The collapse of a furniture chain has hit a couple who paid $3000 for goods that still haven’t arrived.
Sandra and Jason Gruevski said they ordered a lounge suite and dining table from Whitehorse Furniture and Bedding’s Hoppers Crossing store in September after moving into their first home.
They were told delivery could take up to six weeks.
Four months later and still without their furniture, the couple were shocked when the Whitehorse chain collapsed with debts yet to be determined.
“We were idiots; we paid in full because we had been saving for years and this money was for furniture – we didn’t want to touch it for other things,” Mrs Gruevski said.
“The store staff kept saying our furniture was coming in the next couple of weeks, then the next.
“For Christmas we had two camp chairs in the lounge and no dining table for a house-warming party.”
Mrs Gruevski said that in December, store staff offered hire furniture or a refund but because of the busy period “we decided to deal with it in the new year”.
“We had no idea anything was wrong [with the financial viability of the stores] and now we are the last in line of creditors.”
Mrs Gruevski said instead of a refund, the store made an offer where if she spent $1 they would match that from the amounts she had already paid.
“To get back our full $3000, we would have had to have spent another $3000; although the furniture – all floor stock – would be worth $6000,” she said.
The couple instead spent $1100, which was matched by $1100 from the $3000 already paid, to get furniture worth $2200. They are still owed $1900.
Administrator Stephen Dixon, of Grant Thornton, who has said the five stores will keep operating while the business is assessed, was not available for comment. A spokeswoman said the firm would not comment on individual creditors.
