Empire Today Carpet and Flooring

Do not use this company! This is the 2nd time I have been burned by them and I should have learned my lesson the 1st time. For the 2nd time in 3 years they have quoted me, guaranteed an installation date and flaked on the date expecting me to reschedule. For the 2nd I have requested a refund. I can't even comment on the quality of the work because they have never been able to keep to their installation date. I gave them over a weeks notice between putting down my deposit and installation and get a call day of telling me they are overbooked and that I need to reschedule. If your time and customer service matters to you, do not use this company. There are smaller, locally owned businesses that will take better care of you.

We called Empire Today and started with their carpet that was 'at the advertised price'. We did not like it so we had them bring in their thickest plush. The price ended up quite high but we wanted the long life, great wear, and comfort they promoted. Within two years there was significant 'crushing' in high traffic areas and, worse still, there were 'waves' in the carpet (see photos). We called and they said to have the carpet cleaned again professionally. We did and the crush wear areas look OK for a few hours, then back to visibly matted down. The cleaning did nothing for the 'waves'. When we called again they said it would be $872 to stretch since it was beyond the one-year labor warranty. We called half a dozen places and every company expressed shock that Empire would not fix it since that meant they had not stretched it properly when it was installed. We finally settled on one company and the man came out and stretched the four rooms - for $150. We gave him a tip because he did it so well. And he stands behind his work - he said as long as we have the carpet, he will come back for free. But he also said he didn't expect us to call since it will not haves 'waves' if installed properly!

The initial person measured too short The installers then cut the carpet up into many pieces to fit. At one point the rug iron stopped working, so the installer took it apart to rewire it. He proceeded to use the broken iron with wires sticking out. The ordeal was horrible.

The initial visit by the salesperson was fine. He was pushy but that was expected. We signed a contract to get something scheduled and we had 7 days to cancel. When we went to cancel, we had to spend 35 minutes on the phone, 30 minutes of which were on hold. We had to speak to two different people and tell them the same exact thing. The second guy wouldn't let it go and kept trying to push us to stay with Empire, offering various discounts or justifications. It was extremely frustrating.

Basement and steps

Awful! No showed day 1 after promises they would be there soon all day. Day 2 sent the wrong cut flooring and damaged drywall. Day 3 sent damaged flooring but still glued it down trying to say it was no big deal. Well a 6 foot long and a 2.5 foot long triple row crease that looked like a huge scratch is a big deal. Installer tried to get us to accept it as is. His manager said they could replace it the next day or take that room off the bill. He later changed the offer to half of that. No promised return calls! Manager escaped it to the President so maybe we will get a resolution, but it's been a nightmare. Customer service was deplorable. We will never use them again.

They were the best price for good, quality carpet and padding. The installation took all day, but they did a good job. Another provider seemed to do a bait and switch, and we didn't trust them. The were the lowest price. It was difficult to get the quote, but once it came in, it was good. It wasn't the best quality, but it wasn't the worse. Their responsiveness was the biggest issue. They promised they would come and didn't come. They didn't return calls. That was the hardest thing. They were good once they showed up.

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