A little while ago I bumped into my neighbour again and had the chance
to briefly confirm a few points in the VCR repair saga...

Apparently the VCR was/is a Panasonic and is about 3 years old. (Fekkin'
good start, but let's not get bogged down at this stage...) My neighbour
has no special attachment to it and simply wanted it fixed for as little
as possible (naturally). He had had no idea VCRs were so cheap and he
thinks the shop should have (or could have) mentioned it and given him
the option of getting a cheaper replacement, even if it meant sourcing
it elsewhere. He thinks the hifi shop owners are shysters (not new,
apparently!) and only goes there out of habit and for obvious
convenience.

It's all about location and the lack of real competition and having
decades (whole century really) of thickies bussing into town to trade
their turnip money for shiny things. Of course it can't last forever,
what with the 'Web' an' all, but it's pretty obvious to me these ole
boys plan to go down with all credit card readers *blazing*!!

(It's not just the hifi shop - having bought no less than 3 bikes from
the local 'bike shop this year and despite Tone the Clone working there,
I think they are pretty much the same - *no discount, because we don't
have to* kinda thing....!)

Maybe it's me...

Maybe it's *that* time of the year again...