EMPIRE CARPET TODAY RIP OFF ARTISTS North Haven, Chicago Illinois Nationwide

We called Empire Carpet for our new home office area and Rec room. When the man got here he told us we needed to finish the walls before they could do anything. So we hired people and finished.

We called the company again and they sent the same man out. He measured and told us we would need a whopping 368 yards and it would cost us with the "pet padding" underneath $5435.00.

We applied for and received Empire credit and the install was scheduled for Saturday 5/26/07 first thing in the morning. However they had to split up the order into two orders (with the same order number)

Upon looking at the paperwork they gave us it was checked NO for Empire moving the furniture. We tried calling our Salesman 8 times to no avail.

Since this is a 3 person office, along with a rec room and a conference room, there was a lot of furniture. So we hired someone to move the furniture. The furniture was to be place out on the patio as there was no other room to put it

We also received a typed paper that said, your installer will call between 7 and 10AM on Saturday 5/26/07 to inform you of his arrival and if there were any problems or concerns to please contact a (CT) number listed on this form.

11:15 rolls around and no call or anything and we're stuck at home. We call the CT number and their answering machine says they are CLOSED on Saturdays. I was shocked. Are they coming? Are they not? This was also a holiday weekend where we cancelled plans with friends, but fiqured maybe because it was a holiday, they weren't coming?

We called the regular 800-533- number and got customer service, who gave us to someone else and told us to call this special CT number. (after 40 mins on hold). We hung up and called and got the same message.

We called the 800 number back again and after 45 minutes they said "you're in the system, let me try to get in touch with the installer and your salesman. She came back on the line and said, I couldn't reach them, but I see they are on their way. (PS We tried our salesman's numbers another 4 times and left messages from Saturday through today, Monday, and no return calls).

At 3PM they still hadn't arrived so I called again. This time we got a curt "they call 10-20 mins prior to their arrival and they have appointments up until 6PM.

At 6PM we called again and spoke to a very nice woman who agreed with us that this was totally abhorant. She tried to get through to the installers and the rep to no avail.

So, after umpteen phone calls each lasting between 30mins to an hour I gave up.

At 6:20 the installers call and in very broken english says Aye be in 20mins. 45 mins later they arrived. Only one could barely speak english and the other none at all.

They looked around the room and said something to each other in spanish and then looked at me. He said dis more than 35 yds. I said oh yeah, it is 368yrds. He said Meester, look at order. The order had the sketch of the room, with measurements, the invoice had the right price $5435.00 but it said 35 yds.

He tried calling his supervisors and the sales rep to no avail, at 8pm he gave up and told me to call the 800 number.

I got no satisfaction. They said maybe we can install Tuesday, or maybe Wednesday. Unless possibly it could Thursday, we'll let you know.

I am at wits end. I had hired movers. (they were to come back at 8pm that night and bring the furniture back in) that moved and returned the furniture. I had hired a crew to help set up the office, the plumber was coming in to finish the work on the bathroom and the tile guy was coming to finish the kitchen area. I had to CANCEL THEM ALL and they did charge me something for the cancellation.

Now I have to reschedule them, and who knows when I can get coordinating appts for them. Plus my 2 employees don't have phones to use, desks to use for my home based business. I can't run the copier, can't use the network and EMPIRE TOLD ME IT WAS MY PROBLEM.
I shouldn't have jumped the gun, these things happen.

DON'T EVER USE THESE PEOPLE.

PS: They sent me the credit statement already for the first payment.

Frank
Harwinton, Connecticut
U.S.A.