One of the victims, Delia Cole, reached out to a contractor
to renovate the kitchen in her Mississauga home; and rather than getting the kitchen
of her dreams, her kitchen has been filled with uncovered pipes and plastered
walls for months after paying a contractor $15,000 and he disappeared with it.
According to Cole’s husband, Arlindo Peixoto, the couple
chose to work with the now rogue contractor because his fees were cheaper than
others they had contacted. Unfortunately, the couple is now tasked with paying
twice the original fee to rectify the damage.
The couple went hunting for a home contractor in March and after
searching for a while decide to settle with a company located quite close to
where they live. For the couples, choosing
Can Dec Kitchen Inc., was due to their “up-front policy” which meant they would
be saving about $1,000 just for complying.
In mid-March, the couple were told renovations would
commence in a few weeks after they wrote two different cheques to pay for the
service. However, they began to get very suspicious of the company when nothing
happened afterwards.
“We called, and he told us we have to wait … Then he kept
giving us the run-around, so we went to the [office] and it was closed,” said
Cole.
Peixoto continued ringing the contractor, Rizwan Akrem, who
had earlier introduced himself but still he couldn’t provide him with a direct response.
Akrem told the couple that his business has been crippled
after his shop had been closed down by the landlord, but all this was after he
was asked to provide a refund.
Now, Akrem has stopped picking the couple’s calls despite them
waiting endlessly for several weeks to get a response, says Peixoto.
It is evident that Cole and her husband have been swindled
by this contractor, and the only way to avoid future occurrences is to
patronize the best Toronto
general contractor for all kinds of major renovations—whether
residential or commercial.
This way, homeowners are provided with not only the best
prices but the best contractors which would eliminate the chances of you having
such terrible experience. So, you’re saving more money on renovation cost and
the aggravation of unethical contractors who would engage in the kind of
conduct displayed in Cole’s case.
Can Dec Kitchen’s headquarters located on Dunwin Drive, Mississauga
is currently locked and their front showroom completely cleared out, according
to CBC Toronto.
The Ministry of Environment in Ontario sanctioned Can Dec
Kitchen Inc. with a compliance letter in 2013 which was signed by Rizwan Akram—though
noticeably, his last name was spelt uniquely in contrast to the business card he
handed over to the couple. On the card the couple collected from him, he has his
last name spelt with an "e" and not an "a."
Strangely, in the corporation’s record for Can Dec Kitchen
Inc., it doesn’t name either Rizwan Akremnor Rizwan Akram as being the primary
owner. Rather, the record names the company’s chief executive officer as someone
else whose last name is Rizwan—with a completely different first name.
All attempts to reach Rizwan Akram (Akrem) on all the phone numbers
connected to both variations of the name were futile, according to CBC Toronto.
Right next to Can Dec Kitchen, the owner of the neighbouring
business has saidever since the company seized operations in March, different
people have visited his shop in search of the runaway contractor.
A notice dated March 19, 2019—just four days after Cole and
Peixoto made their final payment for their kitchen renovation—was pasted on the
door of Can Dec Kitchen from a Toronto law office stating that the lease for
the building has been cancelled because of inability to pay up $18,500 owed in
rent.
After realising the scam, the couple were told to file for a
lawsuit against the company, following the advice of the Peel Regional Police that
it is a civil case. The couple hopes that by letting the public know about
their experience, other victims will come forward.
Nonetheless, it has been a very frustrating experience for
the couples they are at the mercy of both the authorities and the scam
contractor, said Cole.
An official complaint has been filed with the Ministry of
Government and Consumer Services (MGCS)against Can Dec Kitchen Inc, says Cole. The
agency also confirmed there is an already existing case against the company
based in Mississauga.
When carrying out any home renovation, MGCS advice
homeowners to ensure there’s a contract between both parties and also
should check for reviews or references before making any commitments. Hiring
the best general contractor will essentially help your renovations run smoothly
by finding the right contractors for the job and scheduling their work
accordingly.
Now, after four months beginning renovations in their home,
Cole and her husband are searching for another contractor—in spite of their bad
experience which has led to the couple feeling very stressed and in debt
running into a large sum in dollars.
Peixoto said the couple had greatly overshot their budget for the renovation.
Mathieu Blake - Internet Entrepreneur, loves technology, sports, the Montreal Canadiens, Poker, Poker chips, current events and travel. You will often find him Writing about different topics that interest him on websites and blogs. To submit an article, contact the website directly.
This Holiday season skittles is putting a little colour in your life
Splendido Restaurant continually ranks as one of Canada's top dining restaurants
The first in Canadian, Regional, Seasonal Cuisine with menu item
Casino Complaints - We help Canadians with disputes with online casinos
Free Spins bonus codes - find casinos with no deposit required