Wireless repair shop seemingly goes under overnight, leaves this man with no cellphone

One Toronto man is looking foranswers and hiscellphone after several Fixt Wireless repair stores seemingly went out of businessovernight.

Dave Niven had used the phone and laptop repair franchise in January for his Google Pixel phone and "they fixed it fine," he said.

So when he brought it in again two weeks ago, he thought nothing of leaving it with the staff. But the day after they emailed to say it was ready, he walked over to the store in College Park at Bay and College streets, only to find the door locked and the lights off.

Niven tipped off CBC News about the closure earlier this week, but so far the company has not answered repeatedemails or phone calls.

He returned twice more on Monday and Tuesday of this week, during scheduled business hours, but again it was closed.

"That's when I started calling the head office and other stores, I sent them a message on their Facebook page but they never answered," he explained.

There is no note of explanation for the closures either on the company's website or on its social media accounts.

On Tuesday, on a hunch, Niven decided to jump on the subway and head over to another Fixt store at the Hudson's Bay Centre at Bloor and Yonge streets, and when he arrived that store was also closed.

Besides just wanting his phone back, Niven is a little worried about the fact that the company has his password to get into the phone.

"So they could get into some of my accounts.I don't really know what happens if someone goes into the store now and takes it [saying] 'Oh here's a bunch of phones and a bunch of passwords,' so that's a little concerning," he said.

'Reliable, good neighbours'

Desiree Maklin owns a ceramics store, The Clay Room, directly beside a Fixt Wireless onDanforthAvenue just west of Chester Avenue.

Sheshares a landlord with the owner and has known the staff for the last three years they've been at that location and "they've always been pretty reliable, good neighbours," Maklin said.

"They would replace my [phone] glass for me just as a courtesy for being a good neighbour," she said, adding "there were always people in and out;they were always working on stuff when I went over."

The company has not responded to numerous requests for comment from CBC Toronto.

At least three of the eight stores CBC Toronto visited were closed during business hours. Nobody answered phone calls or emails at the other five,or at head office.