An Ottawa mother says her 12-year-old daughter’s new winter coat from Sears came with a little more than what was advertised.
Nathalie Major tells Newstalk 580 CFRA she bought the coat at the Sears at the St. Laurent Shopping Centre Wednesday evening. When her daughter put it on Thursday morning before school, Major says she found two white, plastic hypodermic needles in the pocket. The orange caps were still on, and the girl wasn’t hurt.
“I was in complete shock,” Major says. “I had no idea what to expect, so I just left them outside the house and said, ‘Take your jacket off, wash your hands, and put your other jacket on,’ and then she went to school.”
Major says she then called Ottawa Police, who told her to file a police report online.
“The dispatch agent at the Ottawa Police said she’s never heard of a case like that before,” Major said.
Ottawa Police have not yet confirmed to CFRA what the status of Major’s report is, or whether an investigation has been launched.
Major says she has been unsuccessful in her attempts to reach Sears, which is liquidating all of its assets.
But in a statement to CFRA Thursday afternoon, Sears Canada said they would be getting in touch with Major and will offer her a full refund for the coat.
“Any matter that is of concern to our customers is concerning to us; we take matters related to the safety of our customers and associates very seriously, and we are taking steps to address this matter today,” said Sears Canada spokesperson Vincent Power in an email. “While we believe this to be an isolated incident, we are doing a sweep of the store today, checking the merchandise, which our staff will do wearing extra protection. We will do another sweep in a few days as a precaution.”
Power also said Sears Canada will offer any help they can to the police.
Major just hopes it doesn’t happen to anyone else.
“It was in the child’s section,” she says. “If her jacket had that, who knows if any other jacket has it?”
