Furniture company said: ‘we’re not going anywhere’—then shut down every store
- Replies 3
Australian furniture giant collapses amid tax dodge claims and angry customers
They were promised job security and quality furniture—but now they’re out of pocket and left in the dark.
Explosive footage exposed the man behind the company’s downfall. And he admitted on camera he’d planned it all along.
Home Sweet Home, once a sprawling furniture chain across Australia, collapsed into liquidation just months after owner Daniele Maisano publicly denied it was happening.
Earlier this year, Maisano confidently said: ‘We’re not going anywhere. Our interest is to do the right thing by all our customers and our staff.’
When pressed if liquidation was on the cards, he insisted: ‘No, we’re not… No.’
But the company’s parent group has since gone into liquidation, leaving customers and employees blindsided.
‘I’ve lost my money, nobody’s responding to me, my files are locked, stores are closing,’ one customer, Jan, shared.
Former staff were just as furious.
‘Run. Do not buy from Home Sweet Home,’ said Taylor, who once worked there.
‘It’s time that people knew what sort of a person he is,’ added Marty, the company’s former HR and finance manager.
In bombshell office surveillance footage aired, Maisano was heard bragging: ‘You know that I’ve gone through administration twice in my life? And do you know that every time I got out of administration, I’ve got out of it heaps stronger and richer.’
He added: ‘Who cares, just close them all up, sack all your staff and then we deal with it. If you liquidate all the companies, you write off landlord debt, you’ll write off the f***ing ATO debt.’
When confronted Maisano at his Sydney warehouse in February, he denied dodging tax.
‘So you’re not trying to dodge tax debt here?’ the reporter asked.
‘No. I don’t know where you’re getting this from,’ Maisano replied.
‘They’re not my words,’ the reporter shot back.
Meanwhile, customers like Melissa shared how they tried to recover anything they could.
‘It was the dream furniture for my dream house and yeah, obviously I don’t have that,’ she said.
Frustrated, she drove to a store and took items herself.
‘I loaded my car with whatever I could. I think I broke their couch climbing it to take that painting but I don’t really care,’ she said.
‘Unfortunately I was not able to get all my money’s worth.’
‘I'm personally in debt up to my eyeballs because of Daniele Maisano,’ said a former staff member who remained anonymous. ‘He convinced me to put my name on documents.’
According to Marty, Maisano sacked Queensland employees just before Christmas—many of whom were still waiting for pay.
‘He’s a monster,’ Marty said.
Maisano, however, painted himself as a victim of tough economic conditions.
‘I’m doing my best, I’m a battler trying to do the right thing, trying to survive in the economic times but your story is going to hurt this company,’ he said.
But footage revealed a different story.
‘And the reason why I’m good at administration is because I think about it. We plan it,’ Maisano was heard saying.
‘And, I always say this, if you’re a billionaire, you play dirty. You don’t become a billionaire if you’re not dirty.’
Marty didn’t hold back: ‘He’s a disgrace, really. He’s a disgrace to business. He really is.’
‘He’s only focused on money,’ added former worker Taylor.
‘All the people that he has promised and taken their money, there’s nothing we can do now,’ customer Jan said.
And Melissa, still angry, left with a final word: ‘I’ve screwed him back so take that.’
Watch the full report below:
Source: Youtube/A Current Affair
If you’ve ever felt powerless watching a business collapse while customers and workers are left behind, you’re not alone.
This kind of financial fallout doesn’t just hit retail—entire homes and livelihoods can be put at risk when things go wrong in other industries too.
Here’s another recent case where people were left counting the cost after promises fell through.
Read more: Homeowners worry as giant home builder collapses amid defect claims
What protections should be in place to stop business owners from leaving Aussies in financial ruin?
They were promised job security and quality furniture—but now they’re out of pocket and left in the dark.
Explosive footage exposed the man behind the company’s downfall. And he admitted on camera he’d planned it all along.
Home Sweet Home, once a sprawling furniture chain across Australia, collapsed into liquidation just months after owner Daniele Maisano publicly denied it was happening.
Earlier this year, Maisano confidently said: ‘We’re not going anywhere. Our interest is to do the right thing by all our customers and our staff.’
When pressed if liquidation was on the cards, he insisted: ‘No, we’re not… No.’
Maisano denied collapse months before liquidation. Image source: Youtube/A Current Affair
But the company’s parent group has since gone into liquidation, leaving customers and employees blindsided.
‘I’ve lost my money, nobody’s responding to me, my files are locked, stores are closing,’ one customer, Jan, shared.
Former staff were just as furious.
‘Run. Do not buy from Home Sweet Home,’ said Taylor, who once worked there.
‘It’s time that people knew what sort of a person he is,’ added Marty, the company’s former HR and finance manager.
In bombshell office surveillance footage aired, Maisano was heard bragging: ‘You know that I’ve gone through administration twice in my life? And do you know that every time I got out of administration, I’ve got out of it heaps stronger and richer.’
He added: ‘Who cares, just close them all up, sack all your staff and then we deal with it. If you liquidate all the companies, you write off landlord debt, you’ll write off the f***ing ATO debt.’
When confronted Maisano at his Sydney warehouse in February, he denied dodging tax.
‘So you’re not trying to dodge tax debt here?’ the reporter asked.
‘No. I don’t know where you’re getting this from,’ Maisano replied.
‘They’re not my words,’ the reporter shot back.
Meanwhile, customers like Melissa shared how they tried to recover anything they could.
‘It was the dream furniture for my dream house and yeah, obviously I don’t have that,’ she said.
Frustrated, she drove to a store and took items herself.
‘I loaded my car with whatever I could. I think I broke their couch climbing it to take that painting but I don’t really care,’ she said.
‘Unfortunately I was not able to get all my money’s worth.’
Maisano’s own workers accused him of manipulation and financial deceit.‘I'm personally in debt up to my eyeballs because of Daniele Maisano,’ said a former staff member who remained anonymous. ‘He convinced me to put my name on documents.’
According to Marty, Maisano sacked Queensland employees just before Christmas—many of whom were still waiting for pay.
‘He’s a monster,’ Marty said.
Maisano, however, painted himself as a victim of tough economic conditions.
‘I’m doing my best, I’m a battler trying to do the right thing, trying to survive in the economic times but your story is going to hurt this company,’ he said.
But footage revealed a different story.
‘And the reason why I’m good at administration is because I think about it. We plan it,’ Maisano was heard saying.
‘And, I always say this, if you’re a billionaire, you play dirty. You don’t become a billionaire if you’re not dirty.’
Marty didn’t hold back: ‘He’s a disgrace, really. He’s a disgrace to business. He really is.’
‘He’s only focused on money,’ added former worker Taylor.
‘All the people that he has promised and taken their money, there’s nothing we can do now,’ customer Jan said.
And Melissa, still angry, left with a final word: ‘I’ve screwed him back so take that.’
Watch the full report below:
Source: Youtube/A Current Affair
If you’ve ever felt powerless watching a business collapse while customers and workers are left behind, you’re not alone.
This kind of financial fallout doesn’t just hit retail—entire homes and livelihoods can be put at risk when things go wrong in other industries too.
Here’s another recent case where people were left counting the cost after promises fell through.
Read more: Homeowners worry as giant home builder collapses amid defect claims
What protections should be in place to stop business owners from leaving Aussies in financial ruin?
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.. W H O? Never heard of them..
