Susan Webb from Toronto

Joseph has been my go-to "computer guy" for over five years. He is a wealth of knowledge and offers excellent service! He is prompt, courteous and responsive. He also knows his subject matter inside and out and works hard to get his customers the best deal on equipment and accessories, without sacrificing quality. Joseph is more than well deserving of all the highly recommended, top-star ratings here on HomeStars!

I hired Bay Bloor to transport some furniture for an elderly friend who was moving from her apartment into a retirement residence. Jag kindly filled me in on a number of small details that I wouldn't have thought of, such as the best times of day for the move (to avoid taking over the residence elevator during the mealtime rush), the need to empty furniture drawers of their contents before the move and so on. He initially quoted me the company's hourly rate, but didn't advise me that there was, in fact, a four-hour minimum charge. At settling-up time, therefore, I was surprised at having to pay nearly $430 for service that had taken only about two hours. The two movers Jag sent over to the apartment had apparently arrived on time, but they had some difficulty making contact with me (I was waiting inside my friend's apartment), even though I had given Jag both the buzzer code and phone number for the apartment. After waiting nearly 20 minutes past the agreed-on meeting time, I finally telephoned Jag at his office. He advised that my friend's telephone in the apartment didn't seem to be working and that was why the movers couldn't get in contact with me. (I later had Rogers check the line and it turned out that nothing was wrong with it.) And I don't know why they didn't try the buzzer code. They were quite good-natured and worked efficiently at getting all the furniture wrapped up and out to their van, arriving in good time at the residence and setting everything up where I requested them to. However, later I noticed some scratch marks on the top of the dresser that had not been there before the dresser was moved, despite being wrapped up in metres of plastic wrap beforehand. All in all, I can say that my experience with Bay Bloor was o.k., but due to the couple of issues outlined above, it did not rate five stars.

G & G operates seasonally in the parking lot adjacent to the No Frills supermarket at Victoria Park and Lawrence Ave. East. They always carry a wide selection of annuals, perennials, beautifully-arranged hanging planters, herbs and veggies as well as soil, containers and garden accessories, all at reasonable prices. One unusual item I have purchased there is ornamental jasmine ($9.99/pot), which I have not found at other garden centres. The fig trees and brightly-coloured bougainvillea will delight those with tropical botanical tastes. The counter staff is friendly as well. G & G is definitely worth a visit for all your garden centre needs!

Miceli's is a wonderful seasonal garden centre located at the northeast corner of the Dufferin Mall parking lot. Louie, his sister and assistant Steve are always welcoming, friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. They carry a wide selection of flowers, herbs and vegetables, including some hard-to-find heirloom varieties, e.g. of tomatoes, exotic varieties, e.g. lemon basil (which I later used to make some awesome pesto!), and the unexpected - fig trees! They even have a couple of intriguing "touch-me-not" (mimosa pudica) plants at the counter - fun for kids (even grown-up kids!). You can expect to find everything you need for a standard garden, and some serendipitous items too. Miceli's is well worth a visit!

I had three rugs, including a large cotton rag rug with a fringe dating back to 1989 that had never been cleaned. The others were a salt-stained rubber doormat and a small synthetic rug with a non-slip backing that was disintegrating. Nima, the friendly owner, came over personally to pick up my rugs and then bring them back when they had been cleaned. His communication and customer service were excellent, and the rugs looked quite clean as well, even the one from 1989! Nima even managed to remove the disintegrating backing from the synthetic rug, so that it no longer sheds the resulting "dust" all over my floor. The price for all three was very reasonable. I would definitely use Nima's service again and recommend him highly - thank you, Nima!

My Mom and I bring items to Rima at Quick Stitch from time to time and we are always pleased with the results, which are professionally done within a reasonable period of time. Last summer, for example, I had purchased a pretty Desigual-brand dress online which fit poorly in the bodice. I was seriously considering sending it back for a refund, as it seemed nothing could be done to improve the fit. Well, I threw it into a bag, also containing a pair of jeans to be shortened, and brought it along to show Rima. She had a look and started pinning. Within a week, she had made the dress fit beautifully so I didn't have to send it back after all! Kudos to Rima!