Complaint Review: Empire Today - Stoughton Massachusetts

At the initial sales presentation I was quoted $1,927.00 for a small 1 bedroom apartment (I selected the cheapest carpet), which was staggering, but I wanted the carpet done so badly for my parents arrival from Germany that I went along with it. I excused the horrendous expense with the next-day convenient, fast and hassle-free installment as well as the benefit of no interest until January 2008. Also I was relieved that I did not have to move the heavy furniture for the installers, although everything else in the apartment had to be moved out by me, including pictures from the walls, curtains, etc.

On September 5, 2006 the installers were scheduled to arrive. Aside from a morning call narrowing the initial time of arrival (between 8 am and 5pm) to between 3 pm and 5 pm, I did not hear anything all day. I resigned myself to the fact that it was just my luck to be last on the list and that I would have to stay up late to put the whole apartment back together as my parents were arriving the next day. At 4 pm I called and was told they were 40 miles away and arriving within the hour. I went home from work to meet them.

By 5.30 I started to worry. At 5.45 pm a crew of 3 subcontractors arrived, assuring me the rug would be done in two hours. I left for an appointment and returned at 7.30 pm to a royal mess that looked like it wouldn't be done for days. At 8 pm my friends arrived to help me once the carpet was installed and we waited on the porch.

At 8.30 pm the head of the team (the only one who spoke English) apologized to me for not having brought enough carpet to finish the bedroom. He claimed the sales agent had measured wrong. I was beside myself for not having a perfect place for my parents to stay while spending nearly two grand for this disaster. This was the first time they would see my apartment, the contents of the entire place were in boxes and trash bags outside on the porch and it was nearly 9pm. I pleated with the contractors to please do something, anything, other than finishing the next day (he honestly suggested that), because no way could I subject my picky mother to that kind of a mess after an 8 hour flight and no bed to sleep in.

At this point I also noticed that due to the late hour and bright lights inside the apartment with both doors left wide open for hours, my whole place was filled with literally hundreds of moths and mosquitos. Aside from my insect phobia, there were daily news reports of mosquitos transmitting the potentially deadly Triple E virus and now an entire colony of them had occupied my space.

At 9.30 pm as massive hammering relentlessly continued in my apartment building, my neighbors came forward and bitterly complained to me that their children were unable to sleep and that they would now call the landlord. My stress level at this point was beyond description. I could not believe the inconsideration of leaving an apartment building for the last job of the day and neither could my friends and neighbors.

Finally by 9.45 pm the installation was completed. The living room was fine. The bedroom had been pieced together out of several small squares of carpeting with seams everywhere, which I had to at least partially cover up with a throw rug. For $1,927.00!!!!!!! The contractor promised to return to fix the carpet, so far nothing has been set up, because I balked at having to carry everything out onto the porch again for this horrendous price and between working two jobs. I spent the entire night until 4 am putting the apartment back together, as it was now also raining and I was afraid for my books, CDs, etc. out on the porch.

After complaining to the Better Business Bureau I was contacted by Empire Today and promised a reduction in price of $400.00

I had asked for 30% which would have been $578.10. Considering I now see huge ads on TV of their 50% off fall specials I'm being overly generous asking for only 30% back for all of my troubles and hassles. The verdict is still out on whether the contractors will come and fix the carpet, taking care of the moving, or if I indeed have to waste five more hours and start all over again.

This will be a lesson for me not to ever believe stupid ads promising hassle-free, quick and convenient anything. I had nothing but hassles, there was nothing quick and convenient about this experience. Had it been as promised I would have been fine with the price, but in hindsight I can't help but feeling totally ripped-pff. Consumers beware.

Sybille

Rockport, Massachusetts
U.S.A.