Retro Rollers Inc. - Toronto Review

I visited Retro Rollers inside Rollerpony on Wednesday, May 29th, 2024, and had a mixed experience. I appreciated the convenience of the skate shop on-site. The staff member, Liam, who was posted behind the skate rental area, was helpful and even opened the retail store of his own volition.

Before purchasing wheels, I consulted with a fellow jam skater at Rollerpony after noticing how easily he was skating. We decided on specific specs: 101 or 102 hardness and 54-57mm width for indoor rink use. I conveyed this to Liam, mentioning that I was looking for more speed and ease of skating on the Rollerpony rink. Despite this, I was sold “Rise and Grind” wheels, which turned out to be outdoor wheels because they weren’t “flat” on the end, as the jam skater pointed out. He also said the rounded edge of the wheels impacted the grip, the way I turned, and the speed (slower). The wheels did not perform well for speed on the Rollerpony rink compared to my Fame Artistic wheels, which I gave to my friend and Liam installed for her earlier.

I went back to the rental counter and told Liam that I was disappointed with the wheels’ performance. I told him that the jam skater mentioned he had those wheels too but used them outdoors. Liam apologized but informed me that no refund could be offered since the wheels had been used. I took the jam skater with me to the retail shop, and he showed me the Merlin Dots—102A hardness, 54mm width wheels, flat on the outside of the wheel, and made for indoor use. And he doesn’t even work there! Liam didn’t seem aware of the utility of the Merlin’s. This additional purchase required more money and a 25-minute wait for installation due to a busy period. However, once the wheels were installed, I finally had the great fast and easy skating experience I was used to at other rinks.

Following the advice of the owner of Rollerpony, I emailed the owners of Retro Rollers about the mishap because I didn’t want anyone to go through what I did.

Phil, one of the owners of Retro Rollers, responded in an email with, “Liam did not make a mistake, he sold you hard fast wheels,” and “my daughter and many other skaters prefer wheels like these.” However, Phil also said, “they (Rise and Grind) also wouldn’t be my first choice for a rink wheel, but I was not part of the conversation in the shop.”

So, the lesson is; do your homework before buying anything from Retro Rollers, because if you unknowingly make a purchase and it doesn’t work out for you, you’ll have defensive owners invalidating your feelings and implying the joke is on you for not knowing exactly what you should have gotten.

3 out of 5 stars because of the proper wheel installs x 3, and great Merlin wheels, and Liam opening up the shop and inviting me in without me asking. A star subtracted for having to buy two sets of wheels instead of just one, and a star subtracted for the unhelpful, dismissive email from the owner.

Should I go lower? We’ll see if the owner responds here under this review and tries to justify their employee’s mistaken actions, or blame me for whatever is on their mind.