National Floors Direct sued by NYC over 'poor quality' and 'deceptive business practices'

New York City is suing National Floors Direct, alleging "a litany of complaints," including consistent violations of consumer protection laws and deceptive business practices.

The litigation, announced Tuesday by Mayor Eric Adams, seeks restitution for consumers, civil penalties and to stop the company from doing business in the city. The matter is before the city's Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings.

"The lawsuit alleges that National Floors Direct preys on consumers by targeting them with false advertisements, routinely misleading them about when service will begin, providing poor quality work, and refusing to offer refunds and cancellations in violation of the law," according to a news release issued by Adams’ office and the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.

It's not the first time the company has gotten in trouble with the government.

In 2019, the company settled with the Federal Trade Commission following charges of violating the Consumer Review Fairness Act "by including provisions in form contracts that bar their customers from posting negative reviews," according to a news release from the commission.

National Floors was founded in 2005 and is a "direct-to-consumer carpet & flooring specialty service," that will come to home or office to show flooring samples, according to its website.

A voicemail box wasn’t accepting messages at a phone number listed for the company. Over the last five years, the company has been the subject of one of the highest number of consumer complaints regarding home improvement contractors in the city, the suit says.

The release said "when National Floors Direct does fulfill a contract, the work is of such poor quality that consumers regularly pay additional costs just to repair the damage done to their homes."

It added: "One consumer had to sew together the carpet she paid National Floors Direct to install because it began unraveling shortly after installation. Another had to replace the flooring National Floors Direct installed after just six months because portions were peeling off and uneven. National Floors Direct has refused to provide these consumers with refunds or fix their situation."

At Adams’ weekly all-topics news conference Tuesday, he deferred to his deputy for housing, economic development and workforce when asked about the lawsuit.

“Really, we want to send a clear message that we’re going to throw the book at businesses that prey on consumers and prey on New Yorkers,” said the deputy, Maria Torres-Springer.

Stacey Ruffin, 56, of Deer Park, had used the company twice before successfully and then put down a $1,000 deposit last year to remove carpeting from the hallway and living room of her home, to be replaced with hardwood flooring.

The material wasn't available, so the project was delayed. Then her husband lost his job, and when they finally got someone on the phone the couple sought a less expensive option. She had trouble getting someone who could make a decision from a representative.

"It just got frustrating for a while," she said. "One even got very nasty over the phone with me."

Ultimately, the company refused to allow a change to the original project, saying the couple would need to pay for the original one — an estimated $8,000.

She asked to see a copy of the contract that supposedly bound her to the original, and the company refused to provide it.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.