Botox empire Injectable Institute Australia goes into liquidation after sudden death of its founder

A chain of cosmetic clinics has collapsed after the sudden death of its owner, leaving hundreds of irate customers awaiting procedures out of pocket.

Injectable Institute Australia (IIA), famous for its botox injections, operated 16 cosmetic clinics across Sydney before it went into liquidation on March 14.

Liquidators from Cor Cordis were appointed to IIA by the NSW Supreme Court after a winding up application by IIA manager Juliet Young.

Ms Young filed the application in February, a week after the owner and sole director, Michael Zillig’s funeral, who died on January 29, aged 56.

In February, IIA customers received text messages informing them the business was closing down due to the owner’s death.

NSW Fair Trading received 138 complaints about IIA in the same month – making it the most complained about business in the entire state, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Mr Zillig was originally from the Victorian town of Kyneton and a funeral notice published in a local newspaper said he ‘passed away suddenly’.

He was an accountant and Sydney partner at Lowensteins Arts Management.

IIA was registered as a business in 2015, and had clinics in the Sydney CBD, the Sutherland Shire, the NSW Central Coast, and Macarthur.

Cor Cordis said it was ‘continuing to quantify the company’s debts’ and that a creditors’ report would be issued by June.

Injectable Institute Australia manager, Juliet Young, filed the application for liquidation in February 

‘There are no current office-holders of the company — the sole director and shareholder is deceased,’ a spokeswoman said.

‘The company is insolvent.’

A Facebook group of frustrated customers includes posts from people claiming they are owed as much as $8900 for treatments that were paid for but were not provided.

It has been reported that 165 people have already submitted a claim with Cor Cordis, although this figure has not been confirmed.

The Facebook group was established with the aim of gathering support for a class action, and the group’s organiser’s said they have been in discussions with lawyers.

The group so far has 235 members, and many have claimed they have been able to get refunds via bank chargeback.

On February 22, Cor Cordis posted to The IIA Facebook page informing customers the company had ceased trading and that claims could be submitted via email.

The post elicited nearly 200 comments, mostly from exasperated clients who had forked out hundreds or thousands of dollars for future treatments.