Parents-to-be left stunned, out $4,000 by sudden closure of Ontario baby store

Vanessa and David Correa are a week away from their first child’s due date.

“She’s due October 19,” David Correa told CTV News Toronto. “So, coming up.”

Which is why they were so shocked to discover the store they bought baby furniture from is now closed.

"I feel violated,” David Correa, who spent nearly $2,000 on a crib, dresser and toddler gate, said.

"I've never had money taken from me in this way."

The Correas said they ordered the items from The Baby’s Room, an Ontario based store with three locations in Newmarket, Pickering and Kitchener. All three are now closed and the couple has not been able to get a hold of the owners, Simon and Peter Landsman.

The Baby's Room operated for more than 35 years but has suddenly closed.

According to its website, The Baby’s Room operated for more than 35 years “supplying quality mid to high end baby room furniture including cribs, dressers, gliders, strollers, car seats and more to Ontario growing families.”

That website is no longer live.

The couple ordered the furniture in May and were quoted 16 to 18 weeks for delivery. In early September, they followed up with the store.

“I received a call back from Simon,” Vanessa Correa said. “Mentioning that the crib and the dresser would be out of manufacturer by middle of September and have it by the middle of October.”

After subsequent calls went unanswered, the pair told CTV News Toronto they went to the Newmarket location last week.

“They were packing up,” David Correa said. “It was movers, that’s what we were told.”

The landlords for all three locations confirmed to CTV News Toronto the store closed sometime in September.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” Vanessa Correa said.

The landlord for the Newmarket and Kitchener locations confirmed that as of Sept. 30 both had been closed.

“We had no prior knowledge that they would be closing these locations, and have not had communications with the owners recently, prior or since the closings of the stores,” said Wendy Burridge, senior property manager at Tricap Properties.

“We will not be commenting publically on The Baby’s Room’s status as a tenant or their financial condition, and we have no further insight into this situation.”

On the door of the Newmarket location there was a note saying the landlord, “Hereby terminates your tenancy of the premises on the grounds that you rent(s) and/or additional rent(s) remain unpaid for more than 15 days of when they were due.”

CTV News Toronto made several attempts to speak with store owners.

Peter Landsman sent CTV News Toronto an e-mail Friday saying he would speak to us on Monday, adding he has “not been active with the business for over four weeks due to medical condition.”

Speaking briefly to CTV News Toronto he said he “has nothing to hide” but that he has been unwell. He declined an interview at that time and did not respond to further requests for an interview.

The other owner, Simon Landsman, did not respond to multiple email requests.

A representative with the manufacturer, Natart furniture, told CTV News Toronto they have received calls from almost a dozen soon-to-be parents asking about their orders.

The manufacturer has also been unable to get in touch with the store owners, saying it’s been weeks of calls and emails going unanswered. The representative said they are facing a “substantial loss.”

The manufacturer is keeping customer orders, however. They are urging customers to contact their credit card companies to explain the situation and then re-place the order with another store Natart supplies to.

For the Correas, that isn’t possible because they paid cash in full to The Baby’s Room.

Not wanting to wait any longer, David Correa said he bought a floor model from another store so their daughter’s room would be ready for her arrival.

"All together we've lost just under $4,000” he said. “Just under two for the first (order) and just under two for the second one."

He said they’ll be okay, but the money could have come in handy.

"That would have been great money that we could have used for other things, maybe a bookshelf, (or) maybe baby clothes,” he said.

The Correas said they want to make sure other customers are aware The Baby’s Room is closed so they have time to get organized and can avoid a last minute scramble.

"I'm angry,” said David. “They had all the opportunities to do right by us but they chose a different path.