ComplaintsforEmpire Today, LLC

• Initial Complaint

  10/15/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I had vinyl flooring installed from Empire Today on 2/27/24. Upon having them installed, defects were noticed on particular panels after installation. Their warranty states Every EMPIRE product is warranted to the original purchaser only to be free from defects in material and workmanship. Ive called the companies customer service phone number over 30 times to reach someone regarding replacing my defective panels and they have not made any attempts to return my phone calls or emails to resolve this matter. They are unresponsive and unreluctant to help me at this time.

  

  Business response

  10/17/2024

  We appreciate the customer contacting us regarding their concerns.

  We have spoken to the customer and explained that scratches are not covered under warranty.  The product is scratch resistant to normal traffic but not scratch proof.  We provided a quote for repairs but the customer has declined.

  We thank the customer for their feedback.

  Customer response

  10/18/2024

   
  Complaint: 22422571
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the marks were defects in the original flooring placed down. ******, the installer, was notified right after the installation occurred. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ****

  

  Business response

  10/18/2024

  The scratches were not reported to Empire until 3 months after installation was completed.

  Repair of the flooring would be a cost to repair as it is not covered under warranty.

  Customer response

  10/21/2024

   
  Complaint: 22422571
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have audio correspondence with ******, your installation technician, indicating I made him aware days after he installed them. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ****

• Initial Complaint

  10/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  We had the carpet installed on 8/12/24. The workers showed up almost an hour late. They did not bring charged tools, asked to borrow tools, and asked to borrow our phone chargers. They sat for about ***** minutes to charge their tools. They didn't line up the top step leaving the wood exposed and they damaged the handrail in 4 places. They did not tell us about the carpet not reaching the top step or the damage. The handrail is black and the technicians tried to color in the damage with a permanent marker. 8/13/2024 - Empire and I spoke on the phone relaying all this information and letting them know about the damage. Empire emailed me and I replied with all the photos of the damage. Worked with ****** *******. Back and for with ****** happened for a few weeks. On 9/4 she emailed my husband and accused us of not reporting the damage and then stopped responding. 9/17 - ***** ****** (customer service manager) ************ ****** emailed and said ****** was no longer with the company and he was filling in. After a few emails showing the damages, he offered $100. We declined and he offered $250 for the handrail. We agreed to the handrail price but asked what they would do if the carpet did not reach the top step. ***** credited our account and stopped responding. We have called, emailed, and tried to escalate. On 10/4/24 I spoke with ***** an install manager she asked to schedule a date to have the carpet fixed and I told her that was not an option. The house is under contract and I cannot have installers in there, instead, we were just asking for the labor costs refunded. She said that the ** **** would call me on Monday 10/7/24. It has been almost a week and I have still not heard from Empire.

  

  Business response

  10/18/2024

  We appreciate the customer contacting us regarding their concerns.

  We have contacted the customer and resolved the matter amicably.

  We apologize for any inconvenience and thank the customer for their feedback.

  Customer response

  10/25/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Elizabeht Sailor

• Initial Complaint

  10/13/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Our recent purchase and installation was completed on 8/31 , Our complaint is that we believed the wrong color/shade of carpet was delivered and installed. After some follow up with the salesman and ******* ******, we were rudely told that the correct carpet was installed but you can clearly see from the photos it is not what we expected. We ordered and expected the darker shade of the Frieze Carpet- Sunny Isles Clockwork You can see in the app picture from the Empire website that this would appear to be almost a chocolate brown color, We received a lighter shade of grey At the very least the see it in your room tool/APP was very misleading as to what we should expect. During our sales visit , we selected the color using the Empire website and the online tool ******* ****** was short and rude and told me that in all his years he never had anyone buy carpet from the website , weird because they have a website and a " see it in your room " app so you can see what it looks like , when he told me there was nothing he would do , i asked to speak to someone else.A week later a " manager" called me and could not have been more unprofessional , not sure why they even called me as they had no interest in hearing about my concerns or any intention to help, she used the words " I am not interested in your problem" , " what do you want me to do about it"Nearly a month to get the carpet installed , two weeks to call me back and then only to talk down to me.False advertising and poor customer service are what we encountered here. I am at minimal looking for a discount on the purchase as they misled us as to what we could expect. I have attached pictures.1st attachment is a side-by-side comparison of what we expected from the app/tool and what we ended up with 2nd attachment was a snapshot from the app/tool 3rd attachment is what we ended up with. Empire Claim number 1-7773463051

  

  Business response

  10/16/2024

  We appreciate the customer contacting us regarding their concerns.

  A resolution specialist contacted the customer and has resolved amicably.

  Customer response

  10/22/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I was contacted by the business and accepted an offer of refund for a portion of the service. I am agreeable to that arrangement have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** V. ****

• Initial Complaint

  10/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Purchased and had carpet installed in October of 2022. The cost was $1985.28. Less than a year later the carpet began to unravel. Empires answer to this was we dont guarantee our work on stairs. I wasnt happy that the sales person failed to mention this, but so be it. Some time later the unraveled carpet got stuck in the vacuum and created a bare spot. I filed a claim with Empires protection plan and after 3 attempts they continue to deny the claim and want me to pay out of pocket to have the bare section of the carpet repaired. The plan is suppose to cover accidents and clearly states that unraveling causing a gap greater than 1 inch and exposes the base of the carpet which is exactly what occurred.

  

  Business response

  10/18/2024

  We appreciate the customer contacting us regarding their concerns

  The area customer service associate has called the customer and emailed.

  We look forward to hearing from the customer and resolving this matter amicably. 

• Initial Complaint

  10/11/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I met with a representative from Empire Today named *** to get a quote to install vinyl flooring throughout my home. *** met me at my home on October 17, 2022. He showed me several options including the flooring I chose. He did a presentation including scrapping the flooring with scissors, showing that the flooring was scratch proof, waterproof and durable. He described the strength of the flooring as being durable enough to park a car on it without damage. The installers came to my home on October 19th to install the flooring. I noticed that the boxes of flooring did not include the same name of the flooring presented to me. I was skeptical but I was working that day and left the installers to complete the job. The installers finished the job in one day. Fast forward to a week later I noticed that my bed was able to scratch the flooring. I was going to call empire but decided to put a rug under my bed instead. As time went on I noticed that the flooring started staining and was getting easily scratched. I started to become skeptical that the flooring that was installed was a cheaper version to what was presented to me at the time of sell. The planks started to separate in several areas of my home. I reached out to Empire and was charged $250 for a floor analysis. The flooring installer (the same one who installed the initial flooring) came to assess the floor. He concluded that the separation was a manufacture defect of the click and lock mechanism which failed. Empires solution was to charge me additional money to have the planks replaced and also wanted to add transitions to the door ways to fix the issue. I did not want the transitions as I was not paying for something that would esthetically look awful. I have been very careful to not disrupt the flooring and only wipe the floor with a damp mop to keep it clean until I could find a better solution that what Empire offered. Today (10/11/24) I passed the mop on one of the lose planks and it cracked.

  

  Business response

  10/17/2024

  We appreciate the customer contacting us regarding their concerns.

  We have attempted to contact the customer to discuss resolution to the customers concerns. The customer has not yet responded to the offices attempts to speak with the customer.

  We look forward to hearing from the customer and resolving this matter amicably. 

• Initial Complaint

  10/10/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Sales and Advertising Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My name is ******* ******, we have been communicating with Empire Today, specifically ****** **** in **************** for several weeks now regarding Empire Today Project #***TABY489 (see email communications). In February 2024, we had Empire replace an old rug with laminate flooring; a project that cost us $5500. We left the installation and preparation of the area up to the professionals. Originally, we were satisfied with the work and speed of its completion by Empire Today. However, in late August we contacted the salesman, **** *****, when we noticed that areas of the floor were buckling. He mentioned that the laminate floor may have been installed too tight and recommended that we contact customer service to explain what was taking place. Upon initial contact with Empire Today, we had wanted someone from the company to come to our house and look at what has become of our floor, but we were told that pictures would suffice. As time has passed, we continue noticing that the laminate floor is showing more signs of deficiency and more areas are not adhering. There does not seem to be any concern on behalf of Empire for the product they sold & installed in a residential home that has now become a safety issue. So much so, that walking on the floor has become a hazard as I recently tripped over one of the affected areas in the middle of the room. I would like someone with authority to address these concerns and a detailed plan to correct it. We paid a lot of money for this flooring and are EXTREMELY disappointed in the product and installation.

  

  Business response

  10/15/2024

  We appreciate the customer contacting us regarding their concerns.

  The area customer service manager advised the customer that the material needed for the repair may take 2 to 3 weeks to be transporter from other distribution centers.

  We will reach out to schedule when the material is available.

• Initial Complaint

  10/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Empire installed flooring less than a year ago.The flooring is under *********** is vinyl sheet flooring that is peeling up and off the floor.They will not fix it.They said I should pay them or buy a repair kit myself.

  

  Business response

  10/16/2024

  We appreciate the customer contacting us regarding their concerns.

  Service was completed as scheduled and resolved the matter amicably.

  We apologize for any inconvenience and thank the customer for their feedback.

  Customer response

  10/16/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 22398546, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  Nanette Williamson

• Initial Complaint

  10/08/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  My carpet and tile were installed in 11/2021. Shortly thereafter, I noticed that the carpet was pulling away from the padding. I attempted to call several times from my home phone ************** and I was told that I would receive a call back, but this never happened. Over time, this situation has gotten progressively worse. I spoke with ******* a few weeks ago who informed me there was no record of my phone calls and that the carpet probably needs to be stretched; however this would be at cost to me because it is out of warranty. While I understand the time frame, I did attempt to reach ET in a timely manner without a response, and do not feel that I should be financially responsible for issues that have occurred due to poor installation. Thank you.

  

  Business response

  10/18/2024

  We appreciate the customer contacting us regarding their concerns. We have spoken with the customer and completed service of the installation. We appreciate the customers feedback and consider this matter resolved.  

  Customer response

  10/21/2024

   
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ********

• Initial Complaint

  10/05/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  On May 4th, 2022 I got floors installed by this company. The home where the floors were installed is addressed, ***** **************************************** ******* was my salesman and he contracted ****** ****** to install the floors. **** communicated to me that I had a 30-year warranty before installation. When I asked what it entailed, he told me that if anything didn't look right the warranty would cover it. I have had them since then and only recently noticed a problem with gapping in the floors and some tiles poking up.I called the company and asked about the procedure, to which I was told by warranty it would be $250 to get an inspection of the issue, and depending on the verdict, the warranty might not pay any of it. I was last contacted by them on July 1st and was told someone would call me back, and to this date, no one has. I contacted *** ****** directly and he quickly took the opportunity to go to the house free of charge. He texted me stating that there was water damage throughout the entire house and that I would have to pay him $14,000. The amount was shocking, so I called **** ******* and he told me that *** was soliciting me, overcharging me, and would be fired. Therefore, **** said he would be handling it from that point on. I have been told numerous times by both *** and **** that the warranty wouldn't cover anything for the floors, but when I asked what the warranty did cover, I never got a response. On my last call with ****, he told me he spoke to upper management about the situation and they would get in contact with me as soon as possible. I have yet to hear from anyone.

  

  Business response

  10/08/2024

  We appreciate the customer contacting us regarding their concerns.

  The customer did receive a call from the Customer Service Manager, who explained that the customer is outside the labor warranty which expired on May 3, 2023 and the concerns were reported on July 30, 2024.  She was provided a service fee for us to assess the flooring outside of warranty and the customer declined.

  Should the customer change their mind, we would be happy to schedule a paid assessment of the flooring.

  Customer response

  10/11/2024

   
  Complaint: 22384941
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  It was never communicated to me that a warranty was expired. All I was told was that there was a service fee for assessment, to which I declined in order to do more research. I was told when I paid for the floors, prior to work, that there was a 30 year warranty for the floors; not a two year warranty as mentioned in the response.
  

  I’d like to add that the person who was terminated for operating outside of the Empire jurisdiction, Rob, damaged the floors further. He misrepresented himself stating that when he inspected the floors he was still working under Empire, and I have yet to have anyone from the company speak to me about an action plan regarding fixing the damage one of their employees/former employees did.
  

  Sincerely,
  
  Flora Vazquez

  

  Business response

  10/17/2024

  We provide a one (1) year limited workmanship and servicing warranty, in addition to the product warranty from the manufacturer.  The customer’s flooring was installed May 3, 2022 and the workmanship warranty expired on May 3, 2023.

  The customer reported the flooring concerns to Empire on July 30, 2024.  We explained that a service fee is applicable as the workmanship warranty expired and an assessment would needed be conducted to gather information to determine the cause of the flooring concerns.  Empire has not scheduled any service as the customer declined paying the service fee.

  If the customer would like to move forward with the paid service so that we can assess the flooring, we are happy to schedule.

  Customer response

  10/17/2024

   
  Complaint: 22384941
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  When I made payment to Mark LaRoche there was a 30 year warranty. He told me that everything would be covered for 30 years, therefore I was misled. 

  The only reason I went with this company was because of the promise made for a 30 year warranty.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  Flora Vazquez

• Initial Complaint

  10/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Delivery Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  A few weeks after carpet was installed 5/10/24,I noticed areas that appeared puffy and later started coming apart. After frequent calls to the 1800 # for about a month, ****** , an employee began to communicate via email in 8/6/2024 and requested pictures , sent someone to my home to assess 8/16/2024, and set up for repair of the issue. I expressed concern that the carpet would continue to deteriorate rapidly since this was occurring in a guest room with little to no traffic. She said that it was assessed as it could be repaired but repeatedly ignored my request of a copy of the assessment. The repair person that later came out to my home 9/20/24 noted his observations of the carpet, that the loops of carpet that were coming undone were throughout the room and questioned the appropriateness of cutting out all of the loop. He questioned why I was having him cut the carpet, instructed me to talk to Empire Today to get the carpet replaced and left my home without doing any repair. After multiple attempts to call and email the company ,****** responded 9/30/24. She said that carpet installer did not fix the carpet because , I didn't want him to. I only agreed with his assessment. ****** told me the carpet could be replaced at 100% my cost only, Empire Today would only ,"trim tufts." The attached pictures are from July , 2 months after instal.

  

  Business response

  10/08/2024

  We appreciate the customer contacting us regarding their concerns.

  We have spoken to the customer and explained that snags on Berber carpet are site related and we offered to trim the snags to prevent further runs in the carpet as a courtesy.  The repair offer was declined on site and replacement of the carpet would be a cost to the customer.

  We thank the customer for their feedback.

  Customer response

  10/11/2024

   
  Complaint: 22381684
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I did not turn the the repair person away. It was the Repair personnels professional opinion that this was not the right action to be taken. There is no reason for this carpet to be coming apart. *** continues to fall apart, even though there is very little traffic in this room. I suspect that it is a very Low quality carpet Being passed off as a high-quality carpet . I was told that I could be confident in my purchase being that there was a one year warranty. Now Im being told that if it wasnt like that when we left after the install, then it is not our concern to fix it. How can you say that you are providing a warranty if after one month the carpet is falling apart and youre going to cut out pieces as a courtesy. 
   I also have multiple emails back-and-forth with customer service representative requesting for whatever service is offered for a repair. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

  

  Business response

  10/17/2024

  The snags on the Berber carpet are caused when the continuous fiber run is caught and pulled.  Trimming the snags can prevent further damage to the carpet run.  The snags are not a manufacturing defect but site related damage that occurred after installation. 

  We have explained that the repair or replacement of the carpet would be a cost to the customer as it is not covered under either warranty.

  We hope that the customer will reconsider so that we can resolve this amicable.

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