Canadian furnishings firm Wazo Furnishings, which has places in Toronto and Montreal, seems to have gone out of enterprise. Ontario Chronicle Toronto has been listening to from prospects who had been shocked to seek out out after paying prematurely for orders over the previous few months.
“Something has gone horribly wrong since the last time we purchased from them,” mentioned Derrick Gravener of Toronto, who purchased a sofa and different objects from the corporate prior to now.
In November, Gravener mentioned he positioned one other order he hoped to obtain earlier than Christmas for a household gathering.
“I purchased a table, two chairs to match the bar stools we already had. The total of the order was around $1,100,” mentioned Gravener.
He grew involved when his emails and cellphone calls had been not being answered.
“I gave them a call, they didn’t pick up, and their sales lines didn’t pick up, so that was pretty weird,” mentioned Gravener.
Wazo Furnishings desk A desk from Wazo Furnishings that Derrick Gravener ordered however by no means bought is seen on this picture. (Equipped)
One other viewer, who Ontario Chronicle agreed to determine as Michael, mentioned he positioned an order with Wazo Furnishings in September and by no means obtained it.
“I got a couch that was $4,800. I have purchased from them in the past, and they seemed fine and generally quite responsive,” he mentioned.
Wazo Furnishings’s web site remains to be in operation, however emails from Ontario Chronicle haven’t been returned. Cellphone numbers in Toronto and Montreal had been additionally not in service.
When Ontario Chronicle visited the North York location, it appeared virtually empty, and in line with Google, it’s now completely closed.
Crews contained in the constructing mentioned it was being renovated and that Wazo Furnishings hadn’t been on the location for a few month.
Enterprise bankruptcies in Canada have risen to their highest stage in 15 years, reaching 1,312 within the third quarter of 2024.
In Ontario, they had been up 67 per cent over the identical quarter final 12 months, and not less than one licenced insolvency trustee believes extra companies will face bother within the 12 months forward.
“I think we are going to see a difficult 2025,” mentioned Doug Hoyes with Hoyes, Michalos & Associates.
Hoyes mentioned many companies that stop operation don’t at all times declare chapter, so the variety of corporations shutting down could possibly be a lot greater.
“The bankruptcies statistics only tell a part of the story. It could be that the number of businesses that are closing are 10 times higher as what you are seeing in the bankruptcies statistics,” mentioned Hoyes.
He believes we’ve entered a recessionary interval, and extra companies could have a tricky 12 months forward.
“If I spend more of my money on food, shelter, and transportation, I’ve got less money to buy furniture, and in a recession, that’s the kind of business that gets hurt,” mentioned Hoyes.
In the meantime, Gravener is searching for a refund.
“To be completely ghosted by a company is not good. I think, like myself and so many others, we just want our hard-earned money back,” mentioned Gravener.
