Friday Rant: Canadian Tire Warranties are a farce!
21-Sep-2007, 11:01 AM
#1
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Friday Rant: Canadian Tire Warranties are a farce!
Wanted to share my most recent encounter with the horrible customer service Canadian Tire offers to their patrons. This is a long rant so be forewarned.
Purpose of this rant is two fold, one, never shop at Canadian tire, I'm now making it my personal quest in life to make sure I let as many people know not to shop there as I can and two, if you do, keep every single bill you ever get cause they are ******! This particular incident occured at the CT in Maple on Rutherford Rd and Jane St. If any of you work there, I feel sorry for you.
Firstly I want to identify the brand "motomaster". "Motomaster" automotive parts and products can only be purchased where? Canadian Tire of course. There is no where else in the whole world anyone could by a "Motomaster" branded product, not Walmart, not NAPA, not your friendly neigborhood garage, only CT stores.
Now, lets identify what "warranty" means. Warranty is the coverage of specific parts, products and/or services for specified period of time by either the manufacturer, supplier, distributor or in some case a third party company. In CT's case, they are the supplier, the distributor but not the manufacturer. They dont make their own products, other companys do and the they brand them as CT merchandise under the "Motomaster" name.
Now, when I buy a "Mastercraft" hardware product from CT like a wrench or socket, which is essentially the same "quality" level merchandise as the auto dept's "Motomaster" brand it comes with things like longer term warranty's then their basic product brands. In the case of tools, its usually a lifetime warranty. In the case of Automotive batteries, if you step up to CT's "eleminator" series its 3 years free replacement VS the standard 1 year.
Now that we have terms defined, lets get into my rant:
Some dude comes to have a look at my car that I'm selling, plays around with the gagets and buttons etc... and accidentally leaves my dome light on.
He left, it was broad day light, I put the car back in the garage, dont notice the light b/c of the fact its day and park it for a week.
A week later I go to start up the car, wanted to take it to work and the battery is dead. I boost it, notice the dome was on and just shake my head in disgust of the guy who had taken it for the test drive.
Drive to work, come home, park the car in the garage for a day, the next day go back, it wont start. Battery wont hold the charge so I boost it again and go on an hour cruise to try and get the charging system to stabelize the battery. Leave the car for another day, go start it, its dead. Now I know this battery is pooched.
Take the battery to CT, explain the situation, they want to test it, I tell them its a waste cause it will charge but not hold it, they test it anyways. After over a half hr of waiting I ask the guy whats taking so long, he says "it'll take a couple of hours" i'm like wtf buddy, you could of told me this when I first came in and I would of went home and ate dinner and came back after instead of starving to death waiting for this stupid useless test.
I leave, go back to the store, guess what? Battery tests good, even under load. Explain to the guy that I'll be back cause I explained, it will charge, it will provide voltage under load it wont hold the charge longer than the day, the car cant be parked longer than 12 hrs with out it draining.
Go back to the store with the battery a few days later see the same guy, they wont replace it for me cause I dont have the proof of purchase. Again, I'm like "wtf" the bill only proves that I paid for it, thats all, it proves nothing else cause its a CT part and CT parts are only available at CT stores. So then I'm told, we can "pro rate" it for you, you'll have to pay about half the original cost $60 some odd bux plus taxes. I explain, buddy this is an 8 month old battery with a 3 year free replacement warranty in bold letters right on the top of the damn thing. Theres a manufactueres production date sticker on the side that reads "DEC 06" and theres even a serial number stamped in the casing that if you decode will tell you the exact date and location this battery was made. I used to work at CT as a teenager and I was a parts guy so I know all about how this works. He says "I know, but I cant do anything about it". How do you know and then refuse to honour?
So I'm upset grab the battery, leave and call corporate customer service. I explain I moved houses and the receipt is lost in the move, its somewhere just dont know where and I need some help. They tell me to deal with the store manager. Theres nothing they can do.
So I call the store back yesterday, I talk to the service advisor, he talks to the manager, the manager tells him to tell me to come in and he'll look after me. Great! finally I'm getting somewhere, sounds like a good guy this manager, cant wait to meet him.
I go home, pull the battery from the car, AGAIN, and go over to CT, introduce myself to the manager and I even gave him my visa statement which shows the purchase at CT and the amount but not the item "battery", I also explained to him that I called Visa, asked for a bill copy and they told me b/c its past 6mos I have to fax a request and it could take up to 45 days to get this copy. At first the manager seemed like he wanted to help, but after just a few seconds I could tell he wanted to get me out of his store. He's kind of on the fence whether he should honour the warranty with out proof of purchase and he sees on my visa statement that I bought it at the rexdale store and says, "oh, oh, no, I cant help you, you should deal with that store" and now I'm vexxed cause buddy, you told me to come down here and see YOU, and that you would take of it for me and now your pawning me off and wasting my time again!? SOB, i wanted to rip his face off right there!
So he tells me, I can charge you half on a pro rate if you want to do that. I almost lost it! "You want me to pay $60 plus taxes for a battery thats currently covered by warranty to YOUR store after you wont honour the warranty at this same store? You're a joke!" I told him that its obvious that this battery is leass than a year old and is still under warranty. He admits to me, the second employee of the company to do the same "You and I both know this battery is less than a year is covered under warranty, you and I both know when this battery was made, when you bought it and for how long its covered but CT is stingy on their battery warranties". I grabbed my battery and left and told him I would make sure everyone knows not to shop at his store or do service in his shop.
So now I have employees at CT who admit they KNOW my battery is covered under warranty and they refuse to do anything about it all cause I cant provide them with the bill of sale. So I go to my truck, grab a cracked "mastercraft" socket I had in the back, walk back into the store, go to customer service and tell them I want this replaced under warranty but I dont have a bill. "No problem" she says, "go get the same one and come back I'll exhange it for you" You know, she did just that.
So I ask all of you what the fack is the difference between a socket under warranty and a battery under warranty? The service manager "Joe" after giving me all these hastles couldnt answer that exact same question. Can anyone PLEASE explain it to me cause I'm loosing my mind over this stupidity.
End of rant
Purpose of this rant is two fold, one, never shop at Canadian tire, I'm now making it my personal quest in life to make sure I let as many people know not to shop there as I can and two, if you do, keep every single bill you ever get cause they are ******! This particular incident occured at the CT in Maple on Rutherford Rd and Jane St. If any of you work there, I feel sorry for you.
Firstly I want to identify the brand "motomaster". "Motomaster" automotive parts and products can only be purchased where? Canadian Tire of course. There is no where else in the whole world anyone could by a "Motomaster" branded product, not Walmart, not NAPA, not your friendly neigborhood garage, only CT stores.
Now, lets identify what "warranty" means. Warranty is the coverage of specific parts, products and/or services for specified period of time by either the manufacturer, supplier, distributor or in some case a third party company. In CT's case, they are the supplier, the distributor but not the manufacturer. They dont make their own products, other companys do and the they brand them as CT merchandise under the "Motomaster" name.
Now, when I buy a "Mastercraft" hardware product from CT like a wrench or socket, which is essentially the same "quality" level merchandise as the auto dept's "Motomaster" brand it comes with things like longer term warranty's then their basic product brands. In the case of tools, its usually a lifetime warranty. In the case of Automotive batteries, if you step up to CT's "eleminator" series its 3 years free replacement VS the standard 1 year.
Now that we have terms defined, lets get into my rant:
Some dude comes to have a look at my car that I'm selling, plays around with the gagets and buttons etc... and accidentally leaves my dome light on.
He left, it was broad day light, I put the car back in the garage, dont notice the light b/c of the fact its day and park it for a week.
A week later I go to start up the car, wanted to take it to work and the battery is dead. I boost it, notice the dome was on and just shake my head in disgust of the guy who had taken it for the test drive.
Drive to work, come home, park the car in the garage for a day, the next day go back, it wont start. Battery wont hold the charge so I boost it again and go on an hour cruise to try and get the charging system to stabelize the battery. Leave the car for another day, go start it, its dead. Now I know this battery is pooched.
Take the battery to CT, explain the situation, they want to test it, I tell them its a waste cause it will charge but not hold it, they test it anyways. After over a half hr of waiting I ask the guy whats taking so long, he says "it'll take a couple of hours" i'm like wtf buddy, you could of told me this when I first came in and I would of went home and ate dinner and came back after instead of starving to death waiting for this stupid useless test.
I leave, go back to the store, guess what? Battery tests good, even under load. Explain to the guy that I'll be back cause I explained, it will charge, it will provide voltage under load it wont hold the charge longer than the day, the car cant be parked longer than 12 hrs with out it draining.
Go back to the store with the battery a few days later see the same guy, they wont replace it for me cause I dont have the proof of purchase. Again, I'm like "wtf" the bill only proves that I paid for it, thats all, it proves nothing else cause its a CT part and CT parts are only available at CT stores. So then I'm told, we can "pro rate" it for you, you'll have to pay about half the original cost $60 some odd bux plus taxes. I explain, buddy this is an 8 month old battery with a 3 year free replacement warranty in bold letters right on the top of the damn thing. Theres a manufactueres production date sticker on the side that reads "DEC 06" and theres even a serial number stamped in the casing that if you decode will tell you the exact date and location this battery was made. I used to work at CT as a teenager and I was a parts guy so I know all about how this works. He says "I know, but I cant do anything about it". How do you know and then refuse to honour?
So I'm upset grab the battery, leave and call corporate customer service. I explain I moved houses and the receipt is lost in the move, its somewhere just dont know where and I need some help. They tell me to deal with the store manager. Theres nothing they can do.
So I call the store back yesterday, I talk to the service advisor, he talks to the manager, the manager tells him to tell me to come in and he'll look after me. Great! finally I'm getting somewhere, sounds like a good guy this manager, cant wait to meet him.
I go home, pull the battery from the car, AGAIN, and go over to CT, introduce myself to the manager and I even gave him my visa statement which shows the purchase at CT and the amount but not the item "battery", I also explained to him that I called Visa, asked for a bill copy and they told me b/c its past 6mos I have to fax a request and it could take up to 45 days to get this copy. At first the manager seemed like he wanted to help, but after just a few seconds I could tell he wanted to get me out of his store. He's kind of on the fence whether he should honour the warranty with out proof of purchase and he sees on my visa statement that I bought it at the rexdale store and says, "oh, oh, no, I cant help you, you should deal with that store" and now I'm vexxed cause buddy, you told me to come down here and see YOU, and that you would take of it for me and now your pawning me off and wasting my time again!? SOB, i wanted to rip his face off right there!
So he tells me, I can charge you half on a pro rate if you want to do that. I almost lost it! "You want me to pay $60 plus taxes for a battery thats currently covered by warranty to YOUR store after you wont honour the warranty at this same store? You're a joke!" I told him that its obvious that this battery is leass than a year old and is still under warranty. He admits to me, the second employee of the company to do the same "You and I both know this battery is less than a year is covered under warranty, you and I both know when this battery was made, when you bought it and for how long its covered but CT is stingy on their battery warranties". I grabbed my battery and left and told him I would make sure everyone knows not to shop at his store or do service in his shop.
So now I have employees at CT who admit they KNOW my battery is covered under warranty and they refuse to do anything about it all cause I cant provide them with the bill of sale. So I go to my truck, grab a cracked "mastercraft" socket I had in the back, walk back into the store, go to customer service and tell them I want this replaced under warranty but I dont have a bill. "No problem" she says, "go get the same one and come back I'll exhange it for you" You know, she did just that.
So I ask all of you what the fack is the difference between a socket under warranty and a battery under warranty? The service manager "Joe" after giving me all these hastles couldnt answer that exact same question. Can anyone PLEASE explain it to me cause I'm loosing my mind over this stupidity.
End of rant
21-Sep-2007, 11:11 AM
#3
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that sucks, I've never had a problem with CT warranties, in fact the winter tires I have on my car, were purchased by the previous owner (years ago) and they are CT brand (Icetrack I think) and they have fixed leaks for free like 4 times (they messed up 2 of those mind you) and I don't have a receipt or anything...
and as you've said, I've taken back a dozen broken sockets and tools and never had an issue...
Your store must suck...
-just out of curiosity, are you sure there isn't something else draining the battery in your car? maybe the person viewing it messed with something else?, trunk light, or radio or something?, since it did pass their load test...
and as you've said, I've taken back a dozen broken sockets and tools and never had an issue...
Your store must suck...
-just out of curiosity, are you sure there isn't something else draining the battery in your car? maybe the person viewing it messed with something else?, trunk light, or radio or something?, since it did pass their load test...
21-Sep-2007, 11:14 AM
#5
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 23,881
I wouldnt honour a battery warranty without receipt either, I wouldnt wanna get stuck paying out of my pocket for a customer that lost his/her reciept since u NEED that when the battery gets sent back to depot or u wont get credit
21-Sep-2007, 11:18 AM
#6
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Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Mississauga
Posts: 491
I feel for you buddy, I hate crappy tire too. But the bill of sale shows that you are the person that bought that battery, not some jerk who found a dead battery in the parking lot and is now trying to return it for $$.
21-Sep-2007, 11:38 AM
#8
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Originally posted by viper_2_4
that sucks, I've never had a problem with CT warranties, in fact the winter tires I have on my car, were purchased by the previous owner (years ago) and they are CT brand (Icetrack I think) and they have fixed leaks for free like 4 times (they messed up 2 of those mind you) and I don't have a receipt or anything...
and as you've said, I've taken back a dozen broken sockets and tools and never had an issue...
Your store must suck...
-just out of curiosity, are you sure there isn't something else draining the battery in your car? maybe the person viewing it messed with something else?, trunk light, or radio or something?, since it did pass their load test...
that sucks, I've never had a problem with CT warranties, in fact the winter tires I have on my car, were purchased by the previous owner (years ago) and they are CT brand (Icetrack I think) and they have fixed leaks for free like 4 times (they messed up 2 of those mind you) and I don't have a receipt or anything...
and as you've said, I've taken back a dozen broken sockets and tools and never had an issue...
Your store must suck...
-just out of curiosity, are you sure there isn't something else draining the battery in your car? maybe the person viewing it messed with something else?, trunk light, or radio or something?, since it did pass their load test...
21-Sep-2007, 11:44 AM
#9
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guy...bottom line is YOU NEED the receipt your rant is falling on deaf ears at a CTC store as its policy and protocol...yes, it sucks but thats the breaks...just guy a new battery and call it a day, dont buy one from them if you're that bitter just put it in the past
21-Sep-2007, 11:44 AM
#10
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Originally posted by ih8hndles
I feel for you buddy, I hate crappy tire too. But the bill of sale shows that you are the person that bought that battery, not some jerk who found a dead battery in the parking lot and is now trying to return it for $$.
I feel for you buddy, I hate crappy tire too. But the bill of sale shows that you are the person that bought that battery, not some jerk who found a dead battery in the parking lot and is now trying to return it for $$.
I gave the guy my visa statement, it said I made a purchase in the exact amount of that battery cost one month after that battery was made. Theres no way its coincidence.
They just dont want to dish out the money themselves as a PR gesture, their cheap.
And why would I pay 1/2 the cost for a battery thats 8months old?
Why not take the cost of the battery, divide that by the warranty coverage in months to give you a monthly cost and I'll pay that, thats fair. $120 / 36mos = $3.33/mo x 8 mos = $26.64.
Why would CT want 60+bux plus taxes on top for this battery? How do they come to this figure?
Cause they are a farce!
21-Sep-2007, 11:44 AM
#11
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Originally posted by ByeByePrelude
When I had the car at the shop last week and did the clutch, timing belt, water pump etc... I had them test my electrical system and its perfect, theres not drains anywhere.
When I had the car at the shop last week and did the clutch, timing belt, water pump etc... I had them test my electrical system and its perfect, theres not drains anywhere.
sucks regardless...
21-Sep-2007, 11:46 AM
#12
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Originally posted by Cynikal.Mindset
guy...bottom line is YOU NEED the receipt your rant is falling on deaf ears at a CTC store as its policy and protocol...yes, it sucks but thats the breaks...just guy a new battery and call it a day, dont buy one from them if you're that bitter just put it in the past
guy...bottom line is YOU NEED the receipt your rant is falling on deaf ears at a CTC store as its policy and protocol...yes, it sucks but thats the breaks...just guy a new battery and call it a day, dont buy one from them if you're that bitter just put it in the past
I'm ranting to let others know what I went through so they are more aware and understand how important "bills" are to ONLY the auto dept at CT. Dont want folks to deal with what I'm dealing with right now.
21-Sep-2007, 11:47 AM
#13
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I am right, I worked in their corporation as well as in the autoparts industry for years...batteries are the biggest Pain in the *** to deal with for warranty with your supplier...you need an original bill of sale with serial number on it or it cant be warrantied bottom line
21-Sep-2007, 12:02 PM
#15
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while it would have been a good will gesture on their part to cater your request....they had all the right to refuse your claim altogether in the absence of a receipt.
i mean....there are other items that are exactly the same price as the battery in the store.....just for the sake of argument.
without the bill of sale or the receipt (its not a hoax..its for real dude).....one should not expect top customer service....its retarded.
i mean....there are other items that are exactly the same price as the battery in the store.....just for the sake of argument.
without the bill of sale or the receipt (its not a hoax..its for real dude).....one should not expect top customer service....its retarded.
21-Sep-2007, 12:03 PM
#16
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Originally posted by ByeByePrelude
LOL @ "Guy"
I'm ranting to let others know what I went through so they are more aware and understand how important "bills" are to ONLY the auto dept at CT. Dont want folks to deal with what I'm dealing with right now.
LOL @ "Guy"
I'm ranting to let others know what I went through so they are more aware and understand how important "bills" are to ONLY the auto dept at CT. Dont want folks to deal with what I'm dealing with right now.
21-Sep-2007, 12:13 PM
#17
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Originally posted by Cynikal.Mindset
these manufacturers count on you losing the bill so they dont have to honour their lifetime or extended warranties
these manufacturers count on you losing the bill so they dont have to honour their lifetime or extended warranties
Good thing dealerships dont work this way, imagine you had to bring in your bill of sale everytime your car needed warranty work? Yikes!
21-Sep-2007, 12:15 PM
#18
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Originally posted by ByeByePrelude
The bill is a hoax.
I gave the guy my visa statement, it said I made a purchase in the exact amount of that battery cost one month after that battery was made. Theres no way its coincidence.
They just dont want to dish out the money themselves as a PR gesture, their cheap.
And why would I pay 1/2 the cost for a battery thats 8months old?
Why not take the cost of the battery, divide that by the warranty coverage in months to give you a monthly cost and I'll pay that, thats fair. $120 / 36mos = $3.33/mo x 8 mos = $26.64.
Why would CT want 60+bux plus taxes on top for this battery? How do they come to this figure?
Cause they are a farce!
The bill is a hoax.
I gave the guy my visa statement, it said I made a purchase in the exact amount of that battery cost one month after that battery was made. Theres no way its coincidence.
They just dont want to dish out the money themselves as a PR gesture, their cheap.
And why would I pay 1/2 the cost for a battery thats 8months old?
Why not take the cost of the battery, divide that by the warranty coverage in months to give you a monthly cost and I'll pay that, thats fair. $120 / 36mos = $3.33/mo x 8 mos = $26.64.
Why would CT want 60+bux plus taxes on top for this battery? How do they come to this figure?
Cause they are a farce!
21-Sep-2007, 12:29 PM
#19
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 23,881
the thing CTC needs to do is update their POS system especially for battery sales like partsource has...the POS system there keeps receipts on file for atleast a year under your name so thats all you need and they can pull it up for you if needed
21-Sep-2007, 12:41 PM
#20
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Originally posted by Cynikal.Mindset
the thing CTC needs to do is update their POS system especially for battery sales like partsource has...the POS system there keeps receipts on file for atleast a year under your name so thats all you need and they can pull it up for you if needed
the thing CTC needs to do is update their POS system especially for battery sales like partsource has...the POS system there keeps receipts on file for atleast a year under your name so thats all you need and they can pull it up for you if needed
I even asked them if they could pull their records, impossible they say. Thats a joke. Every other company I worked for except CT keeps records of their product sales and warranties to corss refference customer claims.
Unless CT is just lazy, wouldnt doubt that either.
