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4.4 2 Reviews 840 Complaints
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Empire Today Complaints 840

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J
12:00 am EDT
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Empire Today bad job and horrible customer service

My parents were looking into changing the carpet in our home to wood. So I was doing a bit of research for them and had different contractors come and give us and estimate for the job. My dad one day so Empire Today Commercial on TV and decided lets give them a call and get a free estimate. So I called Empire up and they sent a representative out that day. So I was thinking wow they have great service. The rep comes and at first is so nice shows us different options, measures the house, plays with our dog etc. So now he gives me a price and it was a lot higher then the other estimates that we received. But he assured us that it is well worth the money because 1.) the material is the best you can get 2.) they only used licensed workers and not subcontractors but EMPIRE licensed workers. So ok, I was thinking that sounds good. Instead of having amateurs come I have licensed workers from Empire. Plus he tells me it will be done in a few hrs, oppose to everyone else saying its a 2 day job. The 2 workers get to my home around 9:00 - 9:30 not in Empire Uniform but in pants and one guy was wearing just shorts. I was like are you guys from Empire? They say yes, so i asked aren't you a sub contractor. He says yes. We don't work for Empire directly we do jobs for them. So im thinking thats exactly why I didn't go with other companies. So they cheated me already but since they already arrived and I moved my furniture I was like lets see the job they do. To make a long story short. They took forever ended at like 9:30 that night took a whole day not a few hrs. Made a huge mess. Did a horrible amateur job. Left with things undone. Jobs already horrible and on top left out the little things. Job is like 90% done. So I call my sales guy and hes like oh what can I do just call customer service and take it up with them. There is nothing i can do. Then I filed multiple complaints on the phone and emailed them. Not a single call or email back. Been 2 months since. What do I do now?

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Empire-Today
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Sep 04, 2007 1:08 pm EDT

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Total customer satisfaction is important to us here at Empire Today. We take customer feedback very seriously and we are always striving to improve the customer’s experience. We have reviewed your posting and have currently researching this matter. We have made significant improvements in the right direction for our customers in regards to customer satisfaction. We hope that you will give us the chance to show you why so many have come back to Empire-Today again for their home improvement upgrades. If you would like to speak to our Consumer Affairs Dept.

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Empire Today horrible experience!

(Empire Flooring, Dallas, Texas) I had a horrible experience with this company, they couldn't come out at my convenience like they promise on their add/commercial. Then when they finally did come out, they promised me professional carpet layers, which these guys were anything but. The team they sent out to lay the carpet laid it in the wrong direction, which caused seams to be very obviously seen. They cut corners, put marks all over my newly painted walls and broke two of my ceramic tiles on my kitchen floor. When I called the main office I was given an apology and promised a new team to come out and correct the problems. They sent the same team out and all they did was hammer on the seams and cut the excess. I was getting a bit angered at this so called fix. I called to speak with a supervisor or manager and explained the whole situation and he assured me all would be corrected. Now the third time another day I had to take off from work to be at home for the arrival of my promised correction. What I received was a man with a clip board agreeing with all that I had to say, took some notes and then went back to the office (no corrections made) and reported the exact opposite he told me and a witness I had present. I waited for a call back or follow up as to what was going to be corrected and heard absolutely nothing. After a week of waiting I called back only to be told everything was done! Well now I am very upset, not to mention I have already paid more than half the bill and been given horrible service and been lied to. I told the man I would have to be forced to take legal action and now all of a sudden he is sending me his very best expert team to replace the carpet and lay it right and assured me no seams would be seen. Since I had to move my own furniture myself along with the help of my friends I was offered monetary compensation (which never happened). A new team (two guys) came out to my house and were there for over 9 hours correcting what should have been done right the first time two months ago! Now keep in mind I have had four visits from someone from this company to my house in a two month time frame. I will never do business with this company again and I wouldn't wish them or this experience on my worst enemy!

I am an average hard working Joe and maybe $3500.00 is chump change to some gifted individuals, but for those of us that have to pretty much shed blood to obtain such a luxury, I expect to get my moneys worth that I worked so hard to get in the first place!

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jaberwoky
US
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Aug 18, 2010 10:41 am EDT

I would like to note that we had a wonderful experience with Empire Today- Salesman brought tons of samples so we could see exactly how it would look with our furniture. We decided on laminate flooring in the living room & carpet in 3 bedrooms. They gave us a great deal since we were doing 4 rooms and paying cash, which enabled us to afford to do this.
The crews were fabulous! They sent one for the laminate and another for the carpet. They moved all the furniture, put the floors down, moved the furniture back & hauled away the old carpet.
I couldn’t be more pleased with the results and was impressed by how quickly it was installed after we ordered. I would highly recommend them if you are in need of new floors.

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Dis-satisfied Dallas Empire customer
McKinney, US
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Apr 03, 2010 4:50 pm EDT

Dont do business with these crooks. Please be careful if you have them finance anything! You end up oweing twice as much as it costs originally because the finance contract is so horrendous... These are the worst of the retail contracts in the retail industry. They should be ashamed, and yes they screwed up my laminate floor and left with out it being done... Absolutely a dreadful customer experience
Fellow Dallas Texas Empire customer (never again)

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tb1
Mansfield, US
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May 01, 2009 10:56 am EDT

Update: by working with upper management I was able to get my flooring issues resolved. I appreciate upper managements understanding and will continue to work with Empire Today. Get details on warranties though!

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TB1
Mansfield, US
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Feb 26, 2009 4:29 pm EST

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. I had laminate floors put in and the original work was satisfactory. I will give them some credit.

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TB1
Mansfield, US
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Feb 26, 2009 4:26 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 unless you can truly demonstrate that you want me as a repeatable customer.

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Empire-Today
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Sep 04, 2007 1:16 pm EDT

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Total customer satisfaction is important to us here at Empire Today. We take customer feedback very seriously and we are always striving to improve the customer’s experience. We have reviewed your posting and are currently researching this matter. You will be contacted within 24 hours to address your concerns in full detail.

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Empire Today fraud and cheating!

Empire started charging me finance charges two months early on my balance due. When it was brought to their attention through the better business bureau empire said they would correct it through GE. They have not fixed it yet and will not return my calls and emails. I am in Iraq and I don't get many chances to call,and when I do I always get the Answering machine of Charles Whipple [protected]. Charles knows I am in Iraq and I have been since Sept 06, he has ignored me for one year and my credit has been affected. I have no other way to contact him and it is hard for me to pursue this in Iraq. He is a coward and I want him to know I will be home soon and standing in front of him if thats what it takes. Charles Whipple promised me he would fix this a year ago. What else can I do to resolve this if the company Empire and the company GE will not stand by their word. He should be working in the New England area Boston, Mass... Good thing some of us fulfill our commitments...

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Empire-Today
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Aug 27, 2007 12:45 pm EDT

Empire has received confirmation from GE that finance charges will be removed and she will receive a check from GE for all payments made towards finance charges.

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Empire Today rudeness & no direct answers to questions

The sales person came to our home. Showed us six different carpets & asked us to select while he measured two bedrooms. When he returned to the living room my husband ask how much each carpet was. the sales persons reply was "$99 a square yard, but Mr Empire doesn't like him to give out a price before a quote SO LET'S DO IT MY WAY!"

This made my husband so mad he left the house. As a consumer you want to know what you are paying for & how much. He continued to push me to order. I told him I needed to finish painting. He said the installers would mess up the fresh paint so I needed to install right away. When I said I had another company coming the next day and he couldn't fault me for shopping around he said NOBODY could beat his price. The price was another issue all together. He never said anything about padding. When I asked he said "do you think we would install carpet without padding" but he didn't have any samples to show me.

This was a very bad experience & I hope nobody else has to put up with the rudeness.

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ROY LATTIN
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Aug 21, 2008 10:31 am EDT

THIS COMPANY IS A SHAM, SALEMAN CAME TO MY HOUSE AND MEASURED, THE PRICE WAS $3000 . I THEN ASKED HIM HOW HE CAME TO THAT PRICE, HE COULD NOT GIVE ME A ANSWER.HE ALSO TOLD ME IT WOULD BE TWO WEEKS BEFORE THEY COULD INSTALL CARPET, THEIR TV AD SAYS NEXT DAY INSTALLATION. I TOLD THE SALESMAN TO PACK UP HIS SAMPLES AND DONT LET THE DOOR HIT HIM ON THE WAY OUT. DON'T BELIEVE A WORD THEIR ADS SAY, THEY ARE A TOTAL SHAM. PS I SHOPPED LOCAL AND AND GOT THE SAME CARPET NEXT DAY FOR $1500 .IT READY PAYS TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK AREA STORES MAY BE THE WAY TO GO.DON'T BELIEVE A WORD EMPIRE SAYS THEY ARE CHEATING THE PUBLIC.

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FORMER REP 2YEAR
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Jan 30, 2008 7:01 pm EST

As a former rep for Empire Today in L.A. market I can say they charge too much for carpet and way to much for flooring. I feel terrible after working for them and am relieved I no longer have to pray upon the nice people who believe what they're told. I am writing this, not as revenge for anything (I left them.) they've done to me, but more as a service in hopes I may save people more money than I have cost others.

First let's start with their free estimates. Empire reps are told not to give the yardage to the customer. The reason for this is they don't know. They measure the square footage of the house or room and add 20% for waste. Now in a 10 by 10 room this would be fair as the carpet comes in 12 ft widths and that would require a 10 ft long by 12 ft wide piece of carpet thus leaving a 2ft wide by 10ft long pice of waist or 20%.Now if your room is 12ft by 12ft the rep is still encouraged to add 20% waist to the job even though it isnt called for. So in a 12ft by 12ft room which is actually 16 yards the "Empire Way" would call for 19.2 yards and the rep would round up to 20 and over charge by 4 yards. However, if the rep did everything the "Empire Way" this is not illegal because he was instructed to tell you that he sells carpet by the job and not by the yard. For a one room job this might not seem like a big deal but imagine a whole house full of carpet and then adding 20% over.

Second is the pricing. Lets take their 50% off sale carpet called Keepsake. Empires target price is 41$ a yard. Target price means the price at which full commission is paid to the sales rep. On sale at 50% the price goes down to 31$ a yard because the sale is only on the capet and not installation. Well even the priciest carpet companies in America won't sell that carpet for more than 20$ a yard, It is a 24 oz. P.E.T. polyester bottom barrel carpet. At31$ dollars a yard most places will give you a 41 oz. continuous filiment nylon carpet. If a rep comes to a house, measures 1000 sf, adds 20% and divides by 9, he'll get 134 yrds; so he'll tell you the sale price is 4454.00$ If the customer agrees, he writes the sale and prays to allmighty that you don't shop around, he's also instructed to offer a discount if you'll put the carpet in tommorro. Now if you are just getting estimates or are shocked by the price then the real games begin. He'll say something to lead you into a trap like " If I could get you a better price by calling a manager do you think we can get this carpet installed tommorro?" . If you say " How much of a discount are we talking about?" he'll ask you what you had in mind. The goal is to find out how much your willing to pay because he allready knows he can go as low as 18$ a yard for that carpet without talking to a manager. If you believed the first price of 4454$ and he calls for a drop the price goes to 3900$ you are probably impressed by the discount and feel pressured to buy because you don't want to loose that 500$ discount; But you could have bought it for as low as 2000$ if you kept saying "just leave me an estimate and i'll call you."
Now you see why I say Empire prays upon the customer who believes what they're told. Even at 18$ a yard for Keepsake it's only a fair price and not a price that you'll never see again like the sales rep is claiming. Any one would be more than happy to sell you keepsake for 18$ a yard installed. If I sold you carpet and you bought it at the "sale price" without any further discount then I apologise because you probably paid to much. Empire does have good customer service and I can't take that away from them, but the price they charged you allows them to install it twice and still be profitable. As for the carpet quality; poor,very poor.If you want it tommorro then Empire is the best place for you, just take the first price the rep tells you and say you'll install it tommorro if they knock off 40%.

I hope this helps some people save some money because it doesn't come easy these days.

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Lisa King
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Oct 09, 2007 1:19 pm EDT

I had scheduled a "free in-home estimate" on Thursday, October 4, 2007 between 5-7pm at a home in which I do not live. I was there from 5-7pm. At 7pm I called Empire and asked where the salesman was. The woman answering the phone says she'll call him.

She comes back and says she had to leave a message, but she sees "in the system" that he had come but no one was home. When I tell her this is not the case and explain that there have been people at the house all day and that I have been there between 5 and 7pm, she calls him again.

This time she gets him on the phone. She says he told her that he did go to the house and talked to someone (!) but they said the homeowner was not there. I proceed to tell her that this is a blatant lie and request to talk to the salesman's supervisor. She says they are all gone, but she'll send an email. I've not heard from them yet. I reschedule for Saturday.

Saturday, Nathan comes out. He measures, shows me his products and quotes me $6300. 00 I tell him I have another company coming that afternoon. He gets huffy and says "We're not an estimate company, obviously you're not ready to make a decision." Really? Any sales company is an estimate company because you must give the estimate before you can get the sale! I tell him this is not the case, but that I needed more than one quote to make my decision.

He asks about the price, which I felt was about $2k more than it should be. He asks if he can do it for $5k, could we do it for Monday OR Tuesday? I tell him to call me on Monday after 5pm and I'll let him know of my decision. He agrees.

Monday he calls, I ask if he can do it for $4k. He becomes incredulous and says there is no way he can put a product "of this quality" into my home for this amount, then proceeds to say that he assumes I got a quote from another company for that amount (I had not, the other company rescheduled) and that they would not provide as good of a product, etc. I don't comment. He says "We'll split the difference and we'll do it for $6000". I'm sorry, how is the difference between $4k and $6k $300? I ask him what happened to doing it for $5k on Monday or Tuesday and he says, "Oh, well, that was Saturday and we had to do it today AND Tuesday." When I say that's not what he said on Saturday, he argues that it was a misunderstanding. He agrees to "call his boss" and see if we can do it for $5500.

The other company comes, with a product of equal quality, and the salesman is very nice, not rude at all. He quotes me $4100 with a better pad than Empire and also offers to take the extra carpet I had in my home out with the existing carpet.

I don't know how being abrasive and rude is ever a good sales technique. This guy acted as if I was putting him out, and as if he was doing ME a favor. I thought companies were out to make money by selling their product, and salesmen were out to make a commission by selling. Insulting a customer is not a way to sell anything, and I'm happy to give my money to someone else.

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Empire-Today
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Aug 10, 2007 2:02 pm EDT

We have contacted Ms. Salva and apologized to her for the inconvenience. Ms. Salva has not accepted our offer of apology and stated that she do not want any further contact from Empire Today again and proceeded to hang up the phone.

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Empire Today do not do business with empire today!

On 8/1/07 I called Empire Today to have a salesperson come out and give me an estimate for carpeting and hardwood flooring. The customer service rep told me she could send someone out that afternoon - how convenient I thought! When Gary arrived, he came in to the area that I needed wood floor. He measured, and gave me a ridiculous number - $3000.00 for hardwood for a hallway! I haven't checked out other places but I had a whole condo done for a lot less! I told him that I was not expecting that price and he said that my expectations of the cost of wood were not realistic and obviously we weren't going to do business for the hardwood. He proceeded to measure the bedroom for carpet - he then gave me a price of $1000.00. That was $300.00 more than the other estimate I received from a local carpet company. I told him so and he said, "what price were you expecting?" I replied, around $700.00. I asked him the best price and he told me $912.00 including all taxes and an upgraded pad. I wanted to call my finance at work to see if the price was acceptable but Gary told me that he didn't have time to wait for me to talk with my finance and that I could sign the paperwork and cancel within 3 days if my finance didn't like the price/carpet/color. I thought that was fair (what was I thinking?!) and signed the paperwork. Gary left and I called my finance and explained everything - he was furious with how Gary treated me and told me to call him and cancel the order and return my check for $25.00. I called Gary and he told me that I should call the 1-800 number if I wanted to cancel. I told him that he just left 5 minutes ago and I wanted my check back - he hung up on me. My finance called him when he got home from work and told Gary that he wanted the check back and told him that he didn't like his sleazy sales tactics. Gary said - I don't know who this is - stop calling me... later that night, we heard a knock on the door - it was the police - the officer said that my finance threatened Gary and Gary was afraid... trust me - your thinking there must be more to this story - there isn't! My finance never threatened - just told him that he had sleazy sales tactics! I did manage to cancel my order and the rep said that my check would be returned within 10-14 days... I will be calling the BBB. This is a very sleazy company and I feel that I was taken advantage of. I wasn't using my best judgment when I signed those papers. DO NOT USE EMPIRE TODAY!

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Empire-Today
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Aug 10, 2007 11:22 am EDT

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Total customer satisfaction is important to us here at Empire Today. We take customer feedback very seriously and we are always striving to improve the customer’s experience. We have reviewed your posting and are currently researching this matter. You will be contacted within 24 hours to address your concerns in full detail.

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Chris Smith
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Aug 05, 2007 12:01 am EDT

Had very similar experience with salesperson. Called Empire and they sent out a salesman that very afternoon. I was carpeting my home office and asked for a morning install as I had to work in the afternoon. He said it was not a problem, wrote it on the contract (I did think it was a bit pricey, but the convenience swayed me). When Empire called to confirm installation, I was informed they would be out anywhere from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Told them it was not acceptable, my contract stated it would be a morning install and let them know about my situation. Of course the response I expected was that they couldn't control what the installers do. The salesman had told me the installers were all Empire employees, so why couldn't they control the situation? I was furious, and the woman told me she would indicate on my record I needed a morning install. I called the main phone number, repeated my request, and got the same response. Next morning around 10:30 a.m. I called the installation department and was told I was the first install of the day (how could that be since it was already 10:30). Waited another hour, no installers. Called the manager back, was told the same thing. My husband finally called, and the manager said we were the first install but they had two previous installs to do (again, how could that be). He then proceeded to get very verbal with my husband. I could hear him through the phone! Promised a 1p.m. install, and of course, the installers showed up at 3 p.m. I lost a whole day's worth of pay. I asked the installer if they were Empire employees and they said no. I did look at the order, and sure enough it said "A. M. Install, no later than noon." When I asked why they did not honor that request, suddenly they couldn't speak English. Watch Out! They promise you everything and come through with nothing. The carpet install was okay, carpet of poor quality, and out a whole lot of money! Never again. I do not recommend this company. Will file a complaint with the BBB

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Empire Today very poor service!

I want to add my story to all the others regarding Empire Today. Steer clear from this company. The salesman tells you anything you want to hear so you'll sign on the dotted line. Their installers actually give you supplies for your installed shower stall "in case you need to recaulk" which actually void the warranty. They do not return calls. My salesman lie has led me to owning a shower stall that i cannot use with certain products he assured me were "no problem" I was LIED to. I have written and called for a year and a half now. I am so frustrated. The one person in the company that was working with me and understood what had happened and was working to release me from my obligation to pay Empire is no longer working for the company. What a surprise! Heed my warning and the others... stay away.

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Aug 07, 2007 1:11 pm EDT

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Total customer satisfaction is important to us here at Empire Today. We take customer feedback very seriously and we are always striving to improve the customer’s experience. We have reviewed your posting and are currently researching this matter. You will be contacted within 24 hours to address your concerns in full detail.

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Empire Today poor product and customer service!

In December 2006 I met with an Empire Salesperson to review samples of carpeting during their advertised sale. Based upon our conversation, and review of carpet, I purchased new carpet with expected install the following week. On the scheduled day, Empire arrived and installed carpet on both the upper and lower levels of my home. Following the installation of the carpet and padding, I contacted my sales rep in regard to my concern over the quality of the padding installed and overall carpet difference from what was expected. My sales rep informed me to contact the local office and explain my concern as this was the most effective process. I called Empire and spoke with local office sales manager in regard to the padding installed. After doing so checking, he explained that an error was made and offered either a $500.00 credit, or reinstallation of the correct padding. I elected the reinstallation of padding. I scheduled the reinstallation for very early January 2007.
Again, Empire arrived to reinstall the padding and I was informed by the contractor that he had concerns regarding the ability to properly match up the carpet at the seams during the installation of the correct padding. I attempted to contact my sales rep and the local sales manager, but was unable to reach either one. I informed the contractor to continue with the installation and that I would follow up with Empire if there appeared to be a problem. Following the installation of the new padding, I immediately noticed a “plastic/crunching” noise when walking over the carpet. Initially, I believed this to be caused by the carpet and padding being new, and should allow for a settling in period.

In February 2007, after 4 weeks passed and the noise continued to be coming from the carpet, I placed a phone call to the local sales manager at Empire to inform him of my concern with the carpet, and requested that he please call me back to discuss. As a result of not receiving a call back from the local sales manager, I placed a call to my sales rep explaining the situation once more, and the phone call to the local sales manager not being returned. Near the end of March, as a result of both attempts to contact the sales rep and local sales manager being unsuccessful, I sent a letter to the local sales manager’s attention in regard to the problems with the carpet, which now included the upper level carpet showing signs of wear after only 3 months.

In early April, I received a call from Empire in response to my letter. The representative explained that they would be sending an independent carpet inspector, Inspect Solutions, to review the carpet and I would be contacted once Empire received the report back. 3 weeks later, a representative from Inspect Solutions arrived to review the concerns I had with the carpet, and to verify the noise being heard when walking across the carpet. The inspector confirmed the noise coming from the carpet, as well as the visible wear, and explained that this would be noted in the report.

During the first week in May, I received a letter from Empire along with a copy of the inspectors report. Although the report clearly confirms the noise coming from the carpet padding, the letter states that “no defect was found”, and therefore they are unable to provide any further assistance. I immediately contacted the individual from Empire who sent the letter to me and was informed by another representative that the person I was calling was out of the office. The rep did review my account, including the notes based on the report, and explained that “there is no defect with the carpet and that I could request new padding, but there would be a charge”. I explained to the rep that this was unacceptable and she explained that there was nothing more she could do, but that she would speak to the person I was calling (I was told this person was a supervisor) in the morning and leave a note to have her call me. I asked the representative if she was basically stating that “despite that I ordered new carpeting from Empire, and that Empire installed the new carpet and padding, and I was charged for the new carpet and padding, and that the inspector’s report clearly identifies that a noise is being made from the padding and suggested what needs to be done to possibly fix the issue, Empire views this as my issue and not theirs to solve?” Her response was “not in those exact words, but yes. The rep again stated that she would inform the representative I was originally calling when she returned to the office the next day, and hung up the phone without saying a thing.

I then contacted my credit card company to initiate a dispute of the purchase through them since their dispute policy specifically states “quality of goods or services that you purchased with a credit card and you have tried in good faith to correct the problem with the merchant” as valid dispute.

After not receiving the dispute form I was told I would receive, from the credit card company, in three weeks, I contacted the credit card company to inquiry about it. The representative I spoke with this time explained that it appeared a form had not been sent and that he would be sending one that day. A few days later I finally received the dispute form. I completed the form as instructed, provided copies of requested documents, the inspection report, and a summary of events, and sent the information back via certified mail. After 40 days, I finally received a notice from the credit card company that they researched my dispute, found in favor of Empire, and closed the dispute. The research conducted, as they state, was simply them sending a notice to Empire of my dispute, and Empire saying they installed new padding and the inspection report noting no defects. Essentially, all they did was the same steps I had taken myself originally, and did nothing to represent me or my concerns correctly.

Unfortunately for Empire, this does not settle the dispute by me, and I will continue to pursue all avenues until my concerns are satisfied. I have reviewed many other complaints on the internet and have spoken with other individuals who have experienced poor and unacceptable service and products from Empire. As a result of the significant cost I have paid for the carpet, I will not quietly sit back while Empire brushes me off. It is clearly evident that I was provided cheap and defective padding deliberately by Empire as a result of my electing to have them correct their mistake and not taking an insulting credit amount.

If by chance Empire should be scouring these message boards and posting their standard message of concern and desire to resolve the issue for me, my Work Order # is W107909. However, at this point, please understand that I am more upset now than I was 3 or 4 months ago, and would appreciate you not insulting me with any insignificant remedy.

To anyone else who may be reading this – no situation or sale should ever justify anyone having to endure such poor customer service and treatment, so do yourself a favor and patronize another company.

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jan12799
US
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Jun 03, 2016 8:29 am EDT

The salesman stated that they have really good customer service. After the installation of our new flooring in the bathroom, the toilet started to run since it had a leak in it from being moved around the room for the installation, which the company is not liable for according to the contract. Apparently, my husband decided to contact the company to get it fixed and explained to them the situation and everything. Rather than resolving the situation over the phone, the CSR dispatched someone to the house to check out the issue. The paperwork that the representative had stated only toilet issue and to dispatch someone out. I felt like I wasted my time, the installer's time and Empire Today's time in coming out to our house to go over this issue.

Also, as I was looking at the damage clause in the contract, it states that the company is not liable for any unintentional damages to pretty much the house and the property (it was a huge list of items). I can understand with some things that it is hard to say who should be responsible for that damage. There are other things that would be considered as an unintentional damage, but I believe the company should take more responsibility in it. For example, what if the installer accidentally dropped the toilet while he was moving it into the shower or break the shower door in the process? I understand that he/she was not intentionally trying to damage it, but at the same time, the company should take care of that kind of physical damage to the property in some shape or form. It is pretty obvious that a representative of the company physically damaged something. That damage clause should be reworded somehow. It does not make sense for me as a consumer to be responsible for something that got damaged by an installer that is very obvious that the person broke it, whether it be intentional or not.

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DHolladay
Cabo, US
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May 19, 2010 5:07 pm EDT
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In May 09, an Empire salesman sold my husband and I a product that was the "best thing" in vinyl. He showed us how durable it was, claiming it was water proof, and that it had a seamless quality. Within a few months, there was bubbling that had to be fixed. A couple months later we noticed a few gouges appear, the main seam continually became more noticeable and more bubbling appeared. In Jan 10, many attempts were made to contact Empire. It took several phone calls before someone came to inspect the floors. The repairman called the day prior to confirm the appt for an earlier time and that day. I corrected him and related the appt was set for 4pm the next day. He called late the next morning asking if he could come earlier. I told him no, neither my husband nor I would be there. I reminded him that our appt was for 4pm. He showed up to the house at two, my roommate let him in and he tried to repair the floors, not conduct an inspection like he was supposed to. Several weeks later, an actual inspector came to the house to examine the floor. He said he would try to compensate us the 3, 200 we had already spent and quote us tile instead of replacing the vinyl with more vinyl. The salesman called a couple days later, he said he would give us full compensation but, the tile installation would cost roughly 8, 000, 4, 900 with our compensation included. We got a second opinion from West Coast Flooring; they quoted us 3, 900 for all the same areas plus the fireplace and entry way. I have requested contact once again regarding a possible refund and have not heard back yet.
Our BBB complaint got us no where, we decided to go straight to the corporate office to file our complaint. The corporate 0ffice made us an offer to replace the vinyl with tile for $500. However, there were only five options none of which we liked. So, we requested a monetary settlement. They offered us 1/4 of the money we originally spent on the floors and a settlement agreement issuing a gag order and that we had to retract our BBB complaint and could not blog or forewarn anyone against the company.
My family owns a flooring installation business and I am familiar with the proper care and normal wear of a vinyl floor. In my opinion, Empire and their product are not meeting expected standards. We are unhappy with Empire due to the poor quality product sold to us and the terrible customer service. Considering the price difference and better customer service experienced with West Coast Flooring, we are dissatisfied with Empire.

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Business Response.
Northlake, US
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May 20, 2010 3:34 pm EDT

We are currently researching your concerns. We are dedicated to service and satisfaction. A representative from our customer service team will continue to be in contact with you to assist with all your concerns.

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ropo
US
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Oct 28, 2009 9:49 am EDT

I was just looking at this site to read up on some of the comments because I'm considering Empire on a different level. The one thing I noticed is the large amount of installations performed by these guys and the numerous cities in which they do business. Taking into consideration they have over a million customers over 49 years, I'd have to say that the small number of complaints is not enough to discourage me from continuing my involvement with them. Although it's important to know that customer service is evident, it's also important to factor in the opinion of the masses in addition to the few.

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thatgirlsandra
Sacramento, US
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Mar 20, 2009 7:05 pm EDT

I was actually just Googling them to go to their store to shop, based on their commercials. I just bought a new home and was thinking of getting laminate throughout. Too bad Empire Today isn't standing behind their product and feels no loyalty to customers...not even enough to take them off hold after getting their money. That opinion is based on this and other reviews. Empire Today, you just lost my business. Thank you to the reviewer for posting the warning.

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kanslig
Burke, US
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Mar 12, 2009 7:50 am EDT

I agree with the other comment. I have just purchased a new townhouse and planned to call Empire to install hardwoods in the basement. After reading about the miserable customer service thsi patron received and others, I have decided to contact other businesses for my flooring needs.

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David
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Nov 20, 2008 3:21 pm EST

I was planning to contract with Empire Today to install wood flooring in my DC condo, mainly because I see the commercials and thought Empire seemed a good choice. It's a large condo and the estimated price for the job is between 13-15 thousand. But having read this complaint and many more on the web, I will definitely avoid Empire Today. NOTE TO EMPIRE: You have lost my business. NOTE TO COMMENTER: Hopefully it's a small consolation to you knowing that your posting had an impact on Empire's bottom line. Thank you and good luck.

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Aug 10, 2007 2:39 pm EDT

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Total customer satisfaction is important to us here at Empire Today. We take customer feedback very seriously and we are always striving to improve the customer’s experience. We have reviewed your posting and have researching this matter. We have offered to replace the padding at a cost for the customer and we have also offered to give a refund ( deduct the cost of the padding) and the customer have not responded back as of yet. We are awaiting his response before we move further into this claim.

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Empire Today disrespectful salesman

My husband and I requested a free estimate from empire today on 06/27/07. We are pregnant and wanted to have laminate flooring installed throughout our home so our baby would have a nice home to live in once she arrives. The salesman came out the next day to provide our estimate. The estimate was 8 times the amount of an estimate that I received from another company. I told the salesman the price that I was expecting to pay, that we could not afford those kind of prices, and that I was very sorry for wasting his time. He told me that he was "teaching me the facts of life" and that I "was delirious in my thinking to believe that I could get that kind of pricing". I told him that we were done here and asked him to leave. He did not leave; instead, he called his "manager" to tell him about the quote we received (This time it wasn't what he said, it was his tone). I had to leave the room for a moment because I was so disrespected by this salesman in my own home. I came back and told the salesman that "I am not trying to be disrespectful, but you need to leave my home." he still would not leave. Instead, he passively agreed with me as he sat on my couch. I had to leave the room again because I was so angry that he was disrespectful and belittling of my decision and research. Thankfully, my husband was at home and politely escorted him to the door. Yes, I am pregnant; however, I know when I am being disrespected, ripped-off, and belittled. My purpose is to warn future consumers: do not allow empire today to come into your home!

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Update by Stacey Crowe
Jul 24, 2007 1:06 pm EDT

I could tell how important it my complaint was to Empire Today when the Sales Manager called me, responding to my complaint, asking if he could get us another sales rep. No apology. No remorse for the sales rep action. No thanks.

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Former Salesman
Tampa, US
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Oct 14, 2009 2:06 pm EDT

I was an Empire Salesman in the Tampa area in the past. This whole operation is a scam to all concerned. They ripoff the public AND their salespeople. The Tampa sales office is run my this wormy little guy named Michael Smith. You have never seen such a poor manager. I called him once and he was so drunk, he didn't even know who I was- and I worked for him. What an idiot. He tells the sales people to charge the customer Florida sales tax, but don't list it as tax on the invoice. I thought this was weird until I went to the Florida Tax statutes and discovered these products are not taxable! I suspect this is a violation of Florida law. They tell their sales people not to list it under the tax section, to prevent the state from being able to come after them.

This entire operation is a joke. There is constant bickering among the staff. Sales meetings are a waste of time. The management spends most of their time gripping about there bosses- some lady named Lucy Kaulkman somewhere. I never met the lady. At one meeting, the sales management stood up and said that Lucy Kaulkman was a "Witch". This was heard by the entire sales team. I wonder how they expect to have a strong morale when stuff like this goes on? Sales management is a case of individuals rising to the level of their incompetence (Peter Principle). Empire Today is a terrible place to work and their product prices are about three times above retail. STAY AWAY from them.

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Mr. Empire
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Apr 11, 2008 6:07 am EDT

Hey, I thought you were hot, so I came back to lay some pipe, if you know what I mean. You were giving me some signals, I thought we had something going.

By the way, are those tubes real?

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No Nameb46f
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Oct 08, 2007 8:49 am EDT

I had Empire come out for an estimate on Thursday. The salesman just game me the creeps. He kept telling me that I needed a new vacuum and telling me about the houses he builds and then sells and all sorts of stuff. I just wanted an estimate. He was also very disorganized. He couldn't find correct paperwork, left things in his car, etc. After taking 1 full hour he comes with an estimate for our livingroom, which is not huge. The estimate was $1,662. So, we told him we would think about it and if we decided to go with them I would call him. He said ok and left us his cell phone number. We then went and got some more estimates and I got a great price on carpet for the livingroom for a little over $700 including labor and removing the old carpet.

The following day, I get home from work and about 15 minutes later my doorbell rings. It's the darn Empire salesman. I didn't call him and I didn't want him back over. Well, I didn't open the door. Like I said, he gave me the creeps and my boyfriend had left to go Up North for the week-end. So, I figured the guy would leave. wrong. He decides to camp out on my front porch for almost a half hour! I called Empire and told them I did not request him to come out. They then told me that my appointment had been rescheduled to that day. I said NO he was out on Thursday. Finally the man left.

I swear he drove by our house on Saturday as well. I call him the Empire stalker! If he would have kept coming to my house like that, I would have called the police. That is very rude to just show up at someones house and camp out on the front porch!

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Empire-Today
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Jul 02, 2007 10:07 am EDT

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Total customer satisfaction is important to us here at Empire Today. We take customer feedback very seriously and we are always striving to improve the customer’s experience. We have reviewed your posting and are currently researching this matter. You will be contacted within 24 hours to address your concerns in full detail.

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Empire Today failure to honor warranty / do not stand behind product

We purchased a carpet in June 2005 from Empire for our living room. At the time we had a one year old daughter and a dog (we now have a son as well). While the dog has free reign of the house, she is house-broken. No food or drink is allowed in the living room. When we purchased the carpet, we were convinced to buy the "mid-grade" carpet (the top-tier had the longest warranty but was a bit out of our price range). With this purchase we were told to expect no fading and minimal wear and flattening. The sales person told us that if the carpet were to fade or have abnormal wear the carpet would be replaced by Empire. We were told the Empire viewed fading as unacceptable since people often move furniture around and should expect that that exposed carpeting look uniform. Obviously we agreed, and appreciated what seemed liked a genuine statement about the importance of product quality to Empire. Unfortunately, this statement was just a sales pitch. We have now, only two years into a ten year warranty, have made two complaints to Empire about not only fading, but pulls (a previous post referred to them as loops) in several spots on our carpet. The first inspection resulted in us being told that we should just cut the pulls and that the fading wasn't really fading at all, just wear that could be fixed with carpet shampoo and a stiff brush. We purchased the exact products that the "inspector" recommended and followed his instructions word for word (we had him write them down so as not to do something damaging to the carpet). That worked fine when the carpet was slightly damp, but as soon as it dried the color was different. We decided at that time to just deal with the fading since our furniture is always in the same location. However, we recently purchased new furniture which allowed us to set the room up differently. When we moved out the old furniture the fading was unmistakable, and we noticed more pulls. This prompted a new call to Empire at the beginning of June. The customer service rep (Cinnaminson location) stated that the pulls were not normal and that the previous direction we received did not sound right. She indicated that we would receive a call back to set up a time for a new inspection. We received a call back to set up an appointment with an "independent" inspector, Inspect Solutions. The inspector came out, took pictures of the pulls, took a piece of the unused carpet we saved, and told us that we would receive a report back in a week or so. We received the report back with a cover letter that stated "... flooring meets all industry standards, and is free of all manufacturing and installation defects." The inspection report itself claims that the pools are a localized problem. If by localized they mean all over the carpet, then they are dead on. As bothered as I was by this response, I was pushed to write this complaint when I read another post that had the exact statement in their letter that we do. We have a carpet that is two years old and looks like it is ten years old. Empire indicated at the time of purchase that this was a quality carpet that would retain its color and shape for years to come. It is has failed to do so, and Empire has failed to stand behind the product. I do not recommend Empire for carpet based on quality, and I do not recommend Empire for any service based on their failure to stand behind their product. In addition to this post I will be filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and might follow up on the previous post and contact the local major news stations as I am sure they would be interested in attracting viewing with a story on a major carpet wholesaler leaving customers flapping in the breeze.

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Melitha Gordon
US
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Jul 26, 2023 12:38 pm EDT
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I recently had install done 11/23. All hardwood flooring replaced in new construction except where there was previous carpet. Recently noticed that vinyl was lifted in up stairs bathroom and sealant was no longer holding it together. The caulk around the toilet that was removed and reinstalled for installation is also wearing off. I recently noticed a small water spot on the ceiling in the downstairs kitchen that's coming from that upstairs bathroom. I notified empire on 07/22/23, to only have a costumer service rep by the name of Angel Mccuen leave a voicemail stating that they'll have to get some more information to do an investigation? I called numerous times to complain that I wasn't getting much cooperation, she then called me on 07/25/23 to get me to send her pictures of the floors and bathroom. Which I did, the next morning Michelle Wittman emailed me told me that they can't assist me in this matter unless I get a plummer to come out and state that the vinyl caused a leak. In fact call my home warranty and put in a claim, as if I was born yesterday! My concerns are about the vinyl floors that weren't properly installed, is there's not a lifetime warranty on service? I'm truly upset at this point will never use Empire again! They don't uphold to their warranties.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Gordon

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Empire-Today
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Jun 27, 2007 3:10 pm EDT

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Total customer satisfaction is important to us here at Empire Today. We take customer feedback very seriously and we are always striving to improve the customer’s experience. We have reviewed your posting and are currently researching this matter. Unfortunately, we were not able to access your information within our database and need more information from you to do so. Please contact us at [protected] between the hours of 9am-5:30pm CST. Ask to speak to one our Consumer Affair Agents. You will need either your home telephone number that links you to your account or your work order # that is on your original paperwork when calling in. Thank you and have a great day.

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Empire installers was at my home on06/22/07 to install carpet. I noticed the carpet was not of the quality I had chosen. I immediately phoned Empire. In speaking with the first employee I was hung up on. I phoned back and spoke with a Timothy he asked that I have the carpet installed. I said NO WAY. Again the carpet was a second grade carpet that one...

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Empire Today bad installation!

We had our laminate floors installed 01/2007. Having just purchased our home, there was no heat. The salesman assured us this was not an issue (he had just called the office in front of us to make certain). Within a month the floor began to buckle.

They came out 2x to fix small areas and I asked to have the floors checked out for defects. They sent an "outside" inspector who did not seem interested to hear about the background of the floors and how they were installed with no heat in the home. His report stated that the floors were fine and we must have applied moisture and used the issue ourselves!

I paid for my own inspection, my guy was an engineer for 20+ years. He concluded that the floors were improperly installed due to the heat factor and could cause damage to my sub-floor. Empires own warranty on these floors and the contract state that the floors should be installed at a temp. of 65-80 degrees. It was probably 50 in the house on the day of installation.

This company wont refund me or replace the floors. The installation manager says I cannot prove that the salesman called into the office and got the okay to go ahead. What kind of business is this! Bad customer service and obviously shoddy workmanship.

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janet
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Oct 07, 2007 2:06 pm EDT

We just had Empire Today in to do our whole house. We carpeted the upstairs, and put in hard wood floors on our first level. I LOVE the carpet and LOVE the floors. They came in about 1,000.00 less than other carpet stores in our area and did an amazing job, with NO complaints. The workers were courteous, took care of our belongings and did their best in making my husband and I very happy. We recommend them highly and would use them again.

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T. Heindl
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Jul 25, 2007 7:16 pm EDT

I saw the advertisement on tv and thought this could be a win-win situation. Boy was I wrong. My installers looked nothing like, nor dressed like those guys in the commercials. My biggest complaint is follow-up. I paid an inexorbitant amount of money for convenience, but the materials to me are the same as Lowe's and Home Depot. I could have gotten the job done more efficiently and effective had I gone with the aforementioned. The installers had car trouble, as was relayed to me, I think they had another job, of course the company did not call me, they left it up to the installers. Also, I had to be home from 8 to whenever. The installers did not show up until 10:00, so most of my day was shot. Also, this expensive grout I paid for has not lightened up and I was told it will take 6 - 8 weeks. I was promised grout caulk for all the air bubbles appearing. I'm trying to give Empire here in San Antonio the benefit of the doubt, but when you pay double, even triple for a service, you expect good bedside manners. I do not blame the installers, they are the workerbees. If I don't get satisfaction, I'm considering lodging a complaint with the BBB or AG. This is false advertisement and just not sound business practices.

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Empire-Today
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Jul 10, 2007 8:52 am EDT

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Total customer satisfaction is important to us here at Empire Today. We take customer feedback very seriously and we are always striving to improve the customer’s experience. We have reviewed your posting and are currently researching this matter. You will be contacted within 24 hours to address your concerns in full detail.

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Empire Today bait and switch and rip off!

In January 2005 I had a carpet installed in my house. The first day, after scheduling and confirming early morning installation they showed up at 5pm. The installation was then rescheduled for following day, they showed up in a timely manner this time but when moving furniture they broke my entertainment center (which I was compensated for). After almost completing the job, my wife walked in and found they were installing the wrong color carpet. So after much debate and 2 salesman (the first one conveniently didn't have that sample in his kit). They Finally arranged to have the correct carpet installed. So about 2 weeks later installation was commencing and all was done except for approx 1.5 along living room wall, when the installer stated he must stop as the rest of the carpet was from a "different dye lot" and would need to order in new carpet again. Approx one week later I took another day off work, the installers showed up opened the back door of the truck, I was called over and he stated they gave him wrong carpet again. So again they reordered the carpet and again I waited. A few days later I was called and told the carpet had arrived and installation was scheduled for a later date and FINALLY a carpet was permanently installed in my house (almost without incident). They damaged my china closet, but I didn't report it as even I would not believe me at that point and at this point quite honestly I wanted nothing more to do with this company.

After approx 3 months I noticed an area of the carpet had risen and was getting frayed in a traffic area by the steps to the only bathroom in the house. I called and reported it and they schedule an "independent inspector"to look at area, this Gentleman stated the area was delaminated by pet urine and no service would be provided. He was using a moisture gauge which showed twice the allowed moisture, I knew pet urine was not an issue so I contested this ruling and another inspector was sent who used the proper tool (a blacklight) to inspect the area, he stated to me clearly that pet urine was not the cause that the seam was installed in a traffic area and that it was installation error. So empire ONCE AGAIN was forced to replace my carpet, however my carpet was no longer available and it cost me an additional $250.00 to upgrade my carpet. But installation was scheduled and AGAIN I moved all my furniture out so the carpet could be replaced again. When the installers left it was noticed they had not stretched , they had had miscut an area on the stairs and just plugged in carpet which came up first vacuuming and did an unacceptable job around the banister. So they scheduled their repair tech "mike" and he stretched the living room but stated the stairs had to be handled by the original installer. He stated that I would be contacted within a week. After a few days I started calling asking when the repair would be completed. Left many voicemails but got no return calls. So after approx 1 month I contacted the credit card company Ge Capitol to file a dispute and stop their payments. The dispute was canceled though because Empire stated that I and never contacted them with a problem, Voicemails were Left with Cynthia as well as Chris at the Cinainson Nj location (the local market as they call it). Phone number 856 or toll free [protected] and never got a return call, so I file a second dispute was filed and again this one just disappeared , I called Chris again last week and was told he would not help as I am "out of warranty"and he was never informed I had a problem, the call was then abruptly ended.

I then called Corporate again and lodged a complaint with e office of the president Ranisha (not sure of spelling) who referred my complaint to Tim Sherman the regional manager, he did return my call Friday 4th and basically called me a liar about my repeated calls and attempt to correct the problem stating that he had no record of my calls. I know between my cell phone and home phone I have called over 20 times (27 to be exact) but he stated if I could prove 1 he would arrange repair, well as of Saturday I have proved 6 and am waiting for phone records from cell phone company and Left District Rep a message at [protected] ext 7813 and no return call has occurred. I did tell mr Sherwin that if he didn't respond quickly I would be contacting channel 6 and was told go ahead I have them handled "did I ever notice that no report has ever been done on us"

It is obvious that this company thinks they are above that which most would call good business practices and they certainly think they are more powerful than channel 6 and since I know better I would love to give you guys a shot at them.

Today I spoke with Tim, he stated that he received my proof of my making phone calls and is still not willing to help me. He stated that I have been paid 60% of cost, this was reimbursed for time lost from work and the entertainment center they broke.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

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Linda Gray
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Mar 29, 2008 9:30 am EDT

Thanks for your detailed complaint. I was thinking of calling Empire for a house I am buying in the near future. Now, I will NOT bother calling this company after reading about your experience.

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ValerieZ
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Mar 07, 2008 5:19 pm EST

I used Empire about 18 months ago to replace carpet after a flood in my house and I had nothing but good luck with them. My carpet still looks as good as the day it was installed. I hope you filed a complaint with the BBB and US Attorney General's office. They will turn it over to the right people. I had a huge problem with Dell computers and still fighting them but it has been turned over to Mass. Attorney Generals office for a class action law suit...

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Chumley Smithers
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Sep 19, 2007 6:55 pm EDT

I knew they were bad when their commercial showed that dirty old pervert rolling around on the floor with all those children.

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Barbra Mathewson
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Aug 13, 2007 7:52 pm EDT

Wow I am so glad I found this site and comments, I have canceled the estimate I was scheduled for. They were so nice when I spoke with them on the phone, but should have known it was too good to be true.

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Empire Today windows installed crooked

I called Empire Today because of the TV commercials and the fast service. The company might be great but the contractors they hire... well that's another story. They came out on time and as usual I had pictures on my computer of my windows before the job was done, because one picture speaks a thousand words. My old windows were 3 across in a straight line at the front of my house. Also there were no slate tiles missing on my roof around my old windows in the pictures I took of the job before it was done.

The new windows were installed crooked. Each one in 1 to 2 inches higher than the one next to it. I could not believe my eyes so I took a picture of the 3 new windows. Sure enough they appear to be going up hill. They even put the window trim (capping) on crooked. Everything was done from the inside even though the salesman told me that the windows would be put in from the outside. How can you possibly cap a window from the inside leaning out with your head down. It should have been done from the outside so they could make sure the windows and trim were straight. The explanation the installers gave me made no sense at all because I had pictures of my old windows and they were perfectly straight. It seems to me that if the old windows were straight then the new windows should be straight. Some of the trim between the new windows was cut too short and huge globs of caulk was put in the space.

My contract says that all debris would be cleaned up but I have pictures of wood chips and debris all over the roof on top of my eaves. They had a shop vac but no attempt was made to use it to clean up the debris on the 3 side windows. They did vacuum up the debris on the front roof over top of the porch where the 3 front windows were installed crooked.

When they hammered out my old wood windows in the front everything was thrown out the front window and a lot of wood chips and debris was left right at my front door. For $4049.00 cash I got 3 crooked windows and 5 other okay ones. I would not recommend Empire to anyone as far as windows are concerned.

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Empire-Today
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May 14, 2007 3:00 pm EDT

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Total customer satisfaction is important to us here at Empire Today.  We take customer feedback very seriously and we are always striving to improve the customer’s experience. We have reviewed your posting and are currently researching this matter. We want to work with you Mr. Raul to get your issues completed to your satisfaction. Unfortunately, we were not able to access your information through our systems being that you did not give enough information. Here is our toll free number [protected] and ask to speak to our Consumer Affair Specialist between the hours 9am-5:30pm CST Mon- Fri. Have a great day.

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On 2/21/07, a sales representative from Empire came to my house to give me a quote. The representative measured the two rooms (living room and bedroom), advising me that it totaled 80 square yards. I picked out two different samples. For the less expensive sample, he advised that it cost $29 per square yard, including removal of the existing carpet...

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Empire Today billed wrong amount

I too, unfortunately, used this company to have laminate wood floors installed. I'm still not sure they installed the same product they showed as their sample, because the floor is a slightly darker color and doesn't have that 'hardwood' feel to it. However, my complaint about this company is that they quoted me $4100 for a large living room area. When I went to a competitor in town and got a cheaper quote, they agreed to lower their price, (not as low as the competitor's, but closer, as they insist they have superior products). Well, I went through the financing where you don't pay for a year. When I got my first bill from the finance company I saw that Empire submitted the first charge of $4100. I have called them 4 times over several weeks, sent letters, done everything to get the correct 'reduced' charge applied as my financed amount, and they have done absolutely nothing but ignore me. They constantly promise someone will call me back, and they never do. Their Illinois home office says the local office has to correct this, but then they say they cant give out the phone number for the local office- that all communication must go through the home office. Also- word to the wise... check the Better Business Bureau website... you'll be stunned at how many complaints Empire Today, LLC has on file. I wish I would have checked before I did business with them. WARNING... DON'T DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY. THEY ARE, AT BEST, A SHADY COMPANY.

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Ron Collins
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Mar 24, 2008 10:10 am EDT

I checked out the Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org/) and in my area (92869) Empire has no complaints. I have read about how sleazy the Empire people are, then I read about how sleazy their customers are by tricking the sales person. I have sold copiers for twenty years. I never lie and I am always professional. I know the customers don't care that I have a family to feed. I show them the same courtesy they show me. If I can lower my price to a price to what they can afford, I decide whether they deserve it or not. I have made a six figure income for many years. If the customers are polite to me, I give them the best price available. I have come to realize the pain in the rear customers are more of a pain after they buy from me.

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Keith Miller
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Jan 02, 2008 8:42 am EST

I agree with all the comments here. The sales people are sleazy, but not that smart. When he quoted me an absurd price I simply made up a number that I wanted to pay and tricked him into meeting my halfway. I got lucky; the install was perfect and the price I got then to charge me was decent (not great). Remember, the housing boom is done so the consumer can dictate the price due to the lack of demand for services.

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deborah saunders
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Jul 28, 2007 11:03 am EDT

Wow never realized that i was not alone. Empire installed a shower stall in my home only after the salesman LIED to me about what products could be used in the shower. Yes to everything. Of course you don't get the warranty until after the install. After I read the warranty I called and told them what my sales man said. They sent an installer out to check the install. How can you fix a LIE? If i had known that I could not use certain products in my shower i would have retailed the shower myself. A year and a half later, i am still going round and round. They don't return calls, corporate does not respond to anything. The one customer service manager that did come to my home agreed that I had a legitimate gripe and was working toward me not being responsible for the bill. Guess what? He is no longer with the company. Beware and listen. You have been warned!

P.S. this is the extremely short version!

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Ron Roby
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Mar 19, 2007 7:16 am EDT

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We have looked into this complaint and unfortunately we were not able to access you though our system. We will be more than happy to discuss your concerns with you. Here is our toll free number that you can use for your concerns... [protected] and ask to speak to one of our Resolution Team members of whom will be glad to assist you in any way possible. We look forward to speaking to you very soon. Have a great day.

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Empire Today do not do business with these ripoffs!

We contacted Empire for an estimate for some hardwood flooring during their 50% off Christmas sale. The sales rep came out, measured, showed us some samples, and said the laminate would be our best choice in a high traffic area, and he had the same stuff in his house. He quoted us 320 square foot for a price of $3900.00, or $12.19 a sq.ft. which included removing and hauling the carpet and some tile. Since the holidays were a couple weeks away, we went ahead with Empire. When I asked the rep about the 50% off deal, he pointed to the more expensive hardwood sample and said "It's 50% of that stuff" and walked out the door!

After several calls to which there was no response, I finally spoke with a Mr. John Tyra who was the sales manager for the So. Cal region. He informed me that the 50% off was for material only, not labor, to which I agreed. However, when he said that the price of the laminate (which in my opinion, is of average to inferior quality) was $260.00 a box and that my price WAS the 50% off, I couldn't believe what I was being told!

I will tell everyone I know NOT TO DO BUSINESS with these ripoffs.

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Evangelist Gloria Headen
US
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Aug 23, 2016 4:07 am EDT

I spent $5000, 00 on flooring 4 yrs ago, approximately 3 wks ago I notice the carpet in one room had start bulging in places. I contacted Empire and after staying @ home waiting for a return call, I had business to take care of. While out, some one called, after listening to the msg iwas unable to retrieve it again to get the number, so I call the main number again. The rep said she would send Alfonsa, this is the guy that left the msg. the next couple of days I did the same thing over and over, still did not hear from them. I contacted consumer Affairs; I conversed with them over and over again. A lady left a msg for me to contacted her; I called left a msg and still no response. This was over a week ago. I agree with with others that have filed complaints. Recently, I received an e-mail from Consumer Affairs stating that they had received notice that I no longer wanted to continue with my complaint. I relayed to them this was not true, and no one had contacted me with concern with my complaint. STILL HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING FROM ANYONE. I CAN SEE WHY SO MANY BUSINESSES FAIL. THE GET YOUR MONEY THEN KICK YOU TO THE CURVE. YOU DON'T DO YOUR CUSTOMERS WRONG AND EXPECT TO KEEP GAIN. WHAT GOES AROUND COMES BACK AROUND.

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Reviewer52029
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Jan 07, 2016 12:46 pm EST

Stay away from this company! Installed 7 months ago, still no satisfaction, none. Repeated calls to customer service gave none. Repeat, do not engage this company for any work.

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doolittle11
US
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Oct 22, 2015 12:10 pm EDT
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i have damage to my wood floor that installed about a year ago by empire. the damage was caused by a roof leak... part of the floor was damaged and needs to be repaired.. i have called several times over the past 3 weeks...explained that i need some one to come out and give me an estimate for the rapair. i told empire that i would pay and my insurance company would reimburse me... no one called again.. finally a sales person came out yesterday 10/21/15 and said i needed to replace my whole floor. not the case.. said i need to replace the flooring on the part that is damaged. since they put it in they know the type of flooring, etc... he called the installation manager ( john cohen) and john said he would call me today (9/22/15) no call. i called and apparently he is in a MEETING... the customer service rep said he would make sure that john got the message and would that john would call me back... still waiting... cannot believe they treat customers this way since i have put in two whole room wood floors down in my house in the last 2 years... what is the problem here? they will get paid since it does not fall under warranty... i have an account with these people... can someone help? frustrated and getting angry

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ilovec
Greensboro, US
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May 17, 2012 4:46 am EDT

when the guys came to install they where respectful and polite and they did a two day job in only a couple hours they where very quick and i love how they left my floor keep up the good work empire and (those Hispanics that did my floor !) i cant really remember one of their names but i think it was cezer and i think Carlo's :) thank you guys

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EmpireTodaySucks
Orange, US
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Jan 20, 2012 9:25 pm EST
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Being Charged a fee of $150.00 to bring in extra people to move a pool table for the carpeting. WELL, they never brought in extra people and asked me to help them move the pool table. After trying to pursue this $150.00 extra fee for services they never performed, their customer service has totally ignored us. Totatally dissatisfied, will never do business with them again
and recommend you dont do business with them at a ALL!

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neveragain1959
Highland Lakes, US
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May 04, 2009 10:38 am EDT

I also failed to mention that after they were done with the carpet installation, There was enough carpet left over to carpet a whole other room.Thanks for nothing Empire today!.I just love the way you get away with ripping off War Veterans and the Elderly.You should be ashamed of yourselves...Never again..!RUN FAR AWAY FROM THEM...FAST.

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tmp0529
Saginaw, US
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Apr 07, 2009 2:09 pm EDT

They where late...very very late. They said 9-11, they showed up around noon. I was his first call of the day too. He got lost...he had a GPS and he got lost!

If you are curiuos, they charge $11 per sqft installed for the cheap stuff. The 60% off is for the ugliest product they have and they say it is actually more (after 60% off) than the regular stuff...which tells me that it is either a lie or they charge way way to much.

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trueh37
US
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Mar 28, 2009 3:25 pm EDT

are their prices right ?
do they treat their contractors like trash ?
I know for a fact empire-today lowered paying rates to their contractors but for some reason they are still charging the same ridiculos high prices to clients, is this fair ?

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Chumley Smithers
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Sep 19, 2007 12:00 am EDT

They used to have a TV commercial showing in the Southern California area that showed a dirty old pervert in an Empire uniform rolling around on the floor with a bunch of kids. They subsequently pulled the commercial, but it's TOO LATE! THE SECRET IS OUT!

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Demaray
Auburn, US
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Feb 22, 2015 3:22 am EST

I feel that I was ripped off. I wanted hardwood floors put in and tile in the bathroom and kitchen. They had scheduled the tile first and the tile guy came out said no hardwoods had to go in first. So I had to wait for the hardwood floors. Finally the installer for hardwoods comes out to install the hardwoods. There was a problem with one of the floors being lower than the rest of the house so they charge me extra $ for plywood for that small room. Then when tile guy started in do the tile he says he has seven sheets Of plywood which they never use the plywood. So I was wondering why they charge me extra for plywood when it should've already been figured in the estimate they gave me. I received no breakdown of the material they used . I wanted my front entry done with tile and it never got done very disappointment with empire today. I cannot recommend them .

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Empire Today complete dissatisfaction and unprofessional service

December 9, 2005 I purchased laminate flooring and carpeting for my 2900 square foot home. I paid $3500.00 cash for the laminate, in advance because Empire Today would not install the flooring without pre-payment and charged the carpeting on an account that they set up for me with your company. I also had to sign for the complete bill for the carpeting of $4618.00 three days before installation was scheduled. The laminate was installed 12/10/05 but the installer was short of material and left the job incomplete, he stated that he would not be back to finish the job, that Empire could send somebody else to do it because it did not pay him enough to come back out. On Tuesday 12/13/05 at 9:15am the carpet installers arrived to install the carpet, the laminate was not complete. As instructed, I had cleaned out all closets and removed all small items; I also moved every piece of furniture I could lift, out of the way. The carpet crew spoke only Spanish until the directed a question to me, we then discovered that the carpet that was sent with them was incorrect. Carlos, the crew leader became angry, he re-measured the areas to be carpeted and called the office to advise them of the mistake. He told me that they would send new carpet; I live 30 miles from the warehouse. He also became angry with me because the laminate was completed first; I explained to him that the salesman had set it up that way, not me. They began to install the upstairs and while they were coming down the steps another crew arrived to finish the laminate, they spoke no English at all. Carlos yelled at them that they were in his way, I called Empire and spoke to Olispia and she began to document what was going on. Carlos had a woman with him working in my house who offered to perform cleaning services, when I asked her if she had a business in Tampa; she stated that she was an illegal. I really did not feel comfortable with these people in my house. By 3:15pm I called Mike Smith at the Tampa warehouse to check on the status of the carpet, he asked me to put Carlos on the phone, Carlos and the woman were gone and the other man did not speak any English. I spoke to Mike until 3:35pm and Carlos re-entered my house, he was angry and yelling at me that I was complaining about him. I tried to explain that I was checking on the carpet he would not listen to me. I called Mike Smith back and asked him to call Carlos and explain what was going on, Carlos would not take his calls. The woman was using all of my cleaning products and supplies without asking. I heard a loud noise and found her using my vacuum sweeper to pick up tacking nails. This crew was at my home from 9am to 7pm, they left old carpet pads and carpeting all over my yard, my contract stated that they were to remove old carpeting, my daughter and I had to clean it all up and drag it to the street. When the new carpet had arrived, Carlos laid it out in the street and cut it there, I have had an ant problem ever since. They were to move furniture as per my contract; they moved a file cabinet to my front porch and left it there. Since they left I have found sharp carpet razor blades all over my house, in my window sills, stuck in the trunks of my trees, etc. Carlos demanded that I sign a statement to the effect that I was satisfied with the job, I asked if that meant that I was happy with the installation, he demanded that I sign whether I was happy or not, by this time I just wanted these people out of my house, I still had to put back all of the furniture, they left without doing so. The carpet installation is horrendous; I called and spoke with John Spinella, operations manager, in Tampa, FL. He came out to the house to examine the job. He agreed with me that the majority of the job needed to be redone, he assured me that he would send his best man out, and I was to call after the Christmas holidays to schedule a time. After the 1st of the year, all of my calls to Mr. Spinella went unanswered; he never returned any of my calls. I spoke with many people from the call center, they added more to the computer documentation of my troubles. Mr. Spinella had also agreed to a discount and money to replace my broken vacuum. Several months later I finally was able to talk to somebody who represented themselves as a supervisor, she stated that she would take $300.00 off and return to redo the carpeting, I said that $300.00 barely covers my vacuum cleaner, I suggested a 20% discount, she stated that she had to speak to somebody else, I said why don’t you just issue me an entire credit in the amount of $4618.00, she stated that she could do that but they would have to come and rip out the carpet. She said that after speaking with her supervisor she would get back to me, she never did. I became sick for several months; I finally began to pursue this again. I spoke with Andrea in Tampa; she assured me that she would correct the problem and make this right. I suggested to her that she issue, in writing, 50% credit and I would pay the bill of $2309.00 and that they would not have to fix the carpet, I would get somebody else to do the job. I could not bear the thought of this company sending anyone else into my home. This was on July 14, 2006; she returned several phone calls to me and stated, that was not an unreasonable request. She promised to call me on Monday 7/17/06 to confirm our arraignments, she never called. I started calling and when I pushed in her extension I received a message that this extension is no longer accepting calls. I went on the internet and found many disturbing customer comments about how customers were treated. They mentioned by name Helen Brown and that she did nothing to help them. I called the number from the internet and spoke to another Mike (he stated that he could not give me his last name), He said that Helen was not handling this, she has left me several messages, and that Andrea is handling the problem and assured me that she would contact me no later than 10am on July 24th. I have not received any calls from her or her office. I am disputing this bill because the entire carpet needs to be redone, big bubbles, falling off the step up, large frays sticking out (burber carpet) and I am afraid to vacuum. The steps were not installed with tack strips on the top and bottom of each stair, even the laminate is coming up but they already collected the cash for that. I cannot get any form of satisfaction from the company, so as a last resort I am disputing this bill; maybe then somebody will call me back and finalize this. Otherwise I do not feel responsible for the substandard job that was performed in my home, not to mention the way I was treated. I trusted that this company would only send professionals and this was not the case.

Sincerely,
Rita E. Wages

This is a copy of a letter i finally had sent to ge money bank to dispute the charges. the only rep from empire who called me was Helen Brown, I was told not to deal with her by Mike (no last name) from Empire headquarters. Because i did not speak to Helen Brown, GE money bank dropped my dispute. this has been going on for a year, I am so tired of dealing with it, but my carpet is still a mess and i still owe empire an inflated amount of money. I have never dealt with a company that just avoided your calls as soon as you spoke with someone to resolve your issues.

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Disappointed in GA
US
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Jan 12, 2016 8:07 am EST
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I wish I had read these reviews before we agreed to do business with Empire. Our sales rep was great and we worked a deal we were happy with. The vetting process of their installers is why we felt confident about going with them. The day of the installation the lead installer left 2 other workers who could not speak English. They couldn't answer our questions or bring the wood into the thresholds to the correct cut off. Some of the quarter round is cut at 45 degrees and some at 90 degrees. The quiet walk falls off before entry ways and you can feel that there is nothing under the floor. They brought the wrong color wood for the transitions, so when the lead worker came back he asked if he could come back Monday afternoon to finish the thresholds. My husband agreed. He asked if he could leave the trailer they came in, in our driveway as his truck broke down. We agreed! He didn't show up Monday because his truck was still broke down. Of course he didn't call until 2:30 that afternoon once it was too late for my husband to save a half day at work. To make a long story short, the trailer was in our driveway for 4 days. The lead installer finally showed up after 9 pm to get the trailer and to try and get us to sign off on the job. We refused to sign anything. He left the transitions outside and we had to store them in the house because it was going to rain. No one will answer our calls and now our sales rep has gone missing. I can't say how unhappy we are with our experience. I still have unfinished floors, no thresholds, and haven't heard a thing from the sales person or the company. I guess now we have to begin working through legal channels to resolve this. I would never recommend them to anyone I know!

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digrunteled
US
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Mar 01, 2012 7:42 am EST
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WOW, I am so glad I did not use them. I had a saleman from Emprie Carpeting out to my house the other day. I called them becasue they were offering by one room get two rooms for free. What a joke. They were going to charge me $2798 for the one room plus my hallway and steps and $1100 to install the other two rooms. All less than 700 sq feet. All I could think of was sleazy car salesman. This guy came out with every line that is out there. I had a quote from a local company to do the one room, hallway and steps for $1300 installed. And to top it off, as he was walking out the door he said "If you had really worked at me hard enough, i would have given it to you for $1000". What an ### hole. All I could say to that was "Please leave my house". After he left I had to clean my house just to get the stinky filth out. I would never recommend them.

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Ben Wrabbi
Dearborn, US
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Sep 22, 2011 3:22 pm EDT

I saw the commercial today for pay for 2 rooms get the rest of the house free. I am replacing carpet, laminate and wood flooring in my 2400 sq ft home. I thought that I would check reviews before contacting Empire Today. Of course on Empire's site and partner sites they have nothing but glowing reviews. Then I found this site and I'm glad that I did. Empire is a JOKE! DO NOT PURCHASE ANYTHING FROM THEM!

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NightNurse
Ronkonkoma, US
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Apr 03, 2011 9:23 pm EDT

I found the people friendly and nice...BUT...of the three people they sent to do the installation, NONE of them spoke English. Since I speak NO Spanish it was a gigantic problem. Their workmanship was sloppy. They left glue stains on the carpet, and installed the metal molding between rooms with sharp edges that cut people's feet. The vinyl flooring was not glued down completely, and had multiple air bubbles underneath. Now I notice the carpet is fraying from under the moldings, and I have only had the carpet for 8 months. I have had carpets for 20 years that did not fray around the edges.
Their products are poor quality, and the workmanship is worse. IF you insist on using this company, make sure you speak Spanish, or they will look at you as if you had two heads when you try to tell them you are not happy with the work.

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mistresstomato
Chandler, US
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Mar 23, 2011 3:06 pm EDT
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I had carpet installed with emprie today 23 months ago. It now looks HORRIBLE. Faded, stained, worn, hard in spots. It's such a waste of money that now I want to have the whole room redone less than 2 years later.

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PaulAnne
Painesville, US
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Feb 04, 2011 8:45 pm EST

A sales rep. just left my house. He actually got angry with me, when I told him I was not planning on signing anything today. I said I was in the process of collecting estimates, and I would discuss his proposal with my husband. (That's just how we do it, because my husband works long hours, and he doesn't want to spend his free time with a salesman.) He flat out said he would not present anything to me without my husband. He made me feel bad about the time he spent on the road. He told me he works on comission. He only showed me a few samples, and they were only the high end ones. He did measure my kitchen and call 2 suprivisors for estimates. Then to prepare me for the estimates, he asked me how much money I expected to spend. He asked me if my husband ever tried to install a floor, and did we know what was involved. He also put down Home Depot and Lowes. To sum it up he tried to make me feel stupid, as well as guilty. If that's their idea of a sales pitch, I have no idea how they stay in business. I will not even consider the proposal now.

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mrwrig26
Sicklerville, US
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Dec 23, 2010 4:38 pm EST

I had Empire install laminate and carpet in my home in November of 2010. The carpet and laminate were installed but the installers did damage to my home in several locations, including getting ink of my carpet, broken molding around a set of doors and most critical they damaged the french doors leading to my deck. It takes a lot of strength now to close the french doors now since the door has to be lifted up and pushed hard to close. In addition, when it rains I now have water leaking into the kitchen from the doors. When I complained about this Empire sent the same floor installer to fix the door and he did not have the skills or tools to fix it. He instead ripped out the weatherstripping from the door and now I have cold air coming through the doors as well. All attempts to have Empire resolve the damage they did have failed. They are telling me to pay for a repairman to fix the damage they have done. I suggest you DO NOT have Empire do your flooring.

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Julierk
US
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Dec 06, 2010 3:25 am EST

I had carpeting installed by Empire and I am very unhappy. The carpet is shedding when I vacuum. And it does it all the time. I have called the customer service people and they saiud it would stop after a few months. I had to take my vacuum to a repair place because it is so clogged with fibers. I am afraid that this will be always happening and I dread vacuuming because I feel that the carpeting will continue to deteriorate. I dont know if I should contact the manufacturer of the carpeting or if I could get some of my money back from empire and buy new carpeting from someplace else

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Almost GOT ME 2
Redford, US
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Nov 26, 2010 11:47 pm EST

Wow! I just want to say that I am sorry for all these horrible situations, that you guys have encountered at Empire. But I would like to say thank you for posting them. I am a 1st time home owner and I want carpet over my hardwood floors and of course after hearing Empire Ads I was going to go with them. Ha Ha, I have made the appointment for an estimate and even paid my "50.00 deposit" I am going to cancel "RIGHT NOW" after hearing your stories. I hope I don't have any problems with them not cashing my check.

On another note: I feel so stupid my sales person played that same game on me " calling his maneger to get a lower price" lol lol lol Thank once again you really saved this 1st time home owner.

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blissedoutsoul
Baltimore, US
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Feb 16, 2010 3:28 pm EST

I recently decided to replace carpeting in our rather small living room and master bedroom. I contacted empire because of their Buy one, get two free ad. The salesman was very rude on the phone and was extremely arrogant when he arrived in our home. He insulted my occupation (he didn't understand my job title) and then proceeded to pressure us into a sale. I stated that I would like an itemized bill and he immediately changed the subject. I tried to reason why the price was over $2K and he told me we have almost 1200 square feet to carpet. I was exhausted and decided to schedule an install that Friday. He told me it had to be next day and after much arguing he agreed to the day after. When it was all done I did not feel well about the whole situation and trusted my instinct. I contacted Empire and asked to cancel my order because I know I can receive a much better price. They pleaded with me not to cancel and told me they have to be the lowest price. They offered me $1169 and two weeks to compare prices. After reading your reviews, I am cancelling my order immediately! THANK YOU FOR THE HEADS UP!

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Empire Today bait and switch, terrible service and products quality!

I was interested in replacing all of the carpeting on the second level of my home. I had an Empire salesman visit my home to show me some samples. I selected a rather expensive carpet and arranged for installation. I spent an entire day removing furniture, clearing out walk-in closets, etc. in preparation for installation. The day of the scheduled install, a representative from the company called to say that the carpet I selected was not immediately available, but another carpet of even higher quality in a similar color was available. I hesitantly agreed, though my instincts told me that something was amiss. Fortunately, I was home when the carpet arrived. It turned out to be a terrible excuse for carpeting and nothing even remotely similar to what I had selected. I did not accept delivery and went with another company, though it took a considerable amount of time to get my deposit refunded to me.

Upon further investigation of the company, I discovered that this seems to be their MO. The salesmen work on commission and as such, the idea is to get the consumer to pay top dollar for a low cost product - it appears they "bait" the consumer with a seemingly high-quality product and then, once the consumer has gone through significant effort to accommodate installation, they "switch" to an inferior product with the expectation that the consumer will accept it rather than start from scratch.

If anyone has had a similar experience, you local consumer affairs agency should be contacted, since Empire spends a considerable amount of money on advertising and they should be investigated for fraudulent practices and misrepresentation.

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Forget about it
Downers Grove, US
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Jul 26, 2012 6:40 am EDT
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I hate empire! We got crummy carpet. Not what we paid for. I want it removed and my money back! Next step is bbb. Please don't get carpet from this place you get garbage in return.

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Frank from Phila.
Pittsburgh, US
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Dec 24, 2010 11:39 pm EST

1/10th of 1 percent. That is what the above represents. Line up one million people ans select ONE. That is the percentage of unhappy customers this company has. Anyone who reads this should reflect on thier own family tree. Everyone has at least one WHACKO in the family. I am a REALISTIC satisfied customer whose initial install did not go smoothly. Empire addressed the issue in one day the very next day... Vacuum once in a while, clean up after you spill something. Carpet does not clean itself. Finally, lose some weight. 95% of you are over weight. Shed some pounds by pushing a vacuum around. Geez!

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MSlater
East Fallowfield, US
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Dec 14, 2009 4:08 pm EST

I had Empire carpet my entire basement (650sq. ft.) almost 5 years ago. The salesman did a great job, and everything went exactly as promised. The installers showed up right on schedule the very next morning, and were in and out in a few hours. Everyone was polite and professional, and they did a beautiful job. Five years later the carpet still looks and feels brand new (and this is our main entertaining space, mind you).
I'm considering them for a bathroom re-fit this year. My experience was great and I'd recommend them to anyone.

M. Slater
East Fallowfield, PA

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steve
marcus hook, US
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Apr 26, 2009 3:05 pm EDT

I am very concerned. i had ordered carpet from Empire and installation was to be on Monday. the saleman called o n Satureeday and talked to my wife. he said "they were low on the carpet i ordered' but they coule replace it with a "higher grade" he said at the sales meeting "he thought of us right away." this seems to be similar to another comment that was posted and tells me i should not walk way but run as fast as ai can from this. The installation was pu off for aweek and he is coming on Wed.

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Lisa
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Aug 29, 2008 5:21 pm EDT

We never even got this far! I called the Empire phone number one day in desperate need of new carpeting and after getting a machine over and over, decided nobody was answering and left a message saying I needed someone out to the house the next day (as they promise) with samples. Not only did they not come, but they never even returned the phone call. Needless to say, I went with a local carpet installer, whose workers did a fantastic job. It helps when you use a local company whose bosses care about their quality of work.

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Michelle
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Aug 02, 2008 1:31 pm EDT

I am so glad I came upon this website. I am going to cancel my appointment I made for Monday Night. I need good carpet for my house with kids, animals and a business going on in here it gets lots of wear.

Thanks everyone for posting.

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Sunday Ippolito
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Aug 02, 2008 10:15 am EDT

I called Empire, there salesman seemed nice and knowledgeable. The samples are small squares so it is hard to visualize how it will look in your home. Anyway the salesman told me the carpet I liked was a 580z. frieze. There was another sample that I liked as my second choice and he said that carpet was a 63oz. After getting my house ready for installation they brought out a carpet. When I went to check it out if felt really thin, not at all like a 58oz carpet should feel. The installers started working in my bedroom tearing out my current carpet, which by the way is 100 times better than the carpet they brought. I felt uneasy about the carpet they brought me so I called Empire and asked the customer service rep what the ounce weight of the carpet was. She replied 32oz., I had the installers quit. Meanwhile they left and I have my exposed pad and no furniture in my bedroom. The salesman comes back to my house and said, "I thought that carpet was 50 ounces, sorry about that." He brought my second choice back and now all of a sudden it went from 63ounces to 50 ounces. The salesman was a carpet installer before he became a salesman, so he is no idiot. I really think it is Empires MO to deceive and rip people off. I have called customer service twice and they apologize and say they will have someone contact me between 1 and 3 business days to bring out a better quality carpet. Now that I don't have a bedroom, all my furniture is crammed in my loft because they moved it out of my bedroom. I've been sleeping on the couch for 2 days and am pissed! Now I am in the process of working with Home Depot for new carpet.

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Albert Gore
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Jul 29, 2008 4:40 pm EDT

I just want to thank everyone for their input on this website. We had an Empire Rep scheduled to come to our home between 7 and 9 PM tonight. He called a little while ago to either come two hours later or cancel because the company had overbooked him. I told him that we would call the toll free number and reschedule. After reading all of the posts on this website, I would rather call the Munro Brothers from Green Acres to come to my home and sell me carpet and hardwood. Thank you all for your help.

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Enid Rodz
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Apr 03, 2008 9:16 pm EDT

I would like to thank the creators of this site for the VALUABLE info! I am in the process of remodelling 25 of my rental properties. Of course, remodeling involves carpeting. Thanks to this information, I can remove Empire from my list of companies to contact.

Empire's jingle is sticky, so they would have been my first people to call for this type of service. Thanks again for the info provided. :-)

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sue thompson
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Mar 19, 2008 4:11 pm EDT

Almonst 3 1/2 years ago my husband and I purchased carpet from an Empire Salesman, who stated that the carpet would be installed the next day. The installers showed up only to find out that I had tile flooing which was not addressed to them by the salesman. This held it up and extra day.

My next issue with Empire is that I lodged a formal customer service complaint and kept getting tossed from person to person. When the installer placed our carpet the cracked all the tile on our fire place. Empire came out and took pictures and stated they will take care of teh problem but never did. Everytime my husband or myself would call Empire they would just keep transferring us to another operator. When asking for a manager they kept stating he was not available. They also did not place down and carpeting stripping on the edges of the carpet from one rooms to another. Therefore the carpet in the hallway entering into the kitchen looks like crap as does the carpet in teh hallway entering my sons rooms.

They also state we were getting top quality carpet, but that was not true as the carpet is not plush and it is made like sandpaper. I feel that Empire has the right to back up there products and give quality customer service but they don't.

I think Empire has the worst customer service and the worst carpet.

I guess my next step will be to call the news station to get this rectified or the Better Business Bureau.

I also GE Money Bank stand for Getting Extra Money from people.

My experience with Emprie Carpet has left a very bad taste in my mouth. Especially since they have never come back to fix my beautiful fire palce which was ruined when the installers used their kicboard against it when they were installing the carpet.

I would not recommend this Empire to anyone. My next step is to call the BBB and the local news station.

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Empire Today ruined my house and have been ignoring me for 8 months!

Empire Today installed carpeting in my house and left my house in shambles. I had carpet installed on February 6, 2006 and I have requested that Empire get their carpet out of my house for eight months.

The carpet that was installed had no padding underneath of it, the installers cut all the cable wires in 5 bedrooms of my home, they slashed all the wood baseboards in each bedroom, they ripped wall paper off the walls and they left furniture broken in my home. In addition to all of this in two of the rooms the carpet was not even attached to the floor. They sent out another installer who said it looked like an “abortion.”

After 2 weeks and 4 subcontractors later, my house was still not fixed and the carpet was still horrendous. I have contacted Michelle Ramos and Cynthia Dunlap 8 times to have their product removed from my house. I signed the Notice of Cancellation within 3 business days and they still have not come out and picked up their carpet.

As a matter of fact, they have just sent me a letter telling me that they are going to put a mechanics lien on my house if I do not pay them the money for the carpeting. They are harassing and bullying me when they are the ones who ruined my house and have been ignoring me for 8 months.

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saravanan
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Sep 17, 2007 9:25 pm EDT

mobile phone Rs;14000/- N80 NOKIA

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Jared McAnally
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Jun 04, 2007 2:22 pm EDT

Waaaahh...

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Empire-Today
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Dec 21, 2006 8:53 am EST

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Total customer satisfaction is important to us here at Empire Today. We take customer feedback very seriously and we are always striving to improve the customer’s experience. We have reviewed your posting and are currently researching this matter. Unfortunately we do not have any information regarding your account with empire-Today. We would like to speak with you to apologize and try to bring closure to this matter. Please contact one of our Resolution Specialist at [protected] one of our representatives will gladly assist you. Have a great day!

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Empire Today just started doing business in NC, and have started a huge t.v. ad campaign. My wife saw the commercials and we figured we'd give them a try. I called and set up an appointment and they sent someone at my earliest convenience. So far so good. The estimator shows up and immediately put us off by assuming that my wife and I weren't southerner...

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About Empire Today

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Empire Today, commonly known as Empire Carpet, specializes in home improvement and furnishing services, offering a range of products such as carpet, hardwood, laminate, vinyl flooring, and window treatments. They provide in-home consultations and next-day installation on many of their products.
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Overview of Empire Today complaint handling

Empire Today reviews first appeared on Complaints Board on Nov 8, 2006. The latest review highly allergic to product /product and very poor installation was posted on Dec 13, 2024. The latest complaint Frank Hernandez, G.M. in Phoenix Az was resolved on Mar 06, 2024. Empire Today has an average consumer rating of 4 stars from 842 reviews. Empire Today has resolved 690 complaints.
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  1. Empire Today Contacts

  2. Empire Today phone numbers
    +1 (800) 588-2300
    +1 (800) 588-2300
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    Customer Service
    +1 (855) 972-3100
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    +1 (866) 379-0755
    +1 (866) 379-0755
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  3. Empire Today emails
  4. Empire Today address
    333 Northwest Avenue, Melrose Park, Illinois, 60164, United States
  5. Empire Today social media
  6. Laura
    Checked and verified by Laura This contact information is personally checked and verified by the ComplaintsBoard representative. Learn more
    Dec 18, 2024
  7. View all Empire Today contacts

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