Canadian Tire review: unacceptable treatment of customers

I purchased a small handheld appliance and shortly after I brought it home, I had some issues with it. I didn't know if there was something wrong with it or if I just didn't know how to use it, so I packed it up and brought it back to the store 2 hours later. The issue got resolved at customer service, so I was happy to keep it. On my way out, the person checking the receipts told me I had to wait at the door because the receipt was 2 hours old. She called another staff who came and looked at the receipt and then contacted the manager Jordan. They made me wait for an excessive period of time while Jordan was supposedly asking the customer service staff if my story was true. I waited 10 minutes and Jordan had still not arrived. I told them I was leaving - meanwhile the sales person was excitedly telling me I had to wait and that this was store protocol.

Your store protocol violates my human rights and you should hope that the media does not get ahold of stories like mine. What if I had figured out the problem on my own and not ended up going to customer service for help? What if I had misplaced the receipt? Would that give you the right to detain me and accuse me of stealing? As far as I know if you want to accuse someone of shop lifting you need to catch them in act.

The sales woman advised that due to store protocol, I was obligated to wait, for an indefinite period of time while they checked out my story with customer service and whatever else they thought they needed to do.

The store had NO right to stop me leaving the store. They had EVERY opportunity to flag the merchandise as something that had been brought in - not out. They had not taken the opportunity to do this, they could have put a sticker on it or something when I had passed by the same sales person on the way in. But seemingly there is no store protocol to stop innocent from being mistreated.

I expect to be treated with dignity and respect. That did not happen.

I understand Canadian Tire's need to crack down on shop lifting, but treating innocent people in this manner goes too far. So if this is your new store policy I will not be shopping at Canadian Tire again.