[airboat]

Should have stopped in Alberta.. Cashier at 7-11 makes $15.00/hr.. We have to generally fly up Mexicans to take those jobs.. Serious!

[crownver]

Icelander, sorry to here about your crappy experience in Canada, BC especially. There's jerks and a..holes in every nook and cranny of this world.

My brother-in-law (not a car guy) went to Canadian Tire to have his brakes in his 85 Ford F150 checked. They told him everthing needed replaced because it was all rusty! Show me a cast iron caliper or brake drum that isn't rusty on the outside on an 15 yr. old daily driver Ford truck! They gave him an estimate of $400.00 for the rear brakes and $700.00 for the front.

He gave them the go ahead for the rear brakes, and bought the parts they reccommended for the fronts, figuring I'd give him a hand on them. No problem, even though we were up in Qualicum Bay in our trailers for the weekend. He started working on it before I got there. Got the left front wheel off, and was working on the right. When those jerks at Crappy Tire put the front wheels back on, they must have torqued the nuts down to 200 ft/lbs. I had a tire iron on it with a 6 ft. pipe. Just bent the iron. I'm sure they did it on purpose because he had told them he was going to do it himself. We ended up putting the other wheel back on to go to a service station to use an air wrench because there was 1 nut we could not get off. Broke a couple of wheel wrenchs on it. Still no luck. Ended up having to cut the sucker off. When I looked at the rotors and calipers, they were fine. Rusty on the non wearing parts yes, but almost no wear on the rotors, and no leakage showing on the calipers. He went back to CT, and actually got an apology with the refund on the parts that didn't need to be replaced. I'll never get work done there!

[302 Z28]

Car repair ripoffs are nothing new. When I was a line mechanic at our local Ford dealership I continually watched our two front end mechanics turn 80 to 120 hours a week flat rate. They specialized in Fords twin "I" beam axle on the trucks. Rarely did a Ford truck get on their lift that did not need a complete front end overhaul. These guys actually did the work, but billed each operation out like that was the only thing they were doing. R&R shocks 1.5 hours, R&R drag link 1.5 hours, R&R kingpins 4.5 hours, on and on. Later when I worked as a service writer at the same dealership I saw how difficult it was to explain to a customer how they could drop off their truck in the morning and pick it up about 4:00pm and have 10+ hours labor billed to it. If these thieves didn't flat rate 20+ hours a day they moped around like first graders. Meanwhile myself and several other line mechanics were busting out butts to make 40 to 60 hours a week. Nothing new at all when it comes to car repair I'm afraid.

Vince

[sbchevfreak]

Originally Posted by crownver

Icelander, sorry to here about your crappy experience in Canada, BC especially. There's jerks and a..holes in every nook and cranny of this world.

My brother-in-law (not a car guy) went to Canadian Tire to have his brakes in his 85 Ford F150 checked. They told him everthing needed replaced because it was all rusty! Show me a cast iron caliper or brake drum that isn't rusty on the outside on an 15 yr. old daily driver Ford truck! They gave him an estimate of $400.00 for the rear brakes and $700.00 for the front.

He gave them the go ahead for the rear brakes, and bought the parts they reccommended for the fronts, figuring I'd give him a hand on them. No problem, even though we were up in Qualicum Bay in our trailers for the weekend. He started working on it before I got there. Got the left front wheel off, and was working on the right. When those jerks at Crappy Tire put the front wheels back on, they must have torqued the nuts down to 200 ft/lbs. I had a tire iron on it with a 6 ft. pipe. Just bent the iron. I'm sure they did it on purpose because he had told them he was going to do it himself. We ended up putting the other wheel back on to go to a service station to use an air wrench because there was 1 nut we could not get off. Broke a couple of wheel wrenchs on it. Still no luck. Ended up having to cut the sucker off. When I looked at the rotors and calipers, they were fine. Rusty on the non wearing parts yes, but almost no wear on the rotors, and no leakage showing on the calipers. He went back to CT, and actually got an apology with the refund on the parts that didn't need to be replaced. I'll never get work done there!

These problems happen almost anywhere they use flat rate. If you are not working, you are not getting paid. If you aren't calling work, you aren't getting jobs, so you don't get paid.

What also has to be remembered, is that CT does not corporately own the locations, they are independantly owned and operated. There are no standards that apply uniformly to every location. So you will get dealers who don't give a sh1t about the shop, leave the hiring to some "service manager" they hire who has no auto experience, and give a budget so thin you could use it as window glass. So they hire bottom of the barrel, crooked techs because that is all they can get.

Another scenario is the dealer starts out gung-ho, hires good techs, then when they have been there for a time, and demonstrated their abilities and built a customer base because they are good and honest, then the dealer refuses to pay them accordingly, and the good techs leave. The shop gets a rep for not paying worth a crap, and then all they can get are the crappy, crooked techs.

Third scenario is rare, but you get a dealer who cares, hires the right managment people, and hands down a reasonable shop budget. Regular prformance reviews, and pay increases to the people who have demonstrated that they are an asset to the business. Thses are the stores that have a profitable shop, happy techs, and happy customers.

[Dave57210]

My last (in every sense of the word) experience with CTC was typical. About 5 years ago I had a wheel out of balance on my pickup - and I figured "anyone" can balance a wheel! "After all, what's the worst they can do?"

Well - I found out!

They balanced all 4 (Actually got that part right! No more shake)

Then, on the left front, they cross-threaded 2 studs and then drove them on with a rattle-wrench that must have been set at a zillion foot-pounds. Two weeks later when I got a flat, 75 miles from home, at night, in the rain, temps just above freezing...

Will I ever get ANYTHING fixed at CTC again? Yeah, right!

[Onefunponcho]

There are no canadian tires down here............. But yikes!

Shamefull stories..... Im so glad I fix my own

[poncho62]

Originally Posted by Onefunponcho

There are no canadian tires down here............. But yikes!

Shamefull stories..... Im so glad I fix my own

But I am sure you have plenty of places with similar horror stories.......Canadian Tire is sort of a joke amongst car guys up here........and we like to whine.......

[airboat]

For people like you. Who don't have a clue, Canadian Tire

Wish i knew how to communicate the tune it's sung to.

[Custom10]

Well my latest experience with them is a good one. Last year we bought a 96 Murano from a dealer in Manitoba. The car was a one owner from the US that the dealership had purchased at auction and brought into the country for sale up here. The dealer ship said that the car had passed the US to Canada inspections etc and was good to go. Because it was out of province we had to get it safetied here in Saskatchewan before we could plate it. I decided to take it to CT cause they also do the out of country inspections in our city and I wanted to take it somewhere familiar with the rules in case they found something. Sure enough they found a worn lower ball joint which should have failed the original US to Canada inspection. Canadian tire handled everything including calling the Manitoba dealer ship, explaining the situation, the dealership payed for the repairs and the inspection, we were on our way full safety certified at no cost,,,good job in this case CT.

[Duntov]

Sounds like the same management that's running one of the largest parts store chains down here. Non-mechanical people running parts stores. It's said that any manager who likes girls gets pressured out. And that coming up the ranks from parts associate will never be promoted or work the same schedule twice if they are found to be normal. Same techniques as the OP mentioned... reschedule them on their first day off to work the next day and not call them.. Then fire them for not showing up......Heard it several times.

Can't afford a legal fund donation big enough to comment on who it is.. but some of you probably know. az

[Dave57210]

Of course, it's not JUST CTC that can screw things up BIG TIME There was another thread on here about Firestone service centers.

I have had bad experiences with others as well. Once upon a time, I was heading to the cabin at the lake, pulling the boat behind my '68 390 Mustang, and it occurred to me that I was due for an oil change. So, idiot that I am, I stopped at a gas station (I SAID it was a long time ago!) and got them to do it. Long story short, when I slowed down to make the turn up the road to the cabin, I could hear my lifters clattering. Pulled over - NOTHING on the dipstick! They had stripped the pan drain bolt and oil was dripping out.

[sbchevfreak]

The dealer ship said that the car had passed the US to Canada inspections etc and was good to go. Because it was out of province we had to get it safetied here in Saskatchewan before we could plate it. I decided to take it to CT cause they also do the out of country inspections in our city and I wanted to take it somewhere familiar with the rules in case they found something. Sure enough they found a worn lower ball joint which should have failed the original US to Canada inspection.

I hate to say this, because you had a good experience, but if you ever saw the "Canada to US" inspection sheet, you would know that it has absolutely nothing to do with vehicle condition. It checks GVW, GAWR, tire size, pressure and type, VIN, daytime running lights, lift kit, and compliance label. The safety comes when the out of province is done. There are no safety checks done on an out of country, it takes MAYBE 10 minutes with a clipboard and a tire gauge.

I happen to be a technician at a Canadian Tire, and I have to say the generalization that we are all crooks is a little insulting. I have never cheated anyone in my life, and I take pride in my work. Not all CT techs are rip off artists, just as not all techs at any auto service are crooks.

[doray46]

i worked cross usa at a few VW dealers in the 60's then in 68 started my own shop but over all the VW dealers had good tech's i only new of one tech that riped some off but i had shop's in three states an did see some bad work come out of a few but alot tryed hard to do good work
so guy's heres ya a good one=====Always try to be the best, but don't ever think you are the best. ====we all mess up at times

[Custom10]

I hate to say this, because you had a good experience, but if you ever saw the "Canada to US" inspection sheet, you would know that it has absolutely nothing to do with vehicle condition. It checks GVW, GAWR, tire size, pressure and type, VIN, daytime running lights, lift kit, and compliance label. The safety comes when the out of province is done. There are no safety checks done on an out of country, it takes MAYBE 10 minutes with a clipboard and a tire gauge.

No problem thanks for pointing that out, just got a little mixed up with he the two types of check out requirements, the safety I was thinking of was the Manitoba one which they said it passed, they had intended I suppose to sell it there so the safety was done. Thats what I was told and also that it was all good when we bought it.

At any rate the guys/service at CT was top notch, the great thing was they handled the entire process including calling the dealership and arranging them to pay for the sask safety as well the repairs, what more can I say, hats off.

[airboat]

When I worked flat rate you learn to cover your but. When I did my stint at CT I was doing a front end on a early 70's Dodge and didn't sell control arm bushings and eccentrics. when i couldn't get them to budge the customer got to pay for the bushings and I got to install them for nothing. Comebacks are also on your own dime... There was a push to sell labor for sure at the time, when we sold brake jobs we rebuilt the calipers and wheel cylinders... The Dodge dealership was the worst I have ever witnessed and looking at all their new buildings are doing very well!