Returned goods put back on shelf to be resold (to me)

It seems almost everything I buy at CT has been returned. I consider these products to be used, not new. I bought a cot. Good quality, on closer inspection, blond hair boot print and dust. Hey, unexpected overnight guests? Buy, no rent, cot at CT and return it the next day. It's back on the shelf for some sucker to buy. Well, at least it isn't broken like some of the other products that I've bought. Black light didn't reveal any interesting stains. :-) lol

This is precisely why Canadian Tire has strict policies on returns for some items, especially tents, booster packs, bicycles, power washers and other merchandise can be purchased (loaned) and returned when finished with.

While policy has ALWAYS been "UNUSED, UNOPENED, ORIGINAL CONDITION", people seem to think they can buy a vacuum, and claim it's "unused". One of the huge problems that I have always not agreed with is the 3 MONTH return policy. If a customer cannot decide they didn't want the product (not used) after 30 days, that should be the maximum.

This just gives more opportunity for customers to buy, use and return it after finished using. Unfortuntely Canadian Tire many times don't seem to follow the "UNOPENED, UNUSED, ORIGINAL CONDITION" policy and tend to take the word of the customer.

If you return a product at my store. I WILL open it even if it's taped up. While this may slow down the cash lane, and annoy customers. I think personally you would rather have us catch those DISHONEST customers than to purchase what should be NEW only to discover it's used.. Sure the customer claims they never used that vacuum, but I am not going to take their word for it so for the sake of our customers and our store, we will open your merchandise to be sure that vacuum is NOT used.

I've caught a LOT of customers claiming (example) the vacuum is unused and then claim it's not powerful enough (ie. IS used), open and only to discover full of cat hair..

Our policies are not there to rip off customers but to STOP things like that happening to you because there was a dishonest customer.

At our store things like that happens all the time. Some manufacturers have very bad quality control and they never have all the parts in the box. So we take parts from other boxes to make a whole unit. Hey it happens. It's funny that customers borrow and return, but even funnier than that is the store managers do exactly the same thing. They need a bike for the weekend, no problem we borrow a store display and then hose it off when we're done. Somebody working on the house, no problem a whole tool section available just for the borrowing.

Blaming customers for the whole "used goods" entirely is without merit when store employees do exactly the same thing. I went camping a few weeks ago and the broadstone tent came in handy as well as some burners and propane. Good stuff!

I don't know about you, but I HAVE to open the box to see what the thing is - it might be the wrong color, wrong size, or any number of things that are different than what I really wanted. Our CT simply WON'T give a refund if the box has been opened, PERIOD. It just doesn't matter if it's still absolutely brand new, not used, etc.
If CT doesn't want me to open the box, they had better have one of every single item on display for me to see before I decide whether or not to purchase.
The other problem I have is when I returned an item unopened, the clerk promptly opened it to see if I was lying (why else?). I find this insulting for starters, but more importantly, the package was then taped back up and put back on the shelf - good luck to the next person who buys it, doesn't open it, and then tries to return it - the clerk won't even look at it because it has obviously been opened! (and yes, this happened exactly that way to my son).
The solution for me has simply been to not purchase anything from them that is in a box. Ever. I can get whatever I need at lots of other places.
The ONLY things I ever go to CT for these days is duct tape. Or glue. Or motor oil.

iam not a bit suprised, i seen this happen many times at the CTC i used to work at, the customer returns the item they tape the box back up and reshelve for resale, even before the customer leaves the store. sometimes when items that are returned without a box everything is piled up in a bin at the back warehouse the guys/gals that does shipping/recieving (warehousing) demolishes the used/return products and thrown out into the garbage bins out back (talk about filling our land fills with electronics that can polute soil and drinking waters) the right way to deal with returned product is the returned product should been marked, written off and ship back to CTC so the dealer/owner could get a credit towards the owners account for future purchases of the same products.

i honeslty was baffled when i noticed the terrible things that are happening in the store, and most of the time it isnt the workers fault at all.. it is the senior management and owners forcing ridiculous policies upon them to either follow or be fired.. the General Manager i used to work for said this many times in staff meetings "if you dont want to do what your told, you can be easily replaced with someone that is willing to work for $8.75/hr (min wage) and follow orders"

when i was still working at CTC i was getting paid 9.56$ full time i dont even get 80hrs every paycheque working fulltime some days i work 16hrs to cover people that call in sick... they still cut my hours down to average 67-75hrs NO overtime pay NO stat holidays..NO benefits i have all my pay stubs to prove. (isnt this against the labour laws of Canada?!!!). so i had enough i quit after working 2months there, the stress of having every responsibility shoved onto you (GM and Managers are lazy and spends most of the time out back smoking cigarettes) and the hate between employees and trash talking of each other(you get pay more than me and you do less work etc..) i dont know if iam the only ex-employee that sees this nonsense i mean i would love to hear your (ex-employees) stories of horror.

Originally Posted by myself

I don't know about you, but I HAVE to open the box to see what the thing is - it might be the wrong color, wrong size, or any number of things that are different than what I really wanted. Our CT simply WON'T give a refund if the box has been opened, PERIOD. It just doesn't matter if it's still absolutely brand new, not used, etc.
If CT doesn't want me to open the box, they had better have one of every single item on display for me to see before I decide whether or not to purchase.
The other problem I have is when I returned an item unopened, the clerk promptly opened it to see if I was lying (why else?). I find this insulting for starters, but more importantly, the package was then taped back up and put back on the shelf - good luck to the next person who buys it, doesn't open it, and then tries to return it - the clerk won't even look at it because it has obviously been opened! (and yes, this happened exactly that way to my son).
The solution for me has simply been to not purchase anything from them that is in a box. Ever. I can get whatever I need at lots of other places.
The ONLY things I ever go to CT for these days is duct tape. Or glue. Or motor oil.

I agree 100%. Since they do have good sales at times and are jerks for returns, it only makes sense to open up the boxes to make sure everything is there. I opened up a lagostina set as I wanted ensure everything was there before I buy it.

The clerk told me no and said that everything is in there so I don't need to open it. I opened it anyways. The clerk radioed the manager and he showed up in an instant. I repeated to him my concerns and continued. I counted every item that it was supposed to have for the 12 piece set regularly priced at $600, and guess what? The damn thing was missing a lid.

Right there, infront of two store staff I counted out the items once again and even they agreed it was missing an item. They had nothing to say. I asked them to open another box and assured them I was going to buy it. They did so reluctantly, and guess what ? It was also missing the same lid.

So that's two professional lagostina sets missing something that someone could have bought and not be able to return or exchange. At least the stuff from china never missed a piece especially for something premium. The manager, who by the way was becoming more of a jerk insisted that I buy an unopened set and to come back later if there's a problem. They must think all women are dumb and gullible. I agreed but only if he signed something. He refused and was insulted that I didn't take his word for it. If they refuse to back it up in writing, then they're lying to you. I left the store after wasting an hour arguing with those jerks but at least I didn't get ripped off.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I agree 100%. Since they do have good sales at times and are jerks for returns, it only makes sense to open up the boxes to make sure everything is there. I opened up a lagostina set as I wanted ensure everything was there before I buy it.

The clerk told me no and said that everything is in there so I don't need to open it. I opened it anyways. The clerk radioed the manager and he showed up in an instant. I repeated to him my concerns and continued. I counted every item that it was supposed to have for the 12 piece set regularly priced at $600, and guess what? The damn thing was missing a lid.

Right there, infront of two store staff I counted out the items once again and even they agreed it was missing an item. They had nothing to say. I asked them to open another box and assured them I was going to buy it. They did so reluctantly, and guess what ? It was also missing the same lid.

So that's two professional lagostina sets missing something that someone could have bought and not be able to return or exchange. At least the stuff from china never missed a piece especially for something premium. The manager, who by the way was becoming more of a jerk insisted that I buy an unopened set and to come back later if there's a problem. They must think all women are dumb and gullible. I agreed but only if he signed something. He refused and was insulted that I didn't take his word for it. If they refuse to back it up in writing, then they're lying to you. I left the store after wasting an hour arguing with those jerks but at least I didn't get ripped off.

You, ma'am are an idiot. As two employees tell you not to open packages, you continue to do so??? Any retailer (I manage a Home Hardware) would agree that customers opening packages is a huge no no, especially without the assistance of a staff member. I'm sure you don't care if you break something, wreck the packaging so that it doesn't look sellable, or perhaps slip another item inside the box on the hope the cashier doesn't look in.....but I assure you the store employees do. People like you need to shop in boutiques that offer the kind of service you want....oh by the way, the price is usually 30-50% higher than mass retailers....you know, to cover the damage and extra time that people like you cause.

I have no problem with you opening up a box if you wish to view quality, and reassurance. What issue I do have is when we find people not just open the SEALED boxes but rip the box open, take out of all the cardboard, Styrofoam, and wrapping without thinking of how you would get it in the box again.

Then after all that, I watch people just take a SEALED one and then leave the mess (many times completely unsellable) for other customers. People say you do this to ensure it's all there and nothing is missing.

This is quite hypercritical because people complain how the boxes are open and pieces are missing, YET customers open sealed boxes and then leave that for OTHER customers to have to deal with. You don't mind opening the boxes and making a mess, but you take another sealed box (What proof THAT sealed box doesn't have anything missing).. It seems when you are on the other side of the stick, you complain.

When you open a $700 pot set, pardon me.. rip open I should say a sealed box.. (It's packaged up with a lot of spacers and cardboard), then leave it in the middle of the aisle when you take another sealed product. That now is basically a loss of a $700 pot set because NO one will buy it..

And if you say of course they will.

WOULD YOU??

You see an open box of a $700 pot set.. would you buy it? or take the sealed one? Exactly.

So instead of blaming the store for every little problem. It would be a great help to not only the store, but CUSTOMERS SUCH AS YOurselves to show some consideration for others. You wouldn't want to go into a store only to find the one box left was opened up.. Yet you have no problems opening them up and having other customers having to deal with it.

Quite Selfish

That's right Ace and CT Manager. What's an Ace store?

If it was my store I would've thrown her fat ass out. Or most likely would have called the cops as she was causing a disturbance and force her to pay for those opened lagostina sets with missing lids and all! And then get the store general manager to ban her from ours and other stores. The hoops and circles we must jump through to keep self righteous shoppers out of our stores

I forth that ! We at 777 Upper James, the infamous Hamilton store would have run her out. But knowing how dumb shoppers are she would've run into oncoming traffic and we'd be in the news again.