Canadian Tire

eMacMan · Sep 1st, 2009, 09:36 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by SINC
	I recently bought a new windshield wiper blade for the drivers side of our Windstar van for $13.95. For whatever reason, I could not get it to work. I went back into the service department and they send a guy out who popped it on in about 30 seconds, which was great. The not-so-great part came when they invoiced me an extra $9.54 for the installation. Yep, 9 bucks plus GST for 30 seconds work. I summoned the store manager who told me it was a standard charge. I then informed him that his $9.54 would be the last he ever saw from me, and I had shopped at that store for 20 years. That didn't even make him flinch. I now shop at Wal*Mart for auto stuff.

Lord Almighty; Toyota dealers have installed new blades for me in similar circumstances on at least 2 occasions and only charged for the blade.

imactheknife · Sep 1st, 2009, 09:38 PM

GUELPH CANADIAN TIRE SUCKS! this is so true. The only thing I like is that they have the cheapest oil changes. I will never ever get work done on my vehicle at CT besides an oil change. I have one or three good horror stories from CT! Glad to see that they honored you. Which store was it? stoneroad or woodlawn?

eMacMan · Sep 1st, 2009, 09:44 PM

Still recall being told that a tire was toast because there was a piece of metal stuck in the edge of the tread. Turned out that it had not even penetrated the surface, the leak had to do with a couple of nails that were dead centre and easily repairable. Got another two years out of those Michelins. Always get a second opinion if CT tells you a tire cannot be repaired.

MazterCBlazter · Sep 1st, 2009, 09:58 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by wolfsangel
	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.

I know people that live in Langley/Surrey that have given up on local service. They always go into Bellingham to get their vehicles worked on. It costs a fraction of the price and the professionalism of the service is much better. Lucky I know some great mechanics on the North Shore.

When I was heavy into the motorcycle scene I quickly discovered that the same or better replacement parts were much less than half the cost of the local availability including shipping and duty. The costs of getting your bike serviced here for work you can't or don't want to do yourself was outrageous. After I gave up on the local dealers, I always had my machines serviced across the border. Saved a fortune and got much better satisfaction.

Get legal advice and then threaten legal action against the local CT that screwed up. If you have a strong case, contact a news reporter.

Rps · Sep 1st, 2009, 09:59 PM

Bad service is everywhere. I had a GM M Van and took it into Sears for an alignment job. The head service guy came out and said that I needed to replace all my idler arms .... $900 [ in 1987 dollars ]. Stunned I drove the unit to my local GM dealer. I braced myself when called and was told that the arms are to spec. I went back to Sears and told them and they then refused to do the alignment ... it seems they would not guaranty the work due to the ilder arms ... I then re stated the dealers findings and was told that the dealer didn't know what he was talking about.

I left Sears and never returned, had the alignment done at the dealer and never had a problem with the steering or any other related area for the duration of my ownership, which was 3 more years.

You really have to watch yourself with service departments.

MazterCBlazter · Sep 1st, 2009, 10:00 PM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by Rps
	Bad service is everywhere. I had a GM M Van and took it into Sears for an alignment job. The head service guy came out and said that I needed to replace all my idler arms .... $900 [ in 1987 dollars ]. Stunned I drove the unit to my local GM dealer. I braced myself when called and was told that the arms are to spec. I went back to Sears and told them and they then refused to do the alignment ... it seems they would guaranty the work due to the ilder arms ... I then re stated the dealers findings and was told that the dealer didn't know what he was talking about. I left Sears and never returned, had the alignment done at the dealer and never had a problem with the steering or any other related area for the duration of my ownership, which was 3 more years. You really have to watch yourself with service departments.

A good, competent, and honest mechanic is an excellent find. Always send them Christmas cards and gifts. If you discover their birthday and religion, cover those angles as well.

rgray · Sep 2nd, 2009, 07:55 AM

	Quote:			Originally Posted by MazterCBlazter
	A good, competent, and honest mechanic is an excellent find. Always send them Christmas cards and gifts. If you discover their birthday and religion, cover those angles as well.

Right on!

My mechanic is a one guy operation. His entire existence depends on quality workmanship and word of mouth, and he delivers! - often above-and-beyond the call of duty. I find the occasional 6-pack and just taking time to talk works wonders. We even got invited to his wedding. I find it much better dealing with an individual who knows your name and your kids than some faceless chain that has no idea who you are and generally couldn't care less.

Griz · Sep 2nd, 2009, 08:27 AM

I'd rather let a drunken circus clown work on my car than let those idiots at CT even change a tire!

Sadly, I like the Nordic winter tires with studs...good price and very 'sticky'.

Now I buy them there, give them the rims to put them on - then take them home and put them on my car & truck myself! I feel leery about even letting them put them on rims.

They always look at me so hurt when I tell them I'll do it myself.

Lars · Sep 2nd, 2009, 11:18 AM

Who seriously lets a generic place like CT do work on your car?

I wouldn't take my 2010 Mazda3 to any even remotely questionable mechanic or shop, especially CT of all places. (My last Mazda3, a 2005, was 100% dealer maintained. Though dealer maintenance is usually more expensive than an independent mechanic, I found my dealer to be top notch and I never got screwed big time by my dealer. That said, there are shoddy dealerships, too, so finding the right one may take a one or two bad experiences.)

I find many people have bad experiences when they decide to pick a mechanic based solely on how much they charge (in many cases, picking the cheapest place possible, with matching quality in workmanship).

That said, there are many qualified, reliable mechanics out there that don't work for dealerships. I'm not denying that fact at all. But Canadian Tire? Ugh.

EvanPitts · Sep 2nd, 2009, 11:40 AM

THe problem with CT is that they are all franchises - so some are excellent, others are average, and yet others are terrible. On two occasions when my own mechanic was on holiday, I had simple things that the local CT just couldn't handle. One was when I needed an "eTest", which is like a fifteen minute task, but they couldn't do it that week. It would have left me without proper plates for that week. The other time was when they couldn't extract a nail from my tire and patch it because they didn't have anyone that was "available". But then, that CT really sucks in general. Both times the CT that is just a little further away wedged me in in under an hour, with no problems.

In general, I stick with my usual mechanic, though the other time I used CT was when my brake light switch broke when I was in London, and they handled that in less than half an hour, and for under $15. The local CT would have needed two and a half week for that one, I am sure.

Outside of service - I had an experience last year when I bought a set of patio chairs. When I got home, I found that one chair was missing out of the box of four, so I returned to the store. After much hassle, they accused me of stealing the chair because I had returned something previously like fifteen years before, and thus, I am obviously a criminal. My girlfriend flipped out at the accusation, and as her grandfather and uncle were both CT franchises, lets say the poop hit the fan once her uncle wrote a letter to CT HQ. I month after thmy experience, staff at that CT killed a shoplifter, so I guess I was lucky. I have not bothered ever to return to that pathetic store.

A few months ago, I noted that CT does not carry summer style windshield washer fluid - something they have in copious quantities at Wal Mart. I do not like Wal Mart, I don't like their style of doing business and I don't like the way they treat workers - however, they do have windshield washer fluid, CD envelopes, and laser printer paper - stuff that places like CT and Staples entirely fail at.

Sep 1st, 2009, 09:38 PM	#32
imactheknife Honourable Citizen Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Back In Collingwood.. Posts: 1,882	GUELPH CANADIAN TIRE SUCKS! this is so true. The only thing I like is that they have the cheapest oil changes. I will never ever get work done on my vehicle at CT besides an oil change. I have one or three good horror stories from CT! Glad to see that they honored you. Which store was it? stoneroad or woodlawn? __________________ My Avatar picture of me is outside the Apple Store at the Fashion show mall in Las Vegas 2003. I use a Core duo 20" Imac and a Core 2 Duo Mac Mini. Last edited by imactheknife; Sep 2nd, 2009 at 08:47 AM.

Sep 1st, 2009, 09:44 PM	#33
eMacMan Honourable Citizen Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 5,963	Still recall being told that a tire was toast because there was a piece of metal stuck in the edge of the tread. Turned out that it had not even penetrated the surface, the leak had to do with a couple of nails that were dead centre and easily repairable. Got another two years out of those Michelins. Always get a second opinion if CT tells you a tire cannot be repaired. __________________ Do NOT Touch this computer!!! Touching this computer WILL cause irreversible brain damage.

Sep 1st, 2009, 09:59 PM	#35
Rps Honourable Citizen Join Date: May 2009 Location: Bowmanville, not the end of the world, but you can see it from here Posts: 2,097	Bad service is everywhere. I had a GM M Van and took it into Sears for an alignment job. The head service guy came out and said that I needed to replace all my idler arms .... $900 [ in 1987 dollars ]. Stunned I drove the unit to my local GM dealer. I braced myself when called and was told that the arms are to spec. I went back to Sears and told them and they then refused to do the alignment ... it seems they would not guaranty the work due to the ilder arms ... I then re stated the dealers findings and was told that the dealer didn't know what he was talking about. I left Sears and never returned, had the alignment done at the dealer and never had a problem with the steering or any other related area for the duration of my ownership, which was 3 more years. You really have to watch yourself with service departments. __________________ "The key to success is sincerity ... once you learn how to fake that you can get almost anything!"

Sep 2nd, 2009, 11:18 AM	#39
Lars Honourable Citizen Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: GTA Posts: 11,857	Who seriously lets a generic place like CT do work on your car? I wouldn't take my 2010 Mazda3 to any even remotely questionable mechanic or shop, especially CT of all places. (My last Mazda3, a 2005, was 100% dealer maintained. Though dealer maintenance is usually more expensive than an independent mechanic, I found my dealer to be top notch and I never got screwed big time by my dealer. That said, there are shoddy dealerships, too, so finding the right one may take a one or two bad experiences.) I find many people have bad experiences when they decide to pick a mechanic based solely on how much they charge (in many cases, picking the cheapest place possible, with matching quality in workmanship). That said, there are many qualified, reliable mechanics out there that don't work for dealerships. I'm not denying that fact at all. But Canadian Tire? Ugh. __________________ Apple Certified Technician ACMT\|ACHDS 10.3-thru-10.5\|10.6+ Mac mini (Early 2009) 2.0GHz\|4GB\|500GB\|NVIDIA Geforce 9400M\|AP\|BT\|Mac OS X 10.6.4 Sound System Audio Engine A2 2.0. iPhone: 3GS 16GB

Sep 2nd, 2009, 11:40 AM	#40
EvanPitts Honourable Citizen Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Hamilton, ON Posts: 6,821	THe problem with CT is that they are all franchises - so some are excellent, others are average, and yet others are terrible. On two occasions when my own mechanic was on holiday, I had simple things that the local CT just couldn't handle. One was when I needed an "eTest", which is like a fifteen minute task, but they couldn't do it that week. It would have left me without proper plates for that week. The other time was when they couldn't extract a nail from my tire and patch it because they didn't have anyone that was "available". But then, that CT really sucks in general. Both times the CT that is just a little further away wedged me in in under an hour, with no problems. In general, I stick with my usual mechanic, though the other time I used CT was when my brake light switch broke when I was in London, and they handled that in less than half an hour, and for under $15. The local CT would have needed two and a half week for that one, I am sure. Outside of service - I had an experience last year when I bought a set of patio chairs. When I got home, I found that one chair was missing out of the box of four, so I returned to the store. After much hassle, they accused me of stealing the chair because I had returned something previously like fifteen years before, and thus, I am obviously a criminal. My girlfriend flipped out at the accusation, and as her grandfather and uncle were both CT franchises, lets say the poop hit the fan once her uncle wrote a letter to CT HQ. I month after thmy experience, staff at that CT killed a shoplifter, so I guess I was lucky. I have not bothered ever to return to that pathetic store. A few months ago, I noted that CT does not carry summer style windshield washer fluid - something they have in copious quantities at Wal Mart. I do not like Wal Mart, I don't like their style of doing business and I don't like the way they treat workers - however, they do have windshield washer fluid, CD envelopes, and laser printer paper - stuff that places like CT and Staples entirely fail at. __________________ The scotsburn.ftn network is Karmic Koala powered! It's like a construction site...

Sep 2nd, 2009, 08:27 AM	#38
Griz Full Citizen Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: NB Posts: 258	I'd rather let a drunken circus clown work on my car than let those idiots at CT even change a tire! Sadly, I like the Nordic winter tires with studs...good price and very 'sticky'. Now I buy them there, give them the rims to put them on - then take them home and put them on my car & truck myself! I feel leery about even letting them put them on rims. They always look at me so hurt when I tell them I'll do it myself.

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