Canadian furniture company Wazo Furniture, which has offices in Toronto and Montreal, appears to have closed. CTV News Toronto has heard from customers who were surprised to find out after pre-paying for orders over the past few months.
“Something has gone terribly wrong since the last time we bought from them,” said Derrick Gravener of Toronto, who has purchased a sofa and other items from the company in the past.
In November, Gravener said he placed another order that he hoped to receive before Christmas for a family reunion.
“I bought a table and two chairs to match the stools we already had. The total order was about $1,100,” Gravener said.
He became concerned when they no longer responded to his emails and phone calls.
“I called them, they didn’t answer, and their sales lines didn’t answer, so it was pretty strange,” Gravener said.
Seen in this photo is a table from Wazo Furniture that Derrick Gravener ordered but never received. (supplied)
Another viewer, whom CTV News agreed to identify as Michael, said he placed an order with Wazo Furniture in September and never received it.
“I got a couch that cost $4,800. I’ve bought from them in the past and they seemed fine and were generally pretty responsive,” he said.
Wazo Furniture’s website is still up and running, but emails from CTV News have not been returned. Phone numbers for Toronto and Montreal were also unavailable.
When CTV News visited the North York location, it appeared nearly empty and, according to Google, is now permanently closed.
Crews inside the building said it was being renovated and that Wazo Furniture had not been on site for about a month.
Business bankruptcies in Canada have risen to their highest level in 15 years, reaching 1,312 in the third quarter of 2024.
In Ontario, they are up 67 per cent from the same quarter last year, and at least one licensed insolvency practitioner believes more businesses will face problems in the coming year.
“I think we’re going to see a tough 2025,” said Doug Hoyes of Hoyes, Michalos & Associates.
Hoyes said many companies that cease operations do not always file for bankruptcy, so the number of companies that close could be much higher.
“Bankruptcy statistics only tell part of the story. It could be that the number of businesses that are closing is 10 times greater than what is being seen in the bankruptcy statistics,” Hoyes said.
He believes we have entered a period of recession and that more businesses will have a difficult year ahead.
“If I spend more of my money on food, lodging and transportation, I have less money to buy furniture, and in a recession, that’s the type of business that suffers,” Hoyes said.
Meanwhile, Gravener is seeking a refund.
“Being completely ignored by a company is not good. “I think like me and many others, we just want our hard-earned money back,” Gravener said.
