And yet another response to the first page of comments from the CBC's link:

My blog was linked by the CBC in reference to my "fight" with Canadian Tire -- although I'd hardly call it a fight. I was sold a defective item, returned it and was told I wouldn't get a full refund because I didn't have coupons that I didn't accept at the time, and I queried the company about it.

And no, I'm not the Lee profiled in the piece, which some people seem to be having trouble understanding.

I have no real qualm with Canadian Tire in general. I find it to be an adequate store, no better or worse than most other large retailers. I don't really care about the CT "money" program either. If others choose to use it, that's terrific. I don't.

But isn't it a fair assumption to make that CT writes the cost of its rewards program into the merchandise it sells? What company doesn't do that, and why wouldn't they -- they're out to make profits, not friends?

The "money" is simply a way to get customers back into Canadian Tires, and again, there's nothing wrong with that. But if CT really wanted to help you out, wouldn't it just lower the prices on everything across the board by 1%? Couldn't CT just take the money it spends administering the rewards program (printing money, making up flyers, etc) and donate that directly to charity?

I would expect Canadian Tire to do neither. CT obviously has an extremely successful program and would be foolish to abandon it. But folks, see it for what it is -- marketing, plain and simple. This is a corporation, not your kindly Uncle Bob in Minesing.

As for the people who work for CT, I'll stop in my local store right after Christmas and check out what you said about signage. I do know, however, that there is no such signage at the Canadian Tire gas bar I frequent. I can also assure you the $.40 I didn't take in my last trip went right back into the cash register. If there's some mechanism for separating that out at the end of shifts and making sure it goes to charity, please let me know so I can add that info on my blog.