Returning Unwanted Goods - CT Has the Worst Policies

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I'm sure we'll soon see a post like this soon enough:

"600 sucks sites, donate button in us pay-pal, we're all rich, you are loser 9-to-5ers, i made 6 million $ before I took a crap today, davidler is a faker advocate, ellen is a bitch"

I love it when faker advocate saves me the time of mentioning the 600 sucks.com sites, donate button and PayPal....but the tourettes or booze has him even more ranting lunatic than normal. Yikes!

When faker advocates start answering their own posts with more crazed anger, you start to wonder about mental health. I think he needs some help.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I do 30-50 returns almost every day....no problems at all. Lots of people understand the rules and follow them. Yep, there's that math again. I'm guessing it's the small minority that don't think before they buy.

Like the majority of those who commented on Ellen's article you mean? Yep that's a pretty big percentage. I'd also like to know how many returns you deny?

How to get a refund from Canadian Tire - moneyville.ca Blogs

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Whoa...that just kills another CT lie that there was only "one bicycle incident". Yup another judgement for the plaintiff. So that makes it three incidents and two bicycle lawsuits, with two separate injuries requiring hospitalization! The poor poor parents who put the lives of their kids in your hands with TWO of these defective bikes. Only to hospitalize one of their kids on his first day of riding the bad bike. I wonder why they had to go to the trouble of including the bicycles CASH refunds in the lawsuit? Was it because the CT store owner wouldn't refund their money for the defective bikes, contravening Quebecs consumer legislation????

Could there be? could there be more judgements in favour of joe public? No! Say it isn't so. You mean, there's more than just those one off cases that CT dealer-owner-minimum-wage-ruler-better-than-9to5er's-who-suck was talking about. You mean CT dealer wasn't telling us the truth at all?

When buying gifts for friends and family this season, beware of Crappy Tire's policy on "used" items - they are the worst policies around!

If the item has been 'used', even briefly, they can refuse to give you (or the recipient of a gift) a refund, even if it doesn't fit, is the wrong type, wrong colour, or if they already have one just like it.

That's right "you used it - you own it" is the official policy of Crappy Tire.

Check out their atrocious policy if you don't believe it:

Returns, Refunds & Exchanges | Canadian Tire

(Ignore the part about "Easy Returns" - they don't exist!)

"in its original condition and packaging" means unused.

Another thing to beware of: Some stores will also insist that the package be unopened!

It doesn't say that anywere on their site, or in the stores, but the recipient of your gift could easily be stuck with an unwanted items, just because they opened the box on Christmas morning!

What a shame it would be, to have your gift turn into a deep disappointment, instead of a joy!

Why take a chance? Be sure and shop at stores that stand behind what they sell.

Yes, there's are no other store that have such a policy - Crappy Tire has the worst policies of any major Canadian retailer!

Keep in mind that the Crappy Stores may apply a definiton of "used" that's very different from how ordinary people would define the term.

We usually consider an item "used" if it's been owned for a while, and used on a regular basis.

But the Crappy Tire People consider something "used" if it's only been tested out to make sure it works right.

All major Canadian retailers have a policy allowing most items to be returned for a refund if the item is not satisfactory or if it is unwanted.

But Crappy Tire? If you've even tried it out once, and the Crappy People can't immediately sell it for full price, you (or the person you gave it to) could be stuck with or, or stuck trying to sell it on Kijiji.

Best to think twice before giving them your hard-earned money.

The Crappy People still claim that all stores "have the same damn policies".

But readers of this thread already know that Crappy Tire has the worst return polices among major retailers, not just for 'unwanted' goods, but also for defective products, products that don't function as promised, and products that turn out to be used.

In the same vein, a recent article in MoneySense listed the six stores with "Canada's best return policies".

As expected, Costco, Home Depot and Walmart are in the top.

http://www.romanaking.com/2011/12/06/canada’s-best-return-policies/

But Crappy Tire? Nowhere to be seem, naturally.

Maybe MoneySense will soon report on the worst policies?

This was originally posted here: Return policy

It's a good summary about the policies for "Change of Mind" returns (i.e., when the product does what it's supposed to do, but the customer just doesn't want it).

It lines up well with the MoneySense article previously posted, but goes into a lot more detail:

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Boy, are there ever a lot of variations among the policies at different retailers! Obviously Costco is the best, as everyone knows. That’s one of the benefit of membership, LOL. But Home Depot and Walmart are very different. And Canadian Tire has pretty much gone rogue and done their own thing. MUCH more restrictive.

First off, though, there are some items that aren’t returnable at pretty much all the stores - but returnable at Costco. Things like bathing suits and underwear. Makes sense for health reasons. And ammunition, at places that sell it. Special order items, or cut-to-fit material is usually not returnable. And fireworks – which will matter with Victoria Day coming up! Oh, and anything that’s “digital media” is usually non-returnable, unless its defective. This is for movies and DVDs and software. Makes sense because you could copy it and then just return it – sounds like there are special copy right laws for these things. Seems reasonable.

But that’s where the similarities stop.

The biggest difference are with the policies for the Gee-I-Changed-My-Mind type of returns. Costco’s policy is “in the original packaging”, but nothing about its condition, and it’s OK if it’s been used, since “we guarantee your satisfaction on every product we sell and will refund your purchase price” - sounds great! HomeDepot.ca doesn’t list any restrictions or make you jump through hoops to get a refund - just bring it back and get a refund. Walmart wants you to bring along the original packaging, but that’s it – no other hurdles. Oh, but drain out the gas tank first (if applicable). But Canadian Tire is a whole other story. They want it in the original packaging, and also “in original condition”. And the store might also insist on it being unused (although that’s not stated on the web site or on the receipts). Plus they might even insist that the package be unopened. That doesn’t seem fair at all – how are you supposed to know if you are satisfied with it, if you can’t even take it out of the box??

Another big difference is the amount of time you have to return it, if you’ve just changed your mind. Costco is the best once again with no stated limit (although 1 year is generally quoted), and a full 90 days for electronics. For Home Depot, you have 90 days for all items across the board. Walmart is 90 days for most things, but only 30 days for electronics, and only 14 days for computers and cameras. Looks like the return period for CT is longer than Walmart for cameras, at 30 days. But once again, CT has the extra “in original condition and packaging”, and might even pull out the “Unused” demand as a last minute surprise.

So, obviously Canadian Tire has the worst policies of the bunch, if you change your mind and just want your money back. Even in the one case where their return period is longer, it's better to buy a camera at another retailer, so that you can to take it out of the box and try it out for 14 days. If you bought at CT, you'd get a few extra weeks to return it, but you'd give up the chance to actually try it out (you bought it, so now you own it).

Just for reference (and to make it easier for Owner/Moaner, who can’t seem to find things!), here are some links:

Costco: Costco Frequently Asked Questions

Walmart: Walmart.ca: Help

Home Depot: The Home Depot | Customer Support | Return FAQ

CT: Returns, Refunds & Exchanges | Canadian Tire


Defective items are a whole other ballgame. And much much worse at CT than anywhere else.

It's amazing what just a little bit of research can turn up, if you just invest a little time!

Another news story about the trend towards more lenient return policies, in order to retain customers.

Sears revamps returns policy amid retail war with Target, Walmart, Marshalls, Dollarama - thestar.com

So, Crappy Tire's worst-in-the-industry policies are about to slip even lower on the scale.

While everyone else is upping their return policy game, in order to meet the coming competition, you may have noticed that Your Local Crappy Tire Dealer is just digging his or her heels in deeper, and defending their ridiculous policies.

Great job in the "Customer Experience" department, Crappy Tire!

Well Done!