Guest-0012
Posted by an unregistered user
On 30 December 2006 we purchased a new battery for my car. This battery model comes with a 2 year warranty.
In December 2007, I started having problems with a dead battery on a regular basis. Our other car is a hybrid, so we can?t use it for jump starting another car.
We took the battery to the Canadian Tire Pickering to have it checked. They said it was fine, that this meant that there was something wrong with my car. So we took the car to the dealer, who ran tests and kept it overnight to see if something was putting a drain on the battery. They stated that nothing was wrong with the car and that they had fully charged the battery. They told me that the battery was defective, as it would not hold a charge and that I should have someone follow me home until I could get a new battery.
The next day I drove my car about 45 km for an all day meeting. When I tried to start it, the battery was completely dead. I called CAA, who came out and tested the battery. Their tests showed that the battery was not charging, even with their charging device. They gave me a printout of their tests and said since it is still under warranty I should have it replaced. They followed me for a while to ensure that I could get home ? something they don?t have to do.
I drove straight to the Canadian Tire on Rylander in Scarborough. I asked to have the battery checked and replaced. I showed her the two tests done on the battery and told her that I had both the dealer and CAA tell me that the battery was defective.
This is where the scam comes in to play. We purchased the battery for $110, including tax. In order to have the battery replaced under warranty, the woman at the service counter informed me that I would have to pay $89 + tax plus a small service fee (which she wouldn?t be able to tell me before hand how much it would be) to have it tested again. If the battery passed their tests, which I would not be provided results of, she would not authorize a replacement. She said that in her several years of working at both the CT Rylander and the CT in Pickering she had never seen a battery under warranty fail the test. She said that in order to have a battery replaced under warranty, I?d have to pay $37 to have it installed by them. She said that no battery would be provided ?for free? because they have to make up for the money they lost in replacing it.
So let?s do some math:
New battery from a competitor (CAA) = $110, delivered, installed, with the old battery taken away
Canadian Tire Test to see if they want to honour their warranty = $89 + $7 tax = $96, but according to the woman, no battery has ever failed this test. I could be out $96, have a non-functional auto and still have to buy a new battery.
She also said that there was a good chance that even if the battery were to fail the test, that I wouldn?t be able to get a free replacement because I had my car serviced at other locations than Canadian Tire (CAA and my dealer). She said that those two organizations are known for intentionally breaking CT products in order to steal their business.
Let?s now say that a miracle occurs and the battery fails the test *and* the woman agrees to replace it under warranty. That?s $96 for the test, plus about $40 to have it installed, for a total of $136 for another battery that most likely will fail again in less than 2 years.
When I told her I didn?t think it was legal to charge me to make use of the warranty she said that she was a lawyer and that it was. Very good that Canadian Tire Rylander has legal staff manning their service desks, but I suspect that she wasn?t being completely honest with me.
I asked her to show me on the warranty paperwork where all these required charges and limitations were mentioned, but she refused. I asked her to call the roadside assistance number for me because I was going to go to another Canadian Tire to get assistance. She said that I was not eligible for roadside assistance because I had not paid the $96 for the test. I asked her again to show me where that is on the warranty, which has the terms for roadside assistance, but she just couldn?t find it, but she knew it was true.
I asked her one more time to test the battery for replacement under the terms of the warranty and she said I would have to pay ? that all customers pay for testing for all Canadian Tire products, even the ones out on the regular store shelves. That companies cannot make money replacing defective merchandise.
When I asked to speak with a manager, she said that this particular Canadian Tire has no managers.
Meanwhile, while all this is happening, other service desk staff have gathered around her to see why she is getting louder and more upset with my refusal to pay to have the warranty honoured. When I ask the question about the manager, she says their aren?t any, but one of the other service desk staff grabs a card from his till. He handed to me as we left, saying that I should definitely call the manager as I was not given the correct story.
So what I?ve learned from this woman at the Canadian Tire Rylander:
- Canadian Tire does not offer warranties in the real legal sense.
- It makes no sense to purchase Canadian Tire items because they are more expensive to replace than to buy brand new from a competitor
- that the terms written on their warranty paperwork are useless because Canadian Tire Rylander uses licensed legal professionals to give legal advice to customers telling them to ignore the paper work (I know this really isn?t true, but I get such a laugh when sales people tell me they are lawyers and even though they work for the other party they are allowed to give me legal advice).
- that doing business with Canadian Tire, even though they are all franchises and run by different people, is not something that intelligent customers want to do.
- that ?car stuff is really, really scary for women like me? according to this service desk staff member.
- that getting your car serviced at other places invalidates your warranty (also not true)
- that the roadside assistance that is guaranteed with the purchase of a battery is not actually available to customers unless they want to pay $100 to have their battery tested (again, not true, but this is what this woman wanted me to believe).
So instead of dealing with this Canadian Tire or the one in Pickering again, I decided to get back to reliable transportation by calling CAA, who sent out a truck within 10 minutes with a brand new battery. They installed it and gave me a written warranty that I believe will actually be honoured. At least I know the terms of their roadside assistance for certain.
Even though the woman insisted that no battery has ever failed, a miracle has occurred right here in Scarborough because my car has been starting fine for the last two weeks. I guess it repaired itself.
My calls to the Service Manager have not been returned, but I believe it was the crazy woman at the desk on that night who took my messages.
And the Canadian Tire store that we used to visit on a weekly basis has now lost all of our business to their competitors. The thousands of dollars we spend every spring on landscaping, household and maintenance items is now going to be happily spent at other retailers. I know it will not make a dent in this franchisee?s books, but at least I won?t ever have to deal with the scam artists there every again.
The stories I heard while waiting in line were outrageous. Stories of ?it?s against the law for us to sell you tires without an inspection? and ?we aren?t allowed to sell you tires unless you buy the extra warranty?.
This is one terrible Canadian Tire store, staffed with a legal expert who doles out ?legal advice? to her employer?s customers, with no manager in the entire store. Amazing.
In December 2007, I started having problems with a dead battery on a regular basis. Our other car is a hybrid, so we can?t use it for jump starting another car.
We took the battery to the Canadian Tire Pickering to have it checked. They said it was fine, that this meant that there was something wrong with my car. So we took the car to the dealer, who ran tests and kept it overnight to see if something was putting a drain on the battery. They stated that nothing was wrong with the car and that they had fully charged the battery. They told me that the battery was defective, as it would not hold a charge and that I should have someone follow me home until I could get a new battery.
The next day I drove my car about 45 km for an all day meeting. When I tried to start it, the battery was completely dead. I called CAA, who came out and tested the battery. Their tests showed that the battery was not charging, even with their charging device. They gave me a printout of their tests and said since it is still under warranty I should have it replaced. They followed me for a while to ensure that I could get home ? something they don?t have to do.
I drove straight to the Canadian Tire on Rylander in Scarborough. I asked to have the battery checked and replaced. I showed her the two tests done on the battery and told her that I had both the dealer and CAA tell me that the battery was defective.
This is where the scam comes in to play. We purchased the battery for $110, including tax. In order to have the battery replaced under warranty, the woman at the service counter informed me that I would have to pay $89 + tax plus a small service fee (which she wouldn?t be able to tell me before hand how much it would be) to have it tested again. If the battery passed their tests, which I would not be provided results of, she would not authorize a replacement. She said that in her several years of working at both the CT Rylander and the CT in Pickering she had never seen a battery under warranty fail the test. She said that in order to have a battery replaced under warranty, I?d have to pay $37 to have it installed by them. She said that no battery would be provided ?for free? because they have to make up for the money they lost in replacing it.
So let?s do some math:
New battery from a competitor (CAA) = $110, delivered, installed, with the old battery taken away
Canadian Tire Test to see if they want to honour their warranty = $89 + $7 tax = $96, but according to the woman, no battery has ever failed this test. I could be out $96, have a non-functional auto and still have to buy a new battery.
She also said that there was a good chance that even if the battery were to fail the test, that I wouldn?t be able to get a free replacement because I had my car serviced at other locations than Canadian Tire (CAA and my dealer). She said that those two organizations are known for intentionally breaking CT products in order to steal their business.
Let?s now say that a miracle occurs and the battery fails the test *and* the woman agrees to replace it under warranty. That?s $96 for the test, plus about $40 to have it installed, for a total of $136 for another battery that most likely will fail again in less than 2 years.
When I told her I didn?t think it was legal to charge me to make use of the warranty she said that she was a lawyer and that it was. Very good that Canadian Tire Rylander has legal staff manning their service desks, but I suspect that she wasn?t being completely honest with me.
I asked her to show me on the warranty paperwork where all these required charges and limitations were mentioned, but she refused. I asked her to call the roadside assistance number for me because I was going to go to another Canadian Tire to get assistance. She said that I was not eligible for roadside assistance because I had not paid the $96 for the test. I asked her again to show me where that is on the warranty, which has the terms for roadside assistance, but she just couldn?t find it, but she knew it was true.
I asked her one more time to test the battery for replacement under the terms of the warranty and she said I would have to pay ? that all customers pay for testing for all Canadian Tire products, even the ones out on the regular store shelves. That companies cannot make money replacing defective merchandise.
When I asked to speak with a manager, she said that this particular Canadian Tire has no managers.
Meanwhile, while all this is happening, other service desk staff have gathered around her to see why she is getting louder and more upset with my refusal to pay to have the warranty honoured. When I ask the question about the manager, she says their aren?t any, but one of the other service desk staff grabs a card from his till. He handed to me as we left, saying that I should definitely call the manager as I was not given the correct story.
So what I?ve learned from this woman at the Canadian Tire Rylander:
- Canadian Tire does not offer warranties in the real legal sense.
- It makes no sense to purchase Canadian Tire items because they are more expensive to replace than to buy brand new from a competitor
- that the terms written on their warranty paperwork are useless because Canadian Tire Rylander uses licensed legal professionals to give legal advice to customers telling them to ignore the paper work (I know this really isn?t true, but I get such a laugh when sales people tell me they are lawyers and even though they work for the other party they are allowed to give me legal advice).
- that doing business with Canadian Tire, even though they are all franchises and run by different people, is not something that intelligent customers want to do.
- that ?car stuff is really, really scary for women like me? according to this service desk staff member.
- that getting your car serviced at other places invalidates your warranty (also not true)
- that the roadside assistance that is guaranteed with the purchase of a battery is not actually available to customers unless they want to pay $100 to have their battery tested (again, not true, but this is what this woman wanted me to believe).
So instead of dealing with this Canadian Tire or the one in Pickering again, I decided to get back to reliable transportation by calling CAA, who sent out a truck within 10 minutes with a brand new battery. They installed it and gave me a written warranty that I believe will actually be honoured. At least I know the terms of their roadside assistance for certain.
Even though the woman insisted that no battery has ever failed, a miracle has occurred right here in Scarborough because my car has been starting fine for the last two weeks. I guess it repaired itself.
My calls to the Service Manager have not been returned, but I believe it was the crazy woman at the desk on that night who took my messages.
And the Canadian Tire store that we used to visit on a weekly basis has now lost all of our business to their competitors. The thousands of dollars we spend every spring on landscaping, household and maintenance items is now going to be happily spent at other retailers. I know it will not make a dent in this franchisee?s books, but at least I won?t ever have to deal with the scam artists there every again.
The stories I heard while waiting in line were outrageous. Stories of ?it?s against the law for us to sell you tires without an inspection? and ?we aren?t allowed to sell you tires unless you buy the extra warranty?.
This is one terrible Canadian Tire store, staffed with a legal expert who doles out ?legal advice? to her employer?s customers, with no manager in the entire store. Amazing.