Quebec customers left hanging after furniture store appears to have gone out of business
"If they do not get a reimbursement, unfortunately they may have to go to small claims court in order to get their money back," she said.
Concerns are mounting over a Canadian furniture company whose stores appear to have ceased operations, leaving many customers without their orders and out of pocket.
Several customers report missing furniture and significant financial losses.
“I believe Wazo was expecting to close the doors, that’s for sure,” said Martin Levesque, a resident of Sorel. He ordered a $4,000 bedroom set in August, but after repeated delays, the company only delivered the bedframe. The remaining pieces never arrived, despite an offered discount.
“Obviously, they didn’t answer the phone or even the email,” Levesque added.
Camille Demers, a resident of South Shore, shared a similar experience. She paid $2,000 in November for furniture ahead of a move but received no delivery and no response from the company.
“Honestly, it’s been stressful, and it’s the first time this has happened to me, so I don’t really know what to do,” Demers said.
According to lawyer Sylvie De Bellefeuille, options for affected customers vary based on individual circumstances.
“If they do not get a reimbursement, unfortunately, they may have to go to small claims court to recover their money,” De Bellefeuille explained.
For purchases made with credit cards, customers can request a chargeback, but in-store transactions are more complicated.
“You have to wait for 30 days if there was indeed a scheduled delivery date,” she said. De Bellefeuille advises using credit cards for online purchases whenever possible, as chargebacks shift the burden to the bank rather than the consumer.
Wazo’s website remains active, but the company has not responded to inquiries. Phone numbers in Toronto and Montreal are out of service.
At the Montreal store, a sign on the door reads “temporarily closed,” though some furniture remains inside. Google lists the Toronto location as “permanently closed.”
Levesque managed to retrieve his missing furniture from Wazo’s warehouse but expressed frustration with the ordeal.
“It was really a bad one. I didn’t expect that, that’s for sure,” he said.
Demers, however, has little hope of resolving her case.
“At this point, I don’t think Wazo is going to help us with anything. I think the money is gone, I think everything is gone, honestly,” she said, now relying on her credit card company for a refund.
Meanwhile, many frustrated customers have taken to online platforms, questioning how such a situation could occur.
