By Yousef Rellims - Everydaystop
SASKATOON, 2010.
Tourists, beware! Canadian Tire Store # 629 at 2325 Prince of Wales Drive in Regina, SK, Canada, is the last place where you will want to stop for your auto repairs and services, unless you do not mind throwing your money away.
On March 22, 2010, a Saskatoon traveller in his late 50's happened to be in Regina. He noticed that the front passenger side blinking light of his van had burned out. Since these do burn out from time to time, he had a spare in his glove compartment. The last time that one burned out and WalMart replaced it for $5.00, he was required to buy a package of 2. They come in packages of 2. On other occasions, his burned out bulbs were replaced for free by the gas attendants at gas stations along the highway. The job gets down for free, you give the gas attendant five bucks for his service, and everybody is happy.
It is a simple matter to replace these bulbs. Under the fender in front of the front wheel is a cap. You unscrew the cap, remove the burned out bulb, put the new bulb in, screw the cap back on. There! Three minutes and the job is done.
Being in a rush to return to home, the Saskatoon traveller did not remember how to replace the bulb. He could not find the location to enter under the hood. He should have been looking under the front fender in order to remove the burned out bulb. And so he went to WalMart to have the job done. They were busy and told him he would have to wait about 5 hours. They suggested he try another place such as Canadian Tire across the street.
Common sense says that if the average price to change a bulb is $5.00, Canadian Tire's price should be in that range. If not, the auto repair clerk will inform you of the price to have the job done. Well such was not the case with the Canadian Tire in Regina. They keep their mouth shut because they are there to soak the tourists. The proof is seen below.
After the bulb was changed, a matter of minutes, the traveller was informed that he owed Canadian Tire $ 21.78. That price DID NOT include the bulb since he provided the bulb as indicated on the invoice (See below). And the biggest scam of all, Canadian Tire had the nerve to charge him $ 1.80 for shop supplies. WHAT SHOP SUPPLIES? There were no shop supplies involved. What supplies does it take to screw in a light bulb? This is a perfect example of how Canadian Tire will soak you as it soaked the traveller. It is not a trustworthy business!
When the traveller complained to the Auto Department Manager about the charge to change a light bulb, he was told that it was the rate they charge and there are no exception for shop supplies. Everybody pays 10% of their Invoice for shop supplies.
This was the first time that the traveller had come across an Invoice for auto repairs that charged 10% for shop supplies. The others had charged him 5%. And many only charge the actual cost for the usage of shop supplies, such being a few dollars on an Invoice of hundreds of dollars.
The practice of the Canadian Tire in Regina is unfair. Canadian Tire overcharges its customers.
My recommendation to all tourists and even local residents, boycott the auto service Department of Canadian Tire stores as they overcharge you for the service that they provide.
