Headhunter Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 Well, I noticed that the annual CTC icefishing sale was happening again! For the last four years, I have been trying to buy the ice fishing "sled" from CTC and for four years I have been stymied! Now, I know that we are not talking about a lot of money, reg. price is $40.00 and it's on sale this week for $20.00. So I toddled off to my local CTC, rounded up one of the young fellas who work there and asked where I could find the ice fishing sled they have on sale. He tells me they don't have it. I asked if he ever had any, he says no, but he could check the computer for me to see if any other stores "near by" had it... no, none in stock! Now I have gone to customer service and obtained a rain check (20 minute wait at customer service) and they tell me it will be ordered and available to me by the end of January! Let's hope that this is the end of my 4 year quest for a new ice fishing sled. Why advertise a product that obviously they had no intention of stocking. I wonder how many each store got and I wonder how many out-fitters bought up every one at the store!? There, I almost feel better now! LOL HH
jonnybass Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 They call it Crappy Tire for a reason.
Joey Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 Joe, I noticed CTC does that all the time, on alot of their products. I've even gotten a raincheck and the item never did come in. That's been a pet peeve of mine for years when dealing with CTC. Got you to the store tho didn't it Joey
jonnybass Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 Joe, I noticed CTC does that all the time, on alot of their products. I've even gotten a raincheck and the item never did come in. That's been a pet peeve of mine for years when dealing with CTC. Got you to the store tho didn't it Joey See my post above yours.
The Urban Fisherman Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 Joe, I noticed CTC does that all the time, on alot of their products. I've even gotten a raincheck and the item never did come in. That's been a pet peeve of mine for years when dealing with CTC. Got you to the store tho didn't it Joey Yepp, they had a safe on sale for $600 and I went in over and over it'll be in next month, 4-5 months later I gave up and got one somewhere else!
Fang Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 Just did a quick hit on their site and all scarborough stores are out of stock. I did see In stock status at Leslie and Lakeshore CTC. I'd still call in advance
Terry Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 yes they do it all the time and it does piss me off
packrat Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 Recently went in to CTC to pick out an ice fishing rod---there were about 1/2 dozen of a brand name for a reasonable? price. Started sorting thru them for whatever reason, there were three with the tip eye misaligned-----dont know who does the buying for them or if they have anything like a "quality" check as they stock them. Guess they figure WTH some shmuck will buy it anyway.
Beats Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 (edited) I had a similar experience here in London. Went to a local store to check one out and was told that not only did they not any but no store in London had any either. I had told my Dad that I was looking for a sled and that CT was having a sale on something they didn't even have. He drove past a local furniture shop and they had a bunch of kids toboggans out for sale. He made his way to a local landfill (Try Recycling) and someone had left 2 perfectly good toboggans leaned up for the taking. My dad scooped both and gave me the shorter one to see if it would work. It's the size that is divided into 4 equal size squares. It just happens that my white buckets for ice fishing fit perfectly between the cross strapping on the top of the toboggan and I towed it around on Virginia Beach for 7 hrs of fishing yesterday and nothing fell off. Held 2 buckets and a flasher just fine and weighs next to nothing. I'm going to attach some sidewall supports soon because any non flat terrain would just be asking for the gear to fall off as it is currently. Saved me $$ and it works just fine for my needs. I don't intend to sit on the sled or anything like that, just use it to pull, so for me I'm glad this worked out. I'll take some pics of it when I'm done working on it. Edited January 12, 2009 by Beats
Grimace Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 Check this out. http://www.canadiantiresucks.net/ hahahahaha I can not believe the spare time people have. I have had some of the best days ever in Canadian Tire and the worst days ever as well.
BigSmallie Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 They just opened a new Pilot project store in Welland. It's supposed to have groceries as well. I think they will end up looking just like Walmart. I've noticed the plumbing, electrical, screws, etc sections have shrunk over the years, have been moved to the back of the store and doesn't have a wide selection. The fishing deals in the flyers have always been hard to get.......
Kirk Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 (edited) Its one flyer for 100's of stores so not every store can have tons of every product in the flyer and sometimes the flyers are the same from year to year regardless of supply/demand/availablity etc. Good luck in your quest HH For ice fishing, I use the regular plastic toboggans they have at CTC Edited January 12, 2009 by Kirk
richyb Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 I was in goderich and stopped in to pick up one of those sleighs. . Ofcourse they were out of stock but the guy said i could get a raincheck. Im not going to drive 3 1/2 hours to get the thing so i stopped in at the orillia store. WOW out of stock who would have guessed it? The guy at the orillia store said nope i cant get a raincheck so i asked for the manager. So now i have the raincheck and i hope it comes in sometime soon so i can use it this winter !!! Aparently they are as bad as bass pro shops when it comes to sale items never being in stock ! !!
Headhunter Posted January 12, 2009 Author Report Posted January 12, 2009 Yah Kirk, I have a 6 foot Bogan for my kids, but it simply won't stand up to anything that is not flat for it to ride on. It flexes too much and I end up picking my stuff up all the time. It seems like I am not the only one to have challenges here... I'm in good company! Let's see how long it takes to get a call from the store to tell me it has come in. According to the Customer Service person I was talking to, the computer indicates whether or not a product can be rain checked and ordered. Again, the customer service person told me it would not be a problem to order it and I should get a call by the end of January.... I'll update this thread when I hear! HH
Bernie66 Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 I posted a similar comlaint on another board. I got to the store at 7:30am Saturday, just as it opened. There were none in stock. They checked their computer and there was ONE sled in stock for all of their twenty some odd stores in all of the GTA. When I ask for a raincheck they said they might not even get anymore in because it is a SEASONAL product. My question is, what the hell kind of season do they think we are in? Winter has only just started. I phoned customer relations at their head office this morning and it was like talking to wall. I guess CRAPPY TIRES will be CRAPPY TIRES. No wonder they are losing out to the big American chain stores. I want to shop canadian but C.T. should learn to treat their customers with more respect. Here is a good example, if you go to BEST BUY to purchase a TV that they had advertised and it is not in stock, they give you a 10% discount plus free delivery to you door.
Bitsmith2k Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 Yah Kirk, I have a 6 foot Bogan for my kids, but it simply won't stand up to anything that is not flat for it to ride on. It flexes too much and I end up picking my stuff up all the time.It seems like I am not the only one to have challenges here... I'm in good company! Let's see how long it takes to get a call from the store to tell me it has come in. According to the Customer Service person I was talking to, the computer indicates whether or not a product can be rain checked and ordered. Again, the customer service person told me it would not be a problem to order it and I should get a call by the end of January.... I'll update this thread when I hear! HH joe, if the leslie & lakeshore store has them, i can take a trip over at lunch and grab one for ya.. mike
JMahon Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 I definately agree on how crappy CT is with their "Sale Items"...& most of the time when they do get the item in stock, it's something entirely different then what was advertised! (like the floater suits from last month).... I had actually picked up one of those sleds here in St Thomas, last Tuesday (they had 3 of them) I paid full price for it, & to my suprise it went on sale in the new flyer. So i took my reciept in & they refunded the balance. That's about the best experience i've had with CT in a long while!
Headhunter Posted January 12, 2009 Author Report Posted January 12, 2009 Thanks Mike! Let me know how yaou make out!... but I don't think thye have any either! Joe
Canuck2fan Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 (edited) I was in goderich and stopped in to pick up one of those sleighs. . Ofcourse they were out of stock but the guy said i could get a raincheck. Im not going to drive 3 1/2 hours to get the thing so i stopped in at the orillia store. WOW out of stock who would have guessed it? The guy at the orillia store said nope i cant get a raincheck so i asked for the manager. So now i have the raincheck and i hope it comes in sometime soon so i can use it this winter !!! Aparently they are as bad as bass pro shops when it comes to sale items never being in stock ! !! I guess they didn't tell you the rain checks are good at any store.... You just have to check at your store after the sale. If they have stock they have to honour the raincheck. If they tell you they don't it just takes a quick cellphone call to CTC head office and they happily explain to the store staff about the franchise agreement and yadda yadda yadda LOL. I love going in with a rain check from Kitchener to the Stratford store just to irritate them in Stratford because they never have items in stock after a sale starts on good items. Which means if you don't run in and pick it up on the night BEFORE the sale starts it will be sold out. I used to do that if I really wanted something and just get a price adjustment after... Recently I found out though that at both the Zellers and CTC in Stratford that the "staff" who do the pricing changes don't seem to work past 6PM at either store so the price is almost always changed by then the night before. So no trip back for an adjustment or rain check. I am hopeful when Walmart comes that the stores here will grow a brain and get it together so they actually have stock but I won't hold my breath. St.Marys CTC is the best one in the chain for my money. One time I picked up a rain check for a friend who couldn't find something in Kitchener or Cambridge where they wouldn't give him a rain check just because the ad said there were no rainchecks. St.Marys said no problem I could get a raincheck which I did... I then promptly forgot all about it. 6 MONTHS later they called and told me the my items were in... I called my buddy who had wanted them for Thanksgiving but since Easter was in two weeks he said to go get them if I could. The next day I was delivering right beside the CTC so I go to pick them up and they didn't have the item on the raincheck... they had a similar model that was more than double the price instead. The owner came out apologized for taking so long, he said when he was going through the rainchecks that were outstanding, he authorized the staff to upgrade a number of items like that. He said he wished sometimes the staff would clue in and do that the week after the sale instead of waiting for months to ask him if it is OK. Since it is a small town they pretty much know every customer by name and he said that keeping a customer happy like me who he knows spends a TON of money there is a worth losing a few points of margin every now and then... I guess all the times I made a point of telling him I am from Stratford but drive to St. Marys to buy there because it is faster than waiting for 40 minutes while the teenaged staff in Stratford hide in the back room before coming out and saying I know the computer says we have it but I can't find it can you come back tomorrow and check again when Bill is here... Edited January 12, 2009 by Canuck2fan
icefisherman Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 Joe, your post reminded me I wanted to grab one of those....called and my local store had ONE...just went and picked it up few minutes ago. Best thing to do is try to find which store close to you have one and go and grab it instead of waiting for stock on a rain check....it may never happen. Just make few phone calls...they are usually pretty good holding it for you until you go and buy it. It seems to be pretty gopod sled ....I've been using double kids sled but this one is taller and shorter so it'll fit in my car easier and even has spot for my auger. Will try it on the next whities/lakers trip ;-) Cheers, Ice Fisherman
bigugli Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 For all those who've been around the block for some time, remember Towers? They had the same shoddy track record for not carrying adequate inventories of advertised items. The government received so many complaints about the practice, and enough pressure, that the law hit them with huge fines for the misrepresentations and bad ad practices. It amounted to a lot of negative PR and millions in fines. Shortly after conviction they folded. Put simply, if you don't like the practice, start hollering at the government, the BBB, and every other consumer watch dog. Stop shopping there, and let them know it. Get the local paper interested in the story.
Headhunter Posted January 12, 2009 Author Report Posted January 12, 2009 Glad you were able to grab one Emil! I did just what you suggested... I had the clerk look at all the stores within my area and they showed none in stock. I wasn't about to ask him to check within 60 miles of my location as that would have meant spending the $20.00 I was saving on the sled, on gas! HH
LeXXington Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 I went into CTC for other things but thought I would just check.. They never sold them to being with. You will find that as each store is individualy owned sometime they just don't bother as at the end of the season they have to hold onto these things that don't sell. I agree why put it into a flyer and not have stock!! hummm false advertisement just too get you into the store
Moosebunk Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 HH Consider yourself lucky you "have" a store to go to for fishing stuff. lol. Nahhh, I hear ya. CTC's are usually great spots but at times they can simply sell out.
Photoz Posted January 12, 2009 Report Posted January 12, 2009 (edited) I had a bad experience getting chased around last spring trying to get a metal detector CTC stores were advertising. They sold me a model number that had been discontinued after being sent to THREE different stores that showed them having the item they listed. I finally mailed a letter to CTC head office, customer relations, and copied it to the managers of the 3 stores that had it listed as being in stock. Within a few days I recieved a call from a customer service manager, who offered to courier me the right detector, at the advertised price at their cost. She also said I'd be receiving a letter of apology, which I did! Plus . . . a $50.00 cheque for my trouble! I posted this in May of last year, with a photo of the letter & cheque. Jumping up and down & foaming at the mouth here will get you NO PLACE. First . . go to the store nearest you with the ad, ask for the product . . . . if they do not have it, and either can't prove they've ever had it, or admit this, ask for the manager. THIS is where you start documenting things . . . date . . . time . . . who you spoke to, and the gist of the conversation. If you get dicked around, leave, call a few more stores in the area AFTER checking their sites to see if your item is listed as in stock. If it turns out they don't have it either, ask for the customer service rep. Again, DOCUMENT everything, including the name of the rep, also explain you would like the name of the store manager, because you will putting your complaint on paper. Then, call head office, ask for the name of the customer service manager and their mailing address. Then write a letter explaining you've been a loyal customer for XX amount of years, but lately the service has been getting very poor, then explain your plight and ask if this is a good way to treat a log-time customer? And what you think is fair? AT NO TIME DO YOU BECOME IMPOLITE, DEMANDING OR THREATENING . . . this will getcha NOWHERE. The names you are writing to MUST be spelled properly, the spelling in the rest of the letter should NOT have mistakes or inconsistencies either. When you're finished your letter, check it twice, then check it again . . . there's nothing that has more power than a well written, factually correct letter of complaint! A poorly written letter, rife with inconsistencies, factual errors, spelling or gramatical errors will likely get filed under 'G!' Do this the way I've suggested, follow it to a 'T' and I guarantee you'll get results! P. S. It's not a bad idea to read the fine print at the bottom of the flier . . . occasionally store specific . . . you nearly need a lawyer to go over some of 'em! I'm not sure which arm of the government (Consumer & Commercial Relations?) would look after this if you STILL aren't satisfied, THAT is the big stick you save as a last resort! Edited January 12, 2009 by Photoz
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