ML in Toronto

I have no hesitation in recommending Best Brand Appliances, and in particular Marc. We had a few rough spots along the way, but what sets a company apart is not just how it handles orders that go easily. It is how they handle problems that come up. Our initial interaction with Best Brand was only mediocre. My husband walked into one of the smaller locations to get pricing (was somewhere on Keele I think – I believe they have closed that location now). This was to replace all appliances for a full kitchen renovation. We were interested in mid-range (top end GE / Kitchen Aid), not high-end Wolf / Subzero. We had already chosen most of the part numbers, just had a few final questions about model differences, and needed pricing. The salesman seemed disinterested and generally unhelpful. Perhaps it was because my husband had biked there, looked a bit dishevelled and did not appear like someone who was about to drop $15k on appliances. Or perhaps it was because we were not interested in the really high-end brands. Or maybe the salesman was just having an off day. Whatever the reason, my husband was so completely unimpressed that he left without even asking for pricing, even though he had a list of part numbers in his pocket. Based on the good reviews I’d read about Best Brand, I called the main store, explained what had happened, and they immediately transferred me to Marc. And he was completely helpful, and went out of his way to make things right. We ended up ordering from them. Come delivery day, everything was perfect … except for the wall oven, which had been damaged in transit. The sheet metal on one side was bent, presumably when a clamp truck had lifted it. That obviously was a disappointment. But on the positive side, the delivery guys were awesome. Not only had they asked if we wanted them to unpack all the appliances (we did), they actually pointed out the damage to us as soon as they saw it, and asked us if wanted to accept it like that or if they should take it back to the warehouse. Although the damage wouldn’t have been visible once installed, we were concerned it might affect later operations (it might not have, but hard to know for sure). So we sent it back. But I liked how the delivery guys handled it. They didn’t try to slip it by us and just finish the delivery – they actually took the trouble to draw our attention to it. And then it was a long, painful 2+ months to get a replacement. But that wasn’t Best Brand’s fault – it took that long to be sent by the manufacturer. And Best Brand was extremely good about communicating updates and status, and were always patient with me no matter how many times I nagged them about when was the replacement going to show up. So, in short, the appliances are the same wherever you buy them. And the prices are pretty much the same if you do your homework properly. But the service and people are what makes a company special.

I had a very difficult move involving clearing out a condo after the passing of a parent. The move involved delivering to multiple different locations. Anna at Angel Movers was completely wonderful, making helpful suggestions, offering moral support, and being accommodating during several changes to the move plan. The movers themselves were excellent -- a pleasure to deal with and very careful with the items. No hesitation in recommending them. Would use them again.