Canadian Tire Lawsuit

Thursday August 2, 2007, I gave my car (199 BMW M3), a Haynes BMW service manual, and a new rebuilt alternator for Canadian Tire to Install.

I also asked then to put my normal battery (left behind the passenger seat) back in the battery compartment.

Canadian Tire Charged me $114.80 for the service to install the alternator and the battery.

Canadian Tire invoice 89042.

Friday evening, August 3rd, 2007 I drove to Fredericton and my battery died as I arrived in Fredericton. This was approximately 5 minutes to 9:00 pm. The weather was very wet.

I turned into Canadian Tire in Fredericton and quickly purchased a workable battery for $136.79 so that I could at least get my vehicle back home to Woodstock (cheaper than a tow) for further diagnosis and repair. I installed the battery in 5 minutes and continued my purpose to be in Fredericton.

That new battery lasted until I got home and started failing (systems shutting down as I arrived in Woodstock).

Something was wrong. Could be that new alternator (not likely, but certainly not impossible), obviously not the battery, since I just put a new one in with the same results. Either the alternator was defective, or it was installed incorrectly. It was not charging my battery in the current weather.

The next morning Aug 4, 2007. I looked under the hood and found that the belt looked like it was installed incorrectly. I knew this instantly due to my experience the previous week in the alternator failure experience, which is why I purchased a new alternator to be installed.

I confirmed that the serpentine belt was installed incorrectly. I used the documents on the Internet and the manual I had supplied to the Canadian Tire mechanic to confirm the incorrect installation.

I called Canadian Tire and explained the problem to them and they told me they could not look at my vehicle until Tuesday.

I informed them, I couldn't wait that long and that I would find someone else to correct their mistake. They advised me to make sure I had an invoice from the shop that would fix the belt installation.

I grabbed my camera and took a picture of the incorrect installation before I left to have it corrected.

Then, I installed another battery I had at home, to ensure I could drive the vehicle to Cummings in Meductic.

Cummings, in Meductic fixed the incorrect installation. It wasn't a difficult fix, but wasn't easy either. The belt was tight and we surmised that maybe that's why it was installed incorrectly. Too difficult to do it right. Too often this is the case.

I returned to Canadian Tire and spoke with a female manager to request a refund for the incorrect work, a refund for the extra battery I had to purchase to get home and a new battery since my had been compromised running it into the ground.

She spoke with the mechanic. She then came out to the counter with the mechanic. H said he installed it as it had come off. I advised him that was not true and that I know full well that it was on correctly when I handed them the car on Aug 2, 2007. I also reminded him as a mechanic of the rule of thumb. I also reminded him that I gave him a manual, since he may not be overly familiar with BMWs.

Note: Rule of thumb in belt installation,

Smooth pulley, smooth side of the belt. The Canadian Tire mechanic installed it ribbed side of belt on the smooth idler pulley. I'm not aware on any serpentine belt installations with a ribbed side on a smooth pulley (it ruins the ribbing). This is pretty much a common sense item in auto mechanics.

This meant that the belt was incorrectly installed and would not hold the proper tension to operate the vehicle and the alternator would not charge properly and hence all my problems.

It is also possible to ruin parts such as the new alternator, and belts and other pulleys if installation is incorrect along with parts such as power steering and water pumps. It is also possible to compromise the safety of the vehicle with respect to power steering operation.

The Canadian Tire mechanic, basically said "prove it." I indicated to the manager that I was not here to argue with them, I was there just to correct the mistake and get an appropriate refund for the poor service, the battery I had to purchase and a new battery for the one that may have been compromised.

I said nothing about the other potential parts, nor my time in installing batteries, my lost time in trying to rectify their mistake (they charge $40 for a battery installation based on their employee's rate). How much should I charge? I will also have to re-install my proper battery or a new one depending on when I can handle that.

Since they only wanted to argue the issue rather than face up to their mistake. I said I would turn it over to legal recourse and seek more appropriate compensation for this poor quality of car care.

The frustration of dealing with this sort of careless car repair is wearing on my nerves. The aspect of trying to resolve issues with those that make these mistakes is even more.

I do contract work at $1000 a day. I use most of my time developing software systems and that's why I hire "experts" to do my automotive repair, so that I can do the stuff I am capable of.

I suggest that my lost time and aggravation in this situation is worth additional compensation.

As I will have to hire a lawyer, bring witnesses (mechanics), incur court costs, to handle this legally, I will want to seek compensation for legal fees, court costs, their time as well as my time as well any and all of the potentially compromised parts.

Hopefully all of this will be under $5,000 and can be handled in small claims court.

Regards,
Terry Barratt

I purchased a Yardworks Cordless Reel mower part 60-1535-8. I used it twice and found that it did a terrible job. It left 30% of the grass uncut. I had to borrow a lawn mower from someone and had no problem with the grass. 31 days after purchasing the mower (they have 90 day return exchange the receipt says, with original packaging and receipt - which I had), I brought it back with the intention to exchange the product.

I was told that it would have to be sent out for repair! I stated that there was no sign in the store, and no where on my receipt did it say that there were no returns or exchanges on lawn mowers. She (customer service) went on to say that cashiers can't know all return policies for all products!

I called Canadian Tire head office. I was told that I could have returned it if I did not used it. I did not know that it was no good until I tried it. She asked if I had read the manual to know that it was a 2 year repair warranty. I said that I did read it. They tried to say that the receipt said that it had to be unused. I told them that it did not say that on my receipt. So I talked with customer service at head office, the supervisor, and finally voice mail for the supervisors manager.

I just want to let people know they told me that all their products have different warranties, and really they have different return policies for all different items. These policies are not stated and you only find out about them once you have purchased a lemon.

I called the store that I bought it from again and finally got someone helpful, she said that she had heard about similar problems with this product.

I have still not heard if they will return it or exchange it.

I shopped at Canadian Tire for the last time this weekend. I went to the Canadian Tire on Cambie in Vancouver to return a tool I'd bought. I brought my receipt, but in order to return it I was asked for photo ID, which I didn't have. Even though I had credit cards with my name on it, the clerk and the store manager refused to allow me to return my merchandise.

I went home and returned with photo ID. Only then was I allowed to return my merchandise. The extra trip and the time spent trying to persuade the clerk and general manager to be reasonable cost me a couple hours of my day.

I will never deal with them again.

Hi all. On April 10th 2006 I purchased battery from the Canadian Tire in Port Coquitlam B.C. for my motorcycle. On July 28th 2006 it died, lasting only 15 weeks. I was quite a ways from home (2.5 hours) or a Canadian Tire when this happened, so I had to purchase a new battery. The store offered to hold my battery for a while incase I was able to pick it up. I was not able to get the battery myself but a friend was passing the store on her way to my place and brought it to me, that was October 20th 2006.

On Sunday the 22nd I went to the store with the battery and receipt. I spoke with an associate in the store and was informed the warranty had expired 10 days earlier so she could do nothing for me because if she did it would come back on her as the warranty had expired at midnight 10 days earlier. She suggested I phone the next day and talk to one of the managers, Sean. I spoke with Sean on Monday the 23rd and basically all he said was that since it was past the 'magic date' they could do nothing as the store would not be reimbursed and they would lose money on it. That same day I phoned Canadian Tire's 800 customer service number to see if they could help. All they did was repeat what Sean had said, if it's past the magic day, then they would do nothing for me.

Yes I know that the warranty was technically over but for a few short days they are willing to lose a customer ? The money they may have lost on the battery would have been made up in short order with my future purchases as I in the store weekly. They will be losing a lot more because they chose not to provide good customer service, or any customer service for that point.

There is NOTHING Canadian Tire sells that I can't get else where. In fact the battery I bought from Discount Battery Warehouse replace theirs was $15 cheaper and has double the warranty.

I WILL NOT BE SPENDING MY MONEY AT CANADIAN TIRE ANY LONGER.