I made two enquiries about different pieces of equipment sold currently by Canadian Tire and listed on their web site with their customer services. On both occasions I was directed to the same telephone number, supposedly the "manufacturer". The phone is answered as "Mastercraft" which is one of the Canadian Tire trade marks. If you follow the menu and enter the product number you are directed to the specific make of the tool (Jobmate or Mastercraft again).On both occasions I was told the same thing: "We have no information on this product". When enquiring how it is possible that a "manufacturer" has no idea about the product it manufactures I was told that both companies stopped dealing with Canadian Tire or words to that effect.The telephone number (as I found later but already suspected) is nothing to do with manufacturing: It belongs to a company called "Global Sourcing" whom I suspect to be essentially Chinese importers. I further suspect that it is unlikely that *two* manufacturers in China would have gone out of business (unless of course Canadian Tire stopped paying them for their goods - another matter entirely). So does Canadian Tire import from a single manufacturer and re-label their stuff locally: Cheap stuff is Jobmate, slightly more expensive stuff is Mastercraft?So what does it mean for the corporation or for the consumer? I for one would be extremely wary of buying anything from them that might need spare parts in future. Having said that, their return policy has so far been excellent. Generally, however, I ask for money back, not for a replacement. I wonder how that will go now?Has anyone in the US noticed a similar problem with Chinese importers?

Canadian tire is in pretty good shape, but in attempting to competewith WallMart they have gone to multiple offshore suppliers to maketheir "brand name" stuff. The "suppliers" are hole-in-the-walloperations that just broker goods - don't know SQUAT about theproducts, generally speaking

Canadian Tire in trouble?

Apr 04, 2009 23 Replies

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Boris Mohar 8 years ago

OP uses clickbait title. Why start with apparent deception?

BTW CT has a special on Noma LED bulbs. Two 60W for $1.00. Many others too.

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clare 8 years ago

When Canadian Tire puts on a sale, it is generally unbeatable.

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Gerry 8 years ago

I seldom shop there except for sugar or toilet paper. Several years ago I approached one of the auto parts staffers and asked for a generic horn relay - he couldn't help me without a "year make model' and probably colour too!

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clare 8 years ago

Same thing at any dealership, pep-boys, auto-zone or NAPA store. Half the countermen have never SEEN a horn relay, nor do they have any idea how rhey work (oe what they do) All they can do is read catalogs -and then only if they are in PDF form and indexed so they can use a search engine.

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