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Flik & Company - Have you been "Flick'd" Over?

Over the past few weeks, my partner and I have been dealing with the most frustrating of experiences with a furniture retailer in Leslieville - Flik and Company. Unfortunately, we have been left with no choice but to pursue legal action.

In a nutshell, we made a final payment for a sofa and two arm chairs after notification from the owner of Flik and Co that it was ready and would be delivered in a few days. Now almost four weeks later, there has been nothing but a long string of blatant lies and unfulfilled commitments (e.g. 5 missed deliveries). We have since tracked down the manufacturer who has not even finished the pieces. It has been so ridiculous that last week a fictitious delivery man even texted us multiple times to say that he was on his away with the delivery. He never showed up.

We became most concerned after we came across a Toronto blog this week showing recent postings by other customers who have experienced deception and possible fraud at the hands of Flik & Company at 989 Queen Street East, Toronto.

To see those entries, click here: http://www.blogto.com/design/flik-and-company

We are reaching out this week to local media, trade publications, government, business groups and consumer protection organizations to tell our story.

We would appreciate it if you would help us by sharing this note with your family, friends and contacts – especially those who are buying new homes or in the market for new furniture.

While we simply want what we paid for, or our money back – we also want to ensure that none of our friends or their friends or family have to go through what we’ve been enduring.

For those of you who want some more detail to get a sense for how surreal this experience has been for us, we have a meticulous chronology of events and communications.

While we are sure that Flik & Company has made some customers happy, our experience shows that you should think twice about dealing with them.

If you know anyone who has a similar experience with Flik & Company, please let us know and share your stories.

Thank you.

Tags: Company, Flik, Howard, Stephan

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by marta hooper on October 20, 2009 at 9:18pm

Caleb! How are you? it's Marta here. i can't believe this has happened to you guys. i'm so sorry. even though we've had no problems with Flik, we've also never bought anything that required an order and later delivery, only bought items right off the shelf. Will definitely spread the word...hope you are able to recoup your money. See you back in the office in April.

Permalink Reply by CG on October 20, 2009 at 9:28pm

Hi Marta - Nice to hear from you. Thanks for your note.

We sincerely hope this is over soon - cash in hand or furniture in living room. More importantly, we don't want anyone else to have to experience this. Sadly, we've been overwhelmed by responses of people who have had almost identical experiences at Flik.

How are you? How's the fam? Hope to see you before April! CG.

Permalink Reply by Victoria on October 29, 2009 at 3:01pm

I just noticed that Flik and Co. is selling stuff with another company out of the basement of AMA. I noticed their sign when coming home on the streetcar today. Interesting that it is open but his store hardly ever is.

Permalink Reply by FLIK and COMPANY on October 29, 2009 at 5:26pm

While I appreciate that Caleb and Derek had issues - there issues have been somewhat resolved - the couch was delivered and 1 of the 2 chairs - the fabric was supposedly sent to my store for review from the supplier but still has not arrived.. While I understand all of what the pair have spoken about - they are missing several key points - one being that I offered to provide them with the sofa that was in my store for their party - an offer that I extended to anyone else who had issues - 2 of those people accepted that offer and were pleased. The other key ingredient missing in all of this is the contact of the supplier - I am a retailer who takes on a customer - my supplier - supplies me with goods - if my supplier is not supplying me, then how am I as the retailer responsible. Lead time for any sofa in any retail store is 8 weeks delivery time - we have been lucky that the sofas that our supplier have done were in and about 3 weeks. - My biggest issue here is that the retailer and the personal aspect of all of this is not protected. The internet allows a mass amount of people to provide inaccurate information and public flogging so to speak - something that was not there years ago - it is good in many ways but bad in others - there is no reason for Caleb and Derek to have gone to the extremes of what they did - no reason at all - there is definetly no reason for them to continue - all of us make mistakes and all of us have issues with someone or something but do we all have to vocalize them to the world?

Permalink Reply by FLIK and COMPANY on October 29, 2009 at 5:29pm

My store is closed most of the time as I am busy - busy raising a family and setting my priorities....look on my website and you will notice that yes I did open another store...another store that brings many people into leslieville and have the other retailers share in the wealth .....the store is called Pied a terre - you should go there and see for yourself - it is just as busy as my store and also just as nice - oddly enough 95% of our customers are satisfied....

Permalink Reply by Judy J on December 22, 2009 at 5:39pm

Hello Leslievillers.

I urge everyone to think twice before ordering anything from Flik.

I have also had an unfortunate, unpleasant and ongoing problem with Stephan Howard, the owner of Flik. It is very similar to the other stories in this discussion and the blog mentioned by Caleb, complete with the same excuses of bad email connections and delinquent suppliers.

I ordered arm chairs back in March 2009 and paid a 50% deposit. Stephan offered to have them custom-made, since there was only one in the store and I wanted a different fabric. He said they would be done in two weeks. After several weeks I called to find out the status of the chairs. Stephan told me that the fabric I chose was not suitable (even though he told me he had upholstered a sofa in the fabric) and I had to choose something else - he had sent me emails about it that “didn’t get through”. I went back to the store, didn’t find anything I immediately liked in the samples I was shown, and was told that new fabric samples would be coming from the supplier. Months came and went and there were no fabric samples. I finally went back to the store and chose another fabric in August, and was again told the chairs would be ready in two weeks. At the end of August I called and was told “end of this week”. That was the last I heard from Stephan for the next eight weeks, despite a check-in phone call once a week and requests to either get the chairs completed or return my deposit. I finally got an email response in late October after I left a message that I had discovered this site and all of the complaints against him. He said he was looking into another supplier for the chairs. Another several weeks went by and my phone calls and emails were again not being returned. After several messages and a threat to post to this site, contact the Better Business Bureau and take legal action, I finally got written agreement that my deposit would be returned. I was surprised to learn that returning the deposit was actually Stephan’s idea, and that he had again sent me emails about it that “didn’t get through”. I have now been trying in vain for four weeks to get my deposit back. Stephan is not responding. He claims he is not at his store and will not arrange to meet with me.

This post is the first step of making good on my claim to ramp this up and take it to Small Claims Court if necessary. I have an entire file of emails and unfulfilled promises.

Permalink Reply by Andre Gratton on December 27, 2009 at 7:46pm

i've read this series of e-mails and it's all about "let the buyer beware".

the difficulty with this is that there are also folks who should just simply not get into business if they have no idea who business works and are they temselves well capitalized to be able to take the blows that suppliers sometimes inflict on retailers. so to flick and company i say, select a business that is easier to manage and causes you less difficulties and a business you can actually afford to run. otherwise you keep inflicting pain onto customers and pissing off people. if you can't make this work under your own financial plans, then let it not be on the backs of the customer and stop sounding like you're making excuses....there are no excuses...you're running a business and do it wisely.

Permalink Reply by jacqui brady on December 31, 2009 at 2:29pm

Judy
I am so sorry to hear that you were flik'ed. I posted my story a month ago but somehow it is not on this page. My story is so similar to yours and Caleb and Derek's. It amazes me that he can remain in business. My friend sent me an email this week with a link to Stephen's new blog. It made me laugh because he is updating it daily. This is a man who can not return phone calls, email or even open his store but can update a blog daily. You should read it http://flikandcompany.blogspot.com/ , he shares stories of decorating his own home, at the expense of not returning customers money I am sure. It has become my personal mission to share with as many people I can, that he is the worst business man and people should stay away from his store. I was lucky enough to get my furniture, after calling the police, the BBB and the supplier to get the real story. However I can not get over how horribly he treats his customers and how it is never his fault. Hope you get your money back and I would get cash or a certified cheque as he is known to bounce cheques.

Permalink Reply by FLIK and COMPANY on December 31, 2009 at 3:45pm

Jacqui and Judy......My my...you both have so much time on your hands....Jacqui...I have to say - you did get your 2 loveseats in the timeframe alloted to the supplier ....yes the supplier admitted to making the sofa versions instead of the loveseats but you did get them....you like Caleb and Derek had a chance to get items in your house for your parties....oddly enough the only people who have such issues are the ones that take 6 months to decide to place an order and then Expect it in 3 days......shame shame....
Go ahead and document everything you need.....continue speaking with people...I am not going away....better yet - we are actually getting stronger and stronger....
Have a Happy New Year to you all...I know that my store is not always open - the good thing about that is that I can afford to do that... I do not need employees stealing from me, customers nonesense that i need to put up with everyday and definetly get more of a chance to spend time with my family - something that I can assure you means a whole lot more to me then the ridiculousness that goes on these blogs and postings....as far as judy goes....she had more then one opportunity for a refund..she even asked for an additional discount on a custom made piece of furniture...at that point I said no and would not fulfill.....so refund on its way...but again.. she decided to not correspond to me ...
So Jacqui..all the best....and you know....dont ever come back near my store......I will have you charged with trespassing.

Permalink Reply by FLIK and COMPANY on December 31, 2009 at 3:53pm

I actually have checked out some other stores to see sofa issues....without naming names.....1 supplier in Leslieville has not delivered a sofa to a client in 16 weeks - a commitment date of 4 weeks was given....
Another supplier on Queen street is said to not have delivered a couch and loveseat in 18 weeks...the manufacturer is Van Gogh - who does the work for Urban Barn as well....lead times are supposed to be 6 weeks....Jacqui ordered her 2 loveseats after a finalized decision of 6 months and expected them in 3 weeks...she got them after payment was made in full on week 5 beginning and I paid for the delivery.....most others of mine get the couches within 3 -4 weeks....oddly enough standard lead time for a couch anywhere is 6-8 weeks....and yet they still complain....I am guessing that patience is not a virtue...
I run a business in Leslieville for the last 7 years...we have brought many people and media attention to Leslieville....we had someone steal more then 30K of inventory from Flik when it was at 1022 Queen.....and Yet I dont bitch and complain about it all......but you know...if I didnt get my couch in 3 days maybe I would.

Permalink Reply by FLIK and COMPANY on December 31, 2009 at 3:54pm

I have replied to the BBB...please follow up with them and then me

Permalink Reply by Judy J on December 31, 2009 at 4:58pm

Jacqui, thank you for your post. The more people that are aware of the problems with this store, the better.

Stephan, it appears that I need to remind you yet again of the facts. I had no opportunity for a refund because you stopped responding to me as soon as I started asking for my deposit back, in August. You in fact said yes to the discount, which I suggested because your supplier was taking so long. This was when I came in to choose the second fabric (you even cut me a swatch from your book, remember?). You never said that you would not fulfill the order, in fact you implied in August that the chairs were ready and all they needed was upholstering. I have an email from you dated October 30 that said you were looking into a new supplier for the chairs - that doesn't sound like not fulfilling the order to me.

It is you who has decided to not correspond on the refund issue. I have probably sent about 10 emails asking you to meet me or send me the refund, which you have so far neglected to do. I have a print-out of all of the emails we've exchanged, up to and including last week, so I'm not sure what you mean when you say I have stopped corresponding.

And, I have as much time on my hands as necessary to get my deposit back.

I agree with Scotch Egg's posting today - this whole thing is pretty distasteful. I won't be posting on this topic anymore, my story has been told. Stephan, you can keep posting if you like, but I think it would be much better if you spent the time returning my calls and deposit instead.