Northern Expressions - Haliburton, Ontario

JP P.

If I could give a ZERO star I would!

I had a not so pleasant experience at #Northerexpressionhaliburton today.
Went in to buy a few pairs, if not more of the Canadian Made Moccasins with my mom.

I have a legal service dog…we walked in and the women at the front desk said “ no pups dear!”…the real question should have been, is that a service dog? I mentioned she’s a legal service dog and the woman looked at me and raised her eye brows (as if I was lying, just to get my dog in the store). Asked me for my documents (which I had, and dog is marked with a service tag-do not pet) the woman argued with me because I only had a doctor note- stating why she is a service dog and why she is needed (which is illegal to ask for due to medical confidentiality and human right’s violations) Service dogs in Ontario only need to be marked with a tag and have a written doctor’s note to be a service dog. Service dogs do not need to be “ registered with a service dog corporation” to be considered a service dog.
The woman read my letter, looked at me said “ I guess.” And gave a raising eyebrow look to my mom and I.
I also wasn’t allowed in past the front door until I showed my documentation.
….Trust me lady I know my rights and deal with discrimination all the time because people assume I have a small dog and I’m just trying to be a princess about my pet.
Following this experience, we continued on with our shopping at PetValu, Rexall and Foodland with no issues.

Needless to say…I’d rather pay more for better service and not have my rights (and service dog’s needs) disrespected to the maximum right in front of my face.

Ian M.

I bought 2 red Muskoka chairs from this couple 10 years ago. They were their high-end models, and they claimed that the plastic in them was special because the colour was mixed throughout the plastic (isn't just near the surface), so it would keep its colour. They were pushy in their sales, which turned me off, but I liked the look of them (and the idea they wouldn't bleach out, which hadn't previously occurred to me).
After 3 years the chairs had started to fade from red towards pink on the seat-side which faced the sun. So I went back to ask about it, and the couple claimed they would NEVER say they wouldn't fade, and there was NO warranty about that. I argued that they had stood RIGHT THERE three years ago and made the claim, but they denied it.
The Muskoka chairs are now 10 years old, and fully pink. I decided to go in again this August and ask them what they recommended "when their chairs fade".
1) They started telling me about how their chairs are coloured all the way through, and I cut her off saying, "That doesn't help if the surface bleaches out".
2) Then she showed me a product that you rub on that protects them from UV rays. I said, "It's too late".
3) Then she said she had a new product that cleans and buffs them, and I said, "Buffing is not going to turn your chairs from pink back to red".
4) Then, as if letting me in on her little secret, she showed me her paint scraper and said she drags it carefully down the chairs to remove a layer off, and that would bring them back.
I actually haven't purchased anything from them since the chairs started fading, and won't shop there again.

Sandra E.

I really do like this store, many nice products that you can buy for yourself and as for gifts for reasonable prices. But! Please ensure that you examine what you buy based on the reviews below. The staff are also, rather odd. They will follow you around and stare at you as if you're doing something wrong? It's very uncomfortable. I put something I no longer wanted to purchase back and the one staff was standing there and staring at me as if I did something! Not the feeling you want your own customers to have.... I do recommend visiting for the beautiful products. With sheer will-power, the two staff's behaviours can be ignored despite the annoyance.

Mario S.

It was a while ago, but felt I should share our experience with people considering purchasing from Northern Expressions..My wife and I purchased moccasins for our daughter and unfortunately she didn’t like them… Also, only tried them on.. she did not wear them..Two weeks later she went back to the store and asked if we could exchange them for anything else in the store. She
was told that they would not exchange.. If you plan to purchase anything from this store make sure you never want to exchange or return, or you will be disappointed.

Amanda P.

I went into this store to purchase A wind chime with my 3 year old daughter. We were very careful in the store however were approached 3 separate times and asked not to touch anything, and told “people don’t want to buy things if they’re broken”
The owners came off as very rude and clearly not wanting our business. I will not be returning or referring others.

Dale H.

Karen and Stephen really have it going on. Service excellence is their motto. Have a look at their wide selection of quality made moccasins. I buy a pair every year. A truly wonderful customer experience.

Sean L.

The product was good the gentleman whom was assisting me, was pleasant, however stood in my space the whole time showing me inventory, which was fine. What I did not like is he complained to the lady who also works or owns the business, not realizing I was behind him. Complaining to her that I would back up when he was talking to me. Yes because these are times of covid, 6 feet. I had contemplated not buying anything, you are welcome that I spent almost $200. Enjoy your day!

Eric C.

Horrible shopping experience. Bought $3000 worth of stuff and when i wanted to exchange a quilt (still in packaging) for another colour she said no and insulted me. You are of no value to them once you make a purchase and they made that clear. I will never shop here again, so many better places close by. Bad store, expensive products, disgraceful owners. Id really appreciate a reply from the owner, they dont reply to negative reviews I’ve noticed, only the few positive ones.