What happened to CookStore.ca? Company gets flurry of complaints before going offline
CBC
A Windsor, Ont.-based online business that billed itself as "Canada's largest cooking store" appears to have abruptly shut down, leaving behind a trail of customers who feel they've been burned.
Renu Bakshi of Vancouver turned to the Cook Store website (CookStore.ca) in November to buy a stovetop coffee maker for about $60, including shipping.
She still hasn't received it.
Bakshi said the retailer was responsive to her questions by email and phone prior to her purchase. But when the coffee maker didn't arrive, she contacted them and was told by email there would be a three-week delay due to supply chain issues.
After that, Bakshi was unable to reach Cook Store. She also found many online reviews suggesting others were in the same boat.
"For me, it's not so much about the money. It's more about the principle of what they're doing," she said. "They've left a lot of consumers in the lurch. They're no longer responsive."
The Better Business Bureau's website shows a rash of recent complaints about Cook Store. Many customers said their accounts were charged hundreds on orders that never arrived.
The website shows about 90 complaints since the start of December, all of which have gone unanswered by Cook Store.
Cook Store was accredited with the BBB, but that accreditation was revoked this week because of the company's lack of action on the complaints. The most recent response from the company to a consumer complaint was in November.
There are options to get your money back if you haven't received any of the items purchased online.
Jennifer Matthews, chief executive officer of the BBB Serving Western Ontario, recommended filing a dispute with your credit card company or payment provider about any charges, and checking if you have any insurance through that payment method.
Cook Store Inc. was incorporated in 2015, federal filings show. On the website, the company is described as 100 per cent Canadian and "Canada's largest cooking store," with more than 25,000 cookware and small appliance items, including high-end brands.
The website was active recently, when it advertised a holiday clearance sale, but now appears to be down.
CBC News has attempted to reach Cook Store and its directors via email, phone and in person at the company's warehouse in Windsor, and has left a letter in the company's mailbox in hopes of hearing back.
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