Niagara Falls is a great place to take a mini vacation for us Torontonians.  My last two mini-vackays have been to the Embassy Suites using their package deals that are an amazing value!! First one I went with my significant other and the last time we went with all the kiddies!!

One of the highlights of our little getaway is eating at the Keg that is located right inside the hotel.  We had the pleasure of not only enjoying their great food but also meeting the restaurant manager Christina St. Angelo, she is one of those rare employees that loves what she does and it comes through in the form of her top-notch customer service!  When we were there one of the steaks was a bit over-done and she came by to make sure we knew it would be just a few minutes for a new one and she left the sides so we could snack while waiting.  She even bought us desert and made sure to come back for a table check after then new steak came out.

The hotel itself is clean and the rooms are very…well, roomy! check-in has always been super quick and even when I get there at 2:30pm a room is usually ready.  The indoor pool is nice (the hot-tubs could be a little hotter), the gym is a good size and well maintained.

One pet peeve is that for some reason they put a hold on your Visa for the amount of the room plus an extra amount and then they charge the Visa on check-out but the hold always shows as diminishing my credit limit for a few days (making me wonder if I over-spent somewhere).

They just emailed me a great $95 deal that includes a bunch of extras (including a $40 voucher for the Keg) but we can’t make it this time!!  But we will see you soon!!

Our friends at Standard Auto Wreckers (in Scarborough) were busy this last week supporting charities in the Greater Toronto Area!  They supplied a car to torquemodified.com’s charity event to support Grandview Children’s Centre and also supplied a smashed up car for an event for MADD !

Wow, I don’t know what it is but it seems the bigger the company, the worse the buying experience!  I ordered a TV from Dell last week and first the order was not completed properly, so I had a call back to fix it.  Then the order was never confirmed, so I had another call, finally the confirmation email came.  Then the order was not showing in my account, another call.  Then because of all my calls they put me on the special - “we will call you lots more” plan, so I have received a call to say it is being shipped, but the shipping status does not show the carrier nor does it show the tracking number, so guess what…right…a contact us form filled out and another call to Dell, then today another call back from Dell to follow-up.

So, the order does still not show up in my account and the shipping status page still does not have my details and the shipping company has not called, nor answered my contact us form request.   All the Dell reps from India are very polite and sound like they genuinely want to help me but I really wonder if they have the resources.  I guess in this competitive environment Dell is forced to cut corners to be competitive.   I will update this post when my TV arrives in perfect condition.

Update: Just got another follow-up call from a specialist named Rohit, I told him I still could not see delivery information on my order status and I still don’t see the purchase in my account.  I added that the delivery method they use requires me to wait at home all day (no 2 hour window, no morning/afternoon delivery).  He said sorry a few times, and when I said I will probably just price match with Futureshop or Bestbuy for my next purchase.  He apologized again and told me Dell does not price match - that was my cue for saying thanks and goodbye.   I really hope this TV does not require a return!  This experience with Dell makes me wonder how they stay in business.

Update: Just got another call from Dell (half an hour after the last) from a customer service manager, I guess it is cheaper to have overseas customer service people than actually solve issues…he said he would pass on my concerns and seemed to focus on the delivery company.

I tried to take advantage of the Father’s Day special that Cineplex had online.  Basically you buy $50 worth of dvd/blu rays and you get double scene points and 2 free tickets.  I played around for around half an hour and could not get the items to stay in my cart.  I tried it as a guest and also logged into my account, either way it would either clear the cart or just not add an extra item (I am using IE8), talk about frustrating.

Then I was in contact with someone at their customer support, Daniel Brown and we started exchanging emails, 2 hours and about a dozen emails later he said he had the stuff added to my account (3 movies) but when I logged on it was showing a different total in the top right and in the total balance.  It was also not showing the 2 free tickets….wow, this is not some dinky store, this is Cineplex - horrible experience and when I asked to escalate this (figuring a manager might get a handle on the problem) I was notified that Daniel was the highest (and apparently most knowledgeable) I could go.  Oh, well I guess I will go back to buying my dvd’s and blu rays from Walmart etc…

So my rating of my experience online with  http://store.cineplex.com is:  0/10

Note: just got an email back saying this is fixed and I do see the same price in the top right and in my shopping cart.  I still don’t see the 2 free tickets, just some weird misc. item on back-order that is $-12.99.  I will update this post if I end up getting the order through successfully.

We spoke to David Gold from Standard Auto Wreckers out in Scarborough and he told us that this years Tire Takeback Event for charity definitely set a new record but the final tally won’t be in till later this week.

Good job Toronto for donating so many old tires to a worthy cause!!!

The 12^th annual Mow Down Pollution event kicks off April 19^th, 2012 May 2, 2012.  We’re asking for your support to get the word out on this important environmental initiative!Did you know? According to Statistics Canada, gas-powered lawn equipment releases about 80,000 tonnes of emissions in Canada every year, using up to 151 million litres of gasoline.

Mow Down Pollution encourages people to replace their old gas-powered lawn and garden equipment with cleaner alternatives. This national event runs at Home Depot locations across Canada, making it the largest of its kind in the country. Since its inception in 2001, the Mow Down Pollution program has retired and recycled over 54,000 gas-powered mowers, trimmers and chainsaws and has reduced more than 2,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas and smog-forming emissions. Mow Down Pollution is a program of Summerhill Impact, an environmental not-for-profit organization, and The Home Depot Canada.

Get rid of your old tires and help charity, drop them off at Standard Auto Wreckers!

Our friends at Standard Auto Wreckers have announced this years Tire Take Back Event - May 28th to June 2nd drop your old tires off for recycling and help the Sunshine Foundation of Canada http://www.standardautowreckers.com/recycle_your_tires.html

The countdown has begun and the opening of the 2012 Canadian International AutoShow is just three days away!!

We caught our friends at Standard Auto Wreckers setting up their booth at around midnight last night and I loved the look of it!

FOR ALL TICKETING INFORMATION: 905.940.2800 OR CIAS@AUTOSHOW.CA.

SHOW TIMES:
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM (February 17 - 25)
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM (February 26)

SHOW LOCATION:
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
North Building
255 Front Street West
and South Building
222 Bremner Blvd.

Our friends at Standard sent over some information on a great program they are part of, Switch Out, a mercury switch removal program.

Did you know that your vehicle is the largest and most recyclable item you own?  A professional vehicle recycler or dismantler can ensure that up to 80% of an end-of-life vehicle is reused or recycled, while the remaining 20% is disposed of responsibly.  Vehicles contain a wide range of materials that need to be managed once they are decommissioned or reach the end of their useful life.  Fuels, oils, coolants, batteries and heavy metals such as mercury all need to be removed by a professional to ensure that there is no environmental impact.  Local recycler Standard Auto Wreckers has demonstrated their commitment to preventing hazardous materials from entering our environment by participating in Switch Out, a mercury switch removal program.

Vehicles are no longer being manufactured with mercury; however some vehicle makes and models built before 2003 contain small amounts of this heavy metal.  The mercury is contained in metal casings or “mercury switches” that can be found in anti-lock braking system (ABS) sensor modules and convenience lighting assemblies under the hood and trunk of the car.  It is important to remove these mercury switches before a vehicle is crushed, shredded and recycled into new steel to prevent the mercury from being released into the environment. 

Mercury switches found in end-of-life vehicles

Switch Out is an award-winning national program designed to remove, collect and manage mercury switches from end-of-life vehicles.  The program was launched by Summerhill Impact in 2001, and since that time Switch Out has recovered and properly managed over half a million mercury switches.  That’s equivalent to 425 kilograms of mercury, or the weight of an adult male polar bear.

Switch Out would not have been able to reach this milestone without the dedication of program participants like Standard Auto Wreckers.  In 2011, they collected 1,397 mercury switches which is equivalent to 1,187 grams of mercury.  Even a small amount of mercury can have a significant environmental impact, so the team at Standard should be congratulated for doing their part to keep the environment mercury-free.

The success of the Switch Out program has not gone unnoticed.  In the fall of 2011, Summerhill Impact won a Minister’s Award for Environmental Excellence for work on the Switch Out program.  This award from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment recognizes initiatives that show excellence in pollution prevention, stewardship and environmental community building. For more information about the Switch Out program, please visit www.switchout.ca or call (416) 922-2448 ext. 286.