Canadian Tire

simon · Feb 7th, 2007, 09:19 AM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by Demosthenes X
	Of course, people only tend to share their negative stories (except for the OP, and good on you! ).

I would love to share a positive auto repair story about CT ... if I only had one ...

Rob777 · Feb 7th, 2007, 09:27 AM

I worked at Canadian Tire in North Bay about 15 years ago in the warehouse. We dealt quite a bit with the service guys (getting tires and such for them). The mechanics seemed like pretty good guys and were very experienced. However, the guys that changed the tires and did oil changes were a different story. Here are the two most memorable stories.

1. A tire change gone bad. They were removing the tires from a small truck when one would not budge. What do they do? They get a sledge hammer to try and knock it off. It was the older style lift (not the ones that lift from the side, but the pedestal type that lifted from the centre). The guy kept hitting it and hitting it until the truck actually slipped a little bit and partially slid of the lift causing some damage. Canadian Tire payed for the damage (how could they argue?). The problem: one of the nuts was not removed.

2. Oil is a good thing. After an oil change the guy went on his break. Someone coming back from his break takes the car out of the service bay and parks it outside. The customer comes and pays and takes his car. A little while later a tow truck pulls up with the car. The problem: The first guy drained the oil, put on a new filter and never put in any oil. Canadian Tire pays for a new engine, which was installed at another garage.

There are other minor mishaps, but those are the two that stick in my mind.

SoyMac · Feb 7th, 2007, 09:53 AM

I actually have good CT stories.

I used to take my car to a small shop in my neighbourhood, but I noticed that the charges for the small repairs were getting higher and higher and I felt like they were testing me to find out what charge they could get away with.

I thought about another small shop near me, but they wouldn't let me use their air pump to fill my bike tire, so on principle, I won't take my car there.

For oil changes, I started taking my car to a Mr. Lube.
After an oil change, I noticed that the oil gauge was wonky. I took the car back and they had damaged the gauge so they fixed it free of charge ( of course ).
Right after, as I was driving down the highway, my oil level dropped drastically. I bought a few litres of oil at a Co-op farm store in North Gower and I made it to the Smiths Falls CT to see what was up.
I forget what the exact damage was, but in repairng the oil gauge, Mr. Lube left a hole in the bottom of something that allowed a pencil-sized stream of oil to leak out of the car.

No more Mr. Lube visits!

I now take my car to the CT on Richmond Road. They do a good job in good time and I never feel like they're grabbing cash.
In fact, a month and a half after buying a new set of tires (on sale) at another CT store, I drove against a metal stake that punctured the wall of the tire. The Richmond Road CT gave me a new replacement tire for free, under warranty.

I'm very happy with the CT service both in Smiths Falls, and on Richmond Road and ( at Hunt Club - where they've also gone beyond the call of duty and given me good deals on service ).
But now I'm feeling disturbed because of Vexel's explanation of the mechanics' pay.

Vexel · Feb 7th, 2007, 12:22 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by SoyMac
	But now I'm feeling disturbed because of Vexel's explanation of the mechanics' pay.

Don't quote me on that for all CT stores.. I just know that's how it worked in my store and I saw it first hand. I was the one who signed on all of their time. Maybe someone else who worked in the department can confirm or deny that this happens at other stores as well?

Demosthenes X · Feb 7th, 2007, 12:29 PM

I had thought that our mechanics were paid on salary. I have also heard that CT mechanics in Victoria are amongst the best paid in the city - but again, things differ from store to store.

Rob777 · Feb 7th, 2007, 01:37 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by Vexel
	Don't quote me on that for all CT stores.. I just know that's how it worked in my store and I saw it first hand. I was the one who signed on all of their time. Maybe someone else who worked in the department can confirm or deny that this happens at other stores as well?

That is how it worked at the store I was at as well. Time was assigned to each task. If a job was assigned 2 hours and they did it in 1 hour they were happy. If it took 4 hours, too bad for them. I agree that is not a great way to pay them. It promotes a 'get it done fast' attitude instead of a 'get it done right' way of thinking.

wolfsangel · Sep 1st, 2009, 06:06 PM

CT is worthless, in fact they are worse than that. They are a detriment to whatever you need to have done. We took the car there to have the brakes looked at as they were squealing a bit.

They said nothing was wrong with them but noticed a lot of oil on the under side of the engine. They wanted to shampoo the engine to see if they could find the leak. 300$ later they "fixed" a broken rocker gasket. They charged us 2.5 hrs labor and spent about 20 mins actually working on the car. This took 6 hours.

Side note on this, it clearly says that the brake evaluation was "NOT DONE" on the bill. The very thing we took the car there for in the first place.

Two days later my GF takes the car to work and folks tell her she is leaking fluids. The entire content of the coolant system is on the ground under the car. Take it back to a second CT ( first one is in Surrey, BC, second one Langley BC ). They tell us the water pump is shot and needs to be replaced. They will have to replace the timing belt since its in the way as well. 43$ for a pump, 30 for a belt, 9$ for a new radiator cap....500$ for labor. They quoted me 727$ and change for the 4.5 hrs it would take to do everything. That was at noon. I asked them what time I could come get the car. " Oh it won't be ready today". But... you close at 8PM and its noon? Yes, thats true, but our techs go home at 4:30." Sooo... an auto service center thats open till 8pm but sends home its techs at 4:30. Should have know something was up then.

3 days later, on the way to Portalnd, OR, the Radiator explodes. We had to drop another 500$ at 76 Car center in Bellingham, WA ( these guys are awesome and fast too! they fixed the radiator, thermostat, a transmission leak and a power steering leak in one day... CT never even found the transmission leak and wanted triple what i paid at 76 to fix the PS hose ).

Long story short, upon retuening to to BC, CT had the audacity to say it was coincidence that the very system ( the coolant system ) failed again. So much for their guarantee on labor. Its obvious to me they have no idea and just replace parts at random.

DO NOT USE CT FOR ANYTHING. THEY ARE THAT BAD.

CubaMark · Sep 1st, 2009, 06:41 PM

This isn't the oldest thread ever resurrected... but it's gotta be close...

The Doug · Sep 1st, 2009, 08:48 PM

Well, now that it's resurrected...

I've always received exemplary service at my local Canadian Tire, never a problem since I started going there for car maintenance more than fifteen years ago.

Sorry to hear your girlfriend is leaking fluids though, Wolfsangel. Perhaps she should go to a doctor.

SINC · Sep 1st, 2009, 09:31 PM

My son's best friend is a CT mechanic and all of our experiences have been positive for over ten years now. Give up trying to paint every CT operation so badly.

You know not of which you speak in the majority of cases.

Feb 7th, 2007, 09:53 AM	#23
SoyMac Honourable Citizen Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Ottawa (where Torontonians go to watch NHL-calibre hockey, but where Montrealers go to get sleep) Posts: 3,134	Against the grain... I actually have good CT stories. I used to take my car to a small shop in my neighbourhood, but I noticed that the charges for the small repairs were getting higher and higher and I felt like they were testing me to find out what charge they could get away with. I thought about another small shop near me, but they wouldn't let me use their air pump to fill my bike tire, so on principle, I won't take my car there. For oil changes, I started taking my car to a Mr. Lube. After an oil change, I noticed that the oil gauge was wonky. I took the car back and they had damaged the gauge so they fixed it free of charge ( of course ). Right after, as I was driving down the highway, my oil level dropped drastically. I bought a few litres of oil at a Co-op farm store in North Gower and I made it to the Smiths Falls CT to see what was up. I forget what the exact damage was, but in repairng the oil gauge, Mr. Lube left a hole in the bottom of something that allowed a pencil-sized stream of oil to leak out of the car. No more Mr. Lube visits! I now take my car to the CT on Richmond Road. They do a good job in good time and I never feel like they're grabbing cash. In fact, a month and a half after buying a new set of tires (on sale) at another CT store, I drove against a metal stake that punctured the wall of the tire. The Richmond Road CT gave me a new replacement tire for free, under warranty. I'm very happy with the CT service both in Smiths Falls, and on Richmond Road and ( at Hunt Club - where they've also gone beyond the call of duty and given me good deals on service ). But now I'm feeling disturbed because of Vexel's explanation of the mechanics' pay. __________________ . "It is fatal to let any dog know that he is funny, for he immediately loses his head and starts hamming it up." - Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (P.G. Wodehouse)

Feb 7th, 2007, 12:29 PM	#25
Demosthenes X Full Citizen Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Victoria/Kingston Posts: 781	I had thought that our mechanics were paid on salary. I have also heard that CT mechanics in Victoria are amongst the best paid in the city - but again, things differ from store to store. __________________ Demosthenes [noun], dem-aws-thene-s 1) (384 BC – 322 BC) the greatest of the Ancient Greek orators 2) pseudonym used by Valentine Wiggin in Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game to alter the events of world history

Sep 1st, 2009, 06:41 PM	#28
CubaMark Honourable Citizen Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Zacatecas, México Posts: 6,325	This isn't the oldest thread ever resurrected... but it's gotta be close... __________________ Supporting great Canadian software: www.celtx.com Saving the Web from Adobe: ClickToFlash iWork Users: Apple Keynote Users Group

Sep 1st, 2009, 09:31 PM	#30
SINC Resident Curmudgeon Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Central Alberta Posts: 39,859	My son's best friend is a CT mechanic and all of our experiences have been positive for over ten years now. Give up trying to paint every CT operation so badly. You know not of which you speak in the majority of cases. __________________ Visit my website: St. Albert's Place "When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty." Never squat with your spurs on.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Feb 7th, 2007, 09:27 AM	#22
Rob777 Full Citizen Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Kitchener Posts: 158	I worked at Canadian Tire in North Bay about 15 years ago in the warehouse. We dealt quite a bit with the service guys (getting tires and such for them). The mechanics seemed like pretty good guys and were very experienced. However, the guys that changed the tires and did oil changes were a different story. Here are the two most memorable stories. 1. A tire change gone bad. They were removing the tires from a small truck when one would not budge. What do they do? They get a sledge hammer to try and knock it off. It was the older style lift (not the ones that lift from the side, but the pedestal type that lifted from the centre). The guy kept hitting it and hitting it until the truck actually slipped a little bit and partially slid of the lift causing some damage. Canadian Tire payed for the damage (how could they argue?). The problem: one of the nuts was not removed. 2. Oil is a good thing. After an oil change the guy went on his break. Someone coming back from his break takes the car out of the service bay and parks it outside. The customer comes and pays and takes his car. A little while later a tow truck pulls up with the car. The problem: The first guy drained the oil, put on a new filter and never put in any oil. Canadian Tire pays for a new engine, which was installed at another garage. There are other minor mishaps, but those are the two that stick in my mind.

Sep 1st, 2009, 06:06 PM	#27
wolfsangel New Neighbour Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1	CT is worthless, in fact they are worse than that. They are a detriment to whatever you need to have done. We took the car there to have the brakes looked at as they were squealing a bit. They said nothing was wrong with them but noticed a lot of oil on the under side of the engine. They wanted to shampoo the engine to see if they could find the leak. 300$ later they "fixed" a broken rocker gasket. They charged us 2.5 hrs labor and spent about 20 mins actually working on the car. This took 6 hours. Side note on this, it clearly says that the brake evaluation was "NOT DONE" on the bill. The very thing we took the car there for in the first place. Two days later my GF takes the car to work and folks tell her she is leaking fluids. The entire content of the coolant system is on the ground under the car. Take it back to a second CT ( first one is in Surrey, BC, second one Langley BC ). They tell us the water pump is shot and needs to be replaced. They will have to replace the timing belt since its in the way as well. 43$ for a pump, 30 for a belt, 9$ for a new radiator cap....500$ for labor. They quoted me 727$ and change for the 4.5 hrs it would take to do everything. That was at noon. I asked them what time I could come get the car. " Oh it won't be ready today". But... you close at 8PM and its noon? Yes, thats true, but our techs go home at 4:30." Sooo... an auto service center thats open till 8pm but sends home its techs at 4:30. Should have know something was up then. 3 days later, on the way to Portalnd, OR, the Radiator explodes. We had to drop another 500$ at 76 Car center in Bellingham, WA ( these guys are awesome and fast too! they fixed the radiator, thermostat, a transmission leak and a power steering leak in one day... CT never even found the transmission leak and wanted triple what i paid at 76 to fix the PS hose ). Long story short, upon retuening to to BC, CT had the audacity to say it was coincidence that the very system ( the coolant system ) failed again. So much for their guarantee on labor. Its obvious to me they have no idea and just replace parts at random. DO NOT USE CT FOR ANYTHING. THEY ARE THAT BAD.

Sep 1st, 2009, 08:48 PM	#29
The Doug Nosce Te Ipsum Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Dulcis Domus Posts: 7,137	Well, now that it's resurrected... I've always received exemplary service at my local Canadian Tire, never a problem since I started going there for car maintenance more than fifteen years ago. Sorry to hear your girlfriend is leaking fluids though, Wolfsangel. Perhaps she should go to a doctor.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Canadian Tire Guy...	Bill Baroud	Everything Else, eh!	54	Nov 3rd, 2005 02:22 PM
Moe Norman - Canadian golf legend	MACSPECTRUM	Everything Else, eh!	11	May 12th, 2005 05:15 PM
Rewards Programs	Macified	Everything Else, eh!	12	Oct 3rd, 2004 11:05 AM
ehMac Members! Please donate to the Canadian Red Cross!	ehMax	Everything Else, eh!	15	Mar 27th, 2003 03:07 PM
Americans do it again to Canadian farmers	MACSPECTRUM	Everything Else, eh!	2	Mar 10th, 2003 10:02 AM