Canadian Tire
Reviews and Complaints

For over the last 35 years I have been a customer of Canadian Tire and had always had a pleasant experience and great service at any of the stores I visited until this August 5/19 when I wanted to use a Canadian Tire refund card for my purchase and was informed by the cashier that this refund card had just expired 5 days ago. What do you mean it has expired, it's money I said back to the cashier.
Please help me to understand how actual MONEY...even in the form of a plastic card can just expire at your establishment.

When this refund card was given to me by the cashier a year ago, I was never informed that the refund card will expire after one year. And no, due to my fault, I never read the fine print on the back of the card, which btw, is so small one would need a magnifying glass to be able to read it. But I never thought I would would have to worry about this Canadian Tire (a large and trusted retail chain) refund card expiring since in 2007 the Ontario McGuinty Government changed the law to ban gift card expiry dates so that cash equivalent gift cards will never expire. The Ontario Government Services Minister Gerry Phillips had stated that this was done because consumers deserve to get what they pay for and so should be able to redeem a gift certificate at any time.

I would like to know how can a refund card expire...it's money...MY MONEY...which The Canadian Tire Corporation has taken from me...10 dollars of my money and are now NOT giving me anything for it. There is a term for this...and it's called stealing, and Canadian Tire has just stolen money from one of their loyal customers. In my opinion, this is no different then any of those shoplifters in your stores...its stealing. Actually I think your method is worse since through legal loop hopes you're deliberately targeting consumers ignorance and for what ever reason, consumers that wait too long to use the refund cards. Is the Canadian Tire Corporation that hard up financially that it has to resort to stealing money from their loyal customers?
I'm sure that I am not the first of your customers this has happened to nor will I the last...so I would just like to know, does the Canadian Tire Corporation take pride in taking money from their customers for nothing in return? You must otherwise why would your refund cards have an expiration.

Due to this experience, you have lost me as a customer and from now on I will no longer be visiting any of your stores...I will be spending my money at your competitors instead.
Sure I am just one customer, but over the years I have spend in the tens of thousands of dollars on tools, sporting goods, auto...motorcycle...and boating parts and accessories, and every year I have purchased the majority of my Christmas gifts from your stores...but NO more...and I will be telling my family, friends and co-workers of how the Canadian Tire Corporation has ripped me off...and I'm sure they will repeat this story to others.
So congratulations on stealing a few dollars from me...but tell me, is this 10 dollar gain for nothing really worth the future loss of thousands of dollars from my future purchases? To me this does not make good business sense.

An upset and disappointed customer.

May 17, 2019 Purchased a vacuum cleaner for my Mom who is 85 years old ... a cordless stick vacuum. It took her several weeks before she wanted to try it saying her old one was still somewhat functional. When she finally tried it, she asked that I return it because suction was not strong enough.
June 23, 2019 I was truthful and explained exactly what happened but was told I could not get a refund because she had ‘used it' nor could I get a credit and could not purchase another item. Had to get a vacuum cleaner. So I quickly shopped hoping to find something she might like at about the same price.

Between June 23 and Aug 04 my Mom kept putting off trying the vacuum. Finally on Aug 04 we open box and I realize it is a handheld vacuum and not a stick vacuum. I put it back in the box and go back to the store on Aug 05 confident that this time there should be no problem. Well I was wrong! It turns out the vacuum had been used, returned and put back on the shelf. So of course I tell clerk that she can think what she wants but I can assure her that we did not use it!
..she tells me I have to buy another vacuum cleaner of the same price or higher. so I go back and try to find something but what they have in stock is either cheaper or double the price of what I had paid...
.. I go back to clerk and tell her I was not intending to spend double the price ...so NOW she tells me ... ok you don't have to get a vacuum..you can choose something else...what? Anyways I don't say anything and go back trying to figure out what I can get... since my Mom needs patio chairs I ask clerk if they have folding chairs ... first I am told no... I say I saw them on internet... it says they have 5 In stock. Send me to another isle to look for me. Turns out he sent me to the wrong isle so I go back to clerk who helped me earlier with search for the vacuum. She finds the chairs in the system..so I take a picture with my phone and go back to clerk in patio furniture. Says he can't come down from lift ..I'll need to wait 5-10 Minutes! But now my phone battery is dying so I inform him and now for some reason he can come down. He looks for the chairs andd finally says he needs to go chec in the back... so I wait... and wait... finally he comes out and tells me they don't have any... Now I am losing it... I text my husband to please come to the store to help me out... I am fed up and don't know what else to buy and my phone is dying... my husband comes and picks up a hedge trimmer which is about $20 cheaper than the vacuum so we'd pick up some bags for compost. I go back to cashier and guess what I am told I cannot buy several items... I have to spend the same amount as the original purchase on 1 item only... is she serious?.?. Thank God my husband is with me now so he says ok look let's try to find something else ...finally I pick up a cooking pot... I go back to cashier...I HAVE NOW BEEN IN THE STORE FOR AT LEAST 2 hours...! She checks on her computer to process the transaction and you won't believe this... her computer shows that this is a second return and that the original date of purchase according to her computer is Nov 2018 ! And because of that I can only purchase another vacuum cleaner! How can that be I have the receipt of the original purchase ! By now my heart is beating and my stomach is burning... I just look at my husband and now he takes over and says we want to speak to a manager... I Give the manager a full rundown of what happened... is it my impression..does he have a smirk on his face... so he tells me ok but since the original date of purchase is Nov 2018... cashier did her job and now it is his decision ... I try to tell him there is an error I have my receipt to prove the date of purchase... he puts up his hand and tells me... I let you speak and now it's my turn would you listen to what I have to say! My husband takes my hand to calm me... so I keep my mouth shut and the manager finally says even if the original date of purchase is Nov 2018 I will approve an exception. My husband whispers to me... ok don't say anything let's just take the pot and get out of here as soon as possible...

PLEASE AVOID EVER BUYING A VACUUM CLEANER AT CANADIAN TIRE... AND I HOPE YOU NEVER HAVE TO RETURN ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY HAVE ZERO CUSTOMER SERVICE ON RETURNS.

Purchased a torch on Jul 22, 2019
Had to return it on Aug 02, 2019 as defective
Talked with Manager (Evan) and he said he would not reimburse the cost
I explained the torch was defective and he totally disregarded what I had to say and walked away
I have never in all my years shopping at Canadian Tire been treated with complete disregard.
I am very disappointed and I think this manager may be a bad pick for Canadian Tire if he continues to treat customers like he treated me.

Today I went to The Canadian Tire #313, 9940 Macleod trail S. E. Calgary Alta to pick up a few things I needed. found what i was looking for and went to till #4 and was third out, no problem, The cashier had a little trouble with the first customer but nothing serious, second customer went thru no problem. I was first out when a lady came over, I suspect it was her supervisor and she she had a phone call. The Cashier then turn off her light and said to me that she was closed and would have to go another cashier. The till beside her said she could help someone and by the time I got in her lineup I was third out and had to wait another 10 minutes. The cashier in till number 4 had time to close her till and block off her line. Now I have been in retail sales for the last 40 years and have been both a supervisor and a manager and if one of my cashiers did that to a customer somebody would have had a good talking too. THIS IS VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE

Purchased 4 tires in April and received a Silver Plan Roadside Assistance Membership as part of a promotion. Associate behind the counter had no idea that it had to be activated. I only found out that it had to be activated once I tried to register it. Was told by Roadside Assistance that I had to bring it back to the store to have it activated. Apparently, it is a two step process. Store has to scan card, put in promotion code to activate the card. Once activated you can then go on-line or call Roadside assistance to complete the second part of the activation. Tried several times to get this done at the store. Had my original invoice, auto manager remembers the promotion etc...however, no one seemed to know what the promotion code was. After spending more time on the phone with Roadside assistance and in the store, I finally get the promotion code. Code was Tire4M18 just in case you think I'm making this stuff up. Go back to store to activate the card and they now tell me that it had to be registered before mid-may. I was not aware of this caveat as no-one told me that and it is not mentioned anywhere on the correspondence. Cashier, says she cannot help, Manager is useless and says there is nothing that she can do. So after several wasted hours, I am back at square one. So let me help Canadian Tire with there customer service. 1. When you run a promotions please ensure that customers are aware of deadlines to register etc...you can do this by educating and training you employees above a minimal incompetence. 2. Don't give customers the run around. I had to waste 6 hours of my time trying to resolve this issue, which in the end was a complete waist of time. When explaining this whole episode to the manager. I was told that there is nothing that she could do. Really? Are they taught this in management school? There is always something that a manager can do, such as offer a gift card or discount on my next purchase etc... or 3. Honour the promotion. One of the main reasons I purchased the tires was because it included the Silver Plan Roadside Assistance. Next time I will just go to Costco and take there Roadside Assistance plan at least I have confidence that they will at lease activate it.

Hello,
I am not one to usually complain, but it has been bad customer service over and over again with Canadian Tire.
In Decemeber I went to purchase 2 bikes for my daughters for Christmas. Totalling around $560.00. The Chilliwack location had none and had told me they had put 2 on hold at the Langley store. I went there the next day to pick them up, and they did not have them. They advised me they would get 2 from another store and have them ready for pick up the following week. I went back the following week to hear, they hadn't had time to build them. Rather then calling me to let me know, I drove out there, to come home emptied handed again. Go back the following week, to wait over an hour for them to find them in the store, as they were somehow misplaced.
In December also, I purchased new Christmas lights, put them up, 1 week later half the string went out. Had to take them down, exchange them, put the new ones up, for days later the same issue occurred. Now having to take them down yet again to exchange them.
Spring of this year, I purchased a new air mattress, a more expensive one, take my daughters camping, set up camp, air mattress is faulty and will not hold any air. We then spent the weekend sleeping on the ground.
11 days ago, I purchased a pool vaccum from Canadian tire. Tried it out, its faulty, go to return it today, and they refused to give my money back and offered an in store credit only. I believe this is unacceptable as it has not been 2 weeks, and it's a faulty item. At this point I do not want to continue my shopping at canadian tire with these mentioned experiences. However a refund was denied.
I am pretty disappointed with the continuous issues I have had with being a customer at Canadian Tire.

Thank you,

Jodi Mitischev

I arrived for my 2:30 appointment at 2:15 to have my car certified. I was told by the gentlemen at the desk that it would take 1-1.5 hours to complete.

I sat and waited, eventually watched while the mechanic parked my car in the parking lot (around 3:30) and re-entered the building.

I waited for another half hour as I figured it would take some time to complete the paperwork. Around 4 I was starting to get impatient so I approached the service desk, the gentlemen there explained that the safety was complete, but they were waiting on the paperwork.

Star swipe to 5pm and I am quite upset that I have still not heard anything. I go to the desk again and the gentlemen I spoke to the second time was surprised to see me and thought I had left. Nobody seemed to have any idea that I existed or that I was waiting.

They spent a good 5 minutes searching for some binder and the paperwork. Eventually it was found but had I not approached the desk a second time, I doubt any of the employees would have known I was even there and still waiting. I probably could have spent my entire evening and had a nice dinner in your waiting area, and nobody would have had a clue.

I do not appreciate wasting almost 3 hours of my day for a safety that should have taken half that. It is incredibly unprofessional that there isn't a better system in place to process this paperwork and that nobody seemed to know that a customer was waiting.

The gentlemen I had spoke to was apologetic for the situation however it is still incredibly frustrating as, had I known the service was going to be so slow and uncoordinated, I would have dropped the car off rather than sitting there wasting my time. Or just take my business elsewhere.

I am writing to complain about your policy of charging $20 for a battery core return automatically when a battery is purchased. What about new applications? Sure, I return my old batteries when they die, but I just bought an expensive marine deep cycle battery for an electric troller motor I also purchased. I was charged $20 for the return of my 'old' battery.
Now I have to hold onto the documentation and wait until one of my other batteries dies. (or the new one)

Please change this policy.

Thanks

There are cactus and succulents in your store that have fake plastic flowers glued onto them. This is definitely a case of false advertising. The glue used may poison the plants and kill them. The plastic will very likely be thrown in landfills adding to the growing garbage problem. Please quit bringing in these plants. I am posting this issue on Facebook because it is sooo ridiculous.

Having car certified for BC plates.
Said it needed wheel alignment, told him car runs smoothly . Did alignment anyway and now car shimmies .Only 5000 km and Manager Scott Clegg says I have to pay $130 again to fix what they miss adjusted. You are suppose to get print out to show results but tech said machine not working so would not give me one.
They also said I needed new power steering hoses ( $250 )but when I asked him to show me were the leak was he couldn't so took it off the list.

I don't usually expect great service from Canadian Tire. It's just not who they are. But the Prince George branch was just horrible.

I had purchased about $450 worth of stuff and when I got out to the car noticed on the receipt that one item was scanned twice by accident. I brought it back in with the receipt to the same cashier. She didn't know how to refund the money back to my credit card so she called a manager. The manager told her to void the whole transaction and re-scan everything and to charge my card again for all the other items. He told me I was going to see a credit to my card in 4 business days. I got kinda mad. They just charged my credit card almost $900 for a $30 mop bucket and hadn't given me any real proof that I would be getting my money back. So I returned every thing and told them I wouldn't be back. I still haven't had a credit show up on my account. Guess I will have to deal the my banks credit card fraud department.

I bought 2 Coleman barbecues 2 years ago. One for the cottage and one for home. I followed the instructions for seasoning the grills precisely including at the end of the season. The one at the cottage was stored indoors over the winter and the one at home always had a cover over it when not in use. The following spring ( last year) the grills of both barbecues were rusted. I contacted CT and to make long story short, I needed to purchase new grills at a discounted price. Fast forward this spring, same story all over again. This is an expensive habit considering that we need double grills on these Coleman units. Furthermore I can't cook cook at a low heat with the cover closed. Even with only one burner lit the temperature exceeds 350 degrees F.

i thought these were "Tested".

Tom Deutsch [protected]