Shopping Discussion

Canadian Tire & Broken Bike

  • Last Updated:
  • Apr 15th, 2012 11:30 pm
Deal Expert
Aug 2, 2001
18944 posts
10526 upvotes
Kab wrote: I just know better to never buy anything from Canadian Tire again

Honestly, most people who say something like this still return to the store. Ask someone who works the return desk and deals with this day in and day out.

Canadian Tire, Walmart, etc. offer low prices in exchange for lower quality goods with a good return/exchange system. If you choose to deal with an independent store you run the risk of the same quality of goods with the chance of a much poorer return/exchange system. There is the chance that you'll find a good store with high quality goods at a reasonable price, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that small business owners don't attempt to make every penny they can off the customer.
Deal Expert
Jun 14, 2001
15556 posts
1026 upvotes
TrevorK wrote: Canadian Tire, Walmart, etc. offer low prices in exchange for lower quality goods with a good return/exchange system.
I respectfully disagree there. Stores like Canadian Tire and The Brick have consistent complaints about poor return policies that doesn't happen for places like Wal-Mart, Superstore etc. Coupled with selling mass market merchandise (as you call it lower quality goods) that's a recipe for disaster (as the OP learned). XSCargo has the same issues but at least they're upfront that once you buy something you're basically on your own.

I'd contend that's why we see so many threads around here complaining about Canadian Tire, The Brick (as well as Bell but that's a different market) and not because of the quality of product at mass market retailers generally.
but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that small business owners don't attempt to make every penny they can off the customer.
I'll agree there. I've had some of the worst service from small businesses. In a sense Canadian Tire is like this since, unlike Wal-Mart, Costco, Zellers, Superstore etc each store is an individual franchise.
Should we have open retail markets to bring more UK and US retailers to Canada?wegmans-tops-trader-joes-americas-favou ... #p27788812
Deal Expert
Aug 2, 2001
18944 posts
10526 upvotes
NG wrote: I'll agree there. I've had some of the worst service from small businesses. In a sense Canadian Tire is like this since, unlike Wal-Mart, Costco, Zellers, Superstore etc each store is an individual franchise.

Canadian Tire is not at all like a small business because (and this isn't the only reason) it has a corporate number you can call where they care about making each customer happy. Small business does not have this in any way, shape or form.

I personally have never experienced a hassle returning anything to a major retailer (CT, Zellers, etc) and quite frankly cannot believe the number of people that do. It leads me to believe that perhaps there is something else to their situation, or that out west service is that much better (which is unlikely considering our labour shortage).
Deal Addict
Nov 12, 2006
2968 posts
79 upvotes
TrevorK wrote: Honestly, most people who say something like this still return to the store. Ask someone who works the return desk and deals with this day in and day out.

Canadian Tire, Walmart, etc. offer low prices in exchange for lower quality goods with a good return/exchange system.

Things have changed at Canadian Tire. Their return and exchange policy can be terrible depending on the item you buy there. The OPs case in point. He bought a bike and the pedal quickly fell off, he was given another and it quickly fell off again. They would not refund his money.

Some of that cheap equipment they sell is not backed up by them. They refer you do the manufacturer of said no name company even if the item is a week old and totally sucks. No refunds there.
Deal Addict
Jan 10, 2009
2596 posts
1987 upvotes
Boom and Bust Calgar…
TrevorK wrote: Canadian Tire is not at all like a small business because (and this isn't the only reason) it has a corporate number you can call where they care about making each customer happy. Small business does not have this in any way, shape or form.

I personally have never experienced a hassle returning anything to a major retailer (CT, Zellers, etc) and quite frankly cannot believe the number of people that do. It leads me to believe that perhaps there is something else to their situation, or that out west service is that much better (which is unlikely considering our labour shortage).

I'll explain my story one day, but I dealt with a major, major ***** at CT one time - and it involved me spending more money!
Deal Expert
Jun 14, 2001
15556 posts
1026 upvotes
stuntman wrote: Things have changed at Canadian Tire. Their return and exchange policy can be terrible depending on the item you buy there. The OPs case in point. He bought a bike and the pedal quickly fell off, he was given another and it quickly fell off again. They would not refund his money.

Some of that cheap equipment they sell is not backed up by them. They refer you do the manufacturer of said no name company even if the item is a week old and totally sucks. No refunds there.

In addition to telling the customer to take a hike and deal with the no name company other retailers seem to have more of a standing relationship with the no name companies they deal with so if there's an abnormal rate of defective returns from a company they're less likely to buy product from them in the future.

Canadian Tire just seems to get in whatever random crap and let the customer deal with the headaches if there's a problem with it.
Should we have open retail markets to bring more UK and US retailers to Canada?wegmans-tops-trader-joes-americas-favou ... #p27788812
Deal Fanatic
Mar 10, 2004
7220 posts
5989 upvotes
IMHO one of the main problems with CT is the fact that head office does not enforce a policy of consistency. There is too much room for local policy.
If you happen to purchase an item at a CT store where the franchise holder happens to be an AH you can end up screwed.
Newbie
Jan 20, 2010
27 posts
2 upvotes
I had a similar experience at CTC Brantford last year with a CCM Vandal bike. The problem I had was the front derailleur not shifting properly and the chain coming off at the front when shifting into the outside chain ring.

First they did a "repair". After the repair nothing had changed, so another "repair" was attempted, with the same result of course. I went back and they let me exchange the bike for another one.

The next bike did exactly the same thing, so another "repair" was done. I tried getting a refund but they said they have to try a "repair" on this bike first before they could refund or exchange it.

After this repair failed, I tried getting a refund again. This was a Sunday, so the manager wasn't there, and they said they would have to send it to the mechanics to look at because they can't refund or exchange the bike unless the mechanics determine that the bike is unrepairable. The customer service people also told me that the manager would be looking into this issue. I go back a week later (after hearing nothing back from them, no phone call or anything), and they told me that the bike had been "repaired".

I went out in the parking lot to test it, and the chain comes off again. So I go back in, and was told that the manager (Michael I believe?) would call me on Monday, and I left the bike with them. I finally talked to the manager, and he said they could do another "repair", telling me that they have professional mechanics come in, the guys are really good, blah blah blah. He assured me that the chain would no longer come off after this "repair".

Of course I took the bike out in the parking lot again after this last "repair" and the chain came off again, so he finally offered me a store credit for the bike. It kind of annoyed me that he didn't really apologize or try to actually see what the problem was. I believe I first brought the bike to them in May, and it was August when I finally got the store credit. Such a PITA, but I was glad to get rid of that headache.

I ended up buying a 10 year old Peugot bike for $30 off Kijiji, and it's better than any CTC bike I've ever ridden. If I were to ever purchase a new bike, I'd go to a real bike shop, even if I had to pay twice as much.

I'm not sure if the CTC bike was actually unrepairable because of the low quality derailleur, or if the mechanics are just incompetent. But I don't care, because I'm never buying a bike there again.

I'd boycott all of CTC if I could since they're such crooks, but they're sales are just too good to resist. :o
Jr. Member
Dec 12, 2010
194 posts
152 upvotes
Toronto
By the way, with the bike I got with the store credit, it broke on my first use other than the ride home. I was going down a hill and the derailer somehow got pushed into the back tire as I was going down, I've got no idea how the hell that happened, no way that my foot could of hit it hard enough for that to happen(if my foot even reaches it :S)

It "exploded" basically and broke a spoke on the rim too, now Ive gotta bring that back in pieces and explain it somehow :facepalm:


Anyway, back to Canadian tire, yay!


If something is broken beyond repair what do they do?
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Nov 1, 2010
6144 posts
2957 upvotes
Kanata
Post it on their twitter page. Get a refund, not a store credit, not another bike. Maybe that store just has really bad bike mechanics. I've bought run of the mill bikes from CT and Walmart before and they're still going strong after 4 or 5 years.
Uh, yeah, I'd like to speak to a Mr. Tabooger, first name Ollie.
Deal Addict
Nov 12, 2006
2968 posts
79 upvotes
Kab wrote: By the way, with the bike I got with the store credit, it broke on my first use other than the ride home. I was going down a hill and the derailer somehow got pushed into the back tire as I was going down, I've got no idea how the hell that happened, no way that my foot could of hit it hard enough for that to happen(if my foot even reaches it :S)

It "exploded" basically and broke a spoke on the rim too, now Ive gotta bring that back in pieces and explain it somehow :facepalm:


Anyway, back to Canadian tire, yay!


If something is broken beyond repair what do they do?
It happened because the derailer was not adjusted properly or fell out of adjustment (should not happen). Don't they put spoke protectors on bike anymore?

Those mechanics must be horrid. Sorry to hear for you bother. Try for refund? but I think you might be stuck....they will repair or at least push for that.

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