raine66

Hi all,

I was just wondering what your thoughts were on Canadian Tire.

DH can't wait to get back and do some shopping in his favourite shop.

Is it a guy thing, or am I just not getting it.

Raine

Rete

I'm a female, and an American to boot, and I love to shop and browse in Newfie Speed and Sport a/k/a Canadian Tire.

Rete

Souvenir

Does he have a beard by any chance?

dbd33

I'd rather not have a whatever-it-is than go into Canadian Tire. The aisles are narrow, the stores are dirty, no one speaks English, the cash registers break down frequently causing long lines of angry people and it's overall as unpleasant an experience as their adverts lead one to expect.

raine66

Well surpisingly NO

willmore

Jim prefers to shop at a hardware store rather than canadian tire, find them expensive.

We have numerous friends who have taken their cars their to be repaired, and their advice is......never ever take your car there if you want it repaired properly!

raine66

Finally someone who sees it like me.

Souvenir

No. There are quite a few of us. The most efficient bit of Crappy Tire, as we call it, is the refunds desk. Says it all, really.

dingbat

There's a big newly refurbished Crappy Tire in Chilliwack. After queuing for over an hour last week just to get a lawnmower, then finding that they had no staff to get it from the warehouse..then to be told to "come back later"...I am never going back again. I like our local tiny Home Hardware that is owned by a really intense but lovely little man who can tell you what screw you need with a sideways glance at your whatever-it-is.

raine66

LOL

Thats what I call it.

Hubby just likes it for the gadgets and whenever tools go on special. But I'm still not getting it.

Steve_P

I had a great first experience with Canadian Tire back in 1972 while on a course in Ottawa.

My car, lost power and was knocking and banging, it just sounded like it was about to die. So we dropped it off at the local Canadian Tire on the way to school and said fix it please. When I went to pick it up they presented me with a bill for $9.95, you could have knocked me over with a feather. He told me that one of the rocker arms had broken and it was a really easy fix. He could have hosed me big time but chose to be honest.

Since that time my experiences with Crappy Tire have been similar to everyone else's, poor service, poorly laid out stores, shelves too close together, not enough staff and those that are there are surly. Also the auto repair department of our local store tried to screw me over on the only two occasions I took my car to them. NEVER AGAIN!!!!!

iaink

Its alright, good for power tools and stuff like that, especially if you look out for good deals in the flyer. Expensive for hardware as they use those prepacked boxes. The no hassle replacement when stuff breaks is good too. Gonna go get a 14V cordless drill today for $22.

They also have very good prices for kitchen ware, pots and pans, toasters etc etc.

Most of my Mastercraft purchases have stood the test of time, and the one that didnt was replaced after 12 months use without batting an eyelid.

Have to agree about not getting the car fixed there though...you think a good mechanic is going to stay at crappy for a lifetime? Me neither.

Our local stores are pretty clean and well laid out, and everyone speaks english..even the surley 12 year olds that seem to be increasingly employed. Maybe Im getting old.

In this world you generally get what you pay for (unless its a chinese saxaphone, but thats another story!)

Calgal

Canadian Tire is kinda like Halfords on steroids. They have things women might like, too. Garden furniture, plants, light fixtures, curtains and the like.

(Nothing like dbd33 says out here, though - much more civilised )

CDNReturner

It's all relative.......compared to Home Depot, Rona and Home Hardware (the big one not the tiny family-run local), Canadian Tire is almost wonderful. Still can't get over how cheap the prices are to the UK. As for car-service everyone here says the same as you guys.....stay away.

Cathie

mjanovitz

There is a Canadian Tire just a couple of minutes walk from us. Have bought a few things from there, (Ironing Board, battries, cleaning stuff), but I prefer Home Depot cos it's a bit more spacious to wander around and look at all the stuff. Would love one of those big BBQs but it's a little impractical as we have a second floor apartment with a small balacony...........maybe next year!

Mark