week, we received a report in the mail indicating that the shedding is normal and may continue for some time, and that nothing will be done.

In all of my experience with new carpet in my home and relatives homes, I have never seen a carpet shed like our carpet is doing. We have a one year old baby that plays on the carpet, and he has actually learned that he can pull on the carpet and pull up fibers and eat them. This is very disturbing.

I understand that new carpet may shed for up to one to two months, but carpet should not be shedding after nearly a year! The carpet that we purchased was a Beaulieu Coronet in Tempting Gardenia. I would warn anyone thinking of having Empire install carpet in their home, that they do not back up their service claims, and that the carpet I purchased was twice as much as a competitor and of inferior quality. We are going to have to purchase new carpet now to replace the carpet we purchased from Empire. So disappointing. We should have researched Empire prior to our purchase.

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Wary consumer
Cora Gables, US
Jun 21, 2009 12:16 pm EDT

Hi Amanda!

You are dead on with your complaint against Empire. We had carpet installed by them and within a few months the carpet was matted down and showed significant wear in traffic areas. The sales person and written warranty info specifically stated that this type of wear was covered. We called Empire and they sent a representative out to our home. The rep came in, looked around, took pictures, talked with us at length about our care of the carpet. We told the rep that we were urged to install this particular carpet because it was their most expensive with the highest rating. The carpet was thick, plush, and dense. It was sold to us as the carpet for "high traffic areas". The rep shook his head and stated "I know exactly what the problem is" and left. Empire called a few days later and let us know that the report showed that all it would take to fix my carpet was vacuuming. My husband and I lost our faith in Empire. It is obvious that an independent rep is NOT going to keep his job if he calls for Empire to reinstall carpet at Empire's expense; the rep clearly saw what the problem was, but his report did not reflect his conversation with us.

We recarpeted at our expense, with a different company, and we were very happy with the replacment carpet. Now here is the kicker...

Fast forward a few years and it's time to carpet again. We decided to use another carpet company. We went with a different type of carpet. This carpet had a manufacturing defect and within 30 days was loosing backing and having issues. The new company sent THEIR rep out with forms, questions, pictures, and a lengthy conversation about what was happening. Within three days we had a call from the company and we were told that our entire house would be recarpeted at no expense! The company sells Stainmaster carpet and it was Stainmaster that took care of us... Go with a Stainmaster carpet and use a company with roots in the community and a reputation for customer care.

I would never use Empire again and you should never have to hire your own carpet inspector. If a company is legitimate and they stand behind their product then issues get resolved with no expense to you. I will never buy anything but a Stainmaster carpet and I will pay a little more to go with a carpet sales company that has roots in the community and a reputation for taking care of their customers. Empire is cheaper than most, but you pay for that savings in the long run. Sometimes the best deal isn't the cheapest deal and I had to learn that the hard way. Stay away from Empire!

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CarpetBot
, US
May 20, 2009 2:53 pm EDT

Hi Amanda, Sorry to hear about your carpet problems.

Here are some suggestions.

Since Empire is such a large company, they may be contracting for their own carpet inspectors. (The inspectors are supposed to be independent but the reality is that if they process too many complaints against the Carpet Retailer for installation or against a Carpet Mill for whom they do work; they will lose that business.)

You can hire your own carpet inspector. It will cost some money. If you contact your Homeowner's Insurance Agent, he/she can probably recommend an flooring inspector. Or refer you to a claims adjuster who will surely know an inspector. They may even be willing to submit your carpet for classification as to (like ; kind : quality). Inspectors who work for Insurance Companies are vested slowly over time. It can take years to become fully vested. It has to do with developing integrity.

You can also contact the Carpet Mill to find out if the carpet style you purchased is still manufactured. If not, find out when they stopped producing the carpet. If they stopped producing the carpet before your purchase date, that could be a red flag that you recieved (seconds) instead of first quality goods.

If the carpet is still manufactured, request a sample swatch in 2 or 3 colors and compare them in behavior to any scraps you may have left over from the original installation.

Also check you invoice for a sidemark. Unfortunately, they are not always shown. If the carpet was not a stock item and they had to order the carpet. The sidemark would trace the carpet back to a lot#. And the mill will know if the carpet was sold as a second or even a third! This may help if you get litigious. The mill probably won't disclose this information at a corparate level to you.

If the carpet is private labeled to Empire ie. : Style Name & Color Name. Have a friend or relative call Empire and request some color swatches. Tell them they are for paint selection. Make sure it is a good friend, Empire may never stop bugging them.

Finally, you can insist that a mill representative inspect the carpet and write a report. Sometimes, a carpet retailer will sell a carpet pad that does not meet manufacturer's warranties. In such an instance, the mill would deny a warranty replacement because it can be reasonably argued that a carpet pad that is too thick, or too thin or less than 6 to 6-1/2 pounds results in undue wear to the backing of the carpet; is the cause of the excess shedding.

If the Carpet Retailer sold you pad that voided the Carpet Mill's and Fiber Producer's warranty. The retailer would be on the hook for the full cost of replacement. (Provided: They did something like this and failed to disclose that information). This would obviously a big finacial insentive for a multi-state flooring retailer or franchiser to hire their own carpet inspectors.

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Company Response
Northlake, US
Feb 11, 2009 3:23 pm EST

Thank you for bringing your carpet experience to our attention. We encourage you to contact us directly by either visiting our online customer service center at http://www.empiretoday.com/Customer-Service or e-mailing us at webcustomerservice@empiretoday.com. Our team looks forward to working toward resolving your issue immediately.

Sincerely,
Consumer Advocate Team
Empire Today, LLC

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Empire Today damage done to my living room hallway and cherry end and coffee table

On the morning of my instillation, I was never called first off, when the two non english speaking men came into my home they called my credit card into the office but did not mark the imprint on their paperwork therefore I was charged twice, that took almost a week to correct, they did damage to my walls after we had recently painted and the company never offered a discount. Last friday dec.12, 2008 I got a phone call stating that they reviewed the pics (Not mine) and were offering me $100.00 in damages (I agreed sort of as I was sound asleep when they called) , I realize money is tight for us all but I am on disability and cannot paint my living room it costs alot more than $100.00 to replace drywall and to paint a large living room, now I find out thru complaints that another was offered an $800.00 discount! I am livid all the aggravation I went through not knowing if I were ripped off, worrying how to fix what they damaged... I have to say I will call my attorney on monday never deal with this company

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Empire Today never use empire for any of your household needs!!

In October of 2006 we purchased carpet in 2 rooms and it had a 5 year warranty. In May 2008 we noticed that our carpet started to look worn down and started to come apart in the traffic areas. We called empire and they sent out a inpection company. They came out and said it was normal wear and tear. We feel that our carpet should not look like that after being only 2 years old. It is getting really worse. It looks like its 20 years old not 2 years old. The salesperson who sold us the carpet said it would never look worn. I would never trust anyone from empire ever again. They have terrible sales people and customer service.

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Willie57
Wheat Ridge, US
Mar 15, 2010 8:28 pm EDT

I agre -- they're the biggest crooks in America. Go to the Federal Trade Commission's website and file a complaint. First, get all addressews and info for Empire.

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

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Empire Today terrible experience

Our order of laminate flooring and stairs was installed on 9/26/08. Immediately we saw a problem that the stair nose was about 1/2' higher than the stair itself - quite dangerous for a busy stairway. After approximately 6 more appointments where we took the day off work only to have installers not show up, show up with the wrong product, show up to repair our 'carpet', or show up and shrug, we were able to FINALLY speak with an Installation Manager, 'Bill', who agreed to replace the stairs with a wood/oak product as they did not have a laminate product for the stairs.

After scheduling several more futile appointments where nothing was done, an installer came with wood products. The stair color/model we ordered looks wonderful and matches the floor. The nose of each stair, is a different model, different color and does not fit.

After scheduling several more futile appointments of people showing up with exactly the same wrong product that they installed on our stairs, 'Bill' the installation manager was supposed to PERSONALLY come out and resolve the problem (he didn't show), he told us he would personally instruct the installer and make sure this was finally resolved. Of course, on yet another Saturday after spending an entire day waiting for the installer - he again showed up with the wrong product. Bill is no where to be found, of course. Christy Caputo, the helpful, perky customer service representative genuinely tries to cover for Bill - but he's hopeless. She promised that Bill would AGAIN call us first thing Monday morning. Still waiting.

The last installed advised us that the manufacturer of the stair color/model we ordered does not make stair noses! They've been wasting our time, messing with us for nearly TWO MONTHS - did they think we wouldn't notice!

We've received weekly 'customer satisfaction survey' phone calls from Empire, who appear to be concerned with customer service - in reality, there is no manager that will speak with you or resolve your problem or issue. You will deal with nice people at Christy-level who are polite but can do nothing but again take down your information.

Calling the Corporate headquarters and leaving messages for the VP of Customer Relations doesn't appear to do any good.

If you want to take alot of time off work, be extremely frustrated, throw away money, and spend several months doing it - then Empire is THE place for you!

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MaxinePyd
, US
Jul 13, 2011 3:09 pm EDT

I have scheduled appointments with Empire Carpets that are then canceled on the day of, the excuse being that there is no representative in the area.
"Why make the appointment in the first place?" I asked them?
"Because we never know whether there will be reps in the area until the morning of the appointment."
"Meantime I have taken half a day off work. Is this really how you do business?"
"I'm sorry, but there are no reps in the area, we will have to reschedule."

And so on with the broken record technique. No attempt was made to send a representative and they defended their lack of integrity like it was perfectly normal business practice.

I don't know how a business that doesn't honor its appointments or respect its customers is able to still be in business. It is disgusting behavior.

If anyone can shed light on this matter I would be immensely grateful.

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Business Response.
Northlake, US
Jul 20, 2011 5:45 pm EDT

Maxine, we’ve read your postings from last year and apologize for your experience as this type of miscommunication shouldn’t have happened. I understand that you spoke with our Marketing and Communications Team last year and that the situation was brought to our attention in customer service. As our National Customer Service Manager, I’d be happy to address any further questions or concerns you may have. Please feel free to email me at customersupport@empiretoday.com or call me at [protected] x4195. Rebekah Clerk, National Customer Service Manager

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TB1
Mansfield, US
Feb 26, 2009 4:52 pm EST

I spent almost $8k on laminate floors and had a piece of trim that had been repaired from the original install fail again. Meaning, the trim piece will not stay flush on the floor. I was told that I will have to pay $125 dollars for something that should have been repaired correctly to begin with. Also, the customer service representative noted in their comments that Empire had been to my residence multiple times which is not true. With that said, I feel like I have been mislead on what falls under a warranty and will not consider Empire for future projects.

One other note in regards to this. Don't let them fool you with their warranties. Make sure you get the details because they will not hesitate to charge you outrageous labor fees for work that should have been taken care of under warranty or previous repairs. Very misleading and does not consider repeat customers to be important in my opinion.

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Empire Today awful everything

I used Empire to install 6 blinds in my small one bedroom apartment. It seemed like a very easy job but it has taken more than 2 months and 6 different visits for them to install the blinds and they STILL aren't finished! The first installer that they sent to my house damaged my kitchen window when he tried to force a blind that was too big for the window in. He then asked if I had left over paint so he could cover up the damage. He incorrectly installed the blinds in my bedroom and told me that it was the only way for them to work (which was untrue). In the living room you could see that the valance on the top of the blinds did not match up and there was a one inch space between the spot where they should have met. I called Empire and they sent someone to come and look at the job. He agreed that the job was poorly done and told me that Empire had fired the installer that they sent to me in the past but brought him back because they needed more help. The second installer also told me that he constantly had to fix the other installers jobs.

The second installer seemed very knowledgeable and tried to fix the mess that the first one created. Problem is, he isn't finished with the job yet. He measured the windows and came back 3 times because every time the blinds weren't cut correctly. He also ripped the paint off my bedroom walls when removing the blinds to install them correctly, so now I have 4 large holes and white paint spots where the blinds used to be.

Whatever you do, DO NOT use Empire. They lie when they say they have great customer service and knowledgeable installers. They will send you someone who has no clue what they are doing and tell you that they are great. Don't believe there lies! I spent more than $1, 300 on blinds and they act like they are doing me a favor by installing them correctly.

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Bill Crane
, US
Mar 02, 2017 8:36 am EST

I had two appointments confirmed with Empire the past week. They never called to say they weren't coming and both times I had to call back. Talk to customer service and given excuses of the first salesman never got the message and the second one was the Lady's day off!
I asked customer service rep what in the world would she feel like? She said, yes it's bad, but my supervisor can't talk to you right now because he is in training. I mean, training for what? he never called. It's just pathetic. I took day off to be home when they were supposed to be at my house.

I would NEVER use these people.

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Wendy
, US
Mar 17, 2009 11:00 am EDT

I had laminate flooring installed a year ago and it has been a series of problems ever since. The floor keeps separating in different places. The company never told us about this stupid looking molding that was installed around our baseboards. The transitional pieces from the flooring to the carpet keeps breaking because there's no support under it. The transitional pieces have been replaced 2 times already because they are crooked or the seams are so off you can trip over them. The customer service is the WORST I've ever dealt with. You sit on hold forever. They transfer you from person to person, then you get disconnected. They don't return any phone calls, but yet mark in your account that they have. The want me to pay $75 for a transitional piece that they have had to replace 2 times now. I will NEVER use ET again and would NEVER, NEVER recommend them to anyone. They are awful.

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Kat211
RSM, US
Aug 12, 2009 6:15 pm EDT

Beware of Empire Today! They will rip you off!

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Company Response
Northlake, US
Apr 16, 2009 11:31 am EDT

Thank you for bringing your experience to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience, and our team would like to work with you to explore a resolution. Please contact us at webcustomerservice@empiretoday.com so that we may be able to assist. You can also visit our online customer center at http://www.empiretoday.com/Customer-Service.

Sincerely,
Consumer Advocate Team
Empire Today, LLC

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8:49 am EST

Empire Today installation

I've use Empire before in Chicago and they were fabulous so I expect the same service in Kentucky, unfortunately this was a joke.
No one ever confirmed my suggested appointment and just showed up at my door ready for the sales pitch. I was able to pick quickly and the deal was sealed with incentives of (can we start this weekend, its a 3 day project, blah blah blah). They did start that weekend but now the project is going on its 3 weekend straight.
I have damage to my home, tile is cracked and was installed, air pockets in the grout, my carpet is ruined, and the hoses to the washing machine were broken causing mess in my laundry room.

I will NEVER refer them again! DO NOT USE THEM...THEY ARE HORRIBLE!

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rowdy8888
, US
Aug 11, 2009 5:39 pm EDT

KENTUCKY... TYPICAL

DUMB INSTALLERS...

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6:57 pm EDT

Empire Today they lied to me

I wish I knew about this website before I dealt with Empire in August 2008. There were issues from the beginning. First, they sent out a salesman who gave us an estimate. There was a question about the estimate, so they sent out another guy to double check it. The second guy didn't even measure, he just gave us a price undercutting the first guy. We contacted the company to notify the manager about the unprofessional conduct that was going and they apologized. We decided to go with the first guy simply because we liked him. He seemed so honest and genuine and when he came several times to do paperwork with us he stayed for a couple hours after and hung out. I wish we had known what we were in for, but we were enticed by the offer of credit, the warranty, and the convenience. They assured us that we were buying a superior product and that was why it was more expensive. As a young, first time homeowner I didn't realize I was getting ripped off. The floor was installed and looked great for a few months. Then we started noticing areas that looked like they were buckling at the joints and other areas where the picture was coming off of the edges of the tiles. As the problem worsened we got concerned and called to let them know what was going on so we could have the issues corrected. They sent out an inspector who came at the wrong time and could barely speak english. He kept saying that my refrigerator, which is only a few years old, must be leaking. The floor in the living room, kitchen, and hallway are messed up, how could the refrigerator do that! I received a call from a customer service rep a few days later to let me know the problem would not be covered by my warranty because it was water damage. Since I knew there was no way that it was water damage, I am very careful not to let the floor get wet, they agreed to send out an "independent" inspector to reassess the situation. He confirmed that we did not have water damage and that the floor was properly taken care of. Using this report the regional customer service manager in the Philadelphia Market told me that I must have caused the damage from high traffic in my home, which is ridiculous since there are only two adults and four miniature dogs. He said they would cut me a deal. He offered to "only" charge me $2100 in addition to the $5975 line of credit we had already taken out with GE through Empire and they would put the same product down again. I told him no way was I paying more money for a floor that didn't last a year. He said he was sorry that I was disappointed but that was all they could do for me. I am still trying to resolve this huge issue! It has been and continues to be a nightmare!

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Priscilla
,
Nov 15, 2008 3:03 pm EST

I thnak you for sharing a most painful experience and yes, I will look elsewhere for my blinds.

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LizM2154
Addison, US
Nov 03, 2008 11:27 am EST

I am glad to have found this site. I just set up an online appointment with this company for 2 rooms and now I am going to cancel it. I don't want to deal with a company like this, and don't have time for 'games'.

Thank you for sharing your experience and I'm sorry you got ripped off. I hope they rectify the situation for you. You would think reputation and repeat business would mean something... especially in this ecomony.

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Jerry Gardner
,
Oct 29, 2008 2:55 pm EDT

Sounds like you were sold an inferior grade product at an inflated price. You should have done some
homework, learned about the product you were interested in and the various price points and
product quality. Not all laminates are equal. You also need to understand the manufacturer's
warranty terms. Manufacturer's only warranty the surface finish against wearing through for
a certain time period, usually 5, 10, 20, 25 or 30 years. Secondly they only warranty against
defective product PRIOR to installation.
Before signing any contract be sure to obtain and READ the mfgr's warranty and installlers
warranty. Do not accept verbal assurances as to product quality or warrantys.
And don't be fooled by the "you have to sign now to get the sale price" claim, any reputsable
company will hold the price rather than lose the sale.

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2:29 pm EDT

Empire Today cashed check for cancelled service

I will tell you that this is by far the WORST company ever to do business with. I'm going to keep this short and simple. They send out their most friendliest representatives that woo you into thinking that they are giving you the best deal ever on their cheap ### carpet. We thought he was giving us a super deal...called his manager and so on to ask if they could make this one exception to give us their CHEAP ### carpet for the special low price of $750. ###! My husband went on the internet the day after we signed the check over to them thinking we were getting a 60% off deal and found that no one is satisfied with Empire Today so, we cancelled the carpet installation. That oh so friendly representative tells us that he is writing CANCELLED on the check right at the moment we were talking to him. We called the company to cancel the order as well. They said, NO PROBLEM. 2 weeks later to no surprise...they cashed the check ANYWAY. Now my account is negative waiting for their so-called refund check in the mail that will take 10 business days to arrive. DON'T EVER DO BUSINESS WITH EMPIRE TODAY. They will cheat you out of your money. We read the reviews and found that they are absolutely true. If you need carpet installation go straight to Home Depot or Lowes. They have a way better quality selection and their whole house installation is only $199. They don't hassle you...they don't send out LIARS because they have a name to up hold. I have no idea how Empire Today is still in business. PLEASE don't waste your time or your money with those crooks!

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unhappy customer100009
Rock Falls, US
May 05, 2015 8:35 pm EDT

agreed the worst carpet we ever got. We are constently getting static shocks due to the poor quality. Go anywhere else.

Empire Today In-depth Review

Overview: Empire Today is a well-established company that offers a wide range of flooring options and services. With a rich history and background in the industry, they have become a trusted name in the market.

Product/Service Offerings: Empire Today provides an extensive selection of flooring options, including carpet, hardwood, laminate, vinyl, and tile. They also offer additional services such as installation, repairs, and maintenance, ensuring a comprehensive solution for all flooring needs.

Quality and Durability: Empire Today's products are known for their high quality and durability. Customer reviews and ratings consistently praise the longevity and performance of their flooring materials. In comparison to competitors, Empire Today stands out for its exceptional product quality.

Pricing and Value for Money: Empire Today's pricing structure is competitive and affordable. When compared to industry standards and competitors' prices, they offer great value for money. Customers can expect to receive top-notch products and services without breaking the bank.

Customer Service: Empire Today excels in providing excellent customer service. Their support channels, including phone, email, and live chat, are readily available and responsive. They handle inquiries, complaints, and after-sales support efficiently, ensuring a positive customer experience.

Installation Process: The installation process provided by Empire Today is highly efficient and professional. Their installation team is known for their expertise and attention to detail. Measurements are accurate, and timelines are adhered to, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience for customers.

Reputation and Trustworthiness: Empire Today has built a strong reputation in the industry. They are known for their trustworthiness and reliability, as evidenced by positive customer feedback, online reviews, and ratings. Customers can trust Empire Today to deliver on their promises.

Warranty and Guarantees: Empire Today offers comprehensive warranty and guarantee policies. Their warranties provide coverage for a specified duration, and customers have reported positive experiences with warranty claims and support. Empire Today stands behind their products and ensures customer satisfaction.

Sustainability and Environmental Impact: Empire Today demonstrates a commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. They use eco-friendly materials and practices, contributing to a greener future. Certifications or partnerships related to sustainability initiatives further highlight their dedication to the environment.

Online Experience: Empire Today's website offers a user-friendly experience. It is easy to navigate, with efficient search capabilities. Customers can also access online tools and resources, such as room visualizers and flooring calculators, to make informed decisions about their flooring choices.

Overall Satisfaction: Customers are highly satisfied with Empire Today's products and services. In comparison to competitors, Empire Today consistently receives positive feedback and ratings. Based on their exceptional offerings and customer-centric approach, Empire Today comes highly recommended.

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Empire Today contacts

Phone number

+1 (800) 588-2300

Website

www.empiretoday.com

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