Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/02/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The installation of this shower was to take 1 day, which is why I went with this option as it is the only bathroom I have.
  Originally I was to work with ***** for installation.  I advised him I was having the new exhaust fan put in before they would install. He was fine with this and told me to call back once this was completed to arrange scheduling. The next week his sister and owner,  ******* called and explained he was out on paternity leave. I explained needing to have the fan installed first. She pushed and pushed to have this done the same day as installation, rather than waiting. I advised that their workers could come and start, but once the electrician came that day, they would need to make sure they were out of the way. She agreed. 
  
  On the day of installation the company broke my bathroom light fixture, left urine in the toilet unflushed, left all the debris and garbage from their work on my basement flooring, along with garbage over flowing the bathroom garbage can. They scratched the shower wall installing the shower curtain rod. They also gouged the wall where the cubby was placed. Furthermore,  many spots in the caulking were flawed and needed to be redone. The workers tried calling ***** (*******'s brother who was responsible for ordering and setting up installation) however he was on maturity leave. This was 5pm on a Friday. ******* would not answer and my bathroom was unfinished due to the incorrect size shower pan. They advised me they would follow up the next week to resolve this.
  Furthermore,  the entire time the electrician was there the workers were making comments to him and pushing him to move faster so they could finish their work. My electrician informed me of this, which did not make me happy. 
  
  Empire ordered the wrong shower pan from the beginning and this was addressed before completion of the shower installation on August 2022. I continued following up with little response as the shower rod and size of the pan allowed for water to escape onto my flooring every time the shower was used. I finally spoke with the owner ******* in October 2022, who verbally confirmed they were ordered off of 2 invoices and ordered the wrong pan. I also spoke with her regarding the mold in the caulking. ******* advised me in text messaging (which I can provide) that she wanted to come and personally look at it. To date this has never happened. They only send the same 2 installers that installed the shower out to replace caulking. 
  
  ******* passed me off the *****, as she did not want to deal with the situation.  The caulking was replaced in December 2022. After continual discussions it was again replaced in Spring 2023. ***** kept advising me that they were having issues with the caulking manufacturer and it should be resolved. 
  
  When I discussed all of the issues, ***** advised me if I wanted the correct pan size,  I would have to pay additional money for replacement. I explained that when her workers came out to look at the shower rod, they confirmed that this was not an adjustable one, rather an adhered one and they suggested i get a longer curtain shower and let it sit on the floor of the shower to ensure the water remains inside the pan.  
  
  Their company was adamant on closing the year end books and forced me to sign off on the payment contract with ***** advising they would continue to resolve the on-going issues. This has not been completed to date. 
  
  I have been contacting ***** again since September 2022 with little response. I spoke with another rep *****, who is no longer with the company and she assured me of a return call. 
  
  ***** called upon receiving the complaint letter and advised me their phone systems were not working and I should have followed up if no response was received via text. When I explained I have been contacting her multiple ways since September,  she stayed quiet. She assured me I would have a call by the end of the week. That was 2 weeks ago and no response.  I called again and left a message with no response.  
  
  There is additional information, along with photos and text, email communications from ***** confirming they would continue to work on correcting all issues following the payment signing that can be sent, if needed. As a consumer this is disappointing that I am expected to continue using a shower that clearly has an issue, as they are paid and this is not a priority to them.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/17/2024

  The installation of this
  shower was to take 1 day, which is why I went with this option as it is the
  only bathroom I have.
  Originally
  I was to work with Mikey for installation.  I advised him I was having the
  new exhaust fan put in before they would install. He was fine with this and told me to call back once this was completed to arrange scheduling. The
  next week his sister and owner,  Melissa called and explained he was out
  on paternity leave. I explained needing to have the fan installed first. She
  pushed and pushed to have this done the same day as installation, rather than
  waiting. I advised that their workers could come and start, but once the
  electrician came that day, they would need to make sure they were out of the way. She
  agreed. 
  

  On
  the day of installation the company broke my bathroom light fixture, left urine
  in the toilet unflushed, left all the debris and garbage from their work on my
  basement flooring, along with garbage over flowing the bathroom garbage can.
  They scratched the shower wall installing the shower curtain rod. They also
  gouged the wall where the cubby was placed. Furthermore,  many spots in
  the caulking were flawed and needed to be redone. The workers tried calling
  Mikey (Melissa's brother who was responsible for ordering and setting up
  installation) however he was on maturity leave. This was 5pm on a Friday.
  Melissa would not answer and my bathroom was unfinished due to the incorrect
  size shower pan. They advised me they would follow up the next week to resolve
  this.

  Furthermore,  the entire time the electrician was there the workers
  were making comments to him and pushing him to move faster so they could finish
  their work. My electrician informed me of this, which did not make me
  happy. 
  

  Empire
  ordered the wrong shower pan from the beginning and this was addressed before
  completion of the shower installation on August 2022. I continued following up
  with little response as the shower rod and size of the pan allowed for water to escape onto my flooring every time the shower was used. I finally spoke with the owner Melissa in October 2022,
  who verbally confirmed they were ordered off of 2 invoices and ordered the
  wrong pan. I also spoke with her regarding the mold in the caulking. Melissa
  advised me in text messaging (which I can provide) that she wanted to come and
  personally look at it. To date this has never happened. They only send the same
  2 installers that installed the shower out to replace caulking. 
  

  Melissa
  passed me off the Megan, as she did not want to deal with the situation. 
  The caulking was replaced in December 2022. After continual discussions it was
  again replaced in Spring 2023. Megan kept advising me that they were having
  issues with the caulking manufacturer and it should be resolved. 
  

  When
  I discussed all of the issues, Megan advised me if I wanted the correct pan
  size,  I would have to pay additional money for replacement. I explained that when her workers came out to look at the shower rod, they confirmed that this was not an adjustable one, rather an adhered one and they suggested i get a longer curtain shower and let it sit on the floor of the shower to ensure the water remains inside the pan.  
  

  Their
  company was adamant on closing the year end books and forced me to sign off on
  the payment contract with Megan advising they would continue to resolve the
  on-going issues. This has not been completed to date. 
  

  I
  have been contacting Megan again since September 2022 with little response. I spoke
  with another rep Jamie, who is no longer with the company and she assured me of
  a return call. 
  

  Megan
  called upon receiving the complaint letter and advised me their phone systems
  were not working and I should have followed up if no response was received via
  text. When I explained I have been contacting her multiple ways since
  September,  she stayed quiet. She assured me I would have a call by the
  end of the week. That was 2 weeks ago and no response.  I called again and
  left a message with no response.  
  

  There
  is additional information, along with photos and text, email communications
  from Megan confirming they would continue to work on correcting all issues
  following the payment signing that can be sent, if needed. As a consumer this
  is disappointing that I am expected to continue using a shower that clearly has
  an issue, as they are paid and this is not a priority to them.  
  Please
  Let me know if you need further information, as this is a short recap. 

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/16/2024

  Ms. ***** contracted with Empire to install a shower system at her home in May, 2022. Empire
  completed the installation in accordance with the contract. Subsequent to the installation, Ms.
  ***** complained about a scratch and a broken light. Despite having no basis to claim that the
  scratch and light were caused by Empire, Empire provided Ms. ***** with a substantial
  discount on the contract price. Empire continuously goes above and beyond what is required of
  the company to please its clients. Ms. *****’s project was no exception. Ms. ***** was grateful
  for the discount and agreed that the project was complete.
  Ms. ***** contacted Empire some time after installation complaining about black spots on the
  silicone. Although Empire had no obligation to remedy or address her complaints, Empire again
  went above and beyond, and serviced Ms. *****’s complaint.
  Nearly two years after Ms. ***** and Empire contracted for the installation of the shower
  system, Ms. ***** filed the instant complaint. This time, Ms. ***** complained that her shower
  base was too small and caused her curtain to cover part of the floor. She also complained that
  she continued to see spots in her shower. Empire’s attorney reviewed the project and sent Ms.
  ***** a letter confirming that Empire had fully completed its obligations under the contract and
  was no longer responsible for spots appearing in Ms. *****’s shower. They believe it was

  due to inadequate ventilation in the bathroom area.  Ms. ***** continued to
  complain about the shower curtain and base. Empire and its attorney exchanged numerous
  emails, texts, and telephone calls with Ms. ***** regarding her issue with the shower base.
  Ultimately, Empire agreed to completely remove and install a new shower system if Ms. *****
  agreed to confirm that her BBB complaint was invalid. Ms. ***** agreed to do so. True to its
  word, Empire completely removed Ms. *****’s recently installed shower system and replaced it
  with a brand new shower system with a larger base at no cost to Ms. *****. Despite agreeing
  to confirm to the BBB that her complaint was invalid, Ms. ***** refused to do so. Empire and its
  attorney contacted Ms. ***** several times thereafter kindly requesting Ms. ***** to confirm
  the same to the BBB. Ms. ***** refused to return their calls.
  In the end, Ms. ***** received two new shower systems that fully complied with the contract
  and industry standards. Ms. ***** paid for one shower and received a significant discount at
  that. As stated above, Empire makes every effort to leave their customers fully satisfied.
  Unfortunately, as the saying goes, there just is no satisfying some people.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/14/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  
  
  This letter is in response to *******’s response on behalf of Empire regarding the complaint filed. In the
  response ******* indicates that the broken light and scratch were subsequent to the installation that
  took place in August 2022. Attached in photo 1-3, you can see the communication directly with the
  Owner, *******, regarding the broken light fixture took place on the date of installation, August 12,
  2022. In the message, you will see that ******* acknowledges the damage that same day, which
  contradicts her response that this was brought to Empire’s attention following the installation of the
  shower. There is also another message, that went unresponsive regarding additional concerns relating
  to the installation. These concerns included the incorrect shower base pan and scratching on the shower
  walls, due to their employee’s installation of the permanent shower rod.
  
  As a business owner, ******* failed to take ownership of a work job that had many problems arise
  during their work. Not once had she reached out to me directly. After numerous calls that went
  unanswered and voicemails unreturned, I was able to speak with ******* in September 2022, a month
  after the initial installation. A month in which she knew the installation was not completed due to the
  phone calls placed on the date of installation. At this time, she verbally confirmed that they ordered the
  incorrect shower base, as they were ordering off of two invoices on file. During this time, the shower
  had not yet been completed, as the shave kick stand and correct shower drain cover had not yet been
  installed. It was also directed to her attention at this time about the molding caulking. Her dialect made
  it known that she had little concern regarding the issues at hand or even attempting to resolve this
  matter. Rather, she passed me off to work with *****.
  
  Attached you will see in photo 4-5 *******’s indication that she requested to come out to the property
  to look at the concerns. To date (September 2024) *******, nor ***** or their attorney, *******
  ********, have ever come out to personally examine the area of concerns. That being said, I am not
  sure how they can come to a conclusion of inadequate ventilation. Even more so when a new ventilation
  fan was installed directly inside the shower area on the date of installation August 2022.
  
  Empire did not come out to my property until December 2022 to finish installing the shave kick, correct
  drain cover and recaulk the shower. It was also at this time that they advised they would be unable to
  polish out the scratches they placed in the acrylic wall panels and I would need to find a resolution to
  this matter myself. Communications with ***** continued into Spring 2023 to resolve the ongoing
  concerns and issues.
  
  After many follow up attempts with Empire, a complaint was placed through the BBB, in addition the
  Consumer Affairs in Madison. It was at this time that ***** called me upon receiving the letter. When I
  answered the phone, she immediately advised me that the only reason she was calling me, was
  regarding the letter received. She began to explain that the companies phone system was ‘having issues’
  for the past week. If I called and did not hear a response, I should have further followed up with her.
  When informed that I had been reaching out to her for months with no response, ***** sat quiet on
  the phone. She advised me that she would need to speak with management further and would call me
  
  back. There was no return call. Rather, they later obtained an attorney for their representation. *******
  ******** sent a generic letter advising that they completed their contract duties and the issues arising
  were due to improper ventilation. Furthermore, any communication was only to be with their attorney.
  However, please remember not one person ever came out to examine this themselves before coming to
  this consensus. Shortly after receiving the letter, ******* called to advise me that Empire wanted to
  replace the entire shower unit. He also confirmed that within the contract the caulking has a lifetime
  warranty. Contrary to *******’s complaint response advising that they were no longer responsible for
  the spots appearing. We proceeded forward with communication from their attorney to establish a date
  and time for the installation. During multiple discussions with their attorney, he himself admitted that
  there appeared to be many missed opportunities by Empire. The replacement of the shower base, was
  due to Empire’s incorrect ordering from the initial installation. ******* herself verbally confirming that
  they were ordering off of two separate invoices and the base was ordered at the incorrect size.
  
  In photo attachment 6, you will see text communication from ***** on April 23, 2024. She indicates:
  “Also, we need you to reach out to the BBB today and tell them that the review was a misunderstanding
  and that you are working things out with us. If the review goes live, which it will very soon, we will not
  proceed with re-doing your bath. Please call them today and tell them it was a misunderstanding.”
  
  On the date of installation, the employee came out to begin installing. Throughout the entire process, he
  continually made comments regarding the matter. Advised me that it was ‘crazy’ we were removing the
  entire shower base for a couple inches. Also, complained that the shower system was not easily coming
  out and he would be there all day trying to remove little pieces at a time. My household has dogs to
  which ***** informed me if they were his animals, they would have been euthanized by this time, due to
  their barking.
  
  ***** also explained to me that the caulking used by Empire is the caulking that is supplied by the
  shower base manufacturer. Empire uses this, since it is supplied, to avoid additional cost, but
  understands that the caulking is not the best, which is why they have a lifetime warranty included. It
  was discovered on the re-installation date that the threshold for the base was ordered in the same exact
  height. This was following many conversations with both the attorney, *******, and *****, via text
  regarding the measurements for the base and threshold.
  
  In photo 7-9 you will see a message sent by ***** on May 23, 2024. ***** sent a screenshot of the
  order request through their base manufacturer. The area to which the width and height are entered are
  blacked out. Off to the side under “special instructions” it indicates “Threshold 5 ½”. Followed up
  another text showing an email received from ****** **** to ***** advising “Correct. Cannot make a
  threshold larger only smaller.” This is following text communication shown in photo 5 between May 2,
  2024 and May 6, 2024 with ***** confirming the exact height the base needed to be ordered at, as she
  confirmed the height could be adjusted, to resolve the original issue with water leaking out onto the
  
  flooring when the shower was in use. There was no further action taken from Empire regarding this
  matter, rather as a customer I was to accept this ‘as is’, because this was not their issue.
  
  During the installation Empire caused additional damage to the continuous wood flooring, due to
  dragging their tools and box. This was immediately brought to Empire’s attention, as the shower was not
  completed, due to Empire not having the corner shower caddy (contrary to them previously indicating
  they had all of the materials to complete the one day installation). ***** acknowledged that ***** was
  aware of the damage and that this needed to be resolved, as depicted in photo 10.
  Contact was also made to the attorney, but no return response was ever received, contrary to Empire
  believing he had. Multiple follow ups to ******** were made and all unreturned.
  
  It was on July 16, 2024 that ***** called demanding that the complaint be removed. When asked
  about the flooring, she advised that she would need to speak with *******. In discussion she also
  verified that she never speaks with their attorney, ******* and she gets no updates from *******
  regarding the matter. Essentially, all three individuals are on separate communication pages. Later that
  day, ***** left me a voicemail (which has been previously received). In the voicemail you will hear that
  she indicates ******* advised her that they will only issue a check for repairs to the now damaged
  flooring, if the complaint is removed. If the complaint was not removed, they would not be resolving the
  damaged flooring. This is now the second threat against a customer by this company that “makes every
  effort to leave their customers fully satisfied”.
  
  BBB informed me that this was a valid complaint, due to all of the facts and information provided, to
  which there was no further option at removing this complaint. Empire’s threats to remove complaints,
  advising customers that it was ‘a misunderstanding’ is the wordage they need the BBB to hear in order
  for the company to not have a complaint or impact their ratings.
  
  Empire never responded to Consumer Affairs in Madison. They responded to BBB as it is a requirement
  for them to remain an accredited business. The owner ******* has also never personally reached out to
  attempt resolution of this concern. To date Empire has also not fixed the flooring that was damaged, as
  they clearly indicated within their message this would not be completed, unless the complaint was
  removed. So to say that ******* and Empire went above and beyond to take care of the customer is the
  furthest thing from the truth. I would not recommend this very unprofessional company to anyone in
  the future.
  
  

• Initial Complaint

  Date:04/04/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 6/13/22, I met with ******* ******** of Empire Home Remodeling related to a Bath to Shower conversion, including the replacement of a window in the shower. I paid 50% of the $14K amount due upon signing the contract on the same date. The estimated time of install per the initial contract was Sept. I understood that delays may occur due to supply issues.
  
  I was contacted in early Nov stating that all of the needed parts were received and the window and Bath to Shower conversion was scheduled for Wed, Nov 16th.
  
  In the midst of the install, the contractor determined that he did not have enough shower panels for the project. Personnel at the Empire Home Remodeling office asked for permission to turn the panels on their side so the etched tiles would run horizontally vs vertically which would allow them to complete the project that day. After the initial panels were installed, it was determined that an additional panel would still be needed. At that time, I was notified that the shower door had not arrived yet and he could not finish the install anyways. If I had known that, I would not have agreed to turn the panels sideways.
  
  Last Wed, Mar 29th, I was informed that all parts were received and the install completion was scheduled. I also requested compensation related to the lengthy delays and the concession that I provided in Nov re: the paneling. I was offered $500 off of the remaining balance of $7K. I have not officially accepted the offer as I feel it is too low.
  
  The contractor was scheduled to be here today, 4/4/23, at 11AM. As of 3:30PM, the contractor had not arrived yet. I contacted Empire for a status. The contractor called and requested to re-schedule for Friday for the shower door install as he only needed an hour. I asked about the install of the remaining shower panel, caulking, corner finishing pieces, etc. as there was more work than just the shower door needed. The completion of the install has been set for Tues, Apr 18th.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 05/09/2023

  [A default letter is provided here which indicates your acceptance of the business's response.  If you wish, you may update it before sending it.]
  
  
  
  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. 
  

  The installation issues have been resolved. 

  
  
  Regards,
  
  
  
  ******** *******