EmpireToday

I went with Empire because I remember their jingle as a kid and I feel like they've been in business for so long EmpireToday would have to be trustworthy. Here's a quick list of complaints:

HARDWOOD FLOORING
- Overcharged see pricing below
- Cut incorrectly there are gaps at some walls and room transitions
- Floor was not levelled before installing, slopes everywhere
- Floor was not padded correctly, floor dips in areas when walked on
- The boards were cut with a miter saw in our house, no tarps so dust covered the entire home and furniture
- Their cleanup was brief, so we spent the next week cleaning sawdust on our own
- They mistakenly ripped up our entire laundry room floor, not part of the job
- Stairs installed incorrectly, boards are different heights and creak loudly
- Product was supposed to be highly resilient, but already has scratches from very standard use (walking in socks)

CARPET
- Paid $500 for upgraded padding, contractor didn't bring it, didn't install it, but charged me for it anyway.
- The charge was not an accidental oversight, he even had me sign for the extra $500 charge as we were discussing the missing padding
- I was able to get this reimbursed eventually by talking to the original sales representative

CUSTOMER SERVICE
- The moment Empire received payment from us, it feels like we don't exist anymore
- Their call centers don't have supervisors to talk to, so they forward you to a local store
- I've been forwarded several times, but never spoke to a manager
- It's been months and have never received the call-backs that were promised
- Our laundry room is still missing its floor after four months of complaints, no call back
- After months of calling, I was told that they can't help me out because it's been more than two months since the install - seriously

PRICING
- Usually, when buying a service, there are three considerations: fast, cheap, and done right you typically get to pick two of the three. With Empire, I got one relatively fast. Empire charged more than anyone else I looked at and still installed the flooring incorrectly
- A local contractor was going to install actual hardwood for thousands less, we chose Empire and manufactured hardwood because we thought they may be more trustworthy
- I was charged for more square footage than I have. Overestimating is fine, but they included rooms that I didn't ask for and way over estimated beyond that. They charged me for tons of extra materials (like 10 extra boxes of hardwood) and kept it all after they were done
- Shady tactics. A sales rep visits you in person with ridiculous prices. When you can't afford it, they start offering discounts for "today only". Their heavily discounted prices were still thousands more than the nearest competitor.

Bottom line: Just because it's a big company that's been around for a while, does NOT mean that they can be trusted to take care of you. Once you pay, no matter how poorly the job was done there is NO RECOURSE to get help, you're alone. Their call centers can't do anything and their managers can't be reached. We paid tens of thousands of dollars for a floor that we have quickly grown to hate if only because of the situation Empire has put us in.

After 2.5 hours or so, I placed my order. That Sat I was excited to get my carpet and only 2 men showed up to do 3 bedrooms, hallway, stairs, & tile the master bath, kitchen, dining area, laundry & pantry. Of course the guys left because it wasn't realistic for them to do all of that in the weekend, EmpireToday promised me. I gave them a chance to remedy the situation and they didn't. So the same day I went to Carpet Giant and placed an order with them for the following Sat. Several hours later that day. I get a call from Empire to finally remedy the situation. Because I decided to only do Capet with Carpet Giant, I told Empire that it was too late to do the carpet, but if they honored the price for the tile downstairs (kitchen, dining area, pantry, & laundry) I'd be interested. They agreed for the following Saturday as well.

That Sat comes and one guy shows up to do the tile work, which was doable, but he was told he was going to only do a master bath and came with only enough materials to do a bathroom, even though the agent on the phone confirmed the order. The installer obviously was given the wrong order and insufficient materials. Needless to say he left, unable to do the job.

Empire comes across as being very unprofessional and unskilled in their organization & communication, which is surprising being that they've been around so long. This was my first time using them and definitely my last. I also got a slightly better price for the carpet from Carpet Giant and much better service. I decided to get my materials bathroom tiled with them after all as well. I'm currently looking into them doing my downstairs, but will probably wait till after the holidays.

My kitchen floor installation was slated to take place on a Saturday at my home in College Park, MD and the installer arrived on time as promised. It took him roughly four hours to complete the job and it really looked nice. We did a walk through inspection to make sure everything was to my liking although I wasn't thrilled with the type of room transition he used at the stairway leading to the basement. However, everything else appeared to be OK so I approved and he left.

Later that day, the stairway transition piece reared its ugly head because it has a 1/4-inch edge that cause a tripping incident so I removed the piece. I blame myself for not thoroughly inspecting it when the installer was still here but it needed to be corrected nonetheless.

I contacted Empire two days after the installation. EmpireToday said they were going to elevate it to a higher level of repair urgency since it had cause someone to trip, gave me a reference number and said someone would arrive the next day to fix it. No one arrived.

Long story short, I called every day for the next four days and was always given a promise to repair that never materialized. I gave them until today (nine days after the installation) to do the right thing and guess what? Nobody called or arrived at my home.

This installation was not inexpensive and I felt I gave them more than enough time to correct the problem. Poor customer service and poor follow-up with a customer is inexcusable these days. Empire will not see any future business from me and I can not recommend to anybody else because of how this played out.

Luckily, I'm capable of doing the job myself which is what I ultimately ended up doing.

I'm giving the installer four stars but one star to the company for flat out lying to a customer.

My Kitchen floor and two areas of the subfloor needed to be
Replaced. I called customer service and communicated what I wanted. EmpireToday referred
Me a salesman and we set an appointment for him to come review the work. In the
Beginning I assumed the poor communication and performance was based on a lack
Of knowledge by the sales rep. However, based on his current treatment of me
I'm convinced this was an intentional act to mislead a retired elderly woman in
Order to keep her deposit. "Old bait and Switch".

Initial Sales Visit:

He arrived at my home and visually
Looked at the floor and soft areas around the refrigerator and sink. We then
Spoke about product and what would work best for my budget. He quoted me a
Price that was higher than his competition. However, I agreed to moved forward
Based on 1) Company name recognition, 2) Friendliness of representation, 3) companies'
Ability to repair subfloor, 4) product & work warranty, and 5) ability to
Get the work done quickly.

I signed on the computer and
Appointment was set for the installers/subcontractors.

Installation Day:

Installers were scheduled to
Arrive mid-morning, 10am-ish est. I started calling the representative around
Noon with no response I then called customer service and was told that she
Couldn't get in touch with the installers and I should wait a little longer. An
Hour or so later, I called back and was told that they (installers) are
Still working on a prior install and they will call when they are heading to my
Home. We are now approaching 6pm and silence from the installer so I
Called customer service and sales representative again. This time I'm told it's
Too late and they need to reschedule. At this point, I'm frustrated and have
Wasted an entire day following up. BUT Felt as if I had no choice, so I
Rescheduled.

Rescheduled Installation Day:

One installer showed up and the 1st
Thing he asked about was payment. He didn't appear to be the one in-charge, so
I opted to wait and speak with the second installer. Due to all the confusion,
I went over the body of work with who appeared to be the lead installer. He took
A look at the floor and said Empire only installs product and would not be able
To complete the work where the floor was soft. This was unacceptable they left,
And I called my salesperson. He apologized and agreed to void the contract and
Return my deposit. He also stated that if I hired someone to take care of the soft
Floor and decided to enter into a new contract with empire that he would give
Me a discount that matches the repair cost. Overwhelmed at this point and
Frustrated I just ended the call.

Return of Deposit:

I waited several weeks before
Checking my bank account for the return of my deposit. I didn't see it on my
Statement. I called the customer service number and explained the situation, I
Was then transferred to the Salesperson. This time his tone was more aggressive
And disrespectful. He now says he never agreed to refund my deposit and I
Should have read the contract before I signed it. I restated that you told me
That my deposit would be returned. I said over and over that you told me that
You would give me back my money and I didn't cancel It was your installers
That refused to complete the work. Feeling defeated I hung up.

Based on my last communication with your office, I feel that
This was a material misrepresentation on behave of your employee with the sole
Intent to take advantage of me. I'm asked for the corporate office to review
What was promised and what wasn't delivered and return my money.

Installers left the doors to my house wide open during the entire installation process in 95° florida heat. Thanks my house is now is home to a giant moth and many fly friends. EmpireToday worked in my grass instead of the driveway where we told them they could make cuts. Saw dust and debris all over lawn and plants. But thats all fine. What not is the poor installation. Every single piece is slightly damaged. No, this is not the end of the world but when we pay $11,000 can you maybe take it easy on the hammer during installation? The installers also left a triangle shaped gap in the transition piece and got lazy with the quarter round installation on the edges of our kitchen cabinets. Do you not have an oscillating multitool to cut out a square to fit the mold? You just slap it on at a 30° angle and use an entire tube of caulking to fill the gap instead? I was told there was no other way. I do not accept that. To top it all off our toilet would no longer fit due to a height difference after installing over tile (wouldnt fit under banjo style counter top) which is fine but my husband told the installer to just leave the toilet as it was and we can deal with it later. Well the installer went back and applied caulking all around the base of the toilet! Thanks now we have to damage the floors further to replace the toilet. Who does that? Have you never installed a toilet? Probably not cuz that is NOTwhat you are suppose to do! Who leaves a job like this?

In addition the sales rep assured us the laminate is 100% water proof and is fine for bathrooms. The installer insisted we CANNOT install the floors in the bathroom. He said he's done this for 6 years and we can't do this and we need to allow them to install tile in a similar color/fashion. He called the boss and simply said ok we got approval to move forward with laminate. Then didn't cut out an area to fit toilet in, just put it on top and used the caulking instead of actually bolting it down. THANKS.

I purchased Vinyl plank flooring 2 years ago. Recently I had noticed that the floors planks started to separate and lift up. I contacted Empire in May and it took several weeks for a response. I had to call several times. The install manager came out to see the floors and said it was moisture, a site problem. The damaged floors are in my dining room where there is no moisture. He then said he would have to go to the office and get back to me. I didn't hear back from him but heard back from the sales person. She came over and told me EmpireToday were replacing the floors with laminate. When I asked what they were replacing she said the entire floor including living/family and kitchen. We set a date and I cleared my house. The day came and nobody showed up. I called several times and was lied to saying the installer was on their way. Come to find out the order wasn't even placed. They said it was a miscommunication and it wasn't going to be free. The install manager made a verbal agreement to do the floors for $1200 because "they can't give floors away" we agreed. Two weeks later the installers come 4 hours later than their window and only have enough product for kitchen and dining room. I called and asked to speak to upper management and 4 days later I'm still waiting to hear from them. I will never use this company again!

We have used Empire today on several occasions different homes this one occurrence doesn't make them evil but sadly EmpireToday do not stand behind their workmanship their contractor nor their product we called to Roger complaint when they responded to us 4 days later they told us that we were 1 day out of warranty when I told them that we had a prom with the flooring they said they would send the contractor out to look at the work and then they would decide whether he can fix it or not and that I would have to pay for it. When the contractor entered my home he was looking at the floor immediately scene where the problem was and indicated that he had messed up on the install sadly my home recording device did not pick up on his 1st part of his conversation with me after contacting Empire to day they asked for a request for me to send them my recording they clearly shows the contractor discussing the problem with my floor scratching his head trying to figure out how to fix it but lo and behold and part today says the video does not clearly State that he made a mistake unfortunately for Empire today I have this continued any more of my projects in my home with their name attached to it all my other flips will not have their name attached to the home dad pad customer service one day really I've had problems fixed for days over don't get their decision making. I do understand now why I learned a long time ago that the truth to buyer beware is definitely out there said for Empire today.

SO... finally I was able to replace my old carpet on my stairs and hallway. Sales person who came out was great no issue. Came day of install and Empire Customer Services calls me 3 times to see if the installer has shown up or called. Which I replied each time no and EmpireToday seemed confused to where he was. After them trying to get a hold of him all day, he finally calls. They show up finally and it was late in the day so they seemed rushed. Flew through the job and made a mess for me to clean up. After they were done they basically flew out the door before I had a chance to check everything out. Then I knew why. They had destroyed my brand new trim along my stairs and hallway. Big chunks gauged out and deep scratches everywhere, all the way up the stairs and hallway. They also did not lay any transition strips leading into the other rooms so I can literally peel the carpet up. The side of the stair shows the wood beneath and the carpet fibers because they did not wrap the stair. I paid all this money because I thought I was going to get a beautiful job and now I have to sand and paint trim with new carpet already laid. I am so disappointed I have to invest more money to fix their mistakes. I called and no one has returned my calls. Wish I would have never done this. Worst experience and so unprofessional.

I got company from Home Advisor was septic because large companies some times give bad service. So I picked a product. Several weeks before installation called confirm. Day before called confirm. Day of installation called 730 am, 1030am both time no greater window than 8 to 6pm. 1130am called ( Candice) was told I was cancelled, now orginally set up appointment in July! So employee said I did not confirm, I answered excuse me called 3 times, then oh the employee forgot to click some box. Well not my fault. Asked for Supervisor, he could not get Baltimore warehouse on phone. Well employee called out so I was cancelled for 100 sq ft bedroom. Mind you I work full time came home Friday pre my room and things are disorganized but this company really does not care. I am only a number. Well left my number, called Home Advisor let them know. Called another carpet company should have went with. Monday if EmpireToday do not call I have dome enough calling, will go to other carpet company place my order. Mind you I have live with my House disorganize because Empire does not think I am important!. This company needs serious make over. At mid day on work day they cannot reach anyone at warehouse. I am now wondering about product as well.
I would just say enter at your won risk!. I let you know how turns out.

PS My sales man oh no where to be found, guess I was a number and not important as well as well.

Finally I told the Supervisor I work with people over 35 years, Nurse if I had been called 3 times and did this I would be written up or FIRED!

Empire Today does not care about the customer! Didn't you read the contract?
Tony the Empire salesman said EmpireToday will send a crew to move the bed and heavy furniture, don't worry they can handle this he said, so I paid extra for the service. The "crew" that arrived was a man and a woman team and I watched the man moving furniture by himself and when I asked why they did not send a crew to move this furniture the woman said we can move the furniture no problem but I have to call my manager and we will charge you more. I told her I am already paying more for the furniture to be moved. To make a long story short the woman installer said this job was not what they expected and it wasn't the first time this particular salesman didn't tell them what would be involved, she said it has happened a few times with Tony. The installers left and I believe the real reason they left was that they weren't sure they could ever get the carpet up the stairs to the 2nd floor and make the turn without a few guys to help. Now I am left with furniture moved out of my bedroom and no one to install the carpet or put the furniture back.
I call customer service and ask for a refund and then listened to Zak tell me that we signed a contract and I would lose 25% of my money and I should have read the contract. Again to make a long story short I will try to give the highlights... Zak constantly mentioned the installers said I was belligerent and it was my fault and that is the reason the installers said they left the house. When I told Zak that the female installer said they have to call their manager and it will cost more to move the furniture, he asked me "strange that you wait until now to remember that this was said to you instead of telling me in the beginning?" I said, are you now accusing me of lying or making this up? He said again to stop talking over him so I basically gave up at this point and stayed quiet until he was done. In the end he took $75.00 off of my bill and rescheduled the install with a new crew. I am being held hostage by a carpet company that has a contract that lets them escape all scenarios and get their money even when it is 100% their fault. The $75.00 in no way equals the heart attack I almost had on Saturday when the installers walked out and Zak said no matter what happened I will still lose 25% because I signed a contract. He again asked "did you read the contract?"
Hey Zak, I hope someday you are treated like this when you are spending thousands of dollars and don't have a bed to sleep in... Empire management if you have a recording of the phone call I request that you listen to it and coach Zak on what it means to be in "customer service". Accusing someone of lying or telling them you were belligerent or, "sir women work hard and can move furniture" (does he think I don't know this?) Empire Today does not care about the customer! Didn't you read the contract?

I'm not sure where to start. I had a sales person come out, measure and give me a quote. My wife unfortunately had to leave before the quote to see her uncle in the hospital with a broken hip. I did what I could to make this go as smooth as possible but epic fail on my part. The sales persons name eludes me. I called him back and set up a time for him to stop back by at his convenience. He let me know at that time my wife should have been there to help make a decision on his first visit. Let me think sir, my wife uncle had just fallen, broke his hip and just had surgery. He never stopped back by as promised nor did I get a call. I called back to Empire and went through the entire process again.
1. EmpireToday sent out Ken George. Nice guy but not very thorough with information though. He did measure and give me a quote.
2. The price he quoted I apparently misunderstood so I called the day of the install.
They dispatcher set me back hours without letting us know via e mail or phone call. This small 81 Square Foot Job took one evening and the next afternoon.
3. They sent one person to do the job. Sadly enough he did not speak English so little communication.
4. No care instructions
5. No follow up call from Ken George even after I called and left a message.
6. I did have other rooms I would have used them form but, not now.
7. I am remodeling another house and will never call this company again or use them for anything.
8. Enjoy the money I paid you because it is the last you will see.

If you order anything other than the cheap/basic/economy padding, the installers won't put it in. Instead, EmpireToday put in the cheap padding. I didn't pay attention when they installed, but had to cut back some carpet to install flooring and noted that the padding put in was NOT what I had ordered -- I had ordered the premium spill-proof/pet-proof padding with liner -- not the cheap stuff without liner. Then the resolution is that they'll replace the padding, but YOU need to move everything out of the room for the installers to replace... or give you $100-150 refund on the "difference in price" for the padding. Which is BS. I warned my friend about it (whom I had referred to Empire unaware I had been ripped off) and they were doing the SAME THING, except he caught it the day of the install. But the installers were like, "well, this is what the warehouse gave us. We can either install it today or reschedule." My friend was moving in in two days and needed the carpet, so he caved and let them install the crap padding and would then work out something with Corporate. THIS IS A SCAM. Do not buy from Empire unless you only buy the cheap stuff. And stay strong with your conviction of them wronging you. They try to frustrate you until you just give up (like Comcast). Take to the review pages. Take it to their Facebook page, bbb.org. Keep up the good fight

Absolutely the worst service and experience. I would give ZERO stars if I could. I wish I had checked Yelp first!

It started out feeling really good. We had a sales guy Robert who was very nice. I liked the price and product he presented, so we SIGNED A CONTRACT for the work to be done on 3/5 with the condition that we move the stove, fridge, and toilet ourselves. Done deal, we were happy.

We moved all of the appliances and removed the toilet the evening of 3/4, and the next morning we got up and awaited the crew's arrival. And waited. And waited. And finally, an hour after EmpireToday were supposed to show up, I get a call from a man named Darnell letting me know that the technician who was supposed to do our flooring ran into an unexpected delay in a different job, and would not be able to do our floors that day. (Please note that this was a total LIE because Empire does not do overnight jobs! There is no possible way that this could be true). I became quite upset and advised Darnell that we had already removed our toilet, and that he needed to get someone out there today. Darnell refused, continuing to claim that there was no one to send and nothing he could do about it. He offered to have someone come out Monday 3/7, or Saturday 3/12.

My husband and I both work full time and there was NO WAY we were going to lose a full day's pay because of their incompetence. So, after discussing with my husband, we agreed that a reasonable solution would be to have them come out on Saturday 3/12. In the meantime we would put the toilet back. Our conditions were that they would take 100$ off the job, and they would remove the appliances and put them back themselves. Reasonable right? (especially considering that this would require that we purchase another seal for the toilet). WRONG! They were willing to take some money off the job, but not to move the appliances. We were going to be required to do it ourselves AGAIN. Now would be a good time to mention that they charge $40 per appliance, so they would have charged us $240 to do what we have now done TWICE.

At this point I was thoroughly pissed and disgusted, so I called Robert the sales guy. He was very empathetic, and said he would call the office to work something out for me. A little while later I got a call back from Robert letting me know that he was willing to come to our home to supervise the job on Monday. This way we wouldn't have to wait a week, and we wouldn't need to put the toilet back on in the meantime and have to buy that replacement part, and we wouldn't have to miss work. This is in addition to removing 100$ off the job. We were annoyed with the company as a whole at this point, but this seemed an acceptable compromise. (Please also note that Darnell told Robert that the tech that was supposed to do the work was MIA and not picking up his phone! No call, no show. So that line about the "unexpected delay on another job" was a load of hogwash and a total LIE)

Today is 3/7. My husband stayed at the house this morning waiting for Robert to show up so he could let him in. After no contact from Robert, my husband gave him a call. What a shocker to learn that Robert has 2 appointments this morning! One at 9, and one at 11, and neither are anywhere near our house! So he had NO INTENTION of actually showing up this morning! None.

Needless to say we have cancelled the whole job. This company does not deserve our business. We are working to have my deposit refunded and we will go all the way up to the CEO of Empire and drag *******@sses before the Better Business Bureau to get it back if we have to.

Empire, please note, We have told EVERYONE WE KNOW ABOUT THIS. Everyone. Our friends and family, our personal banker, the cashier at Savemart, our neighbors, our co-workers, EVERYONE. My husband is an account manager for a property management company, and guess who he's going to tell all of his clients and associates not to use? YOU. My mother-in-law is having her entire 3600 sqft home refloored this summer. She was planning on using you, but after hearing our story, guess what flooring company she will never ever use? That's right, YOU. Good luck keeping your doors open. If this is how you do business I don't think you will be around much longer.

I had an engineered hardwood floor installed in my home by Empire Today. I assumed that their salespeople and installers were professionals and fully understood the products EmpireToday sold. As such, I accepted their advice regarding the type of floor that was best for our recently purchased home in the foothills in Golden, CO.
We were living in Texas at the time of the installation and had the Golden home as a second home for 18 months until we retired and moved to Colorado permanently. Within a year of occupying the home we began to notice that the floor was delaminating, meaning that the laminate layer was separating from the boards leaving bare spots that were irreparable and unsightly.
When I contacted Empire Today they requested pictures of the problem which I provided immediately. Their response was that this was an environmental problem and that they would replace the effected boards for $700. After insisting that someone come to my home to inspect the floor, they finally agreed to send a floor inspector. The inspector's findings indicated that the humidity in the house was 19%; much lower than the necessary 30 to 40% necessary to prevent problems with shrinkage of the wood. Thus, the floor was deteriorating due to critically low humidity.
The problem is this. I was never informed of the need to regulate humidity, and according to the National Wood Floor Association standards, the installing company must conduct an environmental inspection of the home, and the floor should not be installed if the humidity is below necessary levels. Additionally, the NWFA standards require the installing company to inform the homeowner of the requirements for maintaining the proper humidity levels. NONE OF THIS WAS DONE.
When the floor was installed, I was referred to the Empire Today Website to review the floor warranty and care instructions; none of which mention anything about humidity requirements. In fact, if Empire Today had done their due diligence and conducted an environmental study, they would have easily seen that this home has no forced air and maintaining the humidity level with a whole house humidifier would be impossible. Unfortunately, no one inquired about this issue or inspected the home.
Empire Today has offered to replace the wood floor with vinyl, which they claim is the appropriate floor for the home. The problem is they want $9000 to replace my deteriorating floor with the floor that they should have installed on the first place.
At this point I want a full refund of the cost of the engineered floor. I refuse to work with Empire Today going forward. They are not trustworthy.

The worst company I have ever dealt with. I was measured for a sunroom and kitchen. I decided to do the sunroom first and scheduled for two weeks out for the May 26,2021. I took off work; and waited for someone to call to give me an ETA. At approximately one pm no one had called nor shown up so I called. It was related me that EmpireToday were "running behind schedule but someone would contact me between that time and 6 PM. Around 4 PM I received a call that they need to reschedule for the next day, Thursday. After negotiated a 10 percent discount I said OK, although I had to request an additional day off work. I asked to be be called at 8:00 AM because my time was very important. At 8:00 AM on Thursday, the 27th, someone called only to tell me that because of the weather they were behind and the earliest I can get my floor was June 10,2021. I completely lost it. Meanwhile I have missed 2 days of pay and still no flooring. I said to cancel the order. Meanwhile I waited to be reimbursed for my $400.00 deposit. Today, June 1, at 8:00 AM I received a call from Empire asking "WHY" I cancelled.? Before I get my refund. I have used Empire in the past and I have referred the company to family and Friends. But this is the "PITS." Never again. There are too many companies and private contractors waiting for work.

NEVER hire this company. From my experience, EmpireToday are not competent, not responsive, not responsible (don't want to admit their own mistakes) and do not refund money when items are returned. They have so far been unwilling to settle what even they admit is a legitimate claim for compensation for completely butchering a floor installation.

July 2017 - Empire recommended and sold me poor quality and inappropriate flooring:
Manufacturer: LW Mountain
Style Name/Number: Vallette
Color Name/Number: Acacia Samba Brown
Size Involved in Claim: 1841
Type of Surface: Vinyl Plank Click-Lock
Empire recommended this flooring for both the upstairs and downstairs as well as the stairs. But when their installers looked at it, the installers showed me that it was inappropriate flooring for stairs. Empire had to order a second type of flooring and trim for the stairs. Empire charged me additional $5K and did not refund any for the extra vinyl flooring I paid for.
The installers refused to remove the original wood flooring on the lower floor. Instead, they installed the vinyl directly over the original flooring. I was charged for the removal and never got a refund. I reported this to the sales rep and she did nothing but note it on the paperwork. In addition, Empire had ordered and charged me for cement to level out the lower floor when the old flooring had been removed. I had the installers return it to Empire. This charge was not refunded.
The installation was very messy and the installers left glue around baseboards and did not clean up. I called Empire repeatedly to get the floors cleaned and they did not respond to my request to do so.
The installation took much longer to complete than originally estimated because of the bad recommendation to use the vinyl on the stairs. The installers broke plumbing in the bathroom that I had to pay for and I had to hire someone to set up the TV a second time.
January 2018
Within 5 months of installation, floor humped up 1+ inches in one spot (the kitchen as you enter from the dining area and hall) and up to ½" in other places. After the flooring humped up, I did an online review of complaints about this flooring. Many reviews indicated that humping was a known problem with this flooring.
I called customer service and was told they would get back to me. They didn't.
I called several times to follow up as floor was getting worse. It was also humping up in several locations upstairs.

March The floor is getting worse the humped floor in the kitchen is 1 1.5" higher than the rest of the floor. This has created a trip hazard.

On March 11, Empire sent two installers out to "repair" the floor. The installers took one look and said that the floor had been improperly installed and would have to be entirely replaced both downstairs and upstairs. They called back to Empire while they were here and reported this to Empire.
Thus, in addition to being poor quality flooring, the vinyl flooring was installed badly.
I got no follow up from Empire and had to keep calling them. Finally in May, Empire told me they would send two new installers out and I had to move out to have them repair the floor.

May 11,2018
I was told a supervisor, Mario would be out 5/24 to replace the floor. I was told that I would have to move everything out of the downstairs rooms. I reminded the Empire installation supervisor, Joe, that I was a 70 year old woman with a bad back and could not move the large furniture. He said the installers would take care of that. From 5/11 5/22, I packed all dishes, art, and collectables that were in the living room, dinning room, and family/kitchen room. I removed all items from the pantry. I removed all small furniture, packed items and carpets and stored them in the garage. This took well over 60 hours of my time.

May 24,2018
Two new installers arrived (not Mario, the supervisor as I had been promised). They took one look at the problem and said, "We can't fix this. The entire floor needs to be replaced." They called Joe and left.
Since then, Empire has continued to jerk me around and not resolve the problem. They have admitted that the flooring was not good quality and had known problems and that it was not installed correctly. They have finally admitted that it will all have to be replaced.
I have had to hire a lawyer to help me get them to respond. I had to hire a professional floor inspector to do a report on it. Empire hired their own inspector. Both inspectors said the vinyl flooring was not good quality and it was installed very badly.
I'm appalled that a company of their size would be so difficult and insensitive. For example, twice, the local installation manager has sent a crew (2 installers) out to "fix" the floor. Both times the installers looked at the problems with the floor and said, "That can't be fixed, it has to all be replaced".
I have been greatly inconvenienced and stressed because of Empire's poor quality flooring, incompetent installation, and poor response from Customer Service. I have been contacting Empire and trying to resolve the problems with the flooring since February 2018. I have been unable to use a large portion of the house particularly the living room, dining room and kitchen. The hazardous bump has prevented me from inviting family and friends over due to the liability of possibly tripping on the floor.
The stress and inconvenience will not be over with a payment from Empire. I will still have to hire people to remove and replace the faulty, poor quality flooring that Empire left me with. I will have to pack and move out so that a proper installation can be done.
As of December 19,2018, I have received no compensation from Empire.

Worst decision I ever made was allowing These people into my home. I was robbed $2550. EmpireToday sent a family of 4 to my home to install my cheaply made carpet. Two young children around ages 11 and 13 a gentleman and his petite wife. The gentleman knocked on my door and said he was here to install carpet requesting remaining balance from my husband. Once he paid the gentleman walked outside and came back with his family. I pulled in the driveway to see young children cutting what was to be my padding for my carpet in the RAIN. I quickly told them we would not be installing carpet today one it is raining now and you are not about to ruin my new carpet in the rain and two there are child labor laws. I asked this family to leave my home. I then proceeded to call customer service to request a refund because this type of installation was not what I signed up for number one and number two there is a pandemic out here and kids are the worst at washing their hands. I feel empire put my whole family at risk. Thank you empire! I was informed it's out of my 3 day cancellation window and they will not refund me. I will take this to the news to court whatever I must do get the money empire has Robbed me from. I can't help it's out of a 3 day window when I signed a contract in January and you didn't have a opening until March to install and even so I did not sign approval for illegal work to be done. There are child labor laws and I do have video of these children in my driveway cutting padding that I intend to take to court with me if that's what I have to do to receive my full refund back.

I erroneously trusted the salesman as a "flooring expert" therefore, I was sold the wrong product. After I had entered into a contract with Empire, I found out laminate should NEVER go in a bathroom. Their salesman had told me laminate would not only resist water but is also scratch resistant and made with the same compound used by NASA. Well it's neither water nor scratch resistant and I have pets. I am grateful the installer (WHO IS NOT AN EMPIRE EMPLOYEE) was honest enough to let me know he would not install laminate in a bathroom since it would damage immediately with ANY moisture. I spoke to a GM who told me EmpireToday would install a floor suitable to my needs & absorb the additional costs acknowledging their mistake, however, it wouldn't be installed until next week. I had taken off work for this install. My home is in total disarray & not safely habitable since project had been started. Furniture is blocking hallway, dressers are emptied, cement poured on floors, etc. How are we expected to live in this mess & keep missing time from work?
When I told GM I could not wait until next week he told me to feel free to hire another contractor. That's a great & easy way out of this mess for them, meanwhile, we would have to wait another 3 weeks to be put on another company's work list.

BEWARE OF THEIR SCHEDULING ISSUES! I was told my floor did not arrive from manufacturer so my install would be postponed. Never received the promised call back with new install date, however, their automated system kept calling me to confirm scheduled install. I called customer service and was "disconnected." I called again & was told installer was headed to my home. By this time I had resumed other plans & had not emptied the rooms. When installer showed up, the floor was a different color than depicted on the sample. They have no conception of the time, lost wages & inconvenience we as customers are put through due to their mistakes.

Where to start with the comedy of errors. Had an appointment 2/26, told them to come at 5; 45 due to work schedule, EmpireToday call me at 4:30 that day and say they will be there in 10 mins. I say that is not going to work. Reschedule for today, 2/28. Aaron Jones calls 5:22, about my appointment at 6. He starts asking me qualifying questions (do i have 90 mins, am i going to buy today, what i want done) and saying he might be coming closer to 6:45. (disclaimer i was a marketing director for a home improvement company for 10 years). I ask him if that's what he is doing and he gets testy and i say i will call him back. I call him back 5 mins later (5:30) and say yeah, come on over 6:45 is good. He then says he might be later then that because he is writing a huge deal and with travel time might be later. I ask where his big deal is, he says Collegeville, i say how that's where my house is, so it shouldn't take you that long in travel time. He says yeah your right and he will let me know when he is on the way.
7:15 phone rings, it's aaron, saying he is in my development but can't find my house. I tell him the number and look outside and he says ok be there in a second. I wait 10 mins nothing. I call the main number, speak to Alfreada (spelling), who tries calling aaron to no answer. So Aaron lied about being in my developement, then just didn't answer the phone. I tried him again to no answer. Alfreada says she can have a sales manger call me in 24 business hours, maybe not till Monday. I left work early, their rep called me to say he was outside (supposedly) and no he is not answering and she can't do anything about it, let alone i can't speak to a manager till Monday maybe. I want to know where aaron was when he lied to me and said he was at my house and couldn't find it and why he did that and why he avoided the calls. What type of people do you have working for you. Avoid at all costs.
As i was typing this, empire called to reschedule my appointment, saying the rep had a schedule conflict, I asked if she knew he had called and i had called them and she didn't. Total Joke

We ordered luxury vinyl plank flooring from Empire Flooring International in March 2018. The salesman that came out to do the estimate first gave a quote of $14,500 which I immediately shut down. He then gave another quote of $11,000, nothing changed except for him taking $3500 off for no known reason. I thought it was high but my mother was paying and she had the final say so she went with it. We started going through which colors were available and she chose a nice dark brown. I asked the salesman if it was 100% waterproof and he stated, "Not in that color". I had already informed him that we were ONLY interested in waterproof due to just getting 2 new puppies and having difficulty training them but I guess he forgot. He then pulled out different color samples which were supposedly 100% waterproof and she chose one. At that point he stated,"Great, that would come in rather quickly and it's a good bit less expensive than the original sample you picked". I asked him how much of a price difference it would be and he said he needed a moment. I then walked outside to let my parents finish it up. About 15 minutes later he departed. I checked in with my parents to see how much the price went down and it didn't... If the quote was on their finest luxury vinyl plank flooring yet the one my mother chose was a good bit cheaper then why no price drop? That's the least of my issue though.
I got 3 other quotes after he left and all others came in around $6800. We decided to go with someone else whom had the same quality flooring but at the cheaper rate. I contacted Empire to let them know that we would not be moving forward and thought that was the end of it. It wasn't. I received a call 2 days later from the Regional Manager. We negotiated the price down to $7500 which included EVERYTHING. The removal of original floors, underlayment, floor leveling and so on... We did our financing through them which was Wells Fargo at 9.9% for 48 months as well. The contract stated Vallete luxury vinyl plank flooring in American Hickory Syrah with the square footage and all other necessary materials such as quarter round and... I was told I'd get a phone call the next day to let me know when the install would happen. That call never came. A few days later 2 men showed up out the blue. EmpireToday put down the wet floor leveller and immediately started laying down the planks. I asked if the wet material needed time to dry before laying the floor and was told no, not necessary. The entire project was roughly 1180 square feet. They finished in 2 days from start to finish even while it was raining outside.
A day passed by and I noticed how loud it was while walking around. I contacted the Regional manager to see if someone would be coming out to do a final inspection. He said typically not buy that he'd send the local District Manager out. A few days later that happened. As he walked around the house he kept making comments on how bad of a job was done and that it would all most likely have to be pulled out and redone. I asked him if the installers were supposed to wait for the floor to dry before installing the actual flooring and he looked at me at if I were crazy. His response,"they didn't level the floor in the first day then wait a day or two before coming back to install the floors"? My response, no, it was all done at the same time. He sighed then said he'd let me know asap what would be happening next. That didn't happen.
About a week went by with no communication. I called and left numerous voicemails too. After a week I received a call from the District Manager stating another crew would be coming out to see what could be done to fix the issues. (I thought it was going to be replaced) 3 days later, no prior call, a new crew arrived. They inspected the floor and said,"This is horrible work, it is going to have to come out, the floor isn't level, it's bad". GREAT, ANOTHER WEEK WITH NO FURNITURE LIVING ON THE FLOOR. Days later they show up and pull up the new flooring and level the floors. At least that's what was supposed to happen... 3 days later another new set of installers show up. They start looking at the floor and say they can't lay the flooring that day... Of course I asked why and was told, "they didn't level the floor correctly so we have to do it now and we can't lay the floor over the wet ground"... WOW, IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING? I called the Regional manager and complained about what had happened and what was still happening. He then sent the District Manager out. At that point I had already left the house to bring my mother whom has cancer and my 2 young daughters to get another nights hotel room. It is about 95° here after all. I didn't get a call from anyone that day, night is the next day from anyone at Empire. I figured they'd give me a status update when I saw them next when they came to install the flooring... That didn't happen though...
When I arrived home the next day the entire process was done! The flooring installed and all. We had already been out of a home for over a month because of the first installers putting the flooring down over the wet leveller, then the second installers messing up the floor level process and now after all that, the flooring was laid down over wet leveller AGAIN! Needless to say, the floor is buckling all over the place, it looks horrible and the entire process has been nothing short of a nightmare.
There is so much more I could add but this is already a novel and my nerves are fried.
PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!

The floor guys were 5 hours late. When EmpireToday arrived here they asked which floor they were doing, I told them the hallway and kitchen only. They asked about the laundry room off of the kitchen and I told them "No, just the hallway and kitchen." I walk into the other room and a half hour later hear one of them say "OH F*CK." I walk into the kitchen only to see that they ripped up the floor in the laundry room... THE EXACT ROOM I TOLD THEM NOT TO DO. The guy turns to me and again asks "were we supposed to do the laundry room?" and again I tell him no. So now they spend the next two hours putting the floor back in the room they weren't supposed to touch before even starting the actual project. Fast forward to 11pm and they're still working on the kitchen and have a powersaw running outside... AT 11PM on a weeknight when people have work in the morning and kids have school. I ask them if they can come back tomorrow because they're being so loud and at this point, neighbors are complaining. They tell me no, they need to finish the job the same day. It eventually gets to the point where I'm in tears and begging them to bring the powersaw inside so that my neighbors don't call the police after having them come by 3 times yelling for them to keep it down. They don't finish until after 12:30 at night (mind you I have to be up for work at 5) and leave the driveway a complete mess. The cops show up just as they're pulling away and it was the worst experience with a company ever. I complained to customer service and someone was supposed to call me and never did. Completely unprofessional company all around. Their price was almost the same as competitors... empire today is not worth it at all.

My wife and I purchased Luxury Vinyl Flooring from Empire in January of 2019. This was after several months of debating what the best product in our price range would be for our needs and after several visits by both the same salesman and a manager level sales associate. We chose the product because we wanted something affordable and very durable that would last a long time. My wife is disabled; needs a walker and at times a wheelchair in our home and we plan on getting a service dog. So, we wanted a durable product and this was recommended by both as one of the best for our needs that was also reasonably priced relative to some of the nicer hardwoods. We also had spots of slightly uneven foundation, so this product was meant to accommodate that as well. We used Empire to put floor in a guest room in the past and were reasonably happy with the value and service that time, so had them assess our entry, great room, kitchen and hallway this go around.
Around April/May of 2019 parts of the floor were beginning to bubble up. We called and discussed the issue and the locations; in the hallway and entry way primarily. We were told by customer service representatives that EmpireToday would have to talk about the situation with management and installers and let us know what the next steps were. Both the product and installation were supposedly well under warranty this being only months after install. A woman named Donna representing herself as "management" called back and stated that they would have an installer come and replace the damaged area. Hugo, the original installer did come out, talked to us briefly about the issue and said they didn't have enough of the product on-hand, but he would be willing to try again. He did mention that some of the areas were where light from a skylight hit the floor and he wondered if it could be an issue. He said that he honestly wasn't that familiar with the product as it was relatively new, but there may be ways they could try and keep it in place. He said someone would call when they had enough product on hand to replace the area.
After several weeks we were repeatedly told that they were waiting on more product. Then after a lot of phone tag Donna called and told us that per the installers and management team, since some of these bubbles were in areas where light from an overhead skylight hit the floor, this was likely the cause of the issue and something that should have been discussed with us and in the care and maintenance information we were given. They would not be repairing it. There was no real explanation about why they went from waiting for product to fix the issue to it is our fault and they refuse to. My wife was then told we would have to replace it with a more costly product at our expense and it wouldn't be under warranty as we should have known this could be an issue. My wife told Donna we disagree with this assessment and she would like myself, her husband, to be a part of the conversation and requested Donna call when I was available (I work 8-5 and cannot take personal calls for the most part).
We told Donna when I could be available to talk, and she agreed to call those times. I waited multiple days when she was to call and when she did not. Finally, I called several times until getting her, when she said she left a message on our answering machine (not the number we requested she use and hours after the prearranged time she was to call. This happened multiple times during out interaction). Donna often blames it on her calling and us not picking up, which did happen in the past truth be told, but at this point she had my cell and I never got a call or message and always carry it. Also, when Empire customer service calls caller ID does not show them as Empire, it always comes from different numbers and most often a message is not left. If you call back an automated message states that the number is not available. I was finally able to connect with Donna on my cell phone, now into July.
Donna is apparently a customer service manager; not clear or announced when we first spoke, or she first spoke to my wife. I told her neither the initial sales representative David, the sales manager John who we ended up buying the bought the product from, nor the installer Hugo mentioned that direct sunlight could be a potential issue, any protections that could avoid it being so, nor did any paperwork we were given. We literally met all three of these individuals under the skylight in the main room the flooring would be installed in. I expressed I felt if this is truly the case, which I am now doubting, I felt her company representatives' own ignorance of the product was the real issue as we clearly stated we wanted the most durable flooring in our price range and none of these individuals expressed any concern knowing we had skylights and a large sliding glass door. We also have neighbors with similar product (vinyl) and neither they nor the sliding glass door through which sunlight comes into our home have had this issue. I stated that I felt this potential issue should be covered under warranty and that it was not expressed as an issue so we should not be liable as customers for these problems. I further expressed that I felt as if we were being scammed into spending more or they are trying to make up for their own lack of knowledge of their new product. Donna said she was sure if we looked up the care and maintenance of the product it would discuss protecting it from UV rays and that she would "have to talk to corporate" to see if they would agree with my assessment. The nonchalantly poor customer service we have received has been borderline shocking. This conversation had to happened on our 4th of July vacation, about 6 weeks after my wife first called. I called on her birthday from our hotel because I had to call every day when I said I would be available before the elusive Donna, who apparently is the only one who knows of or can deal with our issue, could be gotten a hold of.
About a week later, after several unsuccessful contacts again, Donna called and told us corporate' rejected that this should be under warranty and felt we should have known of the issue. We did not accept this explanation and requested that this supposed corporate' representative call me directly, someone above her does or that someone at the management level of sales and/or installation come and tell us to our face what the issue is, that we should have known, and what our options are. It has been 4 weeks without one of these individuals reaching out. After about a month we got a message from Donna, again, not on my cell, the phone we requested she contact us on. We have tried to contact her since through email and voice mail unsuccessfully. In the meantime, we called a different customer service that connected us to their main corporate representatives instead of the local ones we had been talking with. We explained the issue and they said it is best to keep working with the local office but also redirected us to someone with familiarity of the products and installation to answer general questions. A kind gentleman named George spoke with us and stated that they skylight should not be an issue and agreed their maintenance instructions do not discuss it. We went on the website together and the care and maintenance instructions to not mention sunlight, UV rays, or skylights. We even joked that one of the commercials and product guides shows a skylight in the home. We feel even more now that we are either being scammed or given the runaround by a poorly managed office.
Incidentally, the only care and maintenance instructions we were ever given was to "go to their website". It does have a section on this, for this product-go look:

https://www.empiretoday.com/customer-service/product-care/vinyl-flooring-care?ve...⇄ />
It says nothing about direct sunlight or UV rays being a potential issue as we confirmed with George, their own corporate' representative. We have asked multiple times, unsuccessfully, to be connected with another office manager besides Donna as at this point, we have little trust in her. I honestly feel their own representatives didn't know much about this product and the installers didn't either. I have to say the installers were great though. They worked around some irregularities and were easy to deal with.
If things pan out for the best, we will update this. At this point we doubt the integrity of Empire to be completely honest; at least the sales and management team though the installer in this case seemed a straight shooter. Either this was all a scheme to get us to get more expensive product, or at best, the sales team and management's ignorance of their own product and an example of extremely poor and misleading customer service. I would be careful when using Empire-document all your communications, read all fine print, go over the care and maintenance they refer you to before they leave so they don't misguide you. My wife is clearly disabled, and we are on a limited income and feel taken advantage of when we were crystal clear about our needs and why they are our needs. Different representatives are giving us different answers, when we can get a hold of someone, and no one really seems to care. I hope our experience is the exception to the rule, just know this is an honest account of our unfortunate experience.
As an aside, I went to Empire's website and tried to leave a review. It makes it easy to read them but not to leave one. I attempted to get directions to do so through Empire's chat line feature and each of the 3 times I chatted with a representative, when I got to the question, each time in different ways, "how do I actually leave a review, there are not instructions via that link" I got disconnected. Different representatives, different wording, my computer was working fine. Maybe coincidence, butwith the rest of my experience I questions if so. On a 4th attempt the chat representative just suggested I go to a third-party site to leave one.
We are still waiting on a call back. And please remember the whole idea was for this to make life easier on my disabled wife who for the last 4 months has had to go over growing bumps in the floor with her walker or wheelchair which defeats the purpose of having one level surface for her to travel upon-the primary reason we purchased the flooring to begin with. Heaven forbid she trip over this spot while we continue to wait for someone to help us resolve this issue. If utilizing Empire, go in with your eyes wide open.

Empire Today was quick to respond to my request for a quote and sale, however, after I gave my deposit and got an installation date, things went south. The first representative that was sent was verbally abusive and vulgar. The second representative was courteous, knowledgeable and professional.

The installers missed two installation appointments with no call to explain and after finally installing the vinyl on the third attempt, there was a tear in the vinyl. After a weeks long effort to even talk to someone in installation, I finally went back to sales and I was given a phone number to text a message to and send a picture of the damage. No response. This began another two weeks of futile efforts to reach the installation group. During this time, the vinyl developed bubbles. Finally, I got a call from the installation manager and he gave me an appointment date. I was told to expect a call the morning of in order to get a firm time. Again, no show, no call. Another week of trying to get another appointment. After reaching out via phone, leaving messages with no response, visiting the website and using the chat feature, I call the sales rep and get a call from the installer. Again I get an appointment. That day comes and goes with no call, no show. Another ridiculous period of time passes before I get a call from the installation manager and he wanted to explain to me why the delay was my fault.

I have an appointment for an installation tech to come at noon tomorrow. I have no faith that appointment will be met. I will not do business with this company again. The installation department has no integrity, does not meet there commitments, and does not know how to return calls, text, or emails.

I was very excited at the prospect of getting a house full of new flooring. EmpireToday were running their $50 a room special, and I went on line and booked an appointment. My appointment was confirmed via text, email and 3 separate phone calls. My husband took the day off of work and we anxiously awaited our salesman to arrive with hundreds of samples so that we could select our choices for 9 rooms of flooring. They give you a two hour window for arrival and as we neared the two hour mark, still no representative. 3:00 O'clock came and went, so I called the company to get an ETA. She looked me up and told me that my appointment had been canceled! I asked her how that was possible when I had confirmed it by phone the day before at 3:54! She was not sure, but offered to connect me with the sales manager that had canceled. When that department answered, he was "in a meeting ", but she took my number and would have him call as soon as he got out. No call. No explanation, no excuse for such poor service. With nearly 2000 sq ft of flooring to install not to mention the extra charge for moving furniture etc, they missed out. For me, I am just disappointed and have lost trust. I will be calling Lowe's tomorrow to schedule an appointment for my flooring. It is inexcusable for a company to not even bother to contact a customer if they are going to cancel a scheduled appointment. We did our part, they sure fell short on their end.

Our sales rep suggested vinyl plank flooring as a great option for our bathrooms and gave us a quote for carpeting and the vinyl plank flooring. On the day of installation, we learned the LVP we'd chosen could not be installed. Since our bathroom walls are tiled, the quarter-round typically nailed to the wall could not be used to hold the flooring in place and we would need to select a glue-down alternative. (One with a substantial price increase.) Even after the installer was on the phone with our rep explaining the situation, when I spoke to the rep and asked to see the color options, he told me EmpireToday would be installing the same productum, I was standing right there when you were told it would not be covered under warranty?
On December 20th we were rescheduled for the vinyl plank installation. The installer did not call prior to his arrival, instead he let himself in the vacant house and began working.
Unfortunately, he started by ripping out our newly painted and caulked baseboards in the laundry room damaging the drywall in the process. (The planks were to go right up TO the baseboards with quarter-round installed later.) I walked him through the other areas instructing what we wanted done, what to leave alone. I then realized he did not speak English. I let our rep know immediately we had a communication problem and was contacted by customer service assuring me that a crew chief would be there shortly. Nobody else showed up.
(Before the installer arrived, our rep made sure to "catch him in time before he left the warehouse" to bring a threshold piece we needed. When we asked about this piece and if he had it, he said no. However, it was later that night when we noticed he DID install it... in an area that was nowhere near the section of the house getting the new flooring. And it did not match AT ALL. He'd removed the one that was already there that did not need replacing.)
Before the installer left, I asked if he was going to caulk around the tub. He said "tomorrow". Tomorrow? I was told this would be completed in one day (when it was BOTH the carpet and LVP scheduled). I told him NO, I was not able to be there the next day. He told my husband he would be there at 9:30 the following night, which I thought was very odd, but okay... as we had to have this house finished and ready for our renters in days. He showed up at 8:30 the next morning calling us to let him in.
Although I repeatedly asked for the crew chief to come out, and was repeatedly told he would be there, he was not available until it was time to collect our money. At which time he was inspected the work and admitted the installer was not experienced enough to have done the job. While there, he reinstalled a plank that was jutting up and recaulked an area.

I wanted to deduct the price of the materials we purchased to repair the sheetrock and baseboards (I had the receipts) I was told that no, I needed to pay in full and then "later" would be reimbursed. I emailed the customer service rep pictures and asked if I was being picky or if this was the standard one should expect from Empire, she called with a sincere apology and said she too was shocked at the work. I had second thoughts about "being reimbursed later" and was willing to pay for the original price I was quoted just to be done with it. No, her manager would only allow $200 off. We absolutely would have had them redo the entire job before paying one cent if we had the time to do so. But we wanted them OUT so we could start repairing what they'd damaged. Oh... to add insult to injury, our brand new carpets had stains, sticky residue and spots I could not remove.

As this was not a floating floor, the large spaces between the floor and wall seen in the pictures were unnecessary. Some gaps were so large the quarter-round we intended to install would not fully cover them. The cuts should have been made accurately to eliminate the excessive use of caulk. Pieces of the tile wall were chipped and broken off, then discolored by the brown caulk. Some planks were raised up off the floor. (Believe it or not, there were many other issues I'm not listing.) I think the pictures will speak for themselves.

So the flooring was finally installed, mind you not what I had ordered and not when it was promised. But I had to move the tenant back in literally at any cost so that's the way it was. The installers were the only positive thing during this horrid debacle. EmpireToday were A) Nice B) Didn't try to scam me for more $ C) Did a good job and cleaned up after themselves.

So in the final analysis if costs are your primary concern then Empire-Today is probably going to be a top contender for your project. But just be forewarned there's a strong chance it won't be what you ordered, won't be done in the time frame promised and you won't have any recourse for lost wages as happened with me for their own ineptitude on running a business.

I've received a couple of follow up calls from Empire-Today about my review here as well as the Better Business Bureau expressing their concern over my review and such. And has been the case since day one I've returned their calls to met with the familiar 'we're concerned with your being a happy customer' and;'w e want to address your issues' but all it is is an endless game of voice mails and phone tag.

I will say it the only way I know, Do Not Do Business With Empire-Today. Save yourself the frustration, disappointment and lost wages/work hours.

I decided to have leveling and carpet installed throughout my home. The carpet installers arrived to my home on Wed., 10/24 at around 9:30 am. The installers were pleasant and professional, but only seemed to have carpet and padding with them.

As such, I decided to go over the agreed upon contract and reconfirm the services that would be rendered with the installers and that is where the issue ensued. Allegedly, the Empire Baltimore Warehouse Installation Manager and his Assistant did not fully review the work order. For example, I specifically requested a sub-floor underlay, in my contract, to level out my floor & close any gaps or holes & make everything even.

Of course, the Installers that came out yesterday were just there to do the carpet install only, EmpireToday did not have any expertise in leveling. As such, I asked the installers to contact their supervisor/manager and hold off on ripping the carpet up until there is further clarity provided. It was determined by all parties that the leveling was a part of contract all along.

What's even more frustrating is prior to my installation day, I called Empire multiple times regarding the leveling (to be extra sure that this is confirmed as part of the contract) & of course the Empire subcontractors show up without someone who can do the leveling.

After the leveling issues was discussed and confirmed, I was advised that my work order would run the span of two full days (Thur. 10/25 & Fri., 10/26). Needless to say, however, the leveling did not take place on Thur. 10/25 nor the install on Fri, 10/26 after three days of my rearranging my schedule and household. I had three different sets of contractors to show up to my home on each day, tons of confusion, no consistency or communication.

It seems like there was a huge breakdown in communication with Empire (but more so) with the local company that Empire subcontracts with and the installers (from the Baltimore area). The subcontractor Lead/Manager (John I believe is his name) was not concerned, professional, understanding, or customer service focused. More than anything, the Installation Manager seemed more concerned about how I got his number to contact him regarding my install than mitigating my install issue.

Perceivably, the Empire Reps were also not as resolution focused as I hoped (e.g. Holding the subcontractors accountable). They tried to contact the subcontractor multiple times with no resolve (phone calls going straight to voice mail, unavailability etc.);

Very unfortunate and disheartening. Will not ever use Empire again and will share my story with everyone that I know. This is unprofessional and a inconvenience to me and my family. Please know that I had to rearrange my work schedule, take time off work, and shift other appointments.

Initially, I was somewhat pleased with my experience. I'd replaced the carpet in my entire house and had wood floor laminates installed. No issue with initial scheduling. Paid for my pending service upfront, as well as, took a day off work for them to complete a two-day project. When my laminate floors were installed, EmpireToday did not bring enough materials to complete the job. The installer was very apologetic and guaranteed I would be first to complete the job the next Saturday. As a result, I'd scheduled some appointments for the afternoon to allow them time to complete the job that morning. I'd received a call around 8:00 AM that they were on the way and would arrive within two hours between 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM. Well after me making four calls, finally on the fourth call now 1:50PM, I'd learned that the installers who were to complete a paid job decided not to come to me first to complete an installation that should have been completed last week. They did not call to notify me of a change in my appointment nor apparently, did they care that I had other commitments for the afternoon. Also, tried to email my salesman Howard Naylor but to no avail. This is totally unacceptable! Very, very poor customer service! I guess they have my money so customer service goes out the window. A very unhappy customer!

We are planning on installing about 1400 sq/ft of new flooring in our home we saw the ad from Empire Today "cover one room at regular price and get any additional rooms for $50 each" so we called to have a sales person come out and measure our area of concern and give us a estimate. The sales person showed up on time but she had window dressing samples not floor samples. She apologized and told us there was no problem she could give us a quote for new flooring. To their credit the sales person was very pleasant and professional. We told her we were interested in the $50 room sale. She told us that it only applied to a few floor coverings and that she could save us $$ on other floor coverings. We told her we would like to know how much it would cost for the sale items, she did some calculations and gave us a figure that was aprox. $10K higher than other quotes we had previously obtained from other companies. When we asked her to explain her figures she could not. When we quoted their ad to her stating that the add did not mention it only applied to a few floor coverings, it only stated that the floor coverings in additional rooms would have to be of equal or lesser value of the main/largest room covered. She could not explain why, only that she could offer us a better deal if we went with other products. We asked her to give us a breakdown of the quote by room she said that Empire did not work that way their quote was all inclusive which included product and installation. She said that the sale did not include labor charges just the product cost. We asked her for the quote of the main room so we could figure the cost of the other rooms based on her entire quote. She told us she could not do that. Since her quote was more than twice that of several other vendors, we thanked her coming to our home and giving us a quote and that we would contact her if we decided to go with Empire. I would stay away from Empire Today since EmpireToday do not stand behind their "Come-ON" add.

AN EMPIRE EMPLOYEE VISITED MY CONDO AFTER WE CALLED EMPIRE TO SCHEDULE AND APPOINTMENT FOR A CARPET INSTALL. SHE ARRIVED HOUR EARLY AND MENTIONED THAT SHE MADE A MISTAKE AND PUT DOWN THE SAME TIME FOR ME AS SHE DID ANOTHER CUSTOMER. WE ALLOWED HER TO COME IN AS WE HAD A CONDO SHOWING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. SHE ASSURED US THAT IT WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM GETTING THE CARPET INSTALLED BEFORE THE DAY OF SHOWING. DURING THE VISIT, AND WHILE DOING THE ESTIMATE, SHE KEPT SAYING AND TAPPING ON HER TABLET THAT SHE WAS SAVING US A LOT OF MONEY. SHE EVEN WENT ON TO STATE THAT WE COULD GET OUR CARPET INSTALLED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AT AROUND 7:00PM. WE THOUGHT THAT TO BE SUSPICIOUS BUT SHE KEPT STATING EMPIRE COULD DO IT. WE WERE PLEASE AS WE HAD A CONDO SHOWING THE NEXT TWO DAYS. SHE EVEN CAME OUT TO MY CAR WHEN I WENT TO GET SOMETHING AND HANDED ME SEVERAL CALLING CARDS AND STATED "PLEASE HAND THESE OUT AND TELL THEM TO CALL ME DIRECTLY NOT "EMPIRE". THE DAY OF THE INSTALL, I ARRIVED HOME AROUND 1:00PM TO MAKE A BRIEF STOP ONLY TO FIND A NOTE THAT "SORRY WE MISSED YOU TODAY" PLEASE CALL THE 1800 NUMBER. THIS WAS AFTER EMPIRE ASSURED EmpireToday WOULD ARRIVE I CALLED EMPIRE AND THE EMPLOYEE THAT ANSWERED THE PHONE LET ME KNOW THAT THEY WOULD RETURN AROUND 4:30PM.
I WAITED UNTIL 4:30 (NOT TO MENTION I TOOK THE REST OF THE DAY OFF) TO ENSURE I WAS THERE. WHEN MY WIFE CALLED AFTER I NOTIFIED HER OF "NO SHOW" AND WHEN MY WIFE CALLED THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WAS AT OUR HOME, SHE HAD A BAD ATTITUDE AND THEN STATED TO CALL THE 1800 NUMBER AND SHE NEVER STATED THERE WOULD COME OUT AT 7:00PM BUT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY. THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE THAT HEARD WHAT SHE SAID. I DID NOTE ON HER CALLING CARD THAT SHE WAS INDEPEDENT CONTRACTOR. OF NOTE, WE HAD TO CHANGE OUR SHOWING AND HOPEFULLY THE CLIENT WILL NOT CHANGE THEIR MIND. ADDITIONALLY WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO SCHEDULE A WEEK LATER. THIS WAS NOT GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WOULD NOT RECOMMEND.