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Interior Creative Design :: Empire Carpet
Empire Carpet:
An Overview of Complaints Lodged Against Empire Flooring and Carpet
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Empire Carpet is a well-known brand thanks to their massive radio and television advertising campaigns on local television.
In fact, you could probably sing the little jingle that appears at the end of their ads – “Empiiiiire…Today.”
Empire Carpet was founded in 1959 in the Chicago area and has since expanded to cover most of the metropolitan areas in the United States. They specialize in all types of flooring, from hardwood and tile to thick carpeting.
However, the company has recently come under fire from various consumer advocacy groups after a series of complaints from customers about their selling and pricing practices. Here’s an overview.
In-House Sales Only
Many customers have complained that if you call Empire Carpet directly, you can’t get price quotes or help over the phone. Instead, they insist on sending a representative directly to your house.
This type of in-home selling is often considered predatory and is typically associated with high-pressure, hard sales. The Craft-matic bed company was almost brought down after being fined for its aggressive, in-home sales tactics.
Higher Price Tag
Many consumers have also complained that the prices are significantly higher than what can be found at other locally-based retailers or installers or stores like Home Depot or Lowe’s.
Because the sales are done in-home, customers are pressured into making a purchase right then and there without the option of being able to do some price comparison.
It’s estimated that Empire Carpet prices are about 20 to 50% higher than a comparable product and installation from a local, standard company.
Cancellation Complaints
Empire Carpet recently got into trouble in the Seattle area after not allowing an elderly woman to cancel her scheduled installation.
The woman called Empire, said she felt pressured into the sale and wanted to cancel. She was told she’d have to call back the next day as there was no one there who could cancel her appointment.
The next day, installers arrived at her home. When she said that she didn’t want the carpet and had called to cancel, the installers said they had no record of the cancellation and had to install the carpet – essentially letting themselves into the woman’s home.
The company was required to refund the total cost along with the cost of having new flooring installed and small, punitive damages.
Failure to Warranty or Stand Behind Product
Finally, Empire Carpet has received numerous complaints (many on the complaintsboard.com website) about its failure to stand behind its product should it start to rip or come apart.
Customers complain of a failure to back the product along with poor customer service and a generally flippant attitude to customers who have already purchased the product.
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Interior-Creative-Design.com :: Empire Carpet