Thread: Auto Department fail

Hey, let me start out by saying, I used to work for Canadian Tire when I was younger in the sports/seasonal department, I had very little dealings with the automotive department when I worked there. Also my grandmother worked there for many many years and loved her job there. I had brought my car in to their auto shop a few times, mainly to replace a tire or have an oil change but nothing more than that. Well my brakes have been very squeeky, they have been for a while. My friends dad fixed my front brakes last year, and removed my drums and gave them a sanding down and used some brake cleaner on them to temp fix the squeel. He advised me at the time that when the squeel came back, to replace the drums and the brakes, because it was mainly the drums that were the issue. Well it's returned, so my grandmother advised me to go to CT, and which mechanic to have do the work because he was the most "honest" of them all there. So I go into the auto section and let them know I'd like to have a new set of drums and shoes put on my 2000 Protege, the woman behind the counter (also a good friend of my grandmother), looks at me like I'm an idiot and asks how I know this is what needs to be done. I let her know about my friends father (I would have had him do the work but he is working 5 hours away and won't be returning for a few months). She still looks at me like I'm an idiot, tells me I don't know what I need, and that their mechanic will hoist the car and let me know what I need done, fine fair enough. Well they call a few hours later stating that nothing actually has to be replaced, and that they can just clean the drums to remove the squeel. I advise them I've already done that, and I don't want a temporary fix, I want it actually fixed. Well this woman talks to me like I'm an idiot and keeps explaining that everything is in fine condition, so fine, my grandmother says just to have them do what they say because they wouldn't rip me off. Later that same day I pick up my car, pay the $70, and go home (I live down the street). Today I leave for work, and the squeel is louder than it was before I brought it to them, and that you have to literally jam the pedal to the floor before the brakes actually engage. Also, the squeel before came from the right side of my car, now it comes from the left. I'll be going back to CT tonight to see what they'll do about this and will post a follow up when I find out. Moral of this story though, CT will rip off even people they know personally, and old employees of theirs, even the most "honest" ones will.

Well here's an update to my story. I went back to the same CT last night, told them how I was in the previous day, what was done, and how the problem is now worse than when I brought it in, and how the squeel has magically moved from the rear passenger to the rear drivers side. The person at the desk looked at me totally puzzled, asked why the paperwork didn't exactly match what I was stating, let me explain. The paperwork said grinding, while I stated pulsating squeel, the woman at the counter told me grinding. It said there was no pulsating although there was, and for some very very odd reason, it said front rather than rear. Well anyways, he took my keys, gave them to one of the shop workers, told her what the problem was, then whispered something in her ear, then just walked away without a single word or anything. So I stand there waiting for over an hour, before he comes back, and asks if the sound is constant or only when I'm using my brakes. I told him that it was only when I was using my brakes, and if he could give me an update on exactly what's going on. Again, without a word he simply walked away and left me to stand there and wait. FInally over an hour later, the shop worker comes back out with the paperwork and my keys, and drops them off. The worker at the desk, rather than get the paperwork and my keys, decides he's going to instead stand there and talk with his co-worker about some random stuff. I actually had to ask him for my keys. He grabbed the paperwork, tossed my keys across the counter, and as I stood there waiting for some sort of paperwork for my own records, he said that was all and that I could leave. So far the problem is fixed although I have not driven my car today, but overall this was a very very bad experience, and when I returned to have the problem fixed, like it should have been in the first place, the reps were very rude.

The question I have for you is, will you be going back to shop there again? That's the problem with the majority of Canadians. They'll be screwed up the arse by Canadian Tire only to go running back slavishly like a coke addict dives onto a bag of crack.

I'll go back to Canadian Tire to shop, I've never ever had a problem purchasing things from them before. I will never ever get anything done with my car by them ever again though. As an update, the squeel in my brakes has returned as of a few days ago, I currently have new drums and shoes on order through a reputable autoparts store (NOT PARTSOURCE, THEY ARE OWNED BY CANADIAN TIRE), and I'll be having the work done that originally should have been done, which I requested to be done as well. I've had zero problems purchasing good from CT, but their auto department is the worst thing I've ever seen in my life. How on earth are they able to keep them open? Anyways, that's my story, live and learn, and never let CT auto touch your car for anything lol.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I'll go back to Canadian Tire to shop, I've never ever had a problem purchasing things from them before. I will never ever get anything done with my car by them ever again though. As an update, the squeel in my brakes has returned as of a few days ago, I currently have new drums and shoes on order through a reputable autoparts store (NOT PARTSOURCE, THEY ARE OWNED BY CANADIAN TIRE), and I'll be having the work done that originally should have been done, which I requested to be done as well. I've had zero problems purchasing good from CT, but their auto department is the worst thing I've ever seen in my life. How on earth are they able to keep them open? Anyways, that's my story, live and learn, and never let CT auto touch your car for anything lol.

This is why they'll never learn. They screwed you over at one end of the store (the service department) but you'll compartmentalize that somehow and continue to pour money into the other end of the store (retail).
What a riot.

So because the mechanics don't know anything at all and can barely do their jobs, if that's what you'd call it, makes the rest of the stores and it's products worthless? Like I said, I will never ever bring my car in, and have them touch my car in any way, but that won't stop me from buying their products. I've had no problems with any CT products I've ever purchased, maybe I'm lucky, or maybe I'm smart enough to know what's worth purchasing at CT, and what's worth spending the extra few bucks somewhere else. Plus, although you're gonna rant about this, I'd rather put my money into a Canadian store, no matter what it is, rather than go to Wal-Mart, helping fuel the monster along with all their horribly cheap Made in China garbage.

...and all the stuff from CT is made in North America. Right.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

So because the mechanics don't know anything at all and can barely do their jobs, if that's what you'd call it, makes the rest of the stores and it's products worthless? Like I said, I will never ever bring my car in, and have them touch my car in any way, but that won't stop me from buying their products. I've had no problems with any CT products I've ever purchased, maybe I'm lucky, or maybe I'm smart enough to know what's worth purchasing at CT, and what's worth spending the extra few bucks somewhere else. Plus, although you're gonna rant about this, I'd rather put my money into a Canadian store, no matter what it is, rather than go to Wal-Mart, helping fuel the monster along with all their horribly cheap Made in China garbage.

No rant here, although you are an idiot of sorts. Canadian Tire service screwed you over and you somehow think it's unrelated to the retail end. I have news for you. The retail and service departments are all owned by the same bozo. Then you come up with the old "buy Canadian" chestnut. Oh yes, buy from a Canadian even if that Canadian takes you for a stooge.
Good lord, are all Canadians this dense?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

No rant here, although you are an idiot of sorts. Canadian Tire service screwed you over and you somehow think it's unrelated to the retail end. I have news for you. The retail and service departments are all owned by the same bozo. Then you come up with the old "buy Canadian" chestnut. Oh yes, buy from a Canadian even if that Canadian takes you for a stooge.
Good lord, are all Canadians this dense?

First off, never said that all the stuff from CT is made in North America, the fact they do carry stock from North America is great, along with a dozen other stores I shop at, but I try not to do what you all do and Wal-Mart everything I need. Secondly, yes, I say try and buy Canadian, I'd rather support my own country than America, China, etc. Both of you idiots really need to not fill in what I didn't say, and just read what I did. I didn't say I would rather put my money into CT because it's Canadian, I said I'd rather put my money into Canadian businesses, rather than into something from another country, Wal-Mart for example. Again, don't read between the lines, just read what I've said. Yes I'll go shop at CT if there is something I want. No, I won't ever bring my car into their auto department again. I do understand that they are both owned by, yes, Canadian Tire, I've had zero problems with retail purchases, I had this experience with my car, which are unrelated. If you go to a restaurant, you always have steak and never have had any problems with it, but this time you get a hamburger, and it wasn't very good at all, it was horrible. Do you never ever go back to that restaurant again, or do you just not get the hamburger again? Remember, the same restaurant owns both the steak and the burger dumbass.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

First off, never said that all the stuff from CT is made in North America, the fact they do carry stock from North America is great, along with a dozen other stores I shop at, but I try not to do what you all do and Wal-Mart everything I need. Secondly, yes, I say try and buy Canadian, I'd rather support my own country than America, China, etc. Both of you idiots really need to not fill in what I didn't say, and just read what I did. I didn't say I would rather put my money into CT because it's Canadian, I said I'd rather put my money into Canadian businesses, rather than into something from another country, Wal-Mart for example. Again, don't read between the lines, just read what I've said. Yes I'll go shop at CT if there is something I want. No, I won't ever bring my car into their auto department again. I do understand that they are both owned by, yes, Canadian Tire, I've had zero problems with retail purchases, I had this experience with my car, which are unrelated. If you go to a restaurant, you always have steak and never have had any problems with it, but this time you get a hamburger, and it wasn't very good at all, it was horrible. Do you never ever go back to that restaurant again, or do you just not get the hamburger again? Remember, the same restaurant owns both the steak and the burger dumbass.

Listen clown, you accuse us of "Reading between the lines" but I see you accusing us of shopping at Wal Mart, yet neither one of us claimed to shop there. It's a bitch being proven to be a hypocrite, isn't it? And what is this nonsense about Steak & Burger? Where the hell did that come from? I'll go along with your little scenario though, dear moron. If I went to a restaurant and they served me good hamburgers but I then ordered a steak and it was shitty and their attitude about it was "oh well, big deal" and they had a terrible attitude (much like Canadian Tire auto centres) then you can be damned sure I would never go back to the restaurant.
I'll spell it out again for you. The service department treated you like garbage, yet you're somehow okay to go back to the same company and give them your money (albeit in a different department). That's what insane people do. Understand now, pinhead?