Home Appliances Plus took out top spot in May on NSW Fair Trading’s Complaints register.
Home Appliances Plus is linked to Steel and Water Pty Ltd, a company registered in Tasmania in 2021 and which lists its directors and shareholders as Richard Edwards and Ashley Fabics.
The business did not respond to questions by The Sun Herald and The Sunday Age.
A Consumer Affairs Victoria spokeswoman said the regulator was “aware of the conduct of Home Appliances Plus and is currently looking into the matter”.
“Consumers who purchase items from online businesses have the same rights as they do when buying from a physical shop,” she said.
“If a store or seller fails to supply a product the consumer has paid for, the consumer is entitled to a refund of any money they have paid.”
She said the consumer protection agency took “this type of conduct seriously” and will act to protect consumers where clear breaches of the law are occurring.
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Angry customers in June told A Current Affair that Home Appliances Plus, which has attracted hundreds of negative online reviews, had failed to deliver items purchased on its website and should be shut down.
Di Williams spent more than $300 in May on a rowing machine and bedside cabinets from Home Appliances Plus, but the items still had not arrived one month later when she appeared on A Current Affair.
Williams, from Bardwell Valley in Sydney, became frustrated as her telephone calls and messages sent to the online retailer went unanswered.
“Surprisingly enough, the night the story aired I received a text message saying I would receive a refund,” she said. “Is that a happy accident? I think that’s pretty telling.”
Williams said she would not have used Home Appliances Plus if she had come across the negative online reviews: “Don’t be too quick to press buy without checking reviews.”
Inderjeet Singh ordered an outdoor chair and coffee table from Home Appliances Plus in May, but the items were never delivered.
Singh, from Acacia Gardens in western Sydney, tried to contact the online retailer by email, phone and through its website, but he said: “They were not reachable by any means.”
Singh said he eventually gave up, raised a dispute with his bank and received a refund 10 days later.
“I will never ever purchase from this company again, nor I will suggest anyone to purchase,” he said.
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Margie James, from Bodalla on the NSW South Coast, said she had tried to cancel the foot stool she purchased in June but has not received a response to her requests for a refund.
“There definitely should be an alert sent to all consumers: Do not buy from this website,” she said.
Brody said consumers seeking a refund for online purchasers that are not delivered should approach the retailer and if there is no response, complain to their state’s consumer regulator.
“If they paid using a credit card or scheme debit card, they could also seek a chargeback from their bank,” he said.
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